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Discover our affordable lunch ideas, from hearty soups and savoury bakes, to fresh salads and lunchbox ideas. Explore our budget meals, budget recipes for family, healthy meals on a budget, budget dinner ideas and air-fryer recipes for lots more thrifty inspo.
Grilled halloumi cheese and crisp homemade croutons make this vibrant salad feel hearty and substantial. Served with a delicious warm tomato and chilli dressing, this salad is packed full of flavour too.
A spin on the classic French stew, this healthy traybake is the perfect choice for getting more veggies into your diet
Charring sprouts gives them a lovely nutty flavour in this seasonal twist on a classic Caesar salad. It's a great way of using up festive leftovers – perfect for a Boxing Day buffet or light lunch over the holidays.
This flavour-packed mackerel salad makes the most of storecupboard ingredients and comes together in minutes. A tin of three bean salad adds variety, but use whatever beans or lentils you fancy, see tip below. This makes a satisfying lunch or light dinner for two.
These fresh and fragrant noodle bowls make a satisfying lunch but could work equally well as an evening meal. Brimming with sweet, spicy and aromatic flavours, yet thrown together in 10 minutes, they're the ultimate healthy fast food!
This open sandwich makes a lovely lunch any day of the week. It's loaded with big, bold flavours and looks pretty too. The combo of nutty rye sourdough, creamy houmous, fiery beetroot and tangy blackberries is genius – don't forget the hot honey drizzle!
This tasty buddha bowl proves salads can be adventurous! With ready-made mixed grains and falafel, plus a delicious homemade dressing, it comes together in just 15 minutes, perfect for a quick and easy midweek lunch.
Here's a dreamy pub menu-inspired combo: chips that are crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and sticky, salty ham, finished with an egg that’s perfect for dunking. We’ve added a smoky tomato glaze to the ham and pickled cucumber to cut through the richness.
We’ve given family favourite chicken Kiev a makeover, swapping the mash for fluffy focaccia to soak up that delicious garlicky butter. Tuck into this epic chicken sandwich for a special lunch or a cosy night in.
Fresh and vibrant, this speedy poke bowl recipe is perfect for a healthy lunch or dinner. Charred corn adds sweet and smoky flavours which complement the salty tuna and soy dressing. You can add in whatever veg you fancy, like cucumber, radishes or edamame.
This Spring Florentine recipe is a delightful fusion of fresh flavours and vibrant ingredients. No need to stress - we've made it easy with pre-made pizza base mixes.
This pea and potato frittata mean works great warm with a salad or eaten cold for lunch the next day
Kids will love these flavour-packed pasties, stuffed with sweetcorn, ham and carrot, they're great eaten warm or could be packed cold in a lunchbox
This warming parsnip and carrot soup is spiced with ginger and curry powder, and finished with lemon for a zingy hit. Served with naans for dipping, this makes a hearty, warming family meal.
A hybrid between a loaf and a frittata, this clever bake really packs in the veg, providing 2 of your 5-a-day. It’s delicious served warm with a salad for a light meal, while the leftovers are just as good sliced up and packed into lunchboxes to make a satisfying midday meal.
These tasty little pastries are so quick and easy to make in an air-fryer, with crisp puff pastry and a oozy ham and cheese filling. The addition of courgette adds moisture and a bit of hidden veg for kids. Perfect for lunch, picnics or snacking.
These veggie muffins are great for little ones to grab for lunch or as a snack, and are suitable from 12+ months weaning stage*. They're easy to make, even if baking's not your thing! And they freeze well, too.
Homemade wraps are really easy to make and great for stashing in the freezer. We've rolled these up into pinwheels with tuna and sweetcorn. It's a lovely lunch for little ones, suitable from 12+ months weaning stage*.
Fritters are a great way of introducing your baby to different vegetables and textures. These are suitable from 10+ months weaning stage* and make a great lunch or dinner. The fritters freeze well too, so are good for batch-cooking!
Roasted squash gives a lovely depth of flavour and texture to this houmous recipe, perfect to serve to little ones from around 7+ months*. It makes a big batch, see our tip for freezing and check out our homemade wholemeal wraps, perfect for dipping.
This hearty and wholesome slow-cooker chilli, with gentle warming spices, is one of the most versatile baby weaning recipes – suitable for infants from 12+ months*, but it also makes a great meal for all the family. Once you've prepped the chilli, you can let it slow-cook during the day while you get on with other things, plus you'll have some leftover mini portions for the freezer – bonus!
Spend less time in the kitchen and more time in the sun with these slow-cooker pulled turkey rolls
Fish pie is an absolute classic and this easy recipe is suitable from 10+ months*, making it ideal for all the family. We've used frozen fish pie mix to keep things simple and budget-friendly, with lots of root and green veg for hidden goodness. The cheesy mash top will ensure clean plates! Great for making ahead and freezing too…
This super-tasty and fragrant Thai chicken curry is a lovely way to introduce all the family to new flavours. Suitable from 10+ months*, everyone will love the mild, creamy taste and there's a trio of veg for some hidden green goodness. Freeze curry portions for little ones and half the paste for another dish.
These little omelette bites make ideal baby weaning food, suitable from 7+ months stage*, but toddlers will love them too. Protein-rich with some hidden veg, these are great for a quick and tasty lunch or even a picnic. You can even air-fry them if you want or bake them in the oven.
Looking for lunch ideas for a 7 month old? These tasty mini fish cakes are ideal for little eaters, suitable from 7+ months weaning stage*. Made with just 5 ingredients in just over half an hour, they're quick and easy too. You can serve them as mash, if you prefer.
Avocado and spinach make a great purée for babies, full of green goodness yet deliciously creamy. This baby food recipe is suitable for weaning from around 6 months* and you can purée all the avocado or cut one into wedges to serve as finger food. Freeze portions in an ice cube tray for nutritious baby food whenever you need it.
Hearty and wholesome, this sweet potato and lentil dish is great for babies from around 6 months* or you can shape into balls, bake and serve as a finger food. This is a great weaning recipe for batch-cooking – store in the fridge or freeze for future meals.
Puréed broccoli is an excellent, nutrient-rich baby weaning food to serve to little ones from around 6 months*. You can purée the whole broccoli head or save some florets to steam and serve as finger food. You only need one ingredient and 10 minutes and you have a great dish for little ones and you can freeze leftovers too!
Cauliflower purée is a brilliant, nutritious baby weaning food to serve to little ones from around 6 months* and you can reserve some florets to serve as finger food, if you want. Just grab a cauliflower head and in 10 minutes you'll have a lovely creamy purée. You can freeze portions too.
Make a batch of these wholemeal wraps to have on standby in the freezer. They're super versatile and can be filled for quick lunches or dinners, the recipe can be easily doubled too!
Here's a stunning veggie main for your Christmas dinner that's a doddle to make. This tart features a trio of red onions, leek and shallots to make a gorgeous caramelised topping, reminiscent of the classic French dessert tarte Tatin.
Turn your Christmas leftovers into these simple savoury scones. They can be made with whatever root veg and cheese you have in the fridge. Leftover roast potatoes add a crispy hash brown-style texture, which tastes great with scrambled eggs. Or fill with leftover turkey and cranberry sauce for a festive lunch.