Quick and Easy Lunches
When you are trying to juggle many different things such as family, house, and career, healthy eating is easy to put on the back burner. Many people think preparing a quick and easy lunch is overwhelming, and something they could not possibly have time for. I am here to tell you it’s not; and you don’t have to just eat a salad which will leave you hungry by 2 pm, and ravenous by 5 pm. Hopefully I can give you a few ideas to get you started, so that you can always leave for work armed with a delicious, satisfying meal that will get you through the day.
My favorite lunch meal consists of pasta, beans, and vegetables. I will usually make a recipe for dinner one evening, but make it for 4 or 6 servings. This gives me at least two lunches during the week, which I package in a disposable container. Great recipes can be found on Epicurious, and can be thrown together in less than 30 minutes, such as:
Ditalini with pasta, bean, and pesto sauce
Pasta salad with garbanzo beans, tomato, and feta cheese
Cavatappi with White Beans and Golden Onions
The beans make each of these recipes satisfying, offering plenty of fiber and protein.
Other wonderful resources for meals like this are cookbooks from the Moosewood Restaurant. Moosewood specializes in vegetarian cooking, and focuses on healthy cooking and eating. Their daily special cookbook specializes in soups and salads, which all make perfect lunches.
If pasta is not your thing, a hearty soup can also make a fast and satisfying lunch. I tend to make large pots of soup on the weekend while watching football and the extra lasts me through the first half of the week.
If you didn’t prepare some leftovers and you left your house empty handed, it’s very difficult to go wrong at a neighborhood deli or sandwich shop. Sandwiches with low fat turkey or ham and a slice of cheese paired with a piece of fruit make a quick and healthy lunch. As long as you stay away from the oil or mayo, it’s very difficult to go wrong.
A little bit of planning can be the key to insuring healthy eating during the day which will carry you through the evening, allowing you to come home and make good food decisions for dinner.
Photo courtesy of Photodisc Royalty Free Photography.
