These are my favourite healthy lunches that I have eaten and enjoyed as a working mum and as a stay-at-home mum. I’ve included a handy tip with each idea to save time and effort!
Have you ever found yourself getting so busy planning and making lunches for the kids that you run out of steam for yours? To make sure I’m eating well, I need to plan ahead a little. I want something easy and quick enough that I don’t mind making it and interesting enough that I want to eat it!
None of these ideas are sandwiches; I rarely make sandwiches for myself, I just find them pretty boring unless a lot of effort goes into them and easy and quick is what we’re going for here!
My Favourite Take-to-Work Lunches
Couscous Salad
This was a very frequent take-to-the-office option for me a few years ago. Couscous doesn’t need cooking really; just soak in an equal volume of hot water for 5-10 minutes then fluff it up with a fork. I would add some vegetables and a protein such as tinned pulses, seafood sticks, tinned tuna, leftover roast chicken or cooked prawns. I add a drizzle of salad dressing when I first make this salad, then a little more just before eating. My go-to salad dressing is 1 tbsp each of white wine vinegar and olive oil, and a pinch each of sugar, salt and pepper. This makes enough for 3-4 servings of salad.
Tip: Save time by using veggies that need the least prep work such as baby spinach, rocket, tinned sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes and grated carrot. Also make a double batch, so tomorrow’s lunch is already done!
Houmous, Pitta bread and Carrot Sticks
This is really quick to throw together in a hurry in the morning. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of houmous (shop-bought or homemade) into a container and pack some wedges of pitta or wholegrain crackers and some vegetable sticks to dip.
Tip: Chop a few carrots and some celery into sticks at the beginning of the week and keep them in water in the fridge to grab easily.
Soup
If you have access to a microwave at work (or a have a good thermos!) this is a nice option. I occasionally took a shop-bought soup to the office, but I prefer homemade. The soups I make most often are a smooth vegetable soup (made with 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 sticks celery and 1 medium potato with stock), tomato soup, and a spicy chorizo, tomato, spinach and chickpea soup.
Tip: Heat and eat your soup in a large mug. It is less likely to slosh about and spill!
My favourite Eat-at-Home Lunches
Poached Eggs and Avocado on Toast
When we first moved to Australia I thought this sounded weird, but it’s one of my favourites at the moment! The iron tang of the runny egg yolk really complements the green tang of the avocado and even though it’s very healthy it feels rich and indulgent. Don’t skimp on the salt and pepper, both eggs and avocado need plenty of seasoning to really bring out their flavour.
Tip: I time my poached eggs using my toaster! I tip the eggs, one at a time, into gently simmering water, then put the toast on. Then I mash the avocado. By the time the toast is done and I’ve quickly spread it with avocado, the eggs are ready to take out. I use a slotted spoon and rest the egg on a folded sheet of kitchen paper to soak up some of the water before sitting it on the toast.
Brown rice salad bowl
This is really an evolution of the couscous salad idea and it’s what I eat most often at home now.
I usually add tinned tuna or leftover cooked chicken and whatever vegetables I have in the fridge to a half-cup measure of cooked brown rice. My favourite combination at the moment is chicken, spinach, avocado and cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of feta cheese.
Other flavour ideas:
Chickpea, beetroot, rocket and feta cheese.
Tex mex: red kidney beans/black beans, sweetcorn, red pepper, tomato, spring onion and grated cheese.
Sushi-inspired: tuna, cucumber, avocado and pickled ginger with a soy and rice vinegar dressing.
Waldorf: celery, apple and walnut with a yoghurt dressing.
Tip: I cook a batch of brown rice, cool under cold running water, drain for a few minutes then freeze in half cup portions. Defrost in the fridge overnight or microwave on high for 1-11/2 minutes (until heated through).
Noodle soup
I boil a portion of noodles in chicken stock with some grated ginger, chilli flakes, spring onion, sliced mushrooms and spinach leaves (but I’ll use other vegetables if I don’t have those in). Some cooked chicken or prawns add some protein.
Tip: Freeze peeled fresh ginger. It will last for months and you can easy grate what you need from frozen chunk and return the rest to the freezer until you need it again!
I hope these healthy lunch ideas have given you some inspiration. Leave a comment with your favourite lunches!
You may also like:
