Cheap protein: how to use beans, lentils, eggs, tinned fish and tofu

Beans and chickpeas

• Rinse tinned beans in a sieve to remove some of the salty liquid, or choose tins labelled no added salt.
• Dried beans are cheaper per portion but take planning. Soak them overnight, drain, then cook in fresh water until soft.
• Dried red kidney beans need particular care. They contain a natural toxin that is destroyed by proper cooking. Soak them, then boil them hard for at least 10 minutes before simmering until tender, and do not cook them from raw in a slow cooker. Tinned kidney beans are already safe to eat.
• Ideas: chilli with half the mince replaced by beans, chickpea curry with tinned tomatoes and spinach, white beans mashed with garlic on toast, or roasted chickpeas as a snack.

Lentils

• Red lentils collapse as they cook, so they suit soups, dals and thickening a sauce. They are usually done in about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Green and brown lentils hold their shape for salads, shepherd's pie fillings and bolognese.
• Stretch a mince dish by stirring in a cupful of cooked lentils. Most people at the table will not notice, and the pan feeds more mouths.
• In the UK, the NHS counts beans and pulses as one of your 5 A Day, but only once a day however much you eat, so keep eating other vegetables alongside them.

Eggs

• Boil a batch at the start of the week for breakfasts and lunchboxes, and keep them in the fridge.
• Omelettes and frittatas are the best way to use up odds and ends: a bit of cheese, leftover potatoes, half an onion, wilting greens.
• Shakshuka, eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, turns a tin of tomatoes and a few eggs into dinner.
• Egg fried rice makes good use of cooked rice, provided the rice was cooled quickly and stored in the fridge.

Tinned fish

• Sardines, mackerel and pilchards are oily fish. NHS advice is to eat at least two portions of fish a week, one of them oily.
• Tinned tuna does not count as oily fish under UK advice, though it is still a useful protein. If you are pregnant or trying for a baby, check current NHS guidance on how much tuna and oily fish to eat.
• Ideas: mackerel stirred through pasta with lemon and peas, sardines on toast with tomatoes, tuna and sweetcorn in a jacket potato, or fishcakes made with leftover mash.

Tofu

• Firm tofu is best for frying and baking. Press it between clean tea towels under something heavy for 15 to 20 minutes to remove water, so it crisps instead of steaming.
• Silken tofu is soft and suits soups, smoothies and creamy sauces.
• Flavour it boldly: soy sauce, garlic, ginger, chilli and a little sugar make a simple marinade. Cubes tossed in a little cornflour and fried go crisp.
• Leftover tofu keeps in the fridge covered with fresh water, changed daily, for a few days. Follow the pack's guidance.

Making it work week to week

1. Pick two or three of these staples and plan meals around them rather than trying all five at once.
2. Combine protein sources across the day. A lentil soup at lunch and eggs at dinner add up without much effort.
3. Season generously. Most complaints that beans and lentils are bland come down to too little salt, acid and spice.