Tuesday

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 2 eggs
• 100 g cottage cheese
• 30 g porridge oats
• 80 g frozen mixed berries
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. Put the berries in a small bowl and microwave them for 1 minute, until they are soft and have made a juice.
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Stir in the cottage cheese, oats and cinnamon to make a thick, lumpy batter.
3. Heat half the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Spoon in half the batter as 2 small pancakes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden underneath and set around the edges. Flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Repeat with the rest of the oil and batter.
4. Stack the pancakes on a plate and spoon the warm berries and juice over the top.

Why it is a high-protein start

Eggs and cottage cheese give about 28 g of protein, and the oats stand in for flour, so the pancakes are filling and need no added sugar. The berries give sweetness and vitamin C.

Swaps

A sliced banana in place of the berries. A spoonful of Greek yoghurt on top. A drizzle of honey.

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 1 small tin pink or red salmon (about 100 g drained)
• 1 tbsp plain Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 tsp lemon juice (from a fresh lemon)
• 30 g cucumber (about 3 cm)
• 2 slices wholemeal bread
• 1 pinch black pepper

Method

1. Drain the salmon and tip it into a bowl. Remove the large bones if you like, although the soft ones are edible and rich in calcium. Flake it with a fork.
2. Stir in the yoghurt, lemon juice and pepper.
3. Slice the cucumber thinly. Spread the salmon on one slice of bread, add the cucumber and top with the other slice. Cut in half.

Why it is a high-protein lunch

Tinned salmon gives about 22 g of protein and omega-3 fats, and costs far less than fresh. The yoghurt makes it creamy with no mayonnaise, and the wholemeal bread adds fibre.

Swaps

Tinned mackerel or tuna in place of the salmon. Spinach or watercress in the sandwich. A wholemeal wrap in place of the bread.

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 150 g chicken breast
• 150 g broccoli florets
• 60 g basmati rice
• 1 tbsp peanut butter, 100% peanuts (about 15 g)
• 1 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (from a fresh lemon)
• 2 tbsp warm water
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil

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

1. Make the satay sauce: in a small bowl, whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, lemon juice, warm water and the chopped garlic until smooth. Pour about half into a second small bowl for serving, and keep it covered in the fridge.
2. Cut the chicken into 3 cm cubes and put it in the first bowl with the rest of the sauce. Cover it and put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Cut the broccoli into florets. Wash your hands, the board and the knife.

At dinner time (about 20 minutes)

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Put the broccoli on a baking tray, drizzle with the oil and toss. Add the chicken with its marinade and spread it out in a single layer.
2. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is golden and white all the way through with no pink, and the broccoli has crisp edges.
3. Meanwhile, cook the rice in a pan of boiling water for 10 to 11 minutes, or following the packet. Drain it.
4. Spoon the rice into a bowl, add the chicken and broccoli and spoon over the clean sauce you kept back, thinned with a splash of warm water if it is stiff.

Why it is a high-protein dinner

A chicken breast gives about 35 g of protein, and the peanut sauce adds a little more, so dinner is about 44 g with the rice and broccoli. Satay without coconut cream is much lighter than the takeaway version.

Swaps

Green beans or red peppers in place of the broccoli. Tofu in place of the chicken. A pinch of chilli flakes in the sauce.