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5 Easy Lunch Ideas for Work

We’re all guilty of it, plan to eat well and then lunch arrives and it’s just so much easier to nip to the local shop and grab whatever takes our fancy.  But, work lunches like these are often what sabotage our health goals.  

To keep us on track, planning is key and so we’ll share our 5 work lunch ideas which you can rotate, and get a little creative with.   

One pan bakes

You throw everything on a sheet pan or in a skillet one day on the weekend, cook, then divide into glass meal prep bowls for the week ahead. You can often switch up the veggies you’re using too, these one pan recipes are so versatile and customisable.  

Include a protein source; chicken, diced beef, or tofu and add some veggies to roast.  

The key here is to season your protein, so add some herbs and spices to your chicken or marinade your diced beef or tofu before cooking.  

Some great combinations include:

Chicken – paprika/basil/thyme/oregano

Beef – cumin/rosemary/thyme/curry powder

Use seasonal veggies or just what you have left in the fridge!

Soups

Soups are really great options for work and are easier to transport than you think! Before you think soups aren’t filling enough, think again – it all depends on what you add in!

Here’s a great filling recipe:

Lentil and Butternut Soup

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ¼ tsp hot chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp ras el hanout
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
  • 100g red lentils
  • 1l hot vegetable stock
  • 1 small bunch coriander, leaves chopped, plus extra to serve
  • dukkah (see tip) and natural yogurt, to serve

Step One 

Heat the oil in a large flameproof dish or saucepan over a medium-high heat. Fry the onions with a pinch of salt for 7 mins, or until softened and just caramelised. Add the garlic, chilli and ras el hanout, and cook for 1 min more.

Step Two
Stir in the squash and lentils. Pour over the stock and season to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25 mins or until the squash is soft. Blitz the soup with a blender until smooth, then season to taste. To freeze, leave to cool completely and transfer to large freezerproof bags.

Wraps and Sandwiches 

The staple for many people, but wraps and sandwiches are a great lunch idea.  Opt for wholegrain breads and wraps, and dish up a side salad to eat alongside.  It’s important to include a great source of protein, and some veggies in your wrap/sandwich to hit your daily nutrition goals! 

Sweet Chilli Chicken Wraps

Salad Jars

This is a great way to prep your salad lunches for the week.  Just remember to place any dressings/wet ingredients at the bottom, with your fresher products at the top (like lettuce).  

So you may place your dressing or marinade at the bottom of the jar, then pile in your protein source (like cooked minced beef, or prawns for example), then load up with chopped cabbage, grated carrot, diced beets and top off with some lettuce. 

Rice Jars

A super quick lunch is to make a curry or chilli in the slow cooker at the weekend, loaded with veggies/beans/lentils.  Then portion into jars for the week.  You can then either pre-cook rice and load into the jar, or split those ready-cooked rice sachets.  Microwave on the day and you have a satiating lunch full of fibre and is rather tasty too!

The key with all food choices is preparation, what is it they say; fail to prepare and prepare to fail?  Plan the week ahead at the weekend.  This also goes if you are using an app to track calories – rather than track after you have eaten, use the app to plan your meals.

Let us know if you try any of these ideas and don’t forget, we have a library of recipes for you to try too!

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