Friday

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 2 slices wholemeal bread
• 1 tbsp peanut butter (about 15 g)
• 1 eating apple
• Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)

Method

1. Toast the bread until golden.
2. Spread the peanut butter over the hot toast, while it is still warm, so it melts a little and spreads thinly.
3. Wash the apple, core it and slice it thinly, skin and all. Lay the slices over the toast, and dust with the cinnamon if you like it.

Why it is a healthy start

Peanut butter brings protein and unsaturated fat, and the apple adds fibre and crunch with natural sweetness. The wholemeal toast keeps you full until lunch.

Swaps

A sliced banana or pear in place of the apple. A spoonful of plain yoghurt on the side. A few raisins on top.

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 1 portion beef and bean filling, kept from Thursday's dinner
• 1 wholemeal tortilla wrap
• 20 g mature Cheddar cheese
• 20 g baby spinach
• 20 g plain Greek-style yoghurt

Method

1. Put the filling in a bowl, cover it, and microwave it for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave for a further 1 minute, until it is steaming hot all the way through, with no cold spots. Add a splash of water if it looks dry.
2. Grate the cheese. Warm the wrap for 15 seconds in the microwave so it folds without cracking.
3. Lay the wrap flat and spoon the hot filling along the middle. Top with the spinach, cheese and yoghurt.
4. Fold in the two sides, then roll it up tightly from the bottom. For a crisp finish, put it seam side down in a dry frying pan for 1 minute each side.

Why it is a healthy lunch

The filling is mostly beans and tomato, so it gives plenty of fibre and protein from a modest amount of beef. The spinach and yoghurt add freshness, and the lunch costs almost nothing extra because the work was done last night.

Swaps

Serve the filling over a baked potato or a handful of leaves instead of in a wrap. Grated carrot or sliced tomato in the burrito. A pinch of chilli flakes if you like it hot.

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 1 fillet skinless white fish, such as coley, pollock or cod (about 150 g), frozen or fresh
• 250 g potatoes
• 100 g frozen peas
• 20 g porridge oats (about 3 tbsp)
• 30 g plain Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Prep ahead (about 10 minutes, any time that day)

1. If your fish was frozen, make sure it has fully defrosted in the fridge. Pat it dry with kitchen paper and check it for small bones. Put it on a plate, cover it, and put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
2. Scrub the potatoes (peel them if you prefer) and cut them into wedges, about 2 cm thick. Put them in a microwave-safe bowl with a splash of water, cover with a plate and microwave for 4 minutes, until they are nearly tender. Drain well.
3. Toss the wedges with the oil, half the paprika, a pinch of salt and some pepper, and spread them out on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Leave them to cool, then cover and keep in the fridge.
4. On a plate, mix the oats with the remaining paprika, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Put the yoghurt in a small bowl. Cover both and keep them ready. Wash your hands, the board and the knife.

At dinner time (about 5 minutes of work)

1. Switch the oven on to 220°C (200°C fan, gas mark 7) as soon as you get in. It takes about 10 minutes to heat. Take the cover off the wedge tray.
2. When the oven is hot, put the wedges in on the top shelf for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, brush the fish on both sides with the yoghurt and press it firmly into the oat mixture, so that it is coated all over.
3. Take the tray out, push the wedges to one side, add the fish, and put it back in. Bake for 15 minutes, turning the wedges once, until the wedges are golden and the fish is opaque all the way through and flakes easily with a fork.
4. While it bakes, cook the peas in boiling water for 3 minutes and drain.
5. Serve the fish and wedges with the peas.

Why it is a healthy dinner

White fish is very lean and high in protein, and the oat crust gives crunch and fibre without the oil of a breadcrumb coating. The wedges are baked with just 2 tsp of oil, and the peas add fibre and vitamins.

Swaps

A pinch of dried oregano or thyme in the crust. Sweet potato wedges in place of the potato. Green beans or sweetcorn in place of the peas. A spoonful of plain yoghurt with a pinch of salt as a dip.