These recipes are part of the beach body diet weight loss programme

You will have more squash and tomatoes here than you need for one meal, so use the leftovers for more salad the next day, to make a substantial, Spanish-style omelette or to accompany another meal.

1 small butternut squash
8 cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary
Black pepper
One-third of a red pepper
3 florets of broccoli
50g feta cheese
4-5 fresh basil leaves, torn
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180C/360F/Gas Mark 4. Wash, deseed and cube the squash (no need to peel). Put in a roasting tray with the tomatoes, 1 tbsp olive oil and the rosemary, then season with black pepper. Toss well and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, core, deseed and slice the pepper, cut the broccoli into small pieces and cube the feta. When the butternut and tomatoes are cool, toss 2 tbsp of squash and 2-3 tomatoes in a bowl with the peppers, broccoli, feta, torn basil leaves and vinegar.

Gingery soup

The ginger makes this soup fiery, while the orange lends a sweetness. Makes 4-5 portions.

1 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, finely diced
1 tsp fennel seeds
100g orange lentils, well rinsed and checked for stones
1in fresh ginger root, grated
1 400g can tomatoes
Juice of 2 large oranges
1 tsp orange zest, grated
Pinch of sea salt
800ml vegetable stock
A little parsley, chopped

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and soften the onion with the fennel seeds for a few minutes. Add the lentils and ginger, stir for another minute or two, then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before serving. You can eat the soup as it is, or whizz it up with a hand-held blender, adding a little boiling water for a smoother consistency. Top with the chopped parsley and eat with oatcakes or wholegrain bread lightly scraped with butter.

Smart tip: Make a large batch of gingery soup and freeze it in small serving pots to eat throughout the fortnight. Change the flavour by adding chopped fresh coriander, lime juice or a handful of baby spinach when you reheat it.

ALTERNATIVE LUNCHES

Mackerel salad Place a roughly chopped fillet of smoked mackerel and a portion of butternut leftovers on a large handful of watercress and rocket dressed with lemon juice.

Chicken noodle soup Make a bowl of miso soup with dried seaweed and add cooked rice noodles, sliced chicken breast (cooked), sliced spring onion, a handful of mangetout and some chopped fresh coriander.

Fresh chicken wrap Use a breakfast crêpe as a wrap. For the filling, use a chopped cooked chicken breast (or a kofta burger: see p45), tossed with rocket, chopped tomatoes, spring onions and fresh coriander, mixed with lime juice, soy sauce and ½ tsp sesame oil.

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