Do you bring lunch to work most weekdays? While it can be a bit of extra work, packing along your own lunch has its rewards. First, bringing your own lunch can save you money. Purchasing lunch out can set you back $75 a week or more. Bringing your own lunch also gives you more flexibility at work – you eat on your schedule. You also waste less time sitting and waiting for your meal to arrive. Packed lunches might even allow time for a walk or other physical activity after eating! When you prepare lunch yourself, there are no disappointments – you get exactly what you ordered! Of course, bringing your own lunch can be a complete gamechanger where diet quality and health are concerned. Restaurant meals are notoriously high in oil, sugar, salt, and calories. It can be tough to reach your diet goals when you regularly eat out. Packing your own lunch means you control the ingredients. You can load your lunch with vegetables, fruits, sprouts, beans, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices or whatever tickles your fancy. Today’s So Many Cooks in the Kitchen will give you fabulous ideas for creating nutrition-packed lunches!
What’s inside your lunch bag can affect your mood at work. If you don’t have time to prepare anything and walk out the door with little more than a power bar and an apple, lunch provides little to look forward to. However, when your lunch is a feast for the eyes, it can add pep to your step for the whole day. The following suggestions will get you on the road to fast and easy lunches that will nourish and satisfy you all at the same time.
- Think nutrition, color, and flavor. Good nutrition starts with including foods from each food group – vegetables, fruits, beans (or bean products like tofu), grains or starchy vegetables, and nuts or seeds. Using fresh, colorful foods makes your lunch more appealing. Using herbs, spices, lemon or lime wedges, and delicious plant-based dips, dressings, and sauces provides a burst of flavor.
- Prepare foods for lunches in batches. Lunch can come together in a snap when you have cooked grains or starchy veggies, such as sweet potatoes or squash, and beans in the fridge. Keep a huge, undressed salad to last 3-4 days on hand or containers of triple-washed, ready to eat greens. Make extras at dinner, such as baked tofu or pasta, to use in lunches.
- Get creative.Lunch doesn’t have to be a sandwich. Think salads, soups, pastas, wraps, or bowls. If you have a microwave, bring foods you can warm up or hot foods in an insulated container.
- Make it simple.A one dish meal, hot or cold can make life a little easier. Top your meal off with a piece of fruit and you are good to go.
- Mix it up! You might enjoy varying your choices each day of the week. Monday might be wrap day, Tuesday salad day, Wednesday pasta day, Thursday bowl day, and Friday sandwich day.
- Bring healthy snacks. When you have fresh fruit, trail mix, energy bites or other homemade treats on hand, you are less likely to be lured by unhealthful options.
- Throw in a few add-ons. It can be fun to include some nuts or seeds, nut parmesan, sprouts, whole grain croutons, or veggies and dip in your lunch bag.
- Be prepared for busy days. Keep a few convenience foods on hand for those days you simply don’t have time to prepare a lunch. Canned lentil or pea soup, a muffin with nut butter (store a few in the freezer when you make a batch), raw veggies (keep some prepared in a container in the fridge), and a piece of fruit will do the trick. You might even prepare a few bean burritos and freeze them for an instant lunch.
- Stay hydrated. Be sure to take a water bottle. Add flavor by infusing water with fruit and mint. Take along some herbal teas for something hot on colder days.
There is no limit to what goes for lunch. Below are 10 of my favorite choices
Top 10 Packed Lunch Pics:
1. Green full-meal salad. Some folks think salads are boring rabbit food, but that is often because their definition of salad is iceberg.
lettuce with cucumbers, tomatoes, and a commercial dressing. Salads can be gorgeous, colorful, and very satisfying. Their satiety value is a function of what foods you add to your salad. Start with greens and add a bunch of colorful veggies and sprouts. Add beans or tofu for protein, and a starchy food such as sweet potatoes, quinoa or kamut berries to make the meal more satisfying. Top the salad with sprouts, avocados, nuts, or seeds, and a hearty homemade dressing such as lemon tahini.
2. Marinated salad. Marinated salads are basically lettuce-free salads. However, they can include greens such as thinly sliced kale or steamed greens. While many marinated salads are just veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, cherry tomatoes, etc., they can easily be made into full meals by adding in beans or tofu, and grains, corn, or potatoes. Some are made using lightly steamed veggies, while others are mostly raw.
3. Big Bowl. While we often think of bowls as a dinner meal, they can serve as wonderfully filling lunches. Use a bowl with a tight-fitting cover. Start with rice, quinoa, or other grain, add some steamed or raw veggies, grated veggies, sprouts, and a protein such as chickpeas, kidney beans, baked or smoked tofu cubes. Bring a yummy dressing such as spicy peanut dressing and a few sprouts, nuts, seeds to top it off.
4. Burrito. A burrito is a Mexican dish that is usually prepared using a flour tortilla. The tortilla is filled with refried beans and other tasty fillings such as tomatoes and guacamole. Some people also add rice, but that is optional. Traditional burritos also include cheese, and you can add plant-based cheese if you like. Be sure to bring a little container of salsa and a few wedges of lemon to take your burrito to the next level.
5. Wrap. Wraps make a super satisfying lunch. They can be made with a flour tortilla, or with collard leaves, which are lower in calories, and more nutritious. Wraps contain almost anything you like – just be sure to include something like hummus, eggless salad, or black bean spread to ensure the wrap holds together.
7. Sandwich. Sandwiches have been our standard go-to lunch for decades. Some people wonder what they can put into a plant-based sandwich, as conventional fillings are usually meat or cheese-based. Some people find veggie slices (plant-based meats) work well, although
these can be highly processed and quite salty. Tofu salad, sliced smoked tofu, and sliced flavored tofu are all great options. Another awesome choice is a chickpea smash which is a nice replacement for tuna. You can also use homemade patties or loaves as sandwich fillings. The key to a delicious sandwich is good bread. Always opt for fresh bread, and keep it whole grain, if possible. Otherwise, go for sourdough. Use avocado or mustard as a spread. Add pickles, sauerkraut, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, sprouts, or
whatever tickles your fancy. To prevent a soggy sandwich, keep very wet ingredients in a container and add just before eating.
8. Pasta. Leftover pasta can make a great base for a lunch dish. Throw in some veggies, beans, and dressing for a pasta salad, or bring it with whatever sauce you have on hand. Heat and bring in an insulated container, or heat at work. To boost protein, use legume-based pasta or simply add tofu or beans to your dish.
9. Stuffed sweet potatoes. are great hot or cold. When you bake potatoes, be sure to bake extra to have for lunch. The easiest filling is black beans, salsa, and avocado. Of course, you can get creative by adding corn, “cashew cheese sauce” or favorites. Bring the individual ingredients in containers and assemble in seconds at work!
10. Smoothie. Yes, a smoothie can count as a meal – with the right ingredients. Start with greens and other veggies such as sprouts, carrots, and cucumber. Add some fruit such as banana and berries. Add in protein sources such as soft tofu, hempseeds, frozen peas, or nut or seed butter. If you like, bring along some solid food such as a homemade muffin, or crackers and cashew cheese.
Lunch Recipe Favorites
Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potato
Makes 1 serving.
This meal requires minimal preparation. Add sliced green onions, a cheezy sauce, or other toppings as desired. Pair with a kale salad or steamed greens.
- 1 medium sized baked sweet potato
- 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1/4 cup fresh salsa
- 1/2 avocado, cut into small cubes or slices
- This meal can be served hot or cold. Slice potato down the center and stuff with the beans and corn. Top with salsa and avocado. Enjoy!
Peanut Edamame Noodle Salad
Makes 8 cups (2 L)
Pasta salads are perfect for picnics and potlucks as they stand up well. The Napa cabbage can be replaced with Asian greens, thinly sliced kale, or spinach, and the green onions with sweet or red onions. Vary the colors of peppers, and add in other veggies such as grated daikon, shredded red cabbage, or cucumber strips. Replace edamame with baked or smoked tofu. If you like spicy foods, increase the hot sauce.
Peanut Dressing
- Makes 1⅓ cups
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili sauce, hot sauce, or sriracha, or 1/16 tsp cayenne
Salad
- 5-ounces dry edamame noodles, soba (buckwheat) noodles, or other noodles
- 1½ cups frozen, shelled edamame, peas, or green chickpeas
- 2 cups finely sliced Napa cabbage (or other greens), packed
- 2 carrots, shredded or grated
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped cilantro, parsley, or basil (or a combination of herbs)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts (coarsely chopped, if desired)
- Place the water, peanut butter, lime juice, vinegar, tamari, ginger, garlic, and chili sauce in a bowl or jar and whisk until smooth.
- Prepare the noodles and edamame according to package directions. Strain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Drain the edamame and rinse with cold water.
Place the noodles and edamame in a large bowl. Add the Napa cabbage, carrots, red pepper, cilantro, and green onions. Pour the dressing on top
and gently toss to combine the ingredients. Sprinkle peanuts on top just before serving.
Prepare the noodles and edamame according to package directions. Strain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Drain the edamame and rinse with cold water.
Place the noodles and edamame in a large bowl. Add the Napa cabbage, carrots, red pepper, cilantro, and green onions. Pour the dressing on top and gently toss to combine the ingredients. Sprinkle peanuts on top just before serving.
Hummus Veggie Wrap
- 1 large flour tortilla
- 1/3 cup hummus
- 1/4 cup carrot strips
- 6 thin slices of cucumber
- 1/4 red pepper, sliced thinly
- 1 cup salad greens
- 1/2 small avocado, sliced
- Sprouts, optional
- Hot sauce to taste, optional
Spread hummus on tortilla, leaving more than half the tortilla free of filling at the top and a couple of inches on each side. Top with carrot, green onion, red pepper, cucumber, salad greens, and avocado. Drizzle with hot sauce, if desired. Fold in the sides. Bring up the bottom flap over the sides and roll until the tortilla is tight.
This article was written for a PCRM Food for Life Instructors group called So Many Cooks in the Kitchen. This group meets online to provide amazing cooking and nutrition demonstrations that are free to share globally. For wonderful whole food, plant-based cooking shows, tune in to their monthly broadcasts. https://somanycooks.com/about/
Brenda Davis, RD is a plant-based pioneer and author/co-author of 13 books on plant-based diets. She is co-Author of Nourish: the definitive plant-based nutrition guide for families, Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive and Express Editions and Kick Diabetes Essentials.www.brendadavisrd.com