How much do you spend on lunch during the week? Lets say 5 a day. Over a 48-week working year, thats 1,200. Making your own lunch not only means you can save some of that for more exciting things (holiday, anyone?), but you can bask in the satisfaction of packing in the nutrients and eating food you really enjoy.
Get into some meal prep on a Sunday afternoon with the radio on, and absorb yourself in some therapeutic chopping, roasting and boiling; make extra portions of your evening meals and package them up for the next day or prepare quick lunches while the kettle is boiling for your morning cuppa.
Below, top Harley Street nutritionist Kim Pearsonsuggests delicious ideas that are packed with goodness. Use them as inspiration swap ingredients in and out as you see fit, and add your favourite toppings such as toasted seeds or a scattering of walnuts.
Use a muffin tray to make these little single-portion frittatas that you can fill with your favourite veg, such as red peppers, broccoli, peas and tomatoes. The eggs are a source of quality protein. Make them for Sunday brunch and then keep them in the fridge for a weekday lunch.
Find the recipe here: kim-pearson.com/new-ways-to-eat-eggs
Make your Sunday roast go further roasted (organic and free-range) chicken pairs beautifully with a fresh and crunchy raw slaw. Finely slice or grate red cabbage, mild onion, carrot and apple, and combine. For the dressing, shake together in a jar equal parts of olive oil and apple cider vinegar with a little Dijon mustard. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, which can help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
This tasty salad can be made in five minutes. Mix a can of tuna with a can of mixed beans and combine with a good handful of rocket leaves. Whip up a dressing (tahini, lemon juice and olive oil works well) in a jar and pour over at lunchtime to stop the salad going soggy. Beans are affordable and nutrient-dense, providing protein, fibre and a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Sushi can be hard to make at home and keep in one piece until lunch, so try making deconstructed sushi in a jar for your lunch. Layer a portion of brown rice with avocado (which provides healthy fats and fibre), nori sheets, cucumber and smoked salmon. Pour over a dressing made from soya sauce, sesame oil and a little wasabi powder.
Roast chunks of sweet potato and red onion the night before and allow them to cool. In the morning, combine with halved cherry tomatoes, cooked king prawns and fresh, torn basil leaves. Use the mixture to fill three romaine lettuce leaf shells and pack them into your lunchbox. Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene its converted by the body into vitamin A, which helps support normal skin and vision.
A nutritious leftover dinner that tastes great cold the next day is vegetable stir-fry with salmon, coconut oil and soy sauce. Salmon is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, an essential part of a healthy diet.
Lunch boxes arent just for kids. Pack a sectioned lunch box with carrot and celery crudits, cherry tomatoes, a generous dollop of hummus, some juicy cooked king prawns and a portion of fruit such as berries. Berries are a great addition as they are one of the fruit options with the lowest sugar.
Put your soup on before your morning shower and it will be ready soon after you get out. Gently fry onion and garlic, add three or four of your favourite vegetables (the more you add, the wider the variety of vitamins and minerals it will give you), pour in hot vegetable stock until the veg is just covered and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste and whizz up with a hand blender, if you like your soup smooth. Pour into a flask and it will still be warm at lunchtime. Butternut squash, sweet potato, red pepper, chickpeas and ginger is an especially delicious combination.
Roasted veg is a great accompaniment to an evening meal and the caramelised flavours work beautifully in a lunch the following day. Add some falafel and hummus thats made with extra-virgin olive oil (available in supermarkets) pulses such as chickpeas are a good source of vegan protein.
Try strips of delicious smoked tofu (you can eat it raw), thrown over steamed spring greens and a serving of quinoa, doused with a punchy lemon and olive oil dressing. Dark green leafy veg contains iron, which contributes to the normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin that transport oxygen around the body.
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Centrum wants to motivate you to boost your health in a simple, enjoyable and sustainable way. Working with leading experts and nutritionists, exercise and wellness brands, we have curated a wealth of tip-packed, easy-to-follow content from healthy eating ideas to on-trend activities and ways to de-stress and relax. Centrums range of multivitamins is specially tailored to help support you every day based on your age, gender, lifestyle and nutritional needs.*
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10 healthy and cheap ways to fill your lunchbox - Telegraph.co.uk
