Five light lunches

Summer time's here and that means sprightly lunches with friends and healthy fodder at work. Niamh Shields has put together five of her favourite dishes for this time of year.

Halloumi & pomegranate salad

Halloumi is a gorgeous Mediterranean cheese made from a combination of sheep's, goats' and cows' milk. It is a very sturdy cheese and is particularly good fried. Served with pomegranate seeds – a super food that is really good for you and delicious to boot – it's a perfect Spring lunch. See recipe
Calamari with jammy roast tomatoes, scallions, pine nuts & parsley

Squid is quick, light and cheap, and because it is so plentiful is ethically sound too. It’s really easy to source now, most supermarkets stock it and every fishmonger will. Ask your fishmonger to prepare it for you, and you will have a delicious lunch in minutes when you get home. See recipe
Sweetcorn fritter with tomato & avocado salsa

This is a sunny bright lunch, the yellow sweetcorn scream sunshine and points at looming summer. Frozen sweetcorn works very well for these and they are very easy to put together. Add some bacon too if you wish, but I like to keep these light and meat free for a perfect light feast. See recipe
Israeli cous cous with feta & olives

Israeli cous cous, also called giant cous cous is available in the Jewish section of large supermarkets and most Jewish delis. It’s a terrific ingredient, and is perfect for a lunchbox lunch or quick weekend one. See recipe
Potato & spring onion frittata with tomato salad

I love frittata at this time of year, a simple thick Italian omelette, it’s filling and very healthy. You can make it in advance and eat it cold, or eat it warm straight from the pan. See recipe
Next Up: 10 fast and healthy meals
Being health conscious needn’t mean compromising on taste or spending hours slaving over a dish.