Friday

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 40 g porridge oats
• 200 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 eating apple
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 15 g raisins

Method

1. Wash the apple and grate it on the coarse side of a grater, skin on, avoiding the core.
2. Put the oats, milk, raisins and about two thirds of the apple in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes, until thick and creamy. (Or microwave in a bowl for 2 minutes, stirring halfway.)
3. Spoon into a bowl, top with the rest of the grated apple and sprinkle over the cinnamon.

Why it is a healthy start

Grated apple melts into the porridge and sweetens it, and the raisins add sweetness and iron. Oats keep you full until lunch, and there is no added sugar.

Swaps

A pear in place of the apple. Chopped walnuts on top. A spoonful of Greek yoghurt for extra protein.

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 2 small parsnips (about 200 g)
• 1 eating apple
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ cube reduced-salt vegetable stock cube
• 350 ml hot water for the stock
• 1 slice wholemeal bread, to serve
• 1 pinch black pepper

Method

1. Peel and chop the onion. Peel the parsnips, cut off the woody core if they are large, and cut them into 1 cm cubes. Core and chop the apple, skin on.
2. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onion for 3 minutes, then add the ginger and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add the parsnip, apple and hot stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the parsnip is very soft.
4. Blend with a stick blender until smooth, adding a splash of hot water if it is too thick. Season with pepper.
5. Toast the bread and serve it alongside.

Why it is a healthy lunch

Parsnips make the soup creamy and sweet without cream, and they give fibre and vitamin C. The apple adds a fresh, slightly sharp note that balances them.

Swaps

A carrot in place of one parsnip. A teaspoon of curry powder in place of the ginger for a spicier soup. A spoonful of yoghurt swirled on top.

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 150 g skinless white fish fillet (coley, pollock or cod), fresh or defrosted
• 1 small leek (about 100 g)
• 60 g frozen peas
• 200 g sweet potato (1 medium)
• 150 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 tbsp plain flour (about 10 g)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 15 g strong Cheddar, finely grated
• 1 pinch black pepper

Prep (about 10 minutes, any time that day)

1. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into 2 cm chunks. Keep it in a covered container in the fridge. Trim the leek, slit it lengthways, rinse it well and slice it thinly.
2. Cut the fish into 3 cm chunks and check for bones. Put it in a covered container on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Wash your hands, the board and the knife.

At dinner time (about 15 minutes of work)

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Put the sweet potato in a saucepan, cover with water and boil for 10 to 12 minutes, until soft. Drain, return to the pan and mash with a splash of milk and a little pepper.
2. While it boils, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the leek for 4 minutes, until soft. Stir in the flour for 1 minute.
3. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring, until you have a smooth sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the fish and the peas and simmer gently for 3 minutes, turning once, until the fish is just opaque.
4. Tip it into a small ovenproof dish. Spoon the mash over the top, roughly level it with a fork and scatter over the cheese.
5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.

Why it is a healthy dinner

White fish is very lean protein, and the sweet potato topping adds fibre and vitamin A in place of the usual buttery mash. The sauce uses milk and a little flour, with no cream or butter.

Swaps

Frozen sweetcorn or spinach in place of the peas. Ordinary potato in place of the sweet potato. A handful of cooked prawns added with the fish.