ENERGY-PACKED LUNCHES

Put that shop-bought sandwich down and get ready to transform your weekday workouts with our four lunch recipes

- KATE PERCY

How nourishing are your workday lunches? The advantage of working from home is that you can eat what and when you fancy. Not so for those who have either returned to the office, or work in schools and health care. And though cheap and convenient, the standard supermarket 'meal deal' is not only wholly uninspiring but also sadly offers little in terms of good nutrition for the busy triathlete. This is where this month's four nutritious and delicious meals come in...

First up, add a little spice to your lunch break with a delicious Vietnamese noodle bowl. This totally mouth-watering bowl of goodness will admittedly take a few more minutes to make than your average pot noodle, but  it's pretty fast all the same, much more nutritious, and a great balance of all three macros - carbohydrate, protein and healthy fats. Get noodle-savvy, too, with the extra info at the base of the recipe and experiment with the different suggestions.

Next, an Italian chicken sandwich recipe to take your sandwich experience up another level! I firmly believe that if you can access good quality bread it is so much nicer, so treat yourself to some wholesome granary or (my favourite for this) seeded sourdough from your local bakery to pack this tasty Mediterranean-style chicken mix into.

This nourishing 'superfood' Butterbean, spelt and roasted veg salad delivers slow-releasing carbohydrate and protein to keep your energy levels sustained all afternoon. Make a batch of this in advance and it can keep you going for days.

Finally, a favourite for rest days, this is my Sweet potato, broccoli and chorizo tortilla, which is not only filling but also packed with protein and antioxidants to help your muscles recover and repair. Enjoy cold or warmed in the office microwave.