Food hacks: Try these easy tips to make your healthy meals taste delicious

Most people return to the same recipes every week. Here’s how to shake things up and cook like a chef.

fruit and veg

Eat better. Exercise more. Prioritise time for better work/life balance. Oh, and more ‘me’ time as well, if you please.

The list of what we should be doing and how we should be doing it grows longer by the second, so how do we even get out of bed these days without feeling like it’s all just a little too hard? Unlike taking months to see anything change for good at the gym, when it comes to food, making a few tiny adjustments to your grocery list can have a massive impact on eating better, fresher and healthier. And no, it doesn’t involve giant boxes of pre-made meals being dropped at your door, or even rethinking everything you already cook… it can be as easy as just throwing one or two more fresh produce ingredients into the basket, and thinking about your weekly staple recipes in a slightly different light. From livening up sides and adding a new dimension of flavour to an old favourite, it’s amazing how throwing one or two more fresh ingredients into a dish you already know can change its whole outlook at the dinner table … a little texture, a little freshness and a new dimension to the flavour. What’s not to love?

THINK FRESH, SEASONAL

Seasonal fruit and veg is your best bet. It’s at the height of its flavour and quality, and great when it comes to the grocery bill. Take inspiration from Australia’s multicultural food influences and cook around the world. From The Middle East and the Mediterranean to Mexico and South-East Asia, think about climates that mimic ours in some way, and make a point of celebrating great fruit and vegetable produce for colour and texture as well as flavour.

LIVEN UP AVOCADO

We might love ordering smashed avo on toast at the cafe, but they’re a total winner in a fruit and veg bowl at home, too. Make quick guacamole from super ripe avocados, some finely diced red onion, a good squeeze of lime juice, salt and a dash of your favourite hot sauce. It can be a winning addition beneath a grilled piece of steak or fish. Leftovers make a nutritious snack when spread on a corn thin or dolloped on top of roast veg.

And you needn’t think of avocados as only good when super ripe; they’re fantastic when slightly harder as the basis for a salad. Channel the Mexican vibe and lay firm avocado wedges on a serving plate, topped with thin slices of radishes, long red chillies and coriander leaves. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little sherry vinegar and olive oil, and you have one helluva vibrant side dish guaranteed to make grilled chicken, lamb chops or steak seem far more exciting.

SOUP ISN’T JUST A WINTER THING

When it comes to soups and stews, they’re not just for the winter months. Bring heartier dishes into the warmer seasons by switching out heavy staples like pasta or rice, for colourful vegetable alternatives with texture. Go Italian and serve up old faithful bolognese or a hearty lamb stew at the table, topped with a tiny mountain of finely chopped parsley, shavings of parmesan and lemon zest. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, swap the pasta for finely shaved wombok cabbage or blanched green beans and you have spring and summer eating for the family, sorted (without changing everything you know and trust).

Another hero side with a Mediterranean feel is chargrilled asparagus, topped with roasted hazelnuts, a sprinkle of za’atar, lemon zest and a poached egg. Once pierced, the yolk transforms into a silky sauce to dip those asparagus spears into… proof eggs aren’t just great for brekkie.

SWITCH IT UP WITH FRUIT With the warmer months come a wealth of summer fruit and they’re not just for smoothies and desserts. Fruit that can also add a burst of brightness to savoury dishes, especially salads. Peaches, pineapple, and strawberries add a sweet/sour burst of freshness to an otherwise stock standard salad and work well either fresh or lightly charred on the grill before being tossed into to the mix. And don’t underestimate the power of roasting fruits, either. They give a fresh alternative to rich roasted meats like duck or pork belly, and make for a delicious talking point over the dinner table. Whether it’s an unexpected switch or an ingredient match you’ve never tried, there’s a whole world of delicious combinations or textures and flavours to bring to the table when it comes to adding one or two fresh elements to your mid-week meal or family feast. And the result? Well, a change is a good as a holiday…