Deliciously Healthy Ideas For Work Lunches
Time to mix things up so you’re enjoying healthy options at lunch? Food isn’t just about nutrition, it’s also about the taste and the experience of relishing delicious options. Blend these two attributes in a meal together and you have a winning formula.
Below our Dietitian Ashleigh Brunner the owner of TPP shares some lunch recipe ideas:
Crunchy kale salad with flavoured tuna and a cup of quick rice & quinoa:
Coles Kale Salad mix usually comes with its own yoghurt dressing and cranberry and seed mix. Option to choose other pre-made salad mixes that get you excited if this one is not available or a favourite.
You can also easily prepare additions to make the salad really tasty and enhance the texture. For example you could roast some sunflower seeds or pepitas over low-medium heat for 5 minutes, add some cranberries and choose a healthy salad dressing such as tahini.
Create variety in this meal by swapping up your tuna flavour or even opting for tinned salmon instead
Make a smoothie:
If you’re on the run, a smoothies are an easy option. Most office’s have blenders as well these days which is a big bonus.
Ash’s favourite smoothie these days is a mix of banana, strawberries, vanilla essence (or for the active, some vanilla flavoured whey protein powder), cinnamon, chia seeds, peanut butter, milk, honey and ice J
Not enough food for you? A trusty piece of grainy toast to go with it is the perfect addition with a healthy topping such as avocado, vegemite or nut butter
Usually as Dietitian’s we recommend trying to get some veggies in both lunch and dinner to meet your daily food group requirements. If you opt for a smoothie at lunch you may want to make sure one of your snacks is veggie based during your work day
Wrap it up:
Buy a pack of grainy wraps at the beginning of the week
Choose a spread: Pesto, avocado or hummus
Add some protein: BBQ chicken (Stripped of the skin), ham, turkey, boiled eggs, tinned fish or smoked salmon
Add a slice of tasty cheddar cheese or some crumbled feta
Pack with baby spinach and rocket
Season with a little pepper or a drizzle of sweet chili sauce
*Option to toast in the colder weather
Pearl Cous Cous with Mediterranean baked veggies and minted lemon yoghurt:
This one is easy, can be made in bulk and stores well in the fridge or freezer.
Bake up a big tray of your favourite seasoned (olive oil/salt/pepper – keep it simple) Mediterranean veggies (zucchini/red capsicum/eggplant/onion/cherry tomatoes/carrots).
Whilst this is cooking boil your pearl cous cous.
Choose some protein: I usually choose chicken and add a can of drained chickpeas.
Mix the veggies, pearl cous cous and protein together once everything has all been cooked.
To serve, top with some Greek yoghurt with some added fresh lemon juice and garden mint.
