Rainbow salad with plantain chips

Make sure to use green plantain (rather than ripe plantain) for this vibrant salad, which is full of fresh fruit and vegetables coated in a zesty lime and ginger dressing. Each serving provides 397 kcal, 5.5g protein, 49g carbohydrates (of which 27g sugars), 17g fat (of which 3g saturates), 11g fibre and 0.6g salt.

Provençal picnic sandwich (Pan bagnat)

This is a speciality of Nice and is filled with Niçoise salad ingredients. A great way to use up slightly stale bread, the recipe contains tuna and anchovies but if you are vegetarian, you could substitute with cheese (such as mozzarella or slices of goats’ cheese) or roasted peppers, aubergines, courgettes and mushrooms. Make this a day ahead and keep weighted down in the fridge so all the juices seep into the bread.

Falafel

You can make these easy falafels in minutes for a delicious quick dinner. Top with chilli sauce, yoghurt, pickles or hummus to customise. It’s a simplified falafel recipe for those on a budget with limited kit – it’s so much cheaper than buying ready-made. See also our easy chickpea stew recipe and easy hummus recipe for more ways to zhuzh up that tin!

Roasted red pepper hummus

There are no end of varieties of hummus in the supermarket. This one is loaded with sweet roasted red pepper, making it much lighter. This recipe, if served as eight portions, provides 67kcal, 3g protein, 9g carbohydrate (of which 4g sugars), 1.5g fat (of which 0.2g saturates), 3g fibre and 0.3g salt.

Chicken pasta salad

This bacon and chicken pasta salad is like a club sandwich in a bowl. It will keep overnight in the fridge, so makes a perfect portable lunch that can be made the night before. Each serving provides 527 kcal, 40g protein, 50.5g carbohydrates (of which 7.5g sugars), 17g fat (of which 4.5g saturates), 7g fibre and 2.6g salt.

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