Lunch is one of those meals that can often become predictable. A sandwich is the easy and obvious choice however it can become boring on a daily basis. Whether you’re packing a lunch for work or school, eating at home with kids or making a lunch on the weekend, you can get creative and still opt for healthy lunch ideas that aren’t a soggy sandwich.
Create a “bowl”
Bowls featuring mixed ingredients have become very trendy in restaurants lately, but you don’t need to eat out to have one. You can easily create your own tasty creation at home.
Start by lining your plate or bowl with your favourite type of greens (romaine, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, etc.), top them with roasted or fresh vegetables of your choice, meat or alternatives such as beans, lentils and grains (rice, quinoa, barley, etc.). If desired, top the bowl with some seeds, nuts and cheese. Bowls are a great way to use up leftovers in your refrigerator.
Snack plates
The basic plan for creating a lunch (or any meal) is to have a healthy balanced plate that consists of ½ vegetables, ¼ starch, and ¼ protein. Use the table below to put together a variety of delicious snack plates that are healthy, delicious and around 6 SmartPointsTM per serving. Mix and match ingredients to create a new meal every time.
| Vegetable | Starch | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Snap peas | Flatbread | Hummus |
| Baby carrots | Pita | Cottage cheese |
| Bell peppers | ½ bagel | Boiled egg |
| Zucchini sticks | ½ cup rice | Plain Greek yogurt |
| Celery | Whole grain crackers |
Sliced meat (turkey, chicken) |
| Broccoli | Rice cakes | 2 Tbsp nuts |
Cook in bulk
Hot lunches always hit the spot. When you’re preparing dinner, make enough to pack away for lunch the next day.
Another option is to consider cooking up some items on the weekend to have for your weekday lunches. On Sunday, bake a couple of chicken breasts. These can then be used to top a salad, add to a pita or wrap or pair with some leftover dinner items.
Lunches can be fun, creative and still healthy if you just think outside the box.