What if you ate better without giving up enjoying food?

Often it starts with simple swaps: using eggs instead of heavier meat-based dishes, choosing legumes in place of minced meat, giving more space to seasonal vegetables. This week of recipes is built around that idea. They are normal, everyday dinners, where each dish makes a more sustainable substitution without losing comfort or flavour. There are recipes that go a long way, that can be repeated, and that do not always feel like the same meal on the plate.

Poached eggs in tomato and winter vegetable sauce

Here, eggs take the place of heavier meat dishes. They solve dinner in a simple way, are filling, and work very well in warm, one-pot meals. It is a direct, practical swap that fits easily into a daily routine. You will need:

• Onion

• Garlic

• Bell pepper

• Grated carrot

• Cubed pumpkin

• Crushed tomatoes

• Eggs

• Olive oil

• Salt, pepper, paprika and cumin

Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the vegetables and season. Add the tomatoes and let the sauce reduce until thick. Make small gaps, add the eggs and cover until they are cooked to your liking. Serve with bread or simple rice.

Creamy mushroom pasta

In this recipe, mushrooms take on the main role instead of animal protein. They give texture and depth to the dish, while eggs and cheese create the creaminess. It is comforting and complete without needing anything else. The ingredients are:

• Pasta

• Fresh mushrooms

• Eggs

• Grated cheese

• Olive oil

• Black pepper

Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil until well browned and all the moisture has evaporated. Cook the pasta and reserve some of the cooking water. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the cheese and plenty of pepper. Add the hot pasta to the mushrooms, remove from the heat and immediately mix in the egg mixture, adding pasta water little by little until creamy and well combined. Serve immediately.

This is not meant to replace a traditional carbonara. It is simply a creamy pasta made with eggs and cheese, where mushrooms are the main ingredient.

Lentil meatballs

Lentils replace minced meat effortlessly. They work well in meatball form, are filling, and adapt easily to classic everyday dishes. You will need:

• Cooked lentils

• Oats

• Onion

• Garlic

• Parsley

• Olive oil

• Salt, pepper and smoked paprika
  

Mash the lentils, mix in the remaining ingredients, shape into meatballs and bake until golden. Serve with rice or roasted vegetables.

Vegetable and egg tart

Here, vegetables take centre stage and eggs form the base of the meal, instead of heavier or highly processed fillings. It is still a simple oven-baked dinner, easy to serve, but with a lighter feel. The ingredients are:

• Thin shortcrust pastry

• Leek

• Grated carrot

• Spinach

• Eggs

• Milk (you can use plant-based milk)

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper
  

Sauté the vegetables in olive oil. Spread them over the pastry base, cover with the eggs beaten with milk, and bake until set and golden.

Fried rice with egg

Yesterday’s rice stops being leftovers and becomes the centre of the dish. The egg brings everything together and turns scraps into a complete dinner without adding new ingredients. You will need:

• Cooked, cold rice

• Onion

• Garlic

• Finely chopped vegetables

• Eggs

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Sauté the onion, garlic and vegetables. Add the rice and finish by stirring in the eggs.

Oven-roasted chickpeas

In this meal, chickpeas take the place usually reserved for meat. They become crispy, full of flavour, and easily hold the spotlight. You will need:

• Cooked chickpeas

• Cauliflower

• Red onion

• Olive oil

• Salt, paprika and cumin
  

Mix the chickpeas with olive oil and spices, add the vegetables, and roast until golden. Serve with a simple salad or green vegetables.

Creamy scrambled eggs with potatoes and vegetables

Here, eggs replace everyday meat dishes, combined with potatoes and vegetables to create a complete, simple and accessible meal. You will need:

• Batatas
  
• Cebola
  
• Legumes da estação
  
• Ovos
  
• Azeite
  
• Sal e pimenta

Boil the potatoes. Sauté the onion and vegetables, add the potatoes, then gently fold in the eggs, cooking slowly until creamy.

At the table, swaps also extend to what we drink, and that does not need much thought. Water remains the base of everything, the obvious choice that works most days. When you feel like changing things up, kombucha and artisanal sodas are a good way to accompany a meal or add a little extra interest to dinner without taking up too much space. They do not replace anything and come with no new rules; they simply become part of those small choices that adjust over time, almost without noticing.