eat the rainbow

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

You need to have this delightfully warming pumpkin soup in your little black book of dinners. Serve with a swirl of cream.

Pumpkin soup

onion,

carrots,

garlic

bay leaf

unsalted butter

pumpkin

floury potato,

litre/1¾ pint vegetable or chicken stock, a little extra may be needed

100 milliliters/3½fl oz double cream

pumpkin seeds

salt and black pepper

A healthy and delicious noodle dish that will feed the whole family. 

Each serving provides 259 kcal, 7g protein, 38g carbohydrates (of which 1g sugars), 7g fat (of which 1g saturates), 6g fibre and 2g salt.

Rainbow noodles

wholewheat egg noodles

vegetable oil

red pepper, seeds removed and finely sliced

spring onions, finely sliced

garlic cloves, finely chopped

courgette,

soy sauce

tbsp sweet chilli sauce

lime, juice only

150 milliliters/5fl oz vegetable stock

unsalted

coriander

red chilli, roughly chopped

This speedy veggie stir-fry is super easy to make, packed with vegetables and full of flavour. 

Each serving provides 103kcal, 3g protein, 7g carbohydrate (of which 7g sugars), 6g fat (of which 0.7g saturates), 3.5g fibre and 1.4g salt.

Easy vegetable stir-fry

sunflower oil

spring onions,

garlic clove, crushed

fresh root ginger,

carrot,

red pepper,

grams/3½oz baby sweetcorn, halved

150 grams/5½oz sugar-snap peas

hoisin sauce

tbsp low-salt soy sauce

A lokanta or 'tradesmen's restaurant' is where you can find delicious home-cooked style food in Turkey – such as this healthy, vegan, roasted vegetable stew with butterbeans.

Lokanta stew

peppers,

tomatoes

thyme

tins butter beans

allspice

green beans

Sweet potato soup is a big bowl of comfort. It's vegan, has cheap ingredients, is quick and easy to make. It can also be frozen for future lunches and dinners. Perfection!

Each serving provides 234 kcal, 3g protein, 43g carbohydrates (of which 16g sugars), 4g fat (of which 0.5g saturates), 9g fibre and 0.5g salt.

Sweet potato soup

onion, roughly chopped

4cm/1½ inches fresh root ginger, finely chopped

½ tsp dried red chilli flakes

700 grams/1lb 10 ounces sweet potatoes,

vegetable stock

Donal's Thai beef salad recipe combines sweet mango with crunchy peanuts and a lime and chilli dressing. As easy as it is delicious!

Each serving provides 509kcal, 41g protein, 30g carbohydrate (of which 29g sugars), 23g fat (of which 5g saturates), 9g fibre and 1.6g salt.

Thai beef salad

beef frying steaks

carrots

spring onions

mango

baby gem lettuces lettuce

peanuts

tbsp caster sugar

tsp chilli flakes

Donal Skehan shows you how to make a simple Thai inspired salad.

Thai beef and mango salad.mov

These protein-packed stuffed peppers make a filling vegetarian meal. If you don’t like goats' cheese these they also work well with feta. 

With a GI of 41 this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/high_protein_low_GI_diet">high protein, low GI</a> and provides 373 kcal per portion.

Stuffed peppers 

grams/1¾oz wholegrain long-grain rice

red and 1 yellow pepper

low-calorie cooking spray

courgette, diced

grams/2½oz cherry tomatoes, halved

garlic cloves, crushed

tsp coriander

grams/¾oz almonds

½ orange, zest only, finely grated

tbsp roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (or coriander)

grams/3½oz

This juicy beetroot burger is topped with hummus and avocado with a halloumi and sweet potato salad. But the burgers are great on their own for a healthy dinner, too.

Beetroot veggie burgers

red onion, finely chopped

beetroots,

courgette, grated

grams/3½oz porridge oats

tin chickpeas, drained

tbsp tahini

spring onions, thinly sliced

tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander

sea salt and black pepper

extra virgin olive oil,

sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm/½in-thick rounds

halloumi,

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

red chillies, thinly sliced

salad leaves

basil,

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

wholewheat sourdough buns, halved

avocados, sliced

½ red cabbage, shredded

Prepare this blueberry and apple overnight oats recipe for a super-quick and tasty breakfast the next morning. 

With a GI of 46 this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/high_protein_low_GI_diet">high protein, low GI</a> and provides 335 kcal per portion.

Overnight oats

grams/1¾oz porridge oats

apples,

grams/¾oz blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped

cinnamon

nutmeg

0% fat Greek yoghurt

100 milliliters/3½fl oz skimmed milk

blueberries

grams/¼oz flaked almonds, toasted

This easy and healthy recipe shows you how to whip up your own chicken kebabs in no time. For this recipe you will need 8 metal skewers.

Each serving provides 413 kcal, 51g protein, 37g carbohydrate (of which 9g sugars), 4.5g fat (of which 1g saturates), 9g fibre and 1.1g salt.

Healthy tandoori chicken kebabs

chicken breasts

200 milliliters/7fl oz fat-free Greek-style yoghurt

tbsp tandoori curry powder curry powder

tsp grated garlic

tsp grated fresh root ginger

tomatoes, quartered

chopped cucumber, mint and red onion salad, to serve

An easy smoky halloumi burger that will make you rethink burgers for ever. Whip this up for a veggie barbecue or a quick Friday dinner.

Easy halloumi burgers

portobello

cheese,

brioche buns,

tbsp finely chopped onion

tbsp tomato

tbsp finely chopped cucumber

tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

tbsp hummus

tomato,

romaine lettuce leaves,

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

Strips of chicken breast are tossed with spiced rice, flaked almonds, sliced apple, cherry tomatoes and long stem broccoli to make a colourful, filling and portable lunch. Simply pack into a plastic container, pop into a cool bag with a couple of ice blocks and keep well chilled.

With a GI of 51, this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/high_protein_low_GI_diet">high protein, low GI</a>.

Curried chicken and rice salad 

75 grams/2½oz wholegrain long-grain rice

tsp medium curry powder

grams/3½oz long-stem broccoli, trimmed and cut into short lengths

chicken stock cube

chicken breast, boned and skinned

small onion, half thinly sliced, half finely chopped

grams/½oz flaked almonds, toasted

eating apple, cored, halved and thinly sliced

grams/3½oz cherry tomatoes, halved

½ lemon, juice only

Add a little luxury to spring greens by stir frying them with nuts and bacon. It also works well with savoy cabbage in winter months.

This dish provides 233 kcal, 9g protein, 4g carbohydrate (of which 3g sugars), 20g fat (of which 3.5g saturates), 5.5g fibre and 0.9g salt per portion.

Greens with bacon and hazelnuts

spring greens, leaves separated, tough stalks removed, roughly chopped

tbsp rapeseed oil

rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped into 1cm/½in pieces

Learn how to make three delicious grain bowls using quinoa, wholewheat couscous and bulgur. Add plenty of veg and healthy fats and you can meal prep your way to healthy lunches.

Top 21 eat the rainbow recipes from across the web

The most viewed eat the rainbow recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Falafel

Pumpkin soup

Rainbow noodles

Easy vegetable stir-fry

Lokanta stew

Sweet potato soup

Thai beef salad

Stuffed peppers

Beetroot veggie burgers

Overnight oats

Healthy tandoori chicken kebabs

Easy halloumi burgers

Chicken noodle salad

Curried chicken and rice salad

Greens with bacon and hazelnuts

Make-ahead grain bowls

Easy vegetable curry

Bang bang chicken

Butternut squash and chickpea curry

Vegetable egg-fried rice

Berry yoghurt

Top 21 eat the rainbow recipes from across the web

The most viewed eat the rainbow recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Falafel

Pumpkin soup

Rainbow noodles

Easy vegetable stir-fry

Lokanta stew

Sweet potato soup

Thai beef salad

Stuffed peppers

Beetroot veggie burgers

Overnight oats

Healthy tandoori chicken kebabs

Easy halloumi burgers

Chicken noodle salad

Curried chicken and rice salad

Greens with bacon and hazelnuts

Make-ahead grain bowls

Easy vegetable curry

Bang bang chicken

Butternut squash and chickpea curry

Vegetable egg-fried rice

Berry yoghurt

The most viewed eat the rainbow recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine