Simple Mid-Week Lunch Ideas...
Week day lunches can either be something you look forward too with great delight or if you’re unprepared, will leave you wondering what on earth you’ll pop on your plate! It can be all too easy not to think about lunch and rely on what you find at your local café, bakery or restaurant. However, you’ll spend A LOT of money along the way and chances are you’ll have perfectly good leftovers sitting at home that would have made the most perfect lunch.
Now don't get me wrong, a bought lunch every now and again is absolutely fine but bringing your lunch from home most of the time is what you're aiming for.
Here are some of my favourites that I tend re-create time and time again depending upon what I have in the fridge, pantry and garden. They take just minutes to prepare and will keep you satisfied all afternoon. Best of all they are free, delicious and nutritious!
Simple Mid-Week Lunch Ideas...
Two slices of high-fibre wholegrain toast with a baby spinach, avocado and two fried eggs (or boiled eggs if packing lunch to go) with a sprinkling of chilli flakes
Leftover roast vegetables (you can add leftover cooked meat also) made into a frittata (or open omelette!) with two eggs and a handful of greens
Slice leftover barbeque meat such as good quality sausages into small pieces and fry in olive oil with any leftovervegetables such as potatoes, carrots and corn until warm. Toss with homemade croutons and fresh herbs. To make homemade croutons, I just cut a slice of wholegrain bread into small squares and fry in a little olive oil on both sides until crunchy and golden. Yum!
Leftover cooked brown rice stirred with canned chickpeas and vegetables such as sliced tomatoes, diced carrots, celery and baby spinach. Add fried Halloumi cheese and an egg if you wish too! The base rice salad recipe can be found here.
Two slices of high-fibre wholegrain toast with grilled cheese, avocado and tomato with a side of cucumber and hummus
Leftover cooked chicken wrapped inside an iceberg lettuce leaf with vegetables and diced avocado
Leftover steamed broccoli mixed with spring onions, grated carrot and chickpeas fried in olive oil, cumin and chilli
Leftover cooked brown rice mixed with diced avocado, cherry tomatoes and blanched broccoli served with hummus and a fried egg
Leftover cooked chicken mixed with roasted kumara and greens and topped with walnuts – you can find my recipe here
Quinoa mixed with broccoli, spinach and a soft boiled egg – you can fnd the recipe here
I hope these simple meals provide inspiration for a number of healthy and delicious mid-week lunches, especially as the end of the year becomes crazy busy and people tend to forget about lunch only to feast on mince pies and Christmas cake over glasses of bubbles. Trust me, a nutritious lunch always wins!
