Help-Yourself Tuna Rice Salad- serves 8

Ideal for busy households, this hearty salad keeps well in the fridge for up to three days, ready to be spooned into a bowl whenever you need to put a lunch together at the last minute!

328 kcalories, protein 14g, carbohydrate 49g, fat 10 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 2g, sugar 5g, salt 0.22 g

Ingredients

Process

• approx 900g/2lb cold cooked rice (about 400g/14oz uncooked rice)
• 400g tuna in springwater
• 200g frozen petits pois , defrosted under the hot tap
• 2 red peppers , peeled with a potato peeler, deseeded and diced
• 3 tomatoes , chopped into small chunks
• 5 spring onions , finely sliced
• bunch flat-leaf parsley , chopped
• large handful stoned green olives, roughly chopped (optional)
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• juice 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1. 1.                   The cooked rice will have probably clumped together, so break it up in a large mixing bowl. Flake in the tuna, then mix in the peas, peppers, tomatoes, spring onions, parsley and olives, if you’re using them.
2. 2.                   Stir through the mayonnaise, lemon juice and olive oil and season to taste. Cover the bowl with cling film or place in a large plastic container and let your household serve themselves whenever they are hungry.

Spicy Cous Cous Salad- Serves 2

This can be made as a main-dish salad (great for lunchboxes) or as a side dish for roast lamb

317 kcalories, protein 14g, carbohydrate 41g, fat 12 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 5g, sugar 4g, salt 1.14 g

Ingredients

Process

• 100g couscous
• 220g can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
• 100ml hot chicken stock
• zest and juice 1 lemon
• 1 roasted red pepper , chopped
• 25g flaked toasted almonds
• handful mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp natural Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp harissa

Tip the couscous and chickpeas into a bowl and pour over the stock. Cover and leave for 5-10 mins until the couscous has absorbed the stock. Allow to cool a little. Toss through the lemon zest and juice, pepper, almonds and mint. Spoon into a container, then top with the yogurt and a drizzle of harissa.

Butternut squash salad- serves 4

Get a whopping 4 of your 5-a-day with this superhealthy salad, why not make extra for your lunchbox too

266 kcalories, protein 12g, carbohydrate 43g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 7g, sugar 18g, salt 0.05 g

Ingredients

Process

• 1 butternut squash , peeled, deseeded and diced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 50g wild and brown rice
• 50g Puy lentils
• 1 head broccoli , cut into florets
• 50g dried cranberries
• 25g pumpkin seeds
• juice 1 lemon

1. 1.                   Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Spread the squash over a large baking sheet, drizzle over the oil and bake for 30 mins or until tender.
2. 2.                   Meanwhile, cook the rice and lentils in boiling salted water for 20 mins, adding the broccoli for the final 4 mins of cooking. Drain well, then stir in the cranberries and pumpkin seeds with some seasoning. Add the squash, pour over the lemon juice and serve.

Butter bean & chilli tomato salad- serves 4

Superhealthy, counts as 2 of 5-a-day

116 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 16g, fat 4 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 5g, sugar 5g, salt 0.83 g

Ingredients

Process

• 540g jar large butter beans
• 500g tomatoes , peeled and cored
• 1 red chilli
• bunch basil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Drain and rinse the butter beans and place in a mixing bowl. Chop the tomatoes and add to the beans. Place the chilli, basil (reserving a few small leaves) garlic, olive oil and vinegar in the small bowl of a food processor then whizz until smooth. Add to the tomatoes and beans, season and mix. Serve scattered with a few small leaves.

Spicy Tuna & Cottage Cheese Jacket- serves 1

For a low-fat energy lunch try a carbohydrate-heavy baked potato with a light and nutritious filling

439 kcalories, protein 64g, carbohydrate 33g, fat 5 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 3g, sugar 7g, salt 1,7 g

Ingredients

Process

• 225g can tuna , drained
• ½ red chilli , chopped
• 1 spring onion , sliced
• handful halved cherry tomatoes
• ½ small bunch coriander , chopped
• 1 medium-sized jacket potato
• 150g low-fat cottage cheese

1. 1.                   Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C. Prick the potato several times with a fork and put it straight onto a shelf in the hottest part of the oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until it is soft inside.
2. 2.                   Mix tuna with chilli, spring onion, cherry tomatoes and coriander. Split jacket potato and fill with the tuna mix and cottage cheese.