Take out and fast food are easy defaults when you're on your lunch break and didn't have time to pack lunch, but eating out can be expensive and unhealthy. Lunch doesn't have to be difficult to be quick and nutritious. Try these 5 quick and healthy lunch options to add flavor to your day.
Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich
Prep time: 15 minutes | Serving size: ½ cup
Egg salad offers a combination of protein, calcium, and fiber. Avocado adds some extra substance and healthy fats but does not have to be added to the egg salad. If you're trying to cut down your carb intake, make an unwich by swapping the bread for a couple of large slices of lettuce and fill them with egg salad.
Ingredients
- 6 hard boiled eggs
- 1 avocado, diced
- ¼ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 whole lime, juiced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- Dried red pepper flakes to taste
Directions
Place the peeled eggs and avocado into a medium bowl and dice or mash with a fork or potato masher. Add the yogurt, mustard, lime juice, salt, pepper, and dill. Stir until mixed. Serve ½ cup of the egg salad on toasted bread and sprinkle on the dried red pepper flakes to add some bit to your sandwich.
Chicken and Berry Salad
Prep time: 10 minutes
This salad is packed with protein, healthy fats, and calcium. Plus, fruit adds welcome bursts of sweet and tangy flavor.
Ingredients
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Mandarin oranges (drained)
- Pineapple slices
- Pecans or almonds
- Feta cheese
- Sliced chicken or chicken veggie burger
- Poppy seed dressing
- Mixed greens
Directions
Fill a small bowl with mixed greens. Add the desired amount of toppings and enjoy!
Protein Packed Wraps
Prep time: 10 minutes
Wraps are a quick and easily customization depending on your taste. Here is a classic wrap that provides you with the essential nutrients including protein, calcium, grains, and vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 tortilla*
- protein of your choice (we love chicken in ours!)
- mixed greens or spinach
- tomato slices
- cucumber slices
- cheese of your choice
- hummus
*If you're trying to cut down your carb intake, make an unwich by swapping the tortilla for a couple of large slices of lettuce and use those as your wrap.
Directions
Serve cold: add all the ingredients to your wrap, fold it up, and enjoy!
Serve warm: add all the ingredients to your wrap, fold it up, and place it in George Foreman for about two minutes, until the tortilla is brown and the cheese is melted.
Scrambled Tofu with Black Beans and Avocado
This high protein meal is extremely versatile; it can be served hot or cold, for breakfast or lunch, and eaten plain or wrapped in a tortilla.
Ingredients
Black Beans
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 can of black bean, undrained
- 1 clove garlic
- Fresh parsley for flavor
Scrambled Tofu
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 package of Nasoya Teriyaki Marinated TofuBaked
- 1 teaspoon curry
- ¼ avocado
Directions
Black beans
In a skillet, add the oil and turn the burner to medium heat. Pour the can of black beans into a skillet. Add garlic and parsley. Bring to a simmer, occasionally stiring. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until it just starts to thicken.
Scrambled Tofu
In a skillet, add the oil and turn the burner to medium heat. While the beans are cooking, add the tofu into the skillet and break up into small pieces with a spatula. Add curry and stir. Scramble tofu for about 5 minutes so that it starts browning on the edges.
Serve the scrambled tofu on top of the beans with sliced avocado to top it off.
Grilled Cheese with Apple and Mustard
Prep time: 15 minutes
This sandwich provides the perfect combination of sweetness and tang to your traditional grilled cheese sandwich. As long as you don't pile on the cheese, this lunch can be healthy, quick, and filling.
Ingredients
- 2 slices of whole grain bread, buttered
- 1-2 slices of cheddar cheese
- 1 small apple, sliced
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Directions
Warm a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Butter one side of both pieces of bread. Spread the Dijon mustard on the non-buttered side of once slice of bread. Place one bread slice, buttered side down, into the skillet and add the cheese and apple slices. Then top off with the other bread slice, buttered side up. Let cook for about 5 minutes before flipping it and letting sit for another 5 minutes. When both sides are golden brown and the cheese starts to melt, you're done!
These recipes will keep your lunches bursting with flavor with little effort. Save money and do your figure a favor by trying these quick lunch options as a healthy alternative to eating out. Bon Appetit!
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