No more lunchbox letdown!

/

Lunches are a bit of a pain. At least for me.

For some reason, for most of us, breakfast is fairly straightforward, and we usually (that might be too strong a word) have some idea of what we are going to have for dinner. But lunch can be challenging, whether one has to make it in the morning before work, or, if you're anything like me, you're at home and ravenous by 12:30pm, wanting to shovel in the first thing you see.

The good news is that making fast, great lunches for yourself or your family needn't be overwhelming. Yes, you need a few things up front, but you probably have most of them (Eggs? Canned beans? Can of salmon? Brown rice?). Throw in a tiny bit of advance prep work if you want, and even better.

To make this as simple as possible, I've organized it into four categories:

1. What you can make in advance
2. What's important to have on hand
3. Great additions to have on hand
4. Actual lunch ideas! (NOTE: they work for dinner too)

What you can make in advance

No, you do NOT need to put aside a whole Sunday for this. Rather, an hour will do, anytime. Suggestions as follows:

  • Cook a grain - quinoa, brown/black/wild rice, farro, millet, etc and put in the fridge

  • Roast vegetables - Cut up, drizzle with olive oil and roast. Easy peasy. ANY vegetables you want (think variety), including sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli, squash, onions (red, white, shallots), carrots, eggplant, peppers, cabbage, etc. This is also a great way to ensure vegetables don't go to waste - ie - roast the ones that are about to go :)

  • Hard boil some eggs

  • Make a soup - seriously - it can be this easy:

    • Saute a chopped onion or leek (+ garlic if you want);

    • Throw in about 4 c of vege (frozen peas, broccoli, sweet potato, cauliflower, carrots, etc... or a combination);

    • Saute a few minutes longer, adding salt, pepper and any spicing you want;

    • Add broth (chicken, vegetable or water) just to cover vegetables;

    • Simmer for approx 5-15 min until vegetables tender (dependent on vegetable - frozen peas only take a few minutes);

    • Blend. Done!

  • Make a salad dressing

    • Basic: vinegar* (1): olive oil (3)

    • Julia Child's (my go-to):

      • 1 tbsp chopped shallot (could substitute garlic)

      • 2 tsp dijon mustard

      • 2 tbsp lemon juice (substitute any vinegar*)

      • salt and pepper

      • 1/2 cup olive oil

      • shake all together in a jar**

    • Or don't make a dressing and simply drizzle olive oil + vinegar (or squeeze lemon juice) separately over your salad, with a pinch of salt (but it's pretty convenient having dressing made for you all week!)

*anything but plain white vinegar
**if you want to follow Julia "by the book", then mix all ingredients together except olive oil, then drizzle in the oil while whisking with a fork

What's important to have on hand:

  • Greens - anything, such as lettuce, arugula, spinach, romaine or kale (finely chopped and "massaged"), etc.

  • Vegetables - think a rainbow of colours - your gut bacteria will thank you

    • If you can, have a combination of raw and roasted (the ones you roasted on Sunday ;-)

    • Avocados are amazing to have around - buy in bulk, store in fridge and only pull out a couple of days before you need them (but always have one at room temp)

  • Protein - could include:

    • Eggs - hard boiled (or poached if you aren't packing a lunch for work)

    • Canned beans/legumes/lentils

    • Canned salmon or tuna

    • Leftover meat from dinner

    • Roast chicken

    • Cheese - feta (my go to, from Costco), parmesan, goat, cheddar, etc

    • Seeds - pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, hemp, etc (good source of healthy fat as well)

    • nuts - walnuts, almonds, cashews, etc (healthy fat)

  • Grains (you've made in advance) - adding minerals, vitamins, protein and fibre to your lunch


Great additions to have on hand:

  • Red/green cabbage - slice in a couple of 1/2" rounds - packed with nutrients, especially cancer fighting antioxidants, plus keeps for a long time in your crisper/roasting pan

  • Green and/or red onions - both great for your gut bacteria (good prebiotics)

  • Frozen peas - just thaw with hot/boiling water

  • Roast chicken - try to find one that's not loaded with salt, or roast your own

  • Baby tomatoes

  • Olives

  • Fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, dill - roughly chopped

  • Sprouts

  • Store bought hummus

  • Tahini - I use as a vege dip, straight up (get from bulk barn)


Lunch ideas (or dinner)

These are not "recipes" per se, rather just suggestions on how to throw together a quick lunch.

  • Leftovers - easiest option. Always make extra dinner, especially the protein

  • Power Bowl Unleashed - my go-to lunch/dinner - basically, whatever I have in the fridge, which could be REALLY basic when I haven't gone shopping in a while (it's amazing how creative we become), or full to the brim:

    • In a salad bowl, add your grain (if you have), your greens, 1-3 vegetables (raw or roasted/diced or grated), your protein (see above list)

    • if you want/have, top with chia, hemp seeds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds

    • drizzle salad dressing, or olive oil and lemon/vinegar, and toss

      • great for work - add the dressing and toss in the morning, or dress at lunch if that grosses you out ;-)

  • Soup - homemade OR Miso, which is super fast (I use this brand + add boiling water), hummus/tahini + vegetables and/or crackers and cheese (Mary's Crackers still my fave but some good options now at Costco)

  • If you are at home, saute some onion, maybe garlic, toss in some greens (2-3 handfuls as reduces to almost nothing) + top with 1-2 poached eggs

  • Halve a pepper (any colour) and stuff with canned tuna or salmon, doctored up any way you like

  • avocado toast, topped with seeds and sprouts, with a protein on the side

  • Bean salad - can of mixed beans (or any can of beans), drained and rinsed, adding red or green onion if you have, and any other vegetables you want (all diced); any herbs you may have. Add feta or parmesan (optional). Drizzle on a salad dressing.

The key is to try to mix it up, and not have the same thing every day. This ensures you get all your vitamins and minerals (they all work synergistically together), plus, as I've mentioned a few times, keeps your gut bacteria happy. This is important - trust me.

So... over to you. What is your "go-to" lunch? We all fall into our food ruts and sometimes need a nudge to start thinking outside our own "go-to's". Reply below, and I will include your ideas in a future blog.

In the meantime, if you are having any digestive issues (bloating, gas, constipation, etc), suffering from menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats or sleepless nights, or simply want to chat about taking your health to the next level, reach out here.

Happy eating :)

gillian

gillian