Food on the Move/working Lunches continue...

Goat's cheese, pear and pecan salad

A brilliant combination of flavours that is very simple to fling together.

SERVES 1

1 slice firm goat's cheese (approximately 75-100g/23/4- ³ 1/2oz), sliced or crumbled into chunks

1 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced

1 tbsp pecan halves (roughly chopped, if you prefer)

1 Little Gem lettuce, washed and drained, and torn into bite-sized pieces A couple of good handfuls of watercress, roughly chopped or torn

Scatter the cheese, pear slices and nuts over a bed of lettuce and watercress. The fat and flavour from the nuts and cheese mean that you shouldn't need extra dressing.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (PER PERSON)

increase to 4 rough oatcakes

Salade nicoise

You can make this celebrated French classic salad as quick or as complicated as you like. If you have time, do include the capers and spring onions, as they add so much to the overall flavour.

SERVES 1

¹/2 x 185g (6¹/2oz) can or jar of tuna, drained (140g (5oz) drained) ¹/2 Romaine lettuce or 2 Little Gem lettuces, washed well,dried and torn into bite-sized pieces

3 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal (optional)

3 pitted black olives, roughly chopped

1 tsp capers, well rinsed (optional)

1 egg, hard-boiled for 8 minutes, shelled and chopped into smallish chunks

2 anchovies in oil, drained on kitchen paper (optional) 6 cherry tomatoes, halved

¹/2 x 410g (14¹/2oz) can mixed pulses, drained and rinsed

¹/2 x 225g (8oz) can cooked French green beans, drained and rinsed well to remove any salty water

Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE DRESSING

1 tbsp ready-made vinaigrette

1 Toss all the salad ingredients together.

2 Pour over the dressing and toss again, gently.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (PER PERSON)

serve with 3 small boiled baby new potatoes (in addition to the mixed pulses)

Smoked salmon with cottage cheese salad

The creamy, mild flavour of cottage cheese goes beautifully with the salty, sweet salmon. This dish is rich in essential fats from the oily salmon, and low in saturated fat, as cottage cheese is virtually fat-free.

SERVES 1

¹/2x 150g (51/2oz) bag fully prepared mixed salad leaves, organic where possible

2.5cm (1 in) chunk cucumber, finely sliced

125g (41/2oz) cottage cheese

¹/2 x 75g (2 ³/4oz) pack smoked salmon, torn into strips 1 tbsp lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Place the leaves and cucumber on a plate. Put the cottage cheese and salmon on top.

2 Drizzle with lemon juice and season with plenty of black pepper.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (PER PERSON)

serve with 2 slices of pumpernickel-style rye bread or 5 rough oatcakes

Mackerel and chickpea salad

Strongly flavoured mackerel is an oily fish that is a rich source of omega-3 essential fats, which are required for skin, hormones and brain function. Its rich flavour works well with the salty olive tapenade and the mild chickpeas.

SERVES 1

¹/2 x 225g (8oz) jar or can mackerel fillets in oil, drained and placed on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil (160g (53/4oz) drained weight)

¹/2x 410g (14¹/2oz) can chickpeas

1 tbsp tapenade

¹/2 x 150g (51/2oz) bag fully prepared baby or young leaf spinach, organic where possible, finely sliced or shredded

1 celery stick, finely sliced (optional)

2.5cm (1 in) chunk cucumber, diced (optional)

Tip all the ingredients in a bowl and mix so that the fish flakes and everything else becomes coated in tapenade.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (PER PERSON)

add 50g (13/4oz) (dry weight) quinoa or a toasted mini wholemeal pitta bread

Food on the Move/working Lunches

A salad doesn't have to mean limp lettuce,soggy tomato and curling cucumber. Add enough interesting, nutritious ingredients, such as those used in these recipes, and it turns into a tasty, satisfying main meal. Plus, it is an excellent way to incorporate plenty of raw vegetables easily into your diet, for fibre and vitamins to keep you feeling and looking in the pink.

A note on dressings

You can use 1 tbsp ready-made dressing (choose one with negligible or no added sugar) or drizzle balsamic vinegar or lemon juice and a Little extra virgin olive oil on your salad to add flavour. You can also add taste without fat by adding full-flavoured ingredients like mustard, tamari or soy sauce, crushed garlic, grated ginger and fresh herbs. Bear in mind that pickles and chutneys can be heavily sweetened so go easy on them.

Chicken, sun-blush tomato and pine nut salad

A classic combination of Italian flavours that is easy to prepare.

SERVES 1

¹/2 x 150g (5¹/2oz) bag fully prepared mixed salad leaves, organic where possible

75g (23/4oz) skinned, cooked chicken meat, or a small cooked chicken breast fillet, sliced into bite-sized pieces

2 tsp pine nuts

4 pieces sun-blush tomato, roughly chopped, or a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

2.5cm (1 in) chunk cucumber, diced

2 tbsp ready-made dressing (low in sugar or sugar-free)or a mixture of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Mix together the salad ingredients, dressing and pepper.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (PER PERSON)

increase to 90g (31/4oz) (dry weight) quinoa or serve the salad with a wholemeal pitta bread

Greek salad

One of the best salad combinations ever. It's ideal for a picnic.

SERVES 1

1 small red onion, diced

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

7.5cm (3in) chunk cucumber, diced

1 tbsp pitted black olives, roughly chopped

75g (2³/4oz) feta cheese Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE DRESSING

1 tbsp ready-made (sugar free) vinaigrette, or mix together:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tsp white wine vinegar,

1/2 tsp dried oregano, freshly ground black pepper

1 Combine the vegetables and olives, add the dressing and toss.

2 Crumble the feta over the top and lightly toss through the vegetables. 3 Season with black pepper and chill lightly or serve immediately.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (PER PERSON)

replace pulses or potatoes with 1 wholemeal pitta bread

Tuna and tomato salad

Try this lower fat, more interesting alternative to tuna mayo. The butterbeans not only add flavour and texture to the dish but they also provide fibre and hormone-balancing phytoestrogens.

SERVES 1

¹/2x 410g (14¹/2oz) can butterbeans, drained and rinsed

¹/2x 400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice (get thebest quality you can find)

¹/2 red onion, finely sliced or diced

¹/2x 185g (61/2oz) can tuna, drained (140g (5oz) drained weight)

Sprinkle of herbed salt (if you can find it), or use sea salt or low-sodium saltplus ¹/2 tsp dried mixed herbs or Italian mixed herbs (herbs are optional)

¹/2 x 150g (5¹/2oz) bag fully prepared salad leaves, organic where possible,or 75g (2 3/4oz) lettuce

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Place the beans, tomatoes, onion and tuna in a bowl. Mix together and season to taste with herbed salt and pepper.

2 Spoon on top of the salad.

MAINTENANCE PHASE (PER PERSON)

add 3 sun-blush tomato pieces to the tuna mixture