credit crunch winter lunch

My pack lunch of summer just isn't hacking it. For the last few weeks, it has sat, all alone, in the fridge at work while I run upstairs to the canteen to grab something warm and filling. Well, it's not easy on the cals or the coins. Something has to be done. But there's no microwave at work, so out goes bringing soup for lunch. It's going to have to be salad, but something a bit more substantial.

I'm trialling this salad this week:

Roasted vegetables with feta and boiled egg
(makes 5 servings)

1 medium aubergine, chopped
1 large pepper, chopped
2 medium onions, quartered
2 stalks worth of rosemary
1 small pumpkin, chopped
250 g mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
20 sprays olive oil
salt and pepper

250 g baby spinach
5 medium eggs
125 g feta (not reduced fat - go for the good stuff)

Season and oil the veggies and roast in a 200 C oven for 1 hour. Meanwhile, boil/coddle the eggs, plunging them into a bowl of ice water after 6-10 minutes of cooking (depending on your preference).

When the veggies are done, allow them to cool and then transfer them to a Tupperware container for the fridge.

Shell the eggs and transfer them to a separate Tupperware container for the fridge.

Each morning, take 50 g baby spinach, 1/5 of the veggies (about 150g), 25 g feta and 1 egg.

Calories per serving: 225.

Take along to work and do your best not to envy your colleagues their meals.

low-cal, low-cost loaded potato

It's the end of the month, and payday's lurking a few days away. Cooking healthy and tasty meals is hard enough - but add a very tight budget to the mix and it gets a bit more difficult.

The jacket potato has a bit of a boring reputation, but it can be jazzed up. One of my favourite dishes from childhood is the "loaded baked potato," often served in the States with a fat juicy steak. It's not exactly the healthiest dish, loaded up with butter, sour cream, bacon, cheese and spring onions.

This can be fixed. Swap full-fat cheddar for reduced fat cheddar, use trimmed bacon medallions instead of streaky, spray a bit of olive oil instead of lashings of butter and use reduced-fat sour cream.

It's tasty and really filling - but it may not be enough for the boys. If not, let them loose with a can of baked beans as well.

Potatoes, cheese, bacon, sour cream, and spring onions for two - all under five quid.

loaded potatoes on a budget
(serves 2)

2 large baking potatoes
80 g reduced-fat cheddar, grated
50 g spring onions, chopped
6 bacon medallions
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
salt and black pepper
olive oil spray

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Prick the potatoes with a skewer, spray with a few sprays of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and wrap in foil. Bake for an hour and a half.

About 15 minutes before the potatoes are done, place the bacon medallions under the grill for about about 10 minutes, turning once. Remove from the grill and crumble.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and open up the foil. Slice into the potatoes (be careful of the steam). Spray with olive oil and mash the potatoes inside the skin with a fork. Add the cheese, bacon, spring onions and sour cream. Serve immediately.