Low-Calorie Lunch Recipe: Courgette, Pea And Broad Bean Tortilla

low-calorie-lunch-courgette-pea-broad-bean-tortilla
(Image credit: unknown)

In This Series

As long as you make every meal count, hitting five portions of fruit and veg a day is easy. But all too often we end up arriving at dinner time with ground to make up and four or even five (*gasps* *faints*) portions still to eat.

This delicious Spanish tortilla recipe from Waitrose will help ensure that situation does not arise. Scoff a serving down at lunch, or even brunch if so inclined, and you’ll pocket two portions of veg, putting you on track for five by bedtime.

If you’re counting calories as well as fruit and veg portions, you’ll be delighted to learn that each serving of the tortilla contains a mere 385 calories – well below the 600 calories recommended for lunch by Public Health England as part of its 400-600-600 concept. So if your hand “slips” when carving off your slice of the tortilla, “accidentally” resulting in a bigger portion, then it’s no biggie.

Ingredients (Serves Four)

  • 3tbsp olive oil
  • 350g Jersey Royal or new potatoes, scrubbed and thickly sliced
  • 1 small red onion, sliced
  • 1 medium courgette, trimmed and cubed
  • 300g fresh peas, podded
  • 300g broad beans, podded
  • 5 large eggs
  • 12.5g mint, leaves removed and chopped

Method

  • Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the potatoes and onion, season, and cook for 15 minutes, turning occasionally until tender. Add the courgette to the pan, increase the heat and cook for a further three to five minutes until the potatoes are golden.
  • Meanwhile, cook the peas and broad beans in a pan of boiling water for one minute until tender. Drain, then add to the potatoes when golden and cook for a further couple of minutes.
  • Place the eggs, mint and seasoning in a large bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the hot vegetables from the pan and mix thoroughly. Leave to stand for five minutes.
  • Warm the remaining oil in a 20cm non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until very hot. Pour in the egg mixture and stir with a fork, lifting the middle of the tortilla to let the runny egg down into the base. Cook for four to five minutes until it’s set and the base is golden. Invert onto a plate, then slide back into the pan and cook for another two to three minutes, until thoroughly cooked and golden. Serve warm or at room temperature with salad.

Nutritional Info

Energy 385 calories
Fat 20.6g
-of which saturates 4.1g
Carbohydrate 29.4g
-of which sugars 5.6g
Protein 20.5g
Salt 0.3g
Fibre 9.1g

Recipe and image courtesy of waitrose.com

Nick Harris-Fry
Senior writer

Nick Harris-Fry is a journalist who has been covering health and fitness since 2015. Nick is an avid runner, covering 70-110km a week, which gives him ample opportunity to test a wide range of running shoes and running gear. He is also the chief tester for fitness trackers and running watches, treadmills and exercise bikes, and workout headphones.