quick and easy meals

making the most of your food hamper

© 2020 Nutrition Australia ACT Inc.

This publication is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study,
research, criticism or review, as permitted under Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced
by any process without written permission of the publisher.

Enquiries should be made in writing to: Nutrition Australia ACT, 5/70 Maclaurin Crescent,
Chifley ACT 2606.

Ph: (02) 6162 2583

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.actnss.org

Disclaimer
This material is provided on the basis that it constitutes advice of a general nature only and on the basis that
Nutrition Australia ACT Inc., will not be liable for any loss or damage occasioned from use (either directly or
indirectly) of this material no matter howsoever such loss or damage is caused. Readers should take advice
as appropriate from an Accredited Practising Dietitian on all specific situations and conditions of concern to
them.

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About the ACT Nutrition Support Service
The ACT Nutrition Support Service (ACTNSS) has been established by Nutrition Australia
ACT, a health promotion charity that aims to inspire healthy eating among all Canberrans.

With funding support from the ACT Government, the ACTNSS supports government food
and drink initiatives including providing nutrition advice to schools, canteens, food
businesses and the general community.

The ACTNSS website provides a wide range of easy to read nutrition fact sheets and recipes
developed by a small team Accredited Practising Dietitians passionate about helping people
to eat well. All the recipes have been designed to be easy, budget conscious and nourishing.

For healthy eating tips and recipes visit the website

www.actnss.org

About the Canberra Relief Network

The Canberra Relief Network (CRN) is a collaboration of community service organisations in
the ACT supported by the ACT Government in response to the increasing demand for food
relief and non-perishable household essential items that has occurred following the
COVID-19 Pandemic.

The CRN is responsible for streamlining the sourcing and distribution of essential food and
hygiene items to in-need Canberrans.

The CRN aims to ensure access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets the dietary
needs of individuals and families who experienced food insecurity before the public health
emergency as well as those who have been directly impacted financially by the COVID-19
Pandemic.

For more information about CRN, visit www.canberrarelief.com.au

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Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 5
Top tips for eating well ..................................................................................................... 6
Tip #1: Balance your meals ........................................................................................................................... 6
Tip #2: Shop smart ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Tip #3: Keep your food safe .......................................................................................................................... 8

Recipes .............................................................................................................................. 9
Spicy beans with noodles................................................................................................ 10
Quick tomato & tuna pasta ............................................................................................. 11
Easy Satay Noodles ......................................................................................................... 12
Beany Tuna Pasta ........................................................................................................... 13
Burritos .......................................................................................................................... 14
Tuna and Bean Mornay .................................................................................................. 15
Fried Rice ....................................................................................................................... 16
Creamy corn carbonara .................................................................................................. 17
Spaghetti Bolognese ....................................................................................................... 18
Quesadillas..................................................................................................................... 19
Sweet Peanut Butter Rice ............................................................................................... 20
Fruit crumble jumble ...................................................................................................... 21

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Introduction
All the recipes in this booklet have been specially developed using core ingredients available
from the Canberra Relief Network hamper.

A small amount of additional ingredients may be needed to complete some of the recipes.
These ingredients are identified with an asterisk (*). Where possible, additional ingredients
to these recipes have been identified as easy to obtain from local food charities and/or are
low-cost from local supermarkets.

A typical hamper includes items such as rice, pasta and noodles, breakfast cereal, oats,
spreads, pasta sauce, canned fruit and vegetables. Everything in a hamper is non-perishable
and does not require refrigeration.

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Top tips for eating well
Tip #1: Balance your meals
Balancing your meals with a variety of foods in the right proportion will help you meet your
nutrient needs.

To plate up a healthy meal every time, follow these guidelines:

Choose your carb

• This includes bread, rice, pasta, wraps, potato or corn.
• Choose wholegrain or wholemeal options where possible.
• Fill ¼ of your plate with carbs.

Pick your protein

• This includes red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, nuts, seeds
and dairy such as milk, cheese and yoghurt.
• Fill ¼ of your plate with protein.

Fill with fibre

• This includes fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruits. Do your best to make it
colourful.
• Fill ½ your plate with fruits and vegetables.

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 Tip #2: Shop smart
When you get the chance to buy food, budget appropriately, spend wisely and choose foods
that will provide maximum nutritional value.

Before you go:

• Know your food budget.
• Look in catalogues or online for specials where you shop. Compare
the price of fresh, frozen, canned and dried fruit and vegetables.
• After planning your meals, write a shopping list.

While you shop:

• Stick to the list and avoid browsing the other aisles.
• Buy store brands. They usually cost less and have the same nutritional value.
• When comparing products, check the unit price to see which product is better value.
• Consider the cost of convenience foods. Grated cheese tends to be more expensive
than a block of cheese. Likewise, pre-cut vegetables are more expensive than whole.
• Look for clearance items that have come close to their ‘use-by’ or ‘best before’ date.
Remember to always consume food before the ‘use-by’ date. You can still eat foods
a while after the ‘best before’ date as they are still safe but may have lost some of
their quality.

• Look for store brand frozen vegetables.

•
Vegetables •
Choose reduced salt canned varieties.
Buy whole vegetables that are in season. Pre-chopped are much
more expensive.
• Buy fresh fruits that are in season.
Fruits • Look for fruits canned in juice instead of sugary syrups.
• Buy bags of store brand frozen fruit.

Dairy and • Milk powders are the cheapest way to buy milk.
• Check the unit prices of long-life and fresh to see best value for
alternatives money.

• Consider some vegetarian proteins like eggs, tofu, nuts, beans,

lentils and tempeh. These meat alternatives tend to be cheaper
Proteins than meat.
• Check what meats are on sale, and choose lean varieties where
possible.

•
Grains and
Check the bakery for day-old bread as they are often a good
deal. Store in the freezer to help it last the week.
•
cereals Buy store brand rice, pasta and cereal and store in air-tight
containers to make it last.

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Tip #3: Keep your food safe

Clean well
• Always wash your hands with soap and warm water
before handling food.
• Rinse fruit and vegetables in cold water, then allow to
dry.
• Make sure chopping boards and utensils are cleaned
between uses, especially after being exposed to raw
meat.

Cook well
• Make sure high-risk meats such as chicken,
sausages and meat patties are cooked all the way
through before serving. To check, cut through the
thickest part.
• When reheating food, heat it until it is steaming all
the way through.
• Do not reheat food more than once.

Store well
• Cover leftovers and put in the fridge straight away.
Make sure you consume your leftovers within 3
days.
• Reuse containers to reduce the need to buy cling
wrap.
• Cover pantry food appropriately. Use an air-tight
container so it will last longer and will not go stale
quickly.
• Do not over pack the fridge, as it will struggle to
keep the temperature under 5 degrees.

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Recipes

9
Spicy beans with noodles
Serves 4

Ingredients
400g tin four bean mix, drained
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables*
1 onion, diced*
3 packets Mi Goreng instant noodles
½ cup water

*Not included in hamper

Method

1. Cook noodles in a bowl 2. Heat oil in pan. Add 3. Add beans and mixed
of boiling water for 3 diced onion and cook vegetables and
minutes and drain and until softened seasonings (all except
set aside. Keep the fried onions) to the
seasoning packets to onion.
one side.

4. Add ½ cup of water and 5. Plate noodles and top

simmer for 5 minutes. with bean mix. Sprinkle with
fried onion seasoning.
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Quick tomato & tuna pasta
Serves 4

Ingredients
250g pasta (half a packet)
1 tablespoon oil*
1 onion, diced*
400g can diced tomatoes
185g can tuna in spring water, drained

*Not included in hamper

Method

1. Place pasta in a 2. Heat oil in pan. Add 3. Stir in the tomatoes and
microwave safe bowl. diced onion and cook tuna.
Fill with water until until softened.
pasta is covered. Place
in microwave and cook
for 12 minutes. Drain
and set aside.

4. Simmer for 5 minutes. 5. Add the pasta to the 6. Serve.

sauce and toss through.

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easy Satay Noodles
Serves 1

Ingredients
1 packet Mi Goreng instant noodles
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables*
1 heaped tablespoon peanut butter
3 tablespoons boiling water

*Not included in hamper

Method

1. Place noodles and 2. In a small bowl, mix Mi 3. Combine peanut butter

vegetables in a Goreng sachets, peanut mixture with the
microwave proof bowl butter and 3 noodles and vegetables.
and cover with boiling tablespoons of boiling Serve and enjoy.
water. Microwave for 3 water. Stir until well
minutes. Drain and set combined.
aside.

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Beany Tuna Pasta
Serves 4

Ingredients
½ 250g packet spaghetti
1 tablespoon oil*
1 onion, diced*
400g tin diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables*
185g tin tuna in spring water, drained
400g tin four bean mix, drained
½ cup grated cheese* (optional)

*Not included in hamper

Method

1. Place pasta in a 2. Heat oil in pan. Add 3. Add tomato, mixed

microwave proof bowl diced onion and cook vegetables, tuna and
and cover with until softened. beans to the pan and mix
water. Microwave for through.
12 minutes. Drain and
set aside.

4. Simmer for 10 minutes. 5. Serve with spaghetti

and top with grated
cheese.

13
Burritos
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon oil*
1 onion, diced*
400g diced tomatoes
400g tin four bean mix, drained
1 soft taco kit

Optional extras
½ cup of grated cheese*

*Not included in hamper

Method

1. Place rice in a 2. Heat oil in pan. Add 3. Add diced tomatoes,

microwave safe bowl diced onion and cook four bean mix and taco
and cover with water. until softened. spice mix. Stir and allow
Microwave for 10 to simmer for 2 minutes.
minutes. Set aside.

4. Place tortilla on plate 5. Fold the sides in and roll

and top with rice, bean to form a burrito.
mix, salsa and cheese.

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Tuna and Bean Mornay
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 cup milk
1 cup grated cheese*
400g tin four bean mix, drained
185g tuna in spring water, drained
400g tin creamed corn
1 tablespoon oil*
1 onion, diced*
½ cup grated cheese (extra)*
½ cup grated cheese*

*Not included in hamper

Method

1. In a microwave safe 2. Microwave for 3 3. Heat oil in pan. Add

bowl, use a fork to mix ½ minutes, stirring every diced onion and cook
cup milk with flour. Mix 30 seconds. Once sauce until softened.
through remaining milk. thickens, stir through
grated cheese.

4. Add beans, tuna, 5. Stir mixture and allow to 6. Place mixture into
creamed corn and heat through. heatproof dish, top with
cheese sauce. cheese and microwave
for 4 minutes.

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Fried Rice
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 tin spam, diced
1 tin baby carrots, diced
1 cup frozen peas*
Mi Goreng flavour sachets
2 eggs* (optional)

*Not included in hamper

Method

1. Place rice and water in a 2. Heat fry pan and add 3. Add frozen peas and
microwave proof bowl diced spam. Cook for 5 rice.
and heat for 10 minutes. minutes until crispy.
Set aside.

4. Stir Mi Goreng flavour 5. In a small bowl, beat 6. Top bowls with chopped
sachets through the rice eggs then pour onto hot egg and serve.
and evenly distribute frypan. Remove cooked
across 4 bowls. egg and finely chop.

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Creamy corn carbonara
Serves 4

Ingredients
250g (half a packet) of spaghetti
1 onion, diced*
1 tin spam, diced
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 cup milk
½ cup grated cheese*
400g tin creamed corn

*Not included in hamper

Method

1. Place pasta in a 2. In a microwave safe 3. Microwave for 3

microwave proof bowl bowl, use a fork to mix minutes, stirring every
and cover with half the milk with flour. 30 seconds. Once sauce
water. Microwave for Mix through the rest of thickens, stir through
12 minutes. Drain and the milk. grated cheese and set
set aside. aside.

4. Add oil to fry pan and 5. Add creamed corn and 6. Add drained spaghetti.
cook diced onion and white sauce to the pan Stir through and serve.
spam and onion has and stir through.
softened.
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Spaghetti Bolognese
Serves 4

Ingredients
• 250g pasta (about half a packet)
• 1 tablespoon oil*
• 1 onion, diced*
• 400g tin of brown lentils, drained*
• 700g jar of pasta sauce
• Grated cheese (optional)*

*Not included in hamper

Method

1. Place pasta in a 2. Heat oil in pan. Add 3. Add lentils to the pan.
microwave proof bowl diced onion and cook
and safe bowl. Fill with until softened.
water. Microwave for
12 minutes. Drain and
set aside.

4. Pour pasta sauce and 5. Simmer for 5 minutes. 6. Serve with pasta and top
stir through. with grated cheese.

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Quesadillas
Serves 1

Ingredients
2 soft tacos from taco kit

Filling options:
- Baked beans
- Creamed corn
- Grated cheese*

*Not included in hamper

Method
Baked bean and cheese:

1. Lay tortilla in the pan 2. Lay the other tortilla on 3. Flip and cook for a further
and cover with baked top and cook for 3 3 minutes. Cut into quarters
beans and cheese. minutes. and serve.

Creamed corn and cheese:

1. Lay tortilla in the pan 2. Lay the other tortilla on 3. Flip and cook for a
and cover with top and cook for 3 further 3 minutes. Cut into
creamed corn and minutes. quarters and serve.
cheese.

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Sweet Peanut Butter Rice
Serves 2

Ingredients
½ cup rice
1½ cups milk
3 tablespoons peanut butter
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons boiling water
Fruit to serve (optional)*

*Not included in hamper

Method

1. Place rice and milk in a 2. In a small bowl add the 3. Add the peanut butter
microwave proof bowl peanut butter, sugar and mixture to the rice and
and heat for 10 minutes, water. Mix until well mix through.
stirring every 2 minutes. combined.
Set aside.

4. Place rice mixture back 5. Serve in bowl and top

into the microwave, with desired fruit.
covered, for 3 mins. Stir
thoroughly.

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Fruit crumble jumble
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 cup traditional muesli
1 tablespoon oil*
400g tin of fruit, drained

*Not included in hamper

Method

1. Add oil and muesli to 2. Add drained fruit to the 3. Serve into bowls.
hot frypan and stir pan and mix through.
consistently until golden
brown and toasted.

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Nutrition Australia ACT Dietitians, Leanne Elliston and Brittany Pennay with
Suzanne Orr MLA Minister for Community Services and Facilities at the
Canberra Relief Network Warehouse.

August 2020

www.actnss.org

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