5 Healthy Lunch Recipes
We are sure most of you who work will agree that the agony of having to take a huge lunch box laded with fattening food itself is tiresome. Then imagine devouring all that during lunch time only to feel like a bloated whale later. The kind of routine we follow in our lives today and the hectic schedule of our lifestyle leaves us with little time to pay attention to the needs of our body. If you think eating 3 to 5 small meals a day was important – you are right. But what you are putting inside your body is as important as how many times you feed it. Most of us skip breakfast due to the hurry we are in to get to that office desk before the boss reaches and then half of the lunch time goes on call with a client and the other half in running to the nearest hot dog/pretzel stand. When eating in the office it is good to stick to simple, easy to make and light dishes. Give the run of the mill mac and cheese a miss and steer away from fried foods. Read on to find out what to pack into that lunchbox. Here are some healthy lunch recipes.
1. Salad
The healthiest and the easiest to make, salads are full of nourishment. They are a great source of fiber and make you feel fresh. Include a variety of vegetables; use a lot of different textures and colors. To give it some variation, try different types of dressings and flavors; alternate between mayo, vinaigrette and lemon dressing. You have innumerable options to choose from when it comes to salad from Greek to Russian to Mexican. Try some Mexican bean salad for a spicy kick. Greek salad is a good option if you like olive and feta cheese. You can also try yogurt based salads like dill & cucumber salad or the Indian version of a salad (raita) that includes onion, tomato, cucumber, cumin powder, chilli powder, fresh coriander and yogurt. Add a lot of fresh flavors like dill, coriander, mint, lemon etc to your salads. Tuna, egg, boiled chicken, prawns etc are good non-vegetarian salad add ons. Optimize the use of your cooking by using leftovers such as boiled/roasted chicken, boiled pasta etc. If you are craving for something sweet then you can try a fruit salad including fresh berries, granny smith, oranges etc. The best way to keep your salad fresh is to refrigerate and have it slightly chilled.
2. Sandwich
This food is a blessing to mankind – easy to make, hassle free, quick to eat and you can make it as healthy or as fattening as possible. The versatility of this food item makes it the perfect option to experiment day after day. You can alternate between the types of bread, spread and toppings in the sandwich. Don’t go overboard with the toppings; go for healthy yet filling toppings such as vegetables, boiled chicken, egg etc. Lean meats are preferable but if you are a red meat fan then stick to pastrami, pulled pork or salami. Add a lot of lettuce to your sandwich to balance it out with the meat. Go for whole wheat or multigrain bread. Try flavors such as flax seed, oregano, sesame, rye. You can use bagel and French loaf for variation. Opt for light spread such as low fat butter, cheese spread or mayo. You can also use some sundried tomato pesto, coriander chutney or other proprietary sandwich spread. Do not drench your bread with the spread or else it will go soggy by lunch time.
3. Soups
Filling, flavorful and fast, soups are also a good option for your lunch box. Soups come in different textures and flavors form spicy to mild, cold to hot, chunky stews to robust bisques. Choose soups that are not starchy such as vichyssoise. Also do not go in for anything with a heavy cream base such as creme de tomato or creme the epinard (spinach). Take soups that can be heated in the microwave and not cold soups. Clear soups are a great lunch option. Also lentil based soups are good as they are low in fat and help you feel fuller for a longer time. Bisque and chowder are heavy and flavorful soups that will leave your office smelling like an oven! Add a lot of vegetables to your soup and include flavors such as rosemary, thyme, garlic, clove etc. Accompanied with some warm bread, soup is like a full meal in itself.
