Lunch in the can

When it comes to healthy eating on a budget, tinned fish is store cupboard must-have. A rich source of protein and good fats, tinned tuna, salmon, mackerel and pilchards are the perfect ingredients for a healthy, low-cost meal. Try these new ideas for tasty fish suppers.

Tinned mackerel and tomato pasta (pictured)
Cook two servings of Co-op Penne Pasta in boiling water according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, spoon a little oil from a tin of Co-op Mackerel in Sunflower Oil into a frying pan and heat. Add a pack of whole Co-op cherry tomatoes and cook for 6-7 mins until the tomatoes have softened. Add a clove of crushed garlic and cook for 2 mins more. Squeeze in lemon juice. Drain the pasta and stir it into the pan with the tomatoes, add a handful of halved green olives, then flake in the fish from the tin of mackerel. Finish with some lemon zest and chopped fresh parsley, then season to serve.

Tinned tuna and potato salad
Cook new potatoes according to pack instructions, adding some fine green beans to the water for the last 6 mins of cooking. Drizzle the veg with a little white wine vinegar or lemon juice and leave to cool. Chop the potatoes, then put into a bowl along with the cooked green beans, stir through some mayonnaise, a spoonful of mustard, some chopped gherkins and halved cherry tomatoes. Finally, flake through Co-op tuna chunks and gently combine.

Tinned pilchard curry
Fry a chopped onion gently in oil until softened, then add two crushed garlic cloves and chopped red or green chilli and cook for 2 mins more. Add curry powder and a little ground ginger, stir and fry for 30 seconds, then add a tin of Co-op chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 mins. Gently stir in the fish and sauce from a tin of pilchards in tomato sauce, heat for 5 mins, then serve with rice.

Tinned salmon on toast
Flake Co-op Pink Salmon into a bowl and combine with some chopped spring onions, a little mayonnaise and plenty of grated Co-op British Mature Cheddar Cheese. Toast slices of wholemeal bread under the grill on one side, then turn over and pile the salmon mixture on top, then grill until bubbling.