A healthy lunch doesn’t have to be a dull lunch, and this collection of healthy lunch ideas is packed with inspiring recipes to help you maintain a nutritious diet. Soups are a easy way to squeeze in several of your five-a-day and can be whipped up in no time. Adam Gray’s Detox tomato soup is high in nutrients and bursting with flavour, while Monica Shaw’s vibrant Minted pea and watercress soup takes just thirty minutes to prepare.

Salads can serve as the perfect canvas to create a healthy lunch. Peter Gordon’s zesty Tuna, coconut, chilli and mango ceviche makes a wonderful summertime lunch, with the fish being a great source for lean protein and omega-3. Superfood grains such as quinoa and bulgur wheat are too often relegated to a side dish. Jacqueline Meldrum Triple tomato tabbouleh transforms these humble grains into a meal in its own right with the addition of a few basic ingredients, while Shaun Rankin’s Middle Eastern inspired Fennel and orange quinoa salad makes an impressive healthy lunch.

If you have a hankering for your favourite lunchtime indulgence, why not try using a healthy substitute. Courgetti is very low calorie and makes a fantastic pasta alternative – try Emma Potts’s Courgetti with Piccolo tomatoes features a wonderful lemony herb dressing and topped with toasted corn. If pizza is your weakness, take a look at Adam Gray’s clever Gluten-free pizza recipe which, using blitzed cauliflower as a base, has the added benefit of not requiring any rising time.