Eating a lunch that contains a good serving of protein has been shown to reduce mid p.m. hunger pangs and the desire to dig into cakes, biscuits and cakes to alleviate the afternoon energy slump.
Not only that, having a lunch with plenty of protein has been shown to reduce the amount of food that you eat at your evening meal.
Remember to plan ahead. Think about where you are going to be at lunchtime. Will you be able to buy something that suits your new way of eating? If you think that you could be at the mercy of a motorway café, or you know that your work canteen does not have the kind of food that you want to eat, then maybe it would be better to prepare your own lunch before leaving home?
Keep thinking, keep planning and stay one step ahead…
- Salmon & Fennel on Sourdough
In a bowl mix a tablespoon of virtually fat free fromage frais with a tsp. each of horseradish relish, lemon juice and chopped chives. Then add 100g of cooked, flaked salmon and half a grated bulb of fennel. Season with black pepper and mix thoroughly. Spread onto a slice toasted sourdough bread and serve. If you intend to take this lunch to work then keep the salmon mix and spread onto the bread when you are ready to eat. Serve with a crunchy apple. - Cod and Crushed Sweet Potato
Boil 100g peeled sweet potato. Pre-heat grill to maximum. Season a 100g cod fillet (or another firm white fish like haddock) with a little sea salt and black pepper and place on baking tray under the grill for eight minutes or until cooked, turning once. Meanwhile using a fork, crush the cooked potatoes and add a teaspoon of grain mustard, a tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley and a finely chopped spring onion, a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and season to taste. Pile the sweet potato mash onto a plate. Put the cod on top, add a squeeze of lemon juice and serve with a salad made from finely sliced iceberg lettuce and some sliced tomatoes drizzled with a little Balsamic vinegar. - Salad Nicoise
Open and drain 50g of tuna canned in spring water. Meanwhile mix together a teaspoon of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar and a teaspoon of finely cut spring onion. Set aside. Boil 4 new potatoes in their skin, drain, cool and cut into quarters. Add 50g cooked and cooled French beans and 1 chopped tomato. Season with black pepper and finish by popping on a hard-boiled egg cut into quarters and a few black olives scattered around. - Caesar Salad
Toast 1 slice of multigrain bread. Cut into cubes and once cool, rub a clove of peeled garlic over the surfaces. Shred a large handful of Cos lettuce and place in a bowl with 100g cooked lean chicken cut into chunks. Mix in 2 tablespoons of a good quality, reduced fat Caesar dressing. Mix well and sprinkle over 10g of Parmesan cheese shavings and a chopped anchovy cut into little pieces. Serve with a slice of sourdough or rye bread. - Penne Pasta Salad
In a pan of salted boiling water, add 70g of pasta shapes and cook according to pack instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside. In a bowl, add two finely chopped ripe tomatoes, half a clove of garlic finely crushed, half a deseeded finely chopped green chilli and a tablespoon of freshly chopped basil. Mix well before adding 100g of peeled, cooked prawns. Season to taste, mix in the pasta then serve with a large green salad drizzled with Balsamic vinegar. - Smoked Mackerel Pate
Mix 80g smoked flaked mackerel with a quarter of teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoons of low fat soft cheese, a tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon juice and some black pepper. Once well mixed served spread on two slices of toasted rye bread. - Mexican Bean Pitta
Warm through in a pan 150g of canned red kidney beans. Drain and quickly blend or mash with a fork. Add a few drops of hot chilli sauce, some chopped coriander and spring onion. Season with black pepper and lemon juice. Warm a wholemeal pitta, split open and stuff with shredded lettuce. Pile on the bean mix and tuck in. - Smoked Haddock Chowder
Pour 800ml of stock into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add a small can of sweetcorn with peppers and 150g canned, drained beans like cannellini. Simmer for a further 3 minutes. Add 150g flaked smoked haddock and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Season with pepper and add.75ml skimmed milk and a tablespoon of chopped parsley. Season with black pepper, heat through and serve with a slice of multigrain bread. - Turkey on Toasted Rye
Toast two slices of rye bread and spread with Dijon mustard. Sprinkle with the finely chopped green top of a spring onion. Lay on top 100g of sliced, cold roasted turkey and lots of thin slices of cucumber. Season with black pepper and serve. - Open Chicken and Salsa Sandwich
Spread some tomato salsa on a slice of multigrain bread. Sprinkle with diced cucumber and then pile on 100g of cooked sliced roasted chicken. Serve with a mixed salad drizzled with Balsamic vinegar. - Cheese Potato Cakes
Peel and cook 150g sweet potato in salted water till soft. Drain, and mash with 40g of grated reduced fat cheese until smooth. Add some chopped parsley and season. Using your hands make two rounds and pat to flatten. Brush a non-stick frying pan with oil and cook the cakes gently on both sides till golden. When the potato cakes are ready serve with a large green salad or plenty of steamed broccoli. - Salmon Wrap
Gently warm a soft tortilla wrap in the oven. Mix 80g of flaked cooked salmon with a chopped spring onion and 2 teaspoons of reduced fat crème fraiche. Season to taste with black pepper. Take tortilla out of oven and top with salmon mixture; add shredded lettuce, roll and serve. - Hummus on Toasted Rye
Put 100g canned drained chickpeas in a small blender or food processor and add the juice of half a lemon, 1 teaspoon of crunchy peanut butter and a teaspoon and a tablespoon of low fat plain. Blend until the ingredients start to break down. Add a clove of crushed garlic continue to blend until a smooth paste starts to form. Season with pepper to taste. Meanwhile toast a slice of rye bread until crisp. Serve the hummus with rye toast and lots of vegetable sticks - carrots, cucumber, peppers - whatever takes your fancy. - Sardines on Toast with a twist
Toast a slice of multigrain bread and rub with a clove of raw, peeled garlic. Drain 80g of canned sardines and mix with a 2 teaspoon of chopped chives, a teaspoon of lemon juice and plenty of black pepper. Slice a tomato and lay on the toast. Pile the sardine mix on top and then pop under a hot grill for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately with a tasty green salad. - BLT
Grill a slice of extra lean back bacon and cut into small pieces. Toast two slices of multigrain bread. Mix a teaspoon of Dijon mustard with a teaspoon of good quality reduced fat salad cream. Add a handful of shredded lettuce to this mixture and season to taste with black pepper. Mix in a chopped tomato and the bacon and pile on to the slice of toast. Top with the other slice and serve. - Skinny Cheese Omelette
Whisk up 2 eggs and season with salt and pepper. In a small pan put a teaspoon of olive oil and sauté a handful of fresh button mushrooms with the lid on for 5 minutes. Heat up a non-stick frying pan and brush lightly with oil. Pour in the egg mix and shake the pan well. Add the mushrooms. Once cooked through, serve with a tomato and red onion salad drizzled with Balsamic vinegar and a slice of sour dough bread. - Crab Pitta Pockets
Make a dressing by mixing tablespoon of reduced fat crème fraiche with a tablespoon of tomato puree. In a bowl mix 100g of fresh or canned and drained crab meat with a finely chopped small de-seeded chilli (optional), a chopped spring onion, some chopped coriander and a chunk of cucumber finely diced. Mix in the dressing. Take a handful of fresh lettuce and use to stuff pitta along with crab mix to stuff a small wholemeal pitta serving any extra crab mix on the side. - Sardine Spread
Mix 80g of sardines canned in tomato sauce with lots of finely chopped spring onions, a pinch of hot paprika and a squeeze of lemon juice. Spread over a slice of toasted rye or multigrain bread and serve with a big mixed salad drizzled with Balsamic vinegar. - Chicken Tandoori
Prick 100 of lean skinless chicken breast with a fork. Place a small pot of natural low fat yogurt in a bowl and add a pinch of ginger, a teaspoon. of paprika, a clove of crushed garlic, a bayleaf, 1 tablespoon of tomato puree, a pinch of salt and the grated zest of a lemon. Mix well. Add the chicken making sure it is covered with he marinade. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a cold place overnight or as long as is possible. Heat oven to 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4. Place chicken on a wire rack in a roasting tin and coat chicken with marinade. Bake for 45 minutes basting every 15 with the marinade. Serve with a small pitta bread that has been warmed in the oven. - Sweet Baked Potato with…
Bake a 150g sweet potato and serve with any one of the following fillings:
100g of good quality canned or jarred tuna mixed with finely chopped red onion and parsley with ground black pepper
100g cottage cheese mixed with chopped chives
100g prawns mixed with a tablespoon of low fat fromage frais, some chopped parsley and black pepper
40g fat reduced cheddar grated and topped with a tablespoon of Spicy Salsa - Sandwiches
Use two slices of sourdough or multigrain bread. Spread lightly with reduced fat cream cheese, top with lots of shredded iceberg lettuce and a sliced tomato. Then add two slices of roasted lean chicken or turkey or 40g of fat reduced cheddar. Season with black pepper, top with other slice of bread and serve. - Chilli Fried Eggs
Brush a non-stick frying pan with a little oil and quickly fry some chopped red chilli. Remove and then brush the frying pan again with a little oil and throw in the chopped green parts of a spring onion. Crack in two eggs and fry. Serve the eggs and spring onion greens on a slice of sourdough or rye bread and sprinkle over the cooked chilli. Grind over some black pepper and little salt. Serve with slices of tomato. - Baked Beans on Toast
Simply heat through 150g of good quality baked beans and serve poured over a slice of multigrain toast with lots of grilled mushrooms and tomatoes. - Peanut Butter and Roast Chicken on Rye
Spread a slice of rye bread with peanut butter. Top with layers of cucumber and 100g roasted, sliced lean chicken. Grind over some freshly ground black pepper and serve with a big bowl of crunchy iceberg lettuce drizzled with Balsamic vinegar. - Chicken Noodle Soup
Put 350ml hot water and half a stock cube in a medium saucepan to a simmer. Add 100g skinless chicken breast finely sliced and 60g vermicelli pasta and let the soup gently simmer for 8 minutes. Add 4 button mushrooms, a finely chopped spring onion and some finely chopped de-seeded green chilli and a little lemon grass to the soup. Season with black pepper and some freshly chopped coriander. Allow all to simmer for a couple of more minutes. Serve immediately. - Tuna and Anchovy Salad
In a bowl add a quarter of an iceberg lettuce finely sliced, one chopped tomato, several slices of cucumber and a few slices of red onion. Add 100g of drained tuna canned in spring water, a few chopped anchovy fillets and a few black olives. Season with herb salt and dress with vinigrette made up a teaspoon of olive oil, a dessertspoon of Balsamic vinegar, half a teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of water. Serve with a wholemeal pitta bread. - Ham and Egg on Sourdough Toast
Add one teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan and place over medium heat. Cut a tomato in half and place cut side down in the pan. After five minutes, crack an egg into the same pan. Whilst the egg is frying, lightly toast a slice of sourdough bread and spread with Dijon mustard. Place a slice of extra lean ham on top. Once egg is cooked to your taste, place it on top of the ham and serve with the tomatoes. Garnish with a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar.