500 calorie lunches

You can make these easy falafels in minutes for a delicious quick dinner. Top with chilli sauce, yoghurt, pickles or hummus to customise. It's a simplified falafel recipe for those on a budget with limited kit – it's so much cheaper than buying ready-made. See also our <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chickpeas_with_harissa_99809">easy chickpea stew recipe</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/easy_hummus_96922">easy hummus recipe</a> for more ways to shuzsh up that tin!


Falafel

400 grams/14 ounces tin chickpeas

spring onions, finely chopped

tsp cumin

lemon, zest only

dessertspoons plain flour

salt

black pepper

olive oil

lemon, juice only

½ cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

tomatoes, roughly chopped

round lettuce, washed, leaves

pitta breads

plain yoghurt

chilli sauce

hummus

Three easy, tasty ways with a chickpeas tin- falafel, hummus and with harissa.

Pimp my chickpeas tin

This healthy noodle salad is packed with vegetables and flavoured with a spicy, low-fat soy dressing. This is ideal for lunch if you’re on a low-calorie diet of 1200–1500 calories a day. 

Each serving provides 404 kcal, 30g protein, 45g carbohydrates (of which 16.5g sugars), 10g fat (of which 2g saturates), 7g fibre and 2g salt. 

Chicken noodle salad

grams/2½oz egg noodles

grams/1¾oz frozen soya beans peas

carrot, peeled

red pepper, seeds removed, sliced

75 grams/2¾oz mangetout, trimmed and halved lengthways

chicken breast (about 125 grams/4½oz)

spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

long red chilli, finely sliced (deseeded if preferred)

grams/½oz coriander leaves

mint leaves

grams/½oz roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped

water

tsp caster sugar

½–1 tsp dried chilli flakes, to taste

tsp dark soy sauce

sesame oil

Grating cheese is a simple way to make your calories go further because it looks so generous. The punchy pickle in this salad offers an alternative to high-sugar chutney. It's a good idea to make twice the amount of pickle and keep it in the fridge for another day; it will last up to five days.

Each serving provides 404 kcal, 19g protein, 29g carbohydrates (of which 10g sugars), 22g fat (of which 11.5g saturates), 6g fibre and 1.9g salt. 

Ploughman's lunch salad

grams/1¾oz mature Cheddar, grated

cherry tomatoes, halved

grams/1 ounces salad leaves, washed

grams/1¾oz bread,

½ red onion, thinly sliced

½ tsp runny honey

1½ tsp cider vinegar

We made these protein-packed wraps to take on a picnic and they were substantial and tasty – a feast in a flatbread. They survived the journey in a bicycle pannier well too, so just the thing for a day out in the hills and dales.

Each wrap provides 461 kcal, 39g protein, 45g carbohydrate (of which 4.5g sugars), 14g fat (of which 2.5g saturates), 5g fibre and 1.8g salt.

Tuna Niçoise wrap

green beans,

free-range egg (fridge cold)

mayonnaise

tbsp baby capers, drained

baby gherkins, drained and sliced

¼ tsp dried mixed herbs

x 185 grams/6½oz can tuna in spring water

flour tortillas

baby spinach leaves

tomato,

black olives

Use up leftover root vegetables in this spiced, creamy soup. Dr Rupy’s mulligatawny recipe can be served chunky or smooth.

Each serving provides 466 kcal, 14g protein, 43g carbohydrate (of which 22g sugars), 24g fat (of which 16g saturates), 12g fibre and 1.3g salt. 

Veggie mulligatawny soup

olive oil,

onions, chopped

red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped

garlic cloves, crushed

tbsp curry powder,

grams/1 tomato purée

tin coconut milk

½ swede, peeled and finely chopped

carrots,

parsnips,

grams/3½oz red lentils

vegetable stock cube,

salt and black pepper

200 milliliters/7fl oz natural yoghurt

Use up leftover root vegetables in this spiced, creamy soup.

This vegetarian fry up has many highlights, including herb and chilli-flecked fried potatoes. Combine them with juicy mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach.
Each serving provides 500 kcal, 27g protein, 35g carbohydrates (of which 8g sugars), 26g fat (of which 5.5g saturates), 8g fibre and 2.1g salt.

Veggie breakfast fry up

250 grams/9 ounces new potatoes, quartered

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

red onion, finely chopped

tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme

¼ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

vegetarian sausages, chilled (optional)

tomatoes,

tbsp extra virgin olive oil,

grams/3½oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced

spinach (about 40 grams/1½oz)

free-range eggs

sea salt and black pepper

Tinned sardines in tomato sauce on avocado toast gives you a super fast and healthy meal for one packed with omega 3 fatty acids.

Each serving provides 458 kcal, 29g protein, 18.5g carbohydrates (of which 2.5g sugars), 29g fat (of which 7g saturates), 6.5g fibre and 1.4g salt.

Top 7 500 calorie lunches recipes from across the web

The most viewed 500 calorie lunches recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Falafel

Chicken noodle salad

Ploughman's lunch salad

Tuna Niçoise wrap

Veggie mulligatawny soup

Veggie breakfast fry up

Tinned sardines on toast

Top 7 500 calorie lunches recipes from across the web

The most viewed 500 calorie lunches recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Falafel

Chicken noodle salad

Ploughman's lunch salad

Tuna Niçoise wrap

Veggie mulligatawny soup

Veggie breakfast fry up

Tinned sardines on toast

The most viewed 500 calorie lunches recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine