It’s really a lot easier than you think to create from scratch old family favourites like chicken fajitas and bypass the additive laden packet mixes.
Don’t let the lettuce leaves distract you here. At New Image, we’re not puritanical, no fun, nutrition freaks. We eat carbs and ice cream, and we drink wine. Healthy eating isn’t all about low carb or gluten free or paleo.
BUT If I could get everyone to change just two things about their diet, it would be:
- Up the plants. Just chuck more veggies and fruit into your meals.
- Ditch the frankenfoods! Stop buying food products with ingredients in the list you don’t recognise and can’t pronounce.
So when I encourage you to start cooking your favourite meals from scratch to be healthier, it’s not just about replacing a tortilla with a lettuce leaf.
My aim is that people slowly reduce their dependence on packaged foods and discover simple techniques like basic spice mixes and sauces that elevate beautiful fresh ingredients to delicious family meals.
Check out the ingredients list for a popular brand’s fajita kit

I’m not naming any names, but have you ever cast your eyes to the side of the box of these packaged meals?
I just see a whole lot of numbers and not a lot of real food (and can anyone tell me what “natural smoke flavour” is?!)
No judgment. We used to eat this stuff too back when I only looked at the nutritional panel (ie carb/protein/fat content) rather than ingredients.
Now look at the ingredients list for our chicken fajita recipe below, which honestly will take you no longer to cook than the box version.
If you really, really, think about it, which would you rather put in your body?
If I can get you to cook your family faves like fajitas and burritos and tacos from scratch, then I have no problem with you chucking on a bit of sour cream and cheese.
But I reckon when you try out our fajitas, you won’t want to drown out all those delicious, fresh flavours that make Mexican food so spectacular?
Our healthy version is light, fresh and packs up perfectly for a next day leftover lunch.
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Ingredients
1 head of baby cos or gem lettuce, washed and leaves separated
600g chicken thighs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 clove garlic, crushed
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, one half thinly sliced, one half diced
1 red capsicum, seeds removed, thinly sliced
1 yellow capsicum, seeds removed, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
Couple of handfuls of coriander leaves
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Method
1) Combine cumin, coriander, garlic, olive oil and half the lime juice in a bowl and add the chicken thighs. Coat the chicken thoroughly in marinade. Cover and leave in the fridge for half an hour.
2) Heat a nonstick frypan and add the chicken thighs to the pan. Cook for around 6 minutes each side, until both sides have a nicely caramelised and chicken is cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3) Chuck the sliced half of the red onion and capsicum in the pan and cook, stirring in the crunchy bits left on the pan, for a few minutes. Remove from the pan.
4) Thinly slice the chicken thighs and then combine with the onion and capsicum.
5) In a small bowl, combine tomato, avocado and coriander and drizzle with the remaining lime juice.
6) To serve, spoon chicken mix into lettuce leaves and top with the avocado and tomato salsa.
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