For me, lunch has always been easy to prepare because it always follows a distinct and simple layout: 1/3 veggies, 1/3 carbs and 1/3 protein. I always choose a lean meant (more often than not, salmon, chicken or steak strips), a handful of veggies and some sweet potato or brown rice on the side. I have actually covered this in an earlier post so I’ve decied here to give you a few more ideas to spice it up a little.
1. Salad
Okay, perhaps salad isn’t quite what you had in mind when I said “spice it up a little”, but honestly there are plenty of ways that a salad can be dressed up. I personally love Gordon Ramsay’s recipes for tuna nicoise and spicy beef salads, and they are the reasons I fell in love with cooking. They are super easy to prepare and incredibly nutritious, not to mention delicious when done correctly. A true staple for the healthy eater.
2. Wrap
Next up is an entry that I have every day at work and is, again, super easy to prepare. Stick with wholemeal wraps or, if you can find them, ezekial wraps, and keep them fairly simple. I tend to just shred some lettuce, chicken fillets and add a touch of Nando’s sauce and I am perfectly happy. You can put red peppers, onions or different varieties of proteins if this doesn’t suit you.
3. Sandwich
Again, wholemeal bread is your best bet here (white should be avoided at all costs) and can even be toasted a little for a better texture. A sandwich is so versatile that you can put any number of combination on the bread and make it work. Try and aim to get plenty of protein and plenty of veg. Good options are tuna, chicken or even bacon provided you trim the fat, and paired with spinach, tomatoes, salsa, peppers, onions… whatever the hell you like.
4. Soup
I have soup as more of a snack, in all honesty, but I’m well aware that this perhaps is not normal. The chances are that any soup you pick up will be low in calories, unless its incredibly creamy, but your best bet is some sort of bean or vegetable soup. Chicken tends to be creamy, and tomato is rather high in sugar, so just be careful when selecting one. I came across a recipe the other day, a chilli-miso salmon soup, and I can’t wait to give it a go.
5. Seafood
Quite a vague one this, but it’s one I have often make before work because it’s so quick. Primarily I am talking about king prawns with rice here. Brown rice preferably. The prawns will cook in the pan around 3 minutes, and the rice will take around 20-25, so it’s very easily done. Just add a touch of lemon to your prawns and you’re good to go. Other seafood options are seafood medleys, mussels or you could even make up a sardine bagel if you like it salty.
The Writer's Block 