Filling family feasts! From salmon fish fingers to green goddess mac ‘n’ cheese

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Cooking meals that please the whole family can feel like a challenge at the best of times, so you’d be forgiven for wondering how you’ll fit in your weight-loss programme, too.

But with delicious suppers, such as cheesy pasta bake with butternut squash and sage, salmon fish fingers with wedges and even a healthy quick fruit crumble regularly appearing on your supper table, you can keep everyone happy — and make your healthy eating habits a natural part of family life.

‘There’s absolutely no need to be ostracized at the end of the supper table with your salad while all the others tuck into a different meal,’ says Julia Westgarth, head of programme at WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers.

‘The flexibility of the new myWW+ means there are countless fuss-free recipes to choose from so that everyone can sit down and enjoy the same delicious, nutritious meal — and you can stick to your weight-loss goals, whichever plan you are following.’

That’s why today, as we continue our brilliant WW series to help you make 2021 your healthiest and happiest for years, we’re sharing advice and tempting recipe suggestions to help you lose unwanted weight while sharing the health benefits with your loved ones. The dishes also make sure they’re satisfied at meal-times.

There are three colour plans to choose from. To find out which best suits you, go to weightwatchers.com/uk/ personalassessment/1

If you’re on the Purple plan, for instance, many staple ingredients containing carbohydrates count as ZeroPoint foods — including potatoes, wholegrain pasta, brown rice and oats — making it particularly useful if you want to feed hungry partners or ravenous teenagers while staying on track yourself.

Or you could prepare a hearty, yet healthy, winter stew with a low SmartPoints value but add extra garlic bread, a fluffy baked potato or serve up extra-large portions for growing youngsters.

And, as non-starchy vegetables and most fruit are ZeroPoint foods on all three WW colour plans, why not use these for extra side dishes that will bulk out a meal and ensure everyone in the family is getting enough vitamins and minerals — all within your daily SmartPoints Budget?

Making some canny substitutions with ingredients will also enable you to rustle up indulgent family favourites that are also low in SmartPoints.

Today’s scrumptious chocolate brownies recipe uses calorie-controlled cooking spray, 0% fat natural Greek yoghurt and cocoa powder, all low in calories, to produce indulgent gooey brownies, that only take 10 minutes to prepare, 20 minutes to cook and will only set you back four SmartPoints each on Green and three on Blue or Purple.

You will find the new myWW+ app an invaluable friend as it is packed with recipes for hundreds of healthy family meals — some of which take only 30 minutes to prepare from fridge to fork.

You’ve had a busy day and no time to get to the shops — let alone think about what to cook for dinner tonight. But there’s no need to throw in the towel and reach for a takeaway menu.

Simply whip out your phone and let your myWW+ app do the hard work, based on what is currently in the fridge.

‘Our app’s been specially designed to take all the stress out of situations just like this when you’re tired and don’t have a plan but need to eat a meal,’ says WW’s Julia Westgarth.

Tap in three or four ingredients and the What’s In My Fridge feature will offer you a selection of tempting, easy recipes that you can also filter according to how many SmartPoints you have left in your daily Budget, how much time you have to prepare your meal and any dietary preferences you may have.

This brilliant innovation is one of many time-saving functions designed to make it ultra-easy to keep on track with your new healthy lifestyle, all contained in one easy-to-use app.

The app tracks any FitPoints you gain through exercise and also logs your SmartPoints, making it easy to stay on track with your daily Budget.

Your myWW+ app will also offer you a personalised menu planner full of recipe suggestions based on the foods you like to eat and how much time you have available to prepare it. When you have a plan in place, you’re much more likely to keep on track with your health and fitness goals.

Salmon fish fingers with veggies  

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes 

Serves 4

• 2 large baking potatoes (about 700g), cut into thin wedges
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 25g panko breadcrumbs
• 25g ground almonds
• Zest of ½ lemon, plus wedges
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp mixed dried herbs
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 x 130g skinless salmon fillets
• 100g 0% fat natural Greek yoghurt
• 20g fresh dill, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 220c/fan 200c/gas 7. Put the potato wedges on a baking tray, drizzle over the oil and season well. Bake for 40 minutes, until crisp and golden.

Meanwhile, combine the breadcrumbs, almonds, lemon zest, paprika and dried herbs in a bowl, and season well. Put the flour in a second bowl and season, then put the egg in a third bowl.

Cut each salmon fillet in half lengthways, then in half widthways to make 16 fish fingers.

Coat a fish finger in the flour, then dip it into the beaten egg and finally roll it in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Set aside on a baking tray while you repeat with the remaining salmon. Chill for 5 minutes to firm up.

Bake the fish alongside the wedges for the final 10 minutes of cooking time, until cooked through and golden.

Combine the yoghurt with the dill and season. Serve the fish fingers and wedges with the dip and lemon wedges. 

Green goddess mac ‘n’ cheese 

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes 

Serves 4

• 260g macaroni
• 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 150g frozen peas
• 1½ tbsp plain flour
• 300ml skimmed milk
• 80g baby spinach
• Large pinch of nutmeg
• 25g low-fat spread
• 100g half-fat cheddar 
• 2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
• Large handful of chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 190c/fan 170c/ gas 5. Cook the macaroni to pack instructions, adding the broccoli in the last 5 minutes of cooking time and the peas in the final 2 minutes. 

Whisk the flour with 100ml of the milk until smooth. Pour into a pan and heat gently, stirring continuously until it starts to thicken. 

Gradually add the remaining milk, whisking until smooth, then cook the sauce gently for 2 minutes before removing the pan from the heat. 

Add the baby spinach and mix until wilted. Add a large pinch of nutmeg, then blitz the sauce with a hand blender until smooth.

Add the spread and two-thirds of the cheese, allow to melt, then stir in the cooked macaroni and veg, adding pasta water as needed. Pour into a 20cm baking dish.

Top with the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs and a large handful of chopped parsley and bake for 25 minutes until golden.

Southern-style chicken with mash  

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus overnight marinating

Cook time: 40 minutes  

Serves 4

• 375ml buttermilk
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 640g skinless chicken thigh fillets
• 30g sugar-free cornflakes
• Calorie-controlled cooking spray
• 600g potatoes, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 200g young leaf spinach

Combine 250ml of the buttermilk and the Cajun seasoning in a medium bowl. Add the chicken thighs and turn to coat. Cover and transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the cornflakes onto a large plate. Remove the chicken from the marinade, one piece at a time, shaking off any excess marinade, then coat in the cornflakes. Put the chicken on the prepared tray and mist with cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and return to the pan, stirring to remove any excess moisture. Remove from the heat, then mash the potatoes with the remaining buttermilk until smooth. Season to taste.

Mist a large non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and set over a medium-high heat. Cook the garlic for 10 seconds, stirring, or until fragrant. Add the spinach and 60ml water and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.

Spoon the mashed potato onto plates and top with the chicken. Serve with the wilted spinach on the side.

Cheesy pasta bake with butternut squash and sage  

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes 

Serves 4

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 150ml vegetable stock, made with ½ cube
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Pinch grated nutmeg
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped, plus a few whole leaves to serve
• 400g fusilli pasta
• 25g fresh breadcrumbs
• 25g WW Mature Reduced-fat Grated Cheese

Preheat the oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas 6. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the butternut squash. Cook for 12-15 minutes until tender, then drain well.

Transfer the cooked squash to a blender and add the stock, paprika, nutmeg, chopped onion and garlic. 

Season to taste and blend until smooth. Stir the chopped sage leaves into the butternut squash sauce. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring another large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta for a couple of minutes less than the recommended cooking time. Drain well, reserving a cup of the cooking water.

Put the pasta back into the pan and pour in the sauce. Stir to combine, adding a little of the reserved cooking water. Transfer to a large baking dish.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the grated cheese and fresh whole sage leaves. Sprinkle on top, then put the dish into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Quick fruit crumble  

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes  

Serves 4

• 8 plums
• 100ml unsweetened apple juice
• 1 large orange
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 25g low-fat spread
• 75g low-sugar muesli
• 2 tsp Demerara sugar
• 150g low-fat custard ready to serve

Pit and slice the plums. Put them in a pan with the apple juice, a strip of orange zest (use a potato peeler) and the cinnamon or a pinch of mixed spice. Simmer gently over a low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, finely grate 1 tsp of zest from the orange and set aside. Peel the orange with a sharp, serrated knife, removing all the pith, then cut the flesh into segments and set them aside. Put the grated zest into another small pan with the low-fat spread and heat gently until melted. Take off the heat, stir in the muesli and set aside.

Remove the strip of zest from the pan containing the plums. Stir the orange segments into the plum mixture, then divide the fruit between 4 ramekins or heatproof dishes.

Preheat the grill. Spoon the muesli mixture on top of the fruit and sprinkle ½ tsp Demerara sugar over each portion. Grill for 2-3 minutes until the muesli is golden and crisp, then serve with the custard.

Chocolate brownies  

Prep time: 10 minutes plus cooling 

Cook time: 20 minutes  

Makes 16 squares

Calorie-controlled cooking spray

90g cocoa powder

150g caster sugar

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

200g 0% fat natural Greek yoghurt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract

25g dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 190c/fan 170c/gas 5. Mist a 20cm square cake tin with cooking spray and line the bottom with baking paper.

Put the cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine, then stir in the yoghurt, eggs and vanilla extract until well combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips, then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top with the back of the spoon. 

Bake for 20 minutes, then allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out and cutting into 16 squares. The brownies will keep in an airtight container for 2 days. 

Chocolate bread and butter pudding   

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Bring back childhood memories with this healthy twist on a classic pud. And, even better, science confirms that chocolate can boost happiness by releasing ‘bliss chemicals’ which have a positive effect on our feelings.

Serves 6

• 9 slices WW Soft Malted Danish Bread, lightly toasted
• 25g low-fat spread
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tbsp low-calorie drinking chocolate powder
• 1 level tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200ml unsweetened almond drink
• 25g dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 160c/fan 140c/gas 3. Spread each slice of toast with a little of the spread and cut in half diagonally. 

Whisk together the eggs, hot chocolate powder, cocoa powder, agave syrup, vanilla and almond milk in a jug until smooth.

Arrange the toast in a small baking dish then pour over the chocolate custard mixture and leave to soak for 5 minutes. 

Scatter over the chocolate chips then bake for 30-35 minutes until cooked through. Serve warm.

How to tempt a fussy eater 

Eating together as a family even when you are following the WW programme can be a good way to encourage fussy eaters to try a greater variety of foods.

‘It gives you the chance to model healthy eating patterns that younger family members can copy, rather than simply telling them what to eat and having a battle,’ says WW’s Julia Westgarth.

‘It is also a great opportunity to help your teenagers and younger children to learn to see food as fuel that has an important effect on how well our bodies function.

‘You’ll be doing them a big favour if you can help them understand that our bodies need a wide range of foods for a properly balanced diet and to stay healthy.

‘Try to steer away from talking about food as a reward for good behaviour, as this can help them to build an unhealthy relationship with food in the future.’

Involve the rest of the family wherever possible in food preparation — whether it’s choosing which recipe you’ll enjoy together in the evening or helping with the shopping or food preparation. Not to mention the washing up! ‘You’ll find it not only makes your life easier, but makes mealtimes healthier and more interesting for everyone,’ says Julia.

Another tip for family supper times is to put your own portion on a separate plate (so you can be sure that you’re on track for your daily SmartPoints Budget) and leave the rest in a large bowl in the centre of the table so everyone else can serve themselves.

‘This teaches younger members of the family to judge how much they want to eat and to learn to recognise when they are full, which in turn helps them to develop a healthy relationship with food,’ says Julia.

Numerous scientific studies show that sitting down to eat a meal together helps all generations to handle the stresses of daily life. It gives you time to talk over recent events and simply enjoy each other’s company — and the delicious food.