Scratching your head wondering what to bring for your lunch to work? I got you covered. These lunch ideas will keep it simple and fast plus give you variety so you’re not bored with the same ingredients for a week. I see meal preps on social media and think, well, that’s good but so boring, it’s the same lunch all week? When you know what to expect, you lose interest.
PROTEIN – provides energy, so less starchy carbs like rice, bread and potatoes and more protein!
Drumsticks, pork ribs, pork chops, pork shoulder strips, pork butt picnic, steak strips, ground turkey.
SPICES – use 2-3 different spice rubs to flavor drumsticks or ribs for variety. Pack some flavor with 2 of my favs, My Spice Sage Curry powder and Flavor God Everything Spicy.
DRESSING – make your own, so easy and WITHOUT preservatives or any goopy fillers.
Only 4 ingredients…
EVOO, Marukan rice vinegar, San-J tamari and good mustard (I usually like mustard with lots of grain for texture)
Use a clean glass jar with lid:
Proportions are twice amount of oil to vinegar, dash of tamari, big teaspoon of mustard. Close lid and shake it up, that’s it!
SALAD – use a variety of vegetables throughout the week and use cold leftover vegetables from dinner. I store the chopped veggies in a tupperware box.
Grill vegetables like eggplant, bell peppers, portobello mushrooms.
COMPLEX CARBS – help maintain sugar levels, that means sweet potato or quinoa NOT rice, potatoes or bread, those make you sleepy, bloat and pack on the love handles. Yes, I found all this out when I became prediabetic and it has helped me so much to keep my energy going!
Finally, a great box to bring that delicious lunch. I like this Sistema lunch box with a freezer brick which you fill with water that keeps your lunch cool for the trip to work or school! That little blue round container fits in the freezer brick hole for salad dressing or sauce and on the lid as you can see are the fork and knife, so it’s completely self contained. They are so practical and I got my hubby trained so he just whips out from freezer and throws into the lunch box. I found them at Marshall’s or TJ Maxx, also Container Store for a lot more. I cannot stand the blue ice, they drip when they cool down.
Would love to hear some lunch ideas that work for you…
Note: none of the products sponsor me except San-J tamari which is included when you purchase my Wok Star Kit.
"healthy eating"
3 Ingredient Broccolini
Blanching in a wok is the fastest, easiest method to cook vegetables that have hard stems and when you have a lot of them! A wok is a perfect vessel, it has a wide opening and deep reservoir to hold the water and quantity of vegetables. Alternatively, use a wide deep pot if you don’t have a wok.
Ingredients:
2 large handfuls of broccolini
few squirts of olive oil
salad dressing of your choice (I used store bought French vinaigrette but usually my own homemade vinaigrette)
How to do it…
1) Boil water in wok till rolling boiling, put a wok lid on.
2) Add few squirts of olive oil. Best trick to keep vegetables from turning grey.
3) Use fork to test stem for doneness how you like them, I like mine pretty crunchy
4) Empty wok of broccolini into colander, either run under cold water or put in an ice bath to stop from cooking
5) Squirt dressing all over, serve with whatever dinner.
Let’s Lunch is a virtual themed lunch from food bloggers all over the world! Join by posting a comment below or on Twitter using #LetsLunch. There’s also a private Facebook group where we hang out. Check #LetsLunch posts below for other easy 3 ingredient yummies…
Gluten Free Almond Cookies at The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook
Mango Coconut Chia Pudding at HapaMama
Trinidadian Mango Chow at Spicebox Travels
Filipino Sticky Rice Logs at Asian in America
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies at Hot Curries and Cold Beer
Chicken and Dumplings at A Cook and Her Books (use Pamela’s Artisan Blend in place of AP flour for gluten free)
Turkish Sesame Sweet at Monday Morning Cooking Club
Roasted Asparagus at Glass of Fancy
Mac and Cheese and Peanut Butter Cookies at Tea and Scones (use Bionaturae pasta for gluten free)
3 Ingredient Broccolini at Be a Wok Star