Sunday

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 120 g cannellini beans from a tin, drained and rinsed (half a tin; lunch uses the rest)
• 1 egg
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 slices wholemeal bread
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Put the egg in a small pan of boiling water and cook it for 7 minutes. Run it under cold water and peel it.
2. While it cooks, peel and finely chop the garlic. Heat the oil in a small pan over a medium heat and cook the garlic and cumin for 30 seconds.
3. Add the beans and 3 tbsp of water, and warm for 3 to 4 minutes, until hot all the way through. Mash about half of them with a fork so they turn creamy.
4. Stir in the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Toast the bread.
5. Spoon the beans over the toast and top with the sliced egg.

Why it is a healthy start

Beans, egg and wholemeal toast together give protein, fibre and slow-release energy. In the Middle East this kind of dish is a common breakfast, and it keeps you full for hours.

Swaps

Traditionally it is made with dried fava beans, but cannellini beans or chickpeas work well. A chopped tomato or a pinch of chilli flakes. A spoonful of plain yoghurt on top.

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 1 wholemeal pitta bread
• 120 g cannellini beans (the other half tin from breakfast)
• 1 medium tomato
• 50 g cucumber (about 5 cm)
• 30 g baby spinach
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp dried mint
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Toast the pitta for 1 to 2 minutes until it is crisp and golden all over. Break it into bite-size pieces.
2. Chop the tomato and cucumber into small pieces. Roughly chop the spinach.
3. Whisk the lemon juice, oil, mint, a pinch of salt and some pepper in a large bowl.
4. Add the beans, tomato, cucumber and spinach and toss until they are coated. Add the pitta pieces just before serving so they stay crunchy.

Why it is a healthy lunch

Fattoush is a Lebanese bread salad, and this version swaps the fried bread for toasted pitta, so it has much less fat. The beans add protein and fibre, and the salad is mostly fresh vegetables.

Swaps

A handful of fresh mint or parsley, if you have some. Crumbled feta or a spoonful of plain yoghurt. Radishes or red onion for extra crunch. Chickpeas in place of the cannellini beans.

Ingredients (2 portions of chicken; rice for tonight only)

• 300 g skinless chicken breast fillets (2 fillets)
• 1 red onion or onion
• 1 red pepper
• 60 g long-grain white rice (tonight's portion only)
• 100 g plain Greek-style yoghurt, for the marinade
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Sauce (tonight's portion)

• 30 g plain Greek-style yoghurt
• ¼ tsp dried mint
• Squeeze of lemon juice, pinch of salt

Method

1. Peel and crush the garlic. In a large bowl, mix the 100 g of yoghurt with the garlic, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, oil, a good pinch of salt and some pepper.
2. Cut each chicken fillet into 4 or 5 chunks, about 3 cm. Add them to the bowl, turn them until they are coated, cover, and put the bowl on the bottom shelf of the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Wash your hands, the board and the knife.
3. Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan, gas mark 7). Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. Cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds, and cut it into chunky strips.
4. Spread the onion and pepper on a large baking tray lined with foil or baking paper. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, shaking off the excess, and scatter it over the vegetables, leaving gaps. Do not pour the leftover marinade over the tray.
5. Roast for 25 minutes, turning everything once halfway, until the chicken is golden and the vegetables are soft. Cut into the thickest piece to check that it is white all the way through with no pink, and that the juices run clear. If not, give it 5 more minutes.
6. While it roasts, cook the rice in boiling water for 10 to 11 minutes and drain it. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
7. Spoon the rice into a bowl, add half of the chicken and vegetables (about 150 g of chicken) and the yoghurt sauce.

Why it is a healthy dinner

The yoghurt marinade tenderises chicken breast so it stays juicy without any extra fat, and the lemon and garlic give plenty of flavour. Half the tray is vegetables, and cooking two portions at once means tomorrow's lunch is already made.

Swaps

Chicken thighs in place of the breast, which are cheaper and stay moist. Courgette or aubergine on the tray. Couscous in place of the rice, and a wholemeal pitta on the side.