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Vegan dinner swaps to up your 5 a day

Vegan dinners can be a great way of getting more of your 5-a-day. These five recipes take traditional family favourites like spaghetti Bolognese, shepherd’s pie and lasagne and swap out the meat for vegetables, meaning you could be getting three of your 5-a-day in just one of your meals. So next week, why not try a mac and cheese made from butternut squash or a moussaka jam-packed with courgette and lentils. Eating your veg never looked so easy.

  1. Vegan spaghetti Bolognese

    This vegan spag bol contains three of your 5-a-day. That’s two more portions of veg than a standard meat version. Mushrooms, aubergine and lentils make up the sauce and take on all the Italian flavours. Serve with spaghetti or on top of a sweet potato for even more veg.

    Vegan spaghetti Bolognese
  2. Vegan moussaka

    Instead of lamb mince, this vegan moussaka uses courgette, lentils and aubergine, making it three of your 5-a-day. But what makes this recipe even more interesting is the use of butternut squash in the creamy topping. The squash is steamed and blitzed before combining with dairy-free spread, a tiny bit of flour and cashew milk.

    Vegan moussaka
  3. Vegan shepherd's pie

    Mushrooms are a brilliant meat replacement as they take on flavour very well and bring a real savoury taste to your dish. Combined with garlic, crushed chillies for a bit of a kick, lentils for added protein and tangy tomatoes, this recipe is three of your 5-a-day.

    Vegan shepherd's pie
  4. Vegan lasagne

    Diced red pepper brings sweetness to this vegan lasagne, while fried aubergine brings a meaty texture to replace the traditional minced beef. The addition of delicious vegetables makes this a two-portion-of-veg meal. Unfortunately, there’s no 5-a-day in garlic bread…

    Vegan lasagne
  5. Vegan mac and cheese

    Rich, creamy, hearty – yes, it is possible to make amazing macaroni cheese without the cheese. In this vegan version, sweet butternut squash adds richness to the sauce, while tomatoes add a nice acidity to the topping. Plus, it counts as one of your 5-a-day – who knew mac and cheese could be healthy?

    Vegan mac and cheese