What should I pack for lunch? What should I prepare for dinner? Much of our adult lives are spent answering these pertinent questions as we juggle our professional, social, and personal spheres. So, planning meals with a healthy and good diet is no longer a choice, but a necessity.
No matter how busy our work hours are, ordering every day can be detrimental to our gut health. Packed lunches are a sustainable and economical alternative. But just because you’re on a healthy detox or a cleaning routine, doesn’t mean your lunch box has to be boring. Here are some simple and easy to prepare work lunch ideas that will satisfy your appetite as well as your taste buds.
Tips and tricks for preparing a healthy lunch box
The key to preparing a healthy yet tasty lunch with a decent shelf life is to make sure the meal is nutritionally balanced. The first rule of the game is that your meal should be colorful and include a dose of healthy fats, essential carbohydrates, a good portion of lean protein and of course fiber, depending on the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
For vegetarians, it’s important to include whole foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and seeds with a serving of yogurt (Greek or regular). An important factor to consider for people opting for a vegan and vegetarian diet is that the portions of your meal will differ from those of non-vegetarians, as meat tends to fill the stomach quickly.
A single serving of any seasonal fruit, a mix of vegetables (two or more), a food containing whole grains, and a serving of any dairy product makes a complete, healthy lunch meal.
For non-vegetarians, slices of chicken, turkey, beef, fish or hard-boiled egg are the best choices, while supplementing them with vegetables and carbohydrates of your choice.
Additionally, you should remember to keep some fortified snack options on hand in case you need to beat them. midday cravings.
The benefits of packing your lunch are numerous. Besides the obvious ones, like helping you maintain your optimal weight and saving unnecessary expenses, it also makes you feel organized and keeps you full throughout the day. Your energy levels are also maintained, increasing your productivity at work while preventing you from feeling exhausted at the end of a work day.
Tiffin ideas made up of good foods for a better diet
Sweet and sour chicken with rice
Ingredients:
- Six teaspoons of low-sodium dark soy sauce
- A teaspoon of hoisin sauce
- Two teaspoons of honey
- A teaspoon of sesame oil
- Two large cloves of garlic
- Half a teaspoon of minced ginger
- Three-quarters of a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
- Two tablespoons of cornstarch
- Marinated chicken cuts according to preference
- A bowl of chopped mixed vegetables
- Cashew nuts for garnish
Whisk together low-sodium dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, minced ginger, apple cider vinegar and cornstarch, and add a little ‘water. Heat over medium heat until you are happy with the consistency. Remove from heat and let cool. This sauce could be refrigerated and stored for the week.
Take the chicken pieces and marinate them with salt and pepper. Pour a few spoonfuls of prepared sauce over the chicken and toss in the preheated oven (400°F) for about eight minutes. Add your favorite vegetables and cashews to the same pan. Season them and pour the rest of the sauce over them. Bake for another eight to 10 minutes. Viola, the delicious chicken is ready.
This can be eaten with any type of rice or noodles.
Loaded Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
- A packet of quinoa (approximately 50 g)
- A bowl of mixed cut vegetables of your choice
- A quarter cup of coconut sauce
- Two teaspoons of hoisin sauce
- Half a cup of peanut butter
- Two teaspoons of soy sauce
- Rice powder
- A teaspoon of honey
- A teaspoon of sesame oil
- A teaspoon of rice vinegar
- Ginger and garlic powder
This Asian twist on this popular vegan health food will surely tickle your taste buds.
Cook the quinoa packet as usual and set aside. Blanch your broccoli florets al dente and rinse in cold water to maintain their color. Blanch your other vegetables if necessary. Then for the magic sauce you need to mix peanut butter, thick coconut sauce, soy sauce and hoisin sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, a pinch of ginger ground and garlic powder. Give it a good whisk and put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
The quinoa and vegetables could be carried separately with the sauce in another container to be poured and enjoyed at your lunch time.
Caesar salad wraps
Ingredients:
- A bowl of mixed vegetables
- A bowl of diced chicken or tofu
- Mayonnaise according to preference
- Mustard sauce according to preference
- Whole grain pita bread slices or wraps
These delicious and healthy vegetable rolls can be prepared in a jiffy. All you need is shredded vegetables of your choice, cooked cottage cheese, tofu, bacon or chicken strips of your choice and mayonnaise and mustard sauce for extra spice.
Multigrain vegetable sandwich
Ingredients:
- Multi-grain bread
- A bowl of diced vegetables
- Curd hanging
- Greek yogurt or low-fat mayonnaise
Classified as a healthy eating option, this meal is wholesome, filling and can be prepared in just a few moments if you prepare for it. All you need is diced or sliced vegetables of your choice, hung curd, yogurt, Greek yogurt, low fat mayonnaise or any spread or dip of your choice plus protein . Spread it all on slices of fresh multigrain bread and toast it crispy.
Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- Chicken or vegetable broth
- Farfalle pasta
- Shredded Chicken
- Boiled potatoes
- Asparagus
- Mustard
- Cheese
- Hard boiled eggs
This all-in-one meal will definitely be a hit with your work colleagues! All you need is ready-made chicken stock or vegetable stock, cooked and seasoned shredded chicken, cooked pasta (preferably farfalle), boiled potatoes, asparagus, mustard and cheese and hard-boiled eggs for garnish.
For the sauce, simply mix together the broth, potatoes, asparagus, olive oil, mustard sauce, lemon juice and salt. This can be pre-made and stored in whatever quantity you need. Assemble the dish by pouring it over cooked pasta and topping this healthy food with hard-boiled eggs and cheese.
Stirred with vegetables
Ingredients:
- A bowl of cut vegetables of your choice
- A teaspoon of ground pepper
- Soya sauce
- A cup of vegetable broth
- Ground garlic
This recipe will definitely leave you feeling full and fresh! Very easy to prepare and simple to prepare, vegetable stir-fries can be eaten alone or even accompanied by rice or noodles. You should chop and preserve the vegetables of your choice in advance. Lots of ginger and garlic and a generous dose of freshly ground black pepper will add extra punch to this meal.
For the sauce, vegetarians can opt for coconut sauce or soy sauce accompanied by vegetable broth. Any bone broth also tastes good, if you’re not vegetarian. You can add shredded tofu, cottage cheese or cooked chicken to get your protein In.
Check out these ideas for healthy and mouth-watering take-out meals for your busy work week.
Are you always looking for tasty inspiration to consistently prepare the most innovative and tasty meals for work? Some of these recipe videos should help you.
Conclusion
Planning and preparing all lunches for the week in advance can be a daunting task when focusing on healthy foods. But it is easy to overcome this problem if you take one meal at a time. Recycling leftovers from dinner for the next day’s lunch can also save time and effort.
Another aspect that you need to keep in mind is to invest in suitable, durable and compact containers to keep your lunch fresh for long hours. Additionally, keep in mind that the meal you prepare for your next work lunch should be prepared so that it tastes just as good, even if there are no plans to reheat it or you have to take it.
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