Your Top Twists and Where They're From

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We reckon that a home-cooked meal is pretty much the highlight of any day, especially these days! That’s why we designed the Meal Packs app - we want to help get YOU cooking up the most delicious midweek meals without any fuss or hassle.

So we develop recipes, you cook them, and that’s where it ends, right? Wrong. We love hearing your feedback and tasty twists on our meals! And what’s even better is that you can try the fresh ideas from the worldwide SORTEDfood community too - find ‘em under the ‘Twists’ section of each Meal Pack.

Here we’ve put together a list of top suggestions for Meal Packs from users all over the world. From simple swaps to game-changing additions, these are the twists we’re loving!

Switch Up Your Veggies

A lot of the veggies in our Meal Packs are fairly interchangeable. Your meal might not taste exactly the same, but a little swap should still do the job. Don’t like mushrooms? Martin from The Netherlands used aubergine to add some bite to the stifado in the ‘Summer Bowls’ Meal Pack. Courgette would work too. Asparagus not in season? Morgan from the USA went for green beans instead in ‘Summer Bowls’, but broccoli is also a great shout.

And if you just want to get some more veggies into your meals or use up leftover odds and ends, there’s nothing to stop you chucking ‘em in! Liam from Australia suggests adding diced sweet potato to the veggie frittata in the ‘Freshen Up’ Meal Pack. Kat from the USA suggests chucking leftover veg into the instant noodles in ‘Throwback’ - she popped in extra mushrooms, carrots and spinach.

Make It Veggie/ Vegan!

Hardcore vegetarian or just trying to cut down on your meat intake? Tofu is a great alternative that’s packed with protein and essential amino acids. Taylor from Canada subbed out the chicken in ‘Throwback’ for extra firm tofu and cooked it for the same amount of time. Jack from the UK went for a different spin on the banh mi in ‘Asian Fusion’ by switching the pork for smoked tofu instead!

Julia from the UK went all out with her vegan version of our mac ‘n’ cheese in the ‘A Little Different’ Meal Pack. She swapped the milk for soya milk and the cheese for vegan cheese, adding a little more salt to balance out the sweetness of the non-dairy options. She also recommends maple syrup instead of honey in the noodle salad. And if you’re looking for a vegan alternative to the yoghurt we use in lots of our Meal Packs, coconut yoghurt is a great swap.

Make It Healthier…

Our Meal Packs are designed to be nicely balanced, but sometimes you might want to make adjustments depending on the diet you’re following. Looking to cut down on your carbs? Ruth from Dubai suggests using lettuce leaf instead of wraps for the kebabs in the ‘Street Feast’ Meal Pack. Things like potato and rice can also be subbed for veggies instead. Paul from Canada swapped out the potato for cauliflower in ‘Hone Your Skills’, while Jacinda from Australia used sweet potato instead - these are a great source of fibre and vitamins A and C.

And if you’re watching your fat intake, you can easily lighten up our meals with a few substitutions. Kimmie from the USA subbed the mayo in her potato salad for the same quantity of sour cream. We’d also suggest trying low-fat plain Greek yoghurt!

…Or Make It Naughty!

Sometimes nothing beats a little indulgence! Just as you can make our meals healthier, you can also make them a bit naughtier. Max from the USA recommends swapping the sour cream in the gnocchi for double/ heavy cream and a little lemon juice in the ‘International Challenge’ Meal Pack. Paul from the UK added mascarpone to the pasta alla Norma in ‘Winter Bangers’ to make it creamier - while not traditional of the Sicilian dish, we love the idea! And if you fancy making the ‘Guilty Pleasure’ Meal Pack a little meatier, Tia from the USA suggests popping bacon in the potato gratin.

Up Your Flavour

It’s always super interesting to hear what kind of flavour spins and upgrades you’re putting on our meals! We’ve selected a few of our favourites to help get you inspired in the kitchen.

• Hannah from the UK recommends adding a dollop of peanut to the stir fry in ‘Midweek Feast’, while Nicole from the USA chucked in crushed peanuts for some extra crunch.
• If you love spice, Ollie from the UK suggests popping some sriracha in the salmon tacos in ‘Vibrant Hits’. Chilli flakes and chilli oil are also great ways of adding a bit of heat to your dishes if you’re feeling adventurous!
• Amelie from Germany took her grandma’s advice and added nutmeg to the potato gratin in ‘Guilty Pleasure’. Sebastian from Germany also recommends adding a pinch of nutmeg to the sweet potato mash in ‘You’re the Boss’ - maybe it’s a German thing...
• Sometimes a few condiments will do the trick. Hannah from the UK suggests adding a spoon of Worcestershire sauce to the shepherd’s pie in ‘Prep Ahead’ for a bit of depth, while Margaret from the USA added a little mirin to lighten up the chicken satay marinade in ‘Gamechanger’.

And Some Game-Changing Tips…

Last but not least, here a couple of tips from the community to really up your Meal Packs game!

• Jason, UK, ‘Flavour Explorer’ - Flour the tofu for the banh mi to make it really crispy when you fry it. Add a bit of the curry paste to the oil to disperse flavour for the peanuts to coat in
• Lottie, UK, ‘Tex Mex’ - With any Tex mex type meal I add lime zest and juice to the sour cream. It just steps it up a gear
• Jonathan, UK, ‘You’re the Boss’ - Crumbled bran flakes instead of breadcrumbs give the same crunch, cost less
• Ingus, Latvia, ‘Autumn Warmth’ - Added vermouth to the risotto to deglaze the pan. It was delicious!
• Martin, UK, ‘Gamechanger’ - For the Aioli, swap the garlic for roasted garlic, the vegetable oil for rapeseed oil and add a crack of black pepper to make a richer flavour and more intense colour

Check out more twists over on the Meal Packs app! And remember, you can always leave your own ideas for other SORTEDfood members to try out.

Not part of the hype yet? Sign up for Meal Packs now.

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