A traditional roast is the perfect meal to bring everyone together. Here’s how to transform this weekend favourite into a healthier, more balanced meal without sacrificing flavour.
The ultimate comfort meal, there are endless ways to customise a roast dinner for any taste or occasion. And it doesn’t have to be heavy or overindulgent. With a few smart swaps, you can upgrade your Sunday roast into a lighter, healthier, nutrient-packed meal. Opt for leaner meats, trim back on extras, and load up on coloured vegetables for a satisfying roast that’s big on gut-loving fibre, lower in saturated fat and more balanced energy wise.
+ LEANER PROTEIN
Lamb is a good source of protein but high in saturated fat.
- Swap: Roast lamb for leaner meats like chicken or turkey.
+ VEG VARIETY
Potato and peas are classic roast dinner sides, but why not mix things up?
- Add: Vibrant vegetables, such as carrot, green beans and broccoli for an extra boost of colour, flavour and nutrients.
+ PORTION CONTROL
It’s easy to overdo it with roast dinners, especially when there’s a spread of sides.
- Swap: Fill half your plate with colourful vegies, a quarter with lean protein, and a quarter with starchy veg.
+ FEWER TRIMMINGS
Traditional Yorkshire puddings were designed to stretch a meal further, adding extra kilojoules, saturated fat and salt to the dish.
- Swap: The Yorkshire pudding out and load up on extra veg instead.
+ LIGHTER GRAVY
Gravy prepared from the pan drippings can be high in saturated fat.
- Swap: Traditional gravy made from drippings for a prepared, reduced-salt version.
Typical roast dinner
Roast lamb with roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, peas, mint sauce and gravy made from pan drippings:
3900kJ (930cal), 57g protein, 50g fat, 17g sat fat, 60g carbs, 14g sugar, 8g fibre, 175mg sodium.
Upgraded roast dinner
This reworked roast dinner is a healthier, more balanced meal. We’ve cut 1600kJ, maintained protein, reduced saturated fat by more than 70 per cent, and doubled the amount of fibre.
Roast chicken with roast potato, carrots, peas, broccoli, green beans and reduced-salt gravy:
2500kJ (600cal), 56g protein, 24g fat, 4.5 sat fat, 35g carbs, 11.5g sugar, 15g fibre, 340mg sodium.
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