Food that does the work.

Ingredients

• 200 g creamed cottage cheese
• 80 g rye bread (about 2 slices; check your loaf)
• 20 g roasted pumpkin seed kernels
• Honey and cracked pepper, to taste

How to

1. Toast the rye. Spoon the cottage cheese on top, scatter the pumpkin seeds and finish with pepper and a little honey if you like.

The portions below are the basis for the estimate. Your bread and cheese label may differ.

Ingredients

• 2 salmon fillets, enough for about 140 g cooked Chinook salmon per person
• 400 g broccoli
• 1 tbsp white miso
• 1 tsp mirin
• Grated ginger and sesame oil, to taste

How to

1. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Mix the miso, mirin and ginger. Spread over the salmon.
2. Toss the broccoli with a little sesame oil and arrange beside the salmon on a tray. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, checking the fish reaches 63°C / 145°F in the thickest part. Thick fillets may take longer.

Miso adds flavour and contains soy. A spoonful of glaze isn't the same as a serving of tofu or edamame.

Ingredients

• 200 g cooked lentils, drained
• 50 g feta
• A handful of parsley and mint, chopped
• Lemon juice and olive oil, to taste

How to

1. Toss the lentils with the herbs, lemon juice and olive oil. Crumble over the feta. Taste before adding salt.
2. Refrigerate promptly in a covered container. Eat within three days; keep it chilled if taking it out for lunch.

Cooked lentils count. A tin or ready-cooked pouch makes this a no-stove lunch.

Ingredients

• 200 g red cabbage, core removed, finely shredded
• 400 g shelled edamame, cooked weight (prepare frozen edamame according to the packet)
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
• Black pepper, to taste

How to

1. Cook the edamame according to the packet. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain well. Weigh out 400 g.
2. Wash the cabbage and spring onions. Shred the cabbage thinly and put it in a large bowl with the spring onions.
3. Whisk the olive oil, lime juice, ginger and soy sauce or tamari in a small bowl.
4. Add the edamame and dressing to the cabbage. Toss well and leave for 5 minutes to soften slightly.
5. Divide between two bowls. Taste and add black pepper or a little more lime. Serve as a lunch bowl, or split into smaller portions beside a main.

Contains soy. Tamari isn’t always gluten-free; check the label if that matters for you. The estimate uses cooked green soybeans as the reference for edamame.

Ingredients

• 300 g plain cooked beets, not pickled, drained
• 400 g cooked lentils, drained and rinsed
• 100 g feta, crumbled
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Black pepper, to taste

How to

1. Cut the cooked beets into bite-sized wedges. Drain and rinse the lentils, then shake off excess water.
2. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, mustard and black pepper in a large bowl.
3. Add the lentils, beets and parsley. Toss gently until coated.
4. Divide between two bowls and crumble 50 g feta over each. Taste before adding salt; feta already brings plenty.
5. Serve at room temperature, or cover and chill promptly for a cold lunch.

Use plain ready-cooked beets for the 15-minute version. Beets belong in a colourful plate, but their red pigment isn’t anthocyanin.

Ingredients

• 500 g purple-fleshed sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into 2 cm cubes
• 300 g firm calcium-set tofu, drained and patted dry
• 1½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp salt, plus black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 to 4 tbsp water, to loosen the sauce

How to

1. Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Line a large baking tray. Choose sweet potatoes with purple flesh, not only purple skin.
2. Cut the sweet potato into even 2 cm cubes. Cut the tofu into similar-sized pieces.
3. Toss the sweet potato and tofu with the oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Spread in one layer; use two trays if they’re crowded.
4. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, turning halfway, until a fork slides easily into the sweet potato and the tofu edges are golden. Give firm pieces another 5 minutes if needed.
5. Whisk the tahini and lemon juice with 2 tbsp water. Add more water a spoonful at a time until pourable.
6. Divide the traybake between two plates and drizzle with the sauce.

Contains soy and sesame. Orange sweet potato works if purple isn’t available, but it won’t give you the same blue-purple ingredient.

Ingredients

• 500 g cooked black beans, drained and rinsed (about 2 tins; check drained weights)
• 200 g cooked brown rice
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 300 g chopped tomatoes, fresh or tinned
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 100 ml water
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Black pepper and chopped coriander, to taste

How to

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.
2. Add the garlic, paprika and cumin. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and water.
3. Stir in the drained black beans. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Mash a few beans with the back of a spoon if you like a thicker sauce.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the rice according to the packet or your usual method. Weigh out 200 g cooked rice. Ready-cooked rice keeps this a 25-minute meal.
5. Stir the lime juice into the beans and taste before adding salt. Divide the rice between two bowls, spoon over the beans and finish with coriander and black pepper.

The bean subtotal uses cooked, boiled black beans; tinned brands differ. The tomato subtotal uses fresh tomatoes as a reference. Use ready-cooked rice for the stated time.