There are some things that the UK is famous for. Cups of tea. Bad weather. A stiff upper lip. And of course, fish and chips. A YouGov survey of the most popular British dishes saw fish and chips finish second in the rankings, behind…chips.
Its popularity has endured for decades, evoking memories of sunny seaside towns, heaving with holiday makers who sit down on the nearest bench to unwrap their old newspapers, fighting off the seagulls while they get stuck in to the greasy goodness.
And then there’s the tradition of the Friday night chippy tea, as households all over the country reward themselves after another tough week by popping down to the local chip shop armed with an order to feed all the family.
But although fish and chips are undeniably delicious, it’s fair to say they don’t make for a highly nutritious meal. And, with gyms closed due to the lockdown rules, there’s likely to be a few people out there who are doing what they can to watch their waistline while they’re stuck at home.
However, it’s still important that we enjoy the little things in life – and there are ways you can cook your favourite meal while sticking to your healthy eating regime. Here’s how to cook healthy fish and chips
Preparing Healthy Fish and Chips At Home
Use sweet potatoes
Rather than regular potatoes you can use sweet potatoes, which have plenty of health benefits. They’re packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals while they’re also high in antioxidants and they count as one of your five a day. Not only that, but they’re downright delicious too!
Keep the skin on
When it comes to peeling your sweet potatoes – don’t! Their skin is an extra-rich source of fibre, so there are plenty of benefits to keeping them intact. Plus, everybody hates peeling vegetables, so you’ll have saved yourself an unwanted task.
Use a non-stick pan
Be sure to use a high-quality non-stick cookware set, which will avoid the food burning and ruining your meal. This will also help to retain all the nutritional value in the fish.
Cook with extra virgin olive oil
Most experts agree that extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest to cook with, so it’s best to use that rather than alternatives such as coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat. Extra virgin olive oil, meanwhile, has not been overly refined and is therefore of good quality.
Breadcrumb the fish
Rather than deep fat frying the main event, why not opt for a healthier option? Instead, you could cover it in delicious breadcrumbs – perhaps adding lemon or spices to give it an extra touch of flavour.
Swap your mushy peas for a salad
Most people have their fish and chips with mushy peas but if you’re trying to watch the waistline, you could always substitute them out for some tasty spinach – a healthy source of vitamins A, K, C and B2.
Leave a Reply