Total Therapy Blog

3 Ways to Build the Easiest & Quickest Lunches October 5, 2015 (0) Comments in Healthy Tips by Total Therapy

This article was written by our in-house Registered Dietitian, Pavan Johal.

“I enjoy travelling (been to Western Europe, South East Asia,  South America and more to home), exploring the local food scene and city, baking notoriously delicious treats, running/hiking and lazy Netflix days.” – Pavan

Now that we are a few weeks into the back to school or back from summer routine it’s time to work on prepping those lunches. Half the battle is knowing how to create a simple balanced meal to keep you trucking through the day. The plate model is a great way to build your meals and some ideas are below.

Build the perfect package

Use bread, wraps, pitas, tortillas to wrap up the perfect mix of protein and vegetables. Add extra salads and veggie sticks on the side and choose condiments wisely e.g. mustard, mayo, avocado, hummus:

• The classic: meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato
• Egg/tuna/chicken salad (add extra veggies/avocados/dried fruit for interesting textures and flavours)
• Chickpea patty, lettuce and tzatziki (kick it up with hot sauce)
• Beans, salsa, cheese and veggies

Leftovers

Pack up the night before as is or add in some extras

• Roasted chicken/pork/beef, veggies and potato
• Chili with bun
• Stir fried veggies and protein (meat or tofu) and rice/quinoa
• Fish tacos using leftover fish, guacamole and salsa (pack separately and stuff later)

Lazy days

Make it a mix-and-match meal by using healthy snack foods or breakfast for lunch:

• Cottage cheese, fruit, veggies and crackers
• Toast with egg and avocado. Side of veggies and dip
• Oatmeal (make sure you include a protein and veg by mixing it in or having it on the side) e.g. zucchini oatmeal, top with greek yogurt and/or nuts
• Pre cut veggies, pita and high protein dip (e.g. hummus, tzatziki, bean dip)
• Mason jar salads (dressing on the bottom, then protein/hard veggies, lettuce on top)

Check out this link for easy recipes. There’s lots to choose from so pick one a week to start and happy eating!