4 Healthy Lunch Ideas That Are Super Simple to Make
Nutrition and exercise go hand in hand.
Most of us grasp the basic principles of weight gain and loss and their correlation with each other: you put energy (calories) into your body by eating food, expend them through physical activity, and any that don't get burned off are stored as fat. Seems simple, right?
To lose weight (and, more importantly, keep it off), it's widely acknowledged that we should be following the 80:20 rule, with 80% being nutrition and 20% exercise. By creating a caloric deficit, we speed up our metabolism through exercise, which can help us to reach our weight loss goals.
Preparing food yourself is ideal, as we can monitor what we're putting in our meals. But sticking to a regimented dietary plan can be difficult, especially during the working week. There are so many temptations in the workplace, be that cupcakes that Karen from accounts has left in the staff room or the ease of nipping out on our lunch break and grabbing something ready-made: the office can be a minefield of decisions that make our relationship with food more stressful.
The way to combat this is by coming to work prepared and bringing our own food with us.
Below are four simple lunch ideas that won’t have you slaving away for hours over a hot stove the night before.
Italian Pasta Salad (Serves 6-8 | 30 mins prep)
This Italian Pasta Salad from delish.com is the perfect summer lunch. Salads can get super calorific due to the dressing, but this one (made from scratch using olive oil and red wine vinegar) is a lighter – and tastier – alternative. The recipe makes 6-8 servings, so feel free to reduce the ingredients by half and store the leftovers in the fridge for another day.
FOR THE SALAD
450g fusilli pasta, cooked according to package instructions
220g mozzarella balls, halved
115g salami, quartered
60g baby spinach
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
170g artichoke hearts, chopped
90g pitted black olives, sliced
FOR THE DRESSING
80ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
Pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, and fresh ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, toss together pasta, mozzarella, salami, spinach, tomatoes, artichokes, and olives.
To make the dressing, add olive oil, vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, parsley, and red pepper flakes to a jar and secure with a lid, then shake to combine—season with salt and pepper to taste.
Dress pasta with dressing and serve.
Black Bean Wrap (Serves 1 | 5 mins prep)
This wrap from veggieprimer.com is delicious, and it's a super easy vegan option that only takes 5 minutes to prepare! It's packed full of flavour and more healthy goodness than should be allowed.
INGREDIENTS
1 large tortilla (wholegrain or gluten-free)
85g salsa
60g black beans (rinsed and drained if using canned)
45g frozen corn
¼ avocado, chopped
1 tbsp. black olives, chopped
Small handful of rocket
Small handful of coriander
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the frozen corn in a sieve and rinse with warm water for about 30 seconds until thawed
2. Warm the tortilla in the microwave for about 30 second
3. Pour the salsa in a strip on half of the tortilla
4. Spread the black beans, corn, avocado, and olives over the salsa
5. Tear the leaves off the coriander stems and sprinkle over the bean mixture, discarding the stalks, and top this with the rocket.
6. Fold the side edges of the wrap over the ingredients, and then roll from the edge closest to you.
7. Slice in half
Greek Pitta Sandwich (Serves 1 | 15 mins prep | 10 mins cook)
By nature, Greek food is super fresh and tasty, and this pitta sandwich from kaylaitsines.com is perfect for lunch. Filled with juicy chicken and the salty richness of feta, prepare the ingredients at home and build the pitta itself at work.
INGREDIENTS
For the meatballs:
100g chicken mince
1 small handful baby spinach leaves, chopped
½ garlic clove, crushed
¼ tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp Panko breadcrumbs
20g (1 tbsp) low-fat salt-reduced feta, crumbled
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
For the salad:
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ Lebanese cucumber, diced
¼ red onion, finely sliced
¼ yellow pepper, diced
1 small handful baby spinach leaves
1 wholemeal pitta pocket half
For the tzatziki:
50g low-fat plain yoghurt
2cm piece Lebanese cucumber, grated
lemon juice, to taste
½ garlic clove, crushed
½ tsp fresh dill or parsley, finely chopped
sea salt and ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. To make the meatballs, place the chicken mince, chopped spinach, garlic, oregano, breadcrumbs, and feta in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and mix gently until well combined. Shape the mixture into 2 even-sized balls and flatten slightly.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and spray lightly with oil spray. Cook the chicken meatballs for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through, turning occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest.
3. To make the tzatziki, place the yoghurt, grated cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, and dill or parsley in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and mix until well combined.
4. To make the salad, place the tomatoes, diced cucumber, onion, and capsicum in a bowl and toss gently to combine.
5. To serve, stuff the pitta half with the remaining spinach leaves, tomato and cucumber salad, and the chicken meatballs. Drizzle over the tzatziki, and enjoy!
Best Tuna Salad (Serves 4 | 10 mins prep time)
Another recipe from delish.com, tuna salad has to be at the top of the list of lunchtime favourites for its versatility: in a sandwich, on a baked potato, or just scooped out of the bowl with a few crackers.
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. plain Greek yoghurt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Dash hot sauce, optional
2 cans tuna (preferably packed in olive oil)
1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
2 dill pickles, finely chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Lettuce, for serving
Bread, for serving
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yoghurt, lemon juice, and hot sauce (if using).
Drain tuna, then add to mayonnaise mixture. Use a fork to break up tuna into flakes. Add red onion and pickles and toss to combine—season with salt and pepper.
Serve on lettuce or bread as a sandwich.
I often get asked by clients for some super easy lunch recipes, and I hope this has provided you with some inspiration to make healthier lunchtime choices!
If you’ve got any quick and easy ideas, please comment them below, as I’m always on the lookout to try something new!