6 healthier takes on classic British foods

Trying new foods and recipes can be fun, but sometimes you just can’t beat your classic British foods. Ever wish for healthier alternatives?
As many of our national dishes can be rather hearty and calorie-laden, we’ve challenged a handful of our nutritionists to re-write the recipes and come up with a Beezee twist on the British classics.
Full English breakfast
This alternative full English breakfast contains almost half the calories of a traditional fry-up, just by making only a couple of small swaps.
Traditional full English breakfast:
Two rashers of bacon, two sausages, two fried eggs, beans, two slices toast with butter, fried mushrooms, a hash brown, grilled tomatoes.
= 1000+ kcals
Beezee English breakfast:
Two Linda McCartney red onion and rosemary sausages, two poached eggs, ½ tin beans, a slice wholemeal toast, mushrooms (no oil), grilled tomatoes.
= Less than 600 kcals
This veggie healthy Full English can also easily be adapted to become vegan. All you need to do is swap the eggs for tofu scramble.

We won’t deny you sauces though (just remember portion size!), but the real question is; are you Team Red Sauce or Team Brown Sauce?
Bakewell tart
Originating from the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, the Cherry Bakewell is a traditional tasty treat. But made from butter shortcrust pastry and lots of sugar, it’s not great for our waistlines!
One of our nutritionists have taken a classic Bakewell Tart recipe from BBC Good Food and suggested some tweaks to adapt the recipe to create a healthier alternative.
Tips:
- Making individual tarts is a good way to help with portion control – instead of being tempted by cutting a large slice you have an easy to grab pre-portioned piece.
- Swap some of the butter for vegetable oil. This will help to reduce the saturated fat. Start with replacing half of the amount, at a 1:1 ratio, to not change the texture.
- Reduce the amount of sugar – generally you can reduce it by 25% and not notice the difference!
- Add in some heart healthy fibre by replacing plain flour with wholegrain. This will add a nuttiness to the flavour – you can start out with only replacing half with wholegrain if you prefer.
- Cut out the jam and use fresh cherries instead. Cut in half and press into the batter right before they go into the oven.
“Beet” wellington
Some research suggests that cutting back on red meat can help prevent obesity, so switch beef for beet. Switching to low-fat alternatives for oil, cheese and pastry will also slash calories in this healthier, veggie spin on the British classic.
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 250g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1cm squares
- Low calorie spray oil
- 2 tsp mixed herbs
- 2 shallots
- 250g closed cup mushrooms, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 75ml low-fat cream cheese
- 50g fresh bread crumbs
- 75g cooked chestnuts
- Nutmeg for grating
- 250g block ‘light’ puff pastry
- 3-4 cooked beetroot (about 200g)
- 1 egg, beaten for glaze
- Seeds to decorate e.g. sesame/poppy

Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Toss the squash with 1 tbsp olive oil, half the mixed herbs and some seasoning. Tip onto a baking tray and roast for 25 mins until tender.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and fry the shallots for 10 mins until tender. Add the mushrooms and fry for 15 mins until softened, and the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the garlic and remaining mixed herbs to the mushrooms, fry for a minute, then add the low-fat cream cheese. Stir until it coats the mushrooms and no liquid remains. Fold in the breadcrumbs, chestnuts and roast squash. Season everything well, adding a grating of nutmeg. Leave to cool before assembling the wellington.
- Roll the pastry out on a floured work surface to a 35 x 45cm rectangle. Transfer to a large parchment-lined baking sheet with one of the long lengths of the pastry facing towards you. Spoon the mushroom and squash mixture down the length of the pastry, leaving a 7cm border along the top and 1cm on both sides. Brush all the exposed pastry with beaten egg.
- Put the beetroot in a line down the middle of the filling – they should be touching. Fold the filling-covered, long length of the pastry over the beets, using the paper to help you. Roll up and trim the pastry with a knife when it’s overlapping by 1cm.
- Place the wellington seal-side down, and pinch the ends to seal. Egg wash the whole thing and use a fork or blunt cutlery knife to score the pastry in a pretty pattern. Chill until for at least 30 mins, or up to 24 hrs.
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Brush the wellington with more beaten egg, sprinkle with the sesame or poppy seeds and bake for 45-50 mins until golden brown and puffed up. Leave to rest for 10 mins before carving into chunky slices with a sharp knife to serve.
Recipe adapted from www.bbcgoodfood.com
Lamb lover’s shep-herdless pie
In this veggie take on a Shepherd’s Pie, you can tweak almost every ingredient for a healthier British dish. Also, by cutting back on red meat you’ll be reducing your risk of bowel cancer and other health complications, whilst helping to save the planet, too!
Traditional ingredients | Healthy Switch Option |
Oil for softening onions | Spray oil helps control the amount of oil we use, and helps reduce the calories in a meal – a couple of sprays is usually enough in a good non-stick pan. |
Onion | Add some veg when you’re softening the onions – chopped carrots and peas work well – and up your veg intake for the day! |
Lamb mince | Opting for a plant-based mince such as soya reduces the fat content of your meal and is also a greener tick for your carbon footprint. |
2 tbsp tomato purée | Tomato puree is a healthy addition in small quantities! Ideally, go for a ‘no added sugar or salt’ one. |
Worcester Sauce | A splash is fine, or try adding some spices instead to mix up the flavour. |
Beef stock | Each 100ml of beef stock has almost 1 gram of salt in! That’s a sixth of your maximum recommended daily intake! Switch out to a low salt vegetable stock and add other seasonings such as pepper if you want to. |
Potato for the mash topping | Switch the potato for sweet potato! They are high in fibre and contain more vitamins and minerals than regular potatoes. |
Butter for the mash topping | Switch the high-in-saturated-fat butter for a teaspoon of olive oil – you’ll save a load of calories and also get a small amount of healthier unsaturated fats in. |
Milk for the mash topping | Try one of the many plant-based milks on offer today and reduce your saturated fat intake even more! Almond and oat milk are popular these days – just make sure to check it hasn’t got added sugar. |
Bread and butter pudding
Here is a great healthier bread and butter pudding recipe, which uses wholemeal bread, skimmed milk instead of cream and a lot less sugar than your traditional pudding. This recipe comes in at just 256 calories per portion and is packed with fibre.
Here’s why you should make it…

Pros:
- Smaller overall recipe so less left over to tempt you again!
- 1/6th of the fat of a more traditional recipe
- 1/10th of the sat fat of a more traditional recipe
- Higher protein and fibre
Cons:
- Sugar is about the same as traditional recipes (from added sugar and dried fruit) but lower in everything else!
Beezee fish and chips
A healthier guide to British food wouldn’t be complete without a seaside favourite – fish & chips! Here’s our tried and trusty Beezee recipe!
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 750g sweet potatoes
- Spray oil
- 1 tsp sweet paprika (optional)
- 4 white fish fillets, such as cod or haddock, approx 150g each
- 75g breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon, zested
- 25g Italian style cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 tins of peas
- 1 tbsp crème fraiche
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- Side salad to serve

Method:
We suggest serving up with the side salad … enjoy!
- Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C.
- Cut the sweet potato into thick wedges and place in a shallow roasting tray. Spray with some spray oil, season and sprinkle with the paprika, if using. Mix well to combine. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, turning halfway through.
- Meanwhile, spray some spray oil onto a baking tray and place the fish fillets onto the tray.
- Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl, then add the lemon zest, Italian style cheese and parsley and mix together.
- Divide the mix evenly into four and press them on top of each fish fillet.
- Bake in the oven for the last 10-12 minutes of the sweet potatoes’ cooking time, or until the crumbs are golden, the fish is opaque (not ‘see-through’) and the potatoes are golden and crisp.
- Boil the peas in a pan of water for 3 minutes.
- Drain the peas and place in a bowl with the crème fraiche and mint. Use a fork and mash it together until desired consistency.
Looking for more meals kids will love? Take a look at our healthy recipes.