When you’re experiencing chronic pain, making a nutritious meal can be the last thing on your mind. Getting through the day can become the only goal and food is reduced to nothing more than a means of fuel via a takeaway or tin of whatever you can find in the cupboard.

Yet food can offer us so much more than fuel. It can nourish us, help us to focus on something besides pain, connect us with our family and show ourselves some self-care. 

So, when you feel like you barely have the energy to chuck something in the microwave, here are some easy, healthy meals that you can swiftly put together at home. From quick and easy breakfast ideas to sustaining lunches, these recipes can help you make the most of mealtimes and readjust your focus onto nurturing yourself.

Eating well can also complement a good pain management programme. That’s why, with each recipe, we’ve concentrated on nutrient-dense ingredients to give you more bang for your buck. There’s strong evidence to suggest that an anti-inflammatory diet can help to reduce chronic pain, so we’ve included as many anti-inflammatory foods (whole grains, legumes, certain fruits, green, leafy veg and oily fish) in these recipes as possible. 

Feel free to scale the recipes up or down to match your requirements. You can always make double and freeze in individual portions to make future dinner times that bit easier too.

Chia porridge 

Chia seeds provide a good source of protein, keeping you feeling fuller for longer, while nuts, seeds, berries and cherries are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. The beauty of frozen fruit is you can enjoy it all year round and it doesn’t need any prep.

Serves 1

Prep time: 5 mins
Soaking time: 20 mins

Ingredients

Two tablespoons of chia seeds
Tablespoon of porridge oats
200ml almond, oat or coconut milk
2 tbsp nuts and seeds
Frozen fruit such as blueberries, mango or cherries
1 tsp desiccated coconut or flakes

Method

Put all the ingredients apart from the coconut and fruit into a bowl. Add your chosen milk, stir and set aside for 10 minutes.

Once the 10 minutes are up, stir again to stop the chia seeds sticking, then add your fruit. Wait another 10 minutes, or until the seeds have expanded and the porridge thickened, add more milk if desired, top with desiccated coconut and enjoy.

Green minestrone

Packed with green veg and fresh herbs, this makes for a soup-er quick and healthy lunch. A bit of chopping and it’s ready in minutes. 

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, finely sliced
2 sticks of celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 packets of ready-prepared mixed green vegetables, such as green beans, broccoli, courgette etc
2 tins of cannellini beans
250g frozen peas
1.5 litres of good-quality vegetable or chicken stock
2 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 handful of mint leaves, chopped
1 handful of basil leaves, chopped
1 lemon
Grated or shaved parmesan to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Cook the leek, celery and garlic until softened, then add the courgette and broccoli if using.

Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for five minutes, then add the green beans if using and simmer for another five minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the frozen peas, cannellini beans and herbs and simmer until the peas are tender. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon, parmesan cheese and more fresh pepper.

(This recipe is adapted from The Beauty Chef, by Carla Oates)

Fried vegetable rice with sriracha

Rainbow vegetables zipped up with a spicy sauce from a bottle make for a quick and nutritious lunch. Day-old or packet rice works best for this. You need it to be as dry as possible in order for it to fry well.

Serves 2

Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

250g of cooked wholegrain or basmati rice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 red pepper, diced
Packet of shredded spring greens or kale
Handful of frozen peas
2 tbsp sriracha sauce
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 eggs
Sesame seeds

Method

Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan. Stir-fry the peppers and spring onions until they’re just cooked, maintaining a little bite.

Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a minute, then add the peas, greens and rice. Fry until the vegetables are cooked and the rice is golden and cooked through – about three minutes – or longer if you like crispy rice. 

Next, stir in the sriracha and heat through. Move the rice onto one side of the pan. Add a little more oil, wait for it to heat up and then fry the eggs on the empty side of the pan. 

Once the eggs are cooked, pile the rice and veg onto plates and drizzle with a teaspoon of sesame oil. Top with the fried eggs, sesame seeds and an extra drizzle of sriracha.

Quick vegetable chilli

Sneaky shortcuts help get this weekday favourite on the table in super-quick time.

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients

Vegetable or olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into 2cm cubes
1 red onion, chopped
1 jar of roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
50g quinoa
750ml jar of passata
2 tins of beans of your choice, eg kidney, black beans, etc
1 to 2 tbsp chipotle sauce
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 avocado
1 lime
Natural yogurt to serve
Packet of ready-cooked rice or wholemeal pittas to serve

Method

Empty the passata into a saucepan with the quinoa and 200ml of cold water. Bring to the boil and bubble away for around 10 minutes.

In another pan, fry the chopped red onion and sweet potato for five minutes or until the onion is soft, then add the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes more.

Add the ground spices and fry them for a minute, then add one to two tablespoons of chipotle sauce, depending on how hot you like it. Add the passata and quinoa mixture and simmer together with the lid on until the potatoes are soft, then add the red peppers and beans and heat through.

Meanwhile smash your avocado together with a squeeze of lime and salt and pepper.

Serve with the rice or pitta, avocado and a tablespoon of natural yogurt.

(This recipe is adapted from ‘A Modern Way to Cook’, by Anna Jones)

Cajun salmon with kale and sweet potato smash

As well as its anti-inflammatory properties, salmon can also support brain function and a healthy heart. 

Serves 2

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 salmon fillets
2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped into chunks (no need to peel)
Packet of kale or chopped spring greens
1-2 tsp cajun seasoning
Half a lemon
Olive or rapeseed oil

Method

Preheat your oven to 180℃ fan. Mix the lemon juice and a tablespoon of olive oil together to make your dressing.

Tip the sweet potato pieces onto a baking tray, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix them around to coat and then spread out. Roast for 25-30 minutes until they’re soft and turning golden on the edges.

A few minutes before the potatoes are ready, stir-fry your greens with a dash of oil. Remove the potatoes from the oven, add a knob of butter (or olive oil if you prefer) and roughly mash with a fork. Season generously and stir in the green veg.

Meanwhile, rub the salmon fillets with the oil and the cajun seasoning. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and place them, skin-side down in the pan and fry until the skin is crispy – about four minutes. Flip over and fry the other side until it’s cooked to your liking.

Pile the smash onto your plate and top with the salmon. Drizzle over the dressing, season with black pepper and enjoy.

What easy, healthy meals have you made recently? Let us know in the comments.