Last week, a blog reader, Mary, asked me if I could put together a post on healthy lunches that could be made ahead of time. I thought it was a great challenge for back to school, so I got to work planning!
I spent a few days coming up with different lunches that could be prepped on Sunday.
Complete with food stained paper!
I had several goals for the lunch recipes:
1) Most, if not all, of the prep work could be done on Sunday.
2) It would be made mostly from scratch for maximum savings (for example, using dried legumes instead of canned)
3) It would be vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free with easy nut-free options
4) In each lunch, I would have each of the following: protein, healthy fats, fibre, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains to make a well-rounded meal.
5) Chocolate, as necessary.
This challenge certainly lit a fire under my apron!
For the recipes, I decided on the following grains and legumes (1/2 cup dry, each):
- Millet or Quinoa
- Wild brown rice
- Chickpeas
- Black beans
- Lentils
Of course, you can use pretty much any grains and legumes that you desire. I purchased these from Bulk Barn and it was much cheaper than buying the canned or non-bulk variety. More money in my pocket means more money for chocolate covered cacao nibs! Wheee.
Next, I had to figure out all of the various prep and cook times for each. I consulted the wonderful Clean Food Cookbook for some tips!
Legumes and Grains Cooking Cheat Sheet
Use 1/2 cup dry, per.
Chickpea Cooking Instructions (needs soaking):
- 1/2 cup dry chickpeas yields about 1 & 1/4 cup cooked.
- Tip from Clean Food: Add a thumb-sized piece of kombu when cooking beans as it will aid in digestion.
- Soak 1/2 cup dry chickpeas overnight in a bowl with about 3 inches of water covering the chickpeas. OR use the ‘quick soak’ method, which is what I did because I forgot to soak overnight! In a pot of water, bring the chickpeas to a boil for about 1-2 mins., then turn off heat, cover with lid, and let it soak for about 1 hour. This method is great in a pinch.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas
- Place in pot covering with about 2-3 inches with water
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for about 30 mins or until tender
- Drain and rinse
Black Bean Cooking Instructions (needs soaking):
- 1/2 cup dry black beans yields 1 & 1/4 cups cooked.
- Add in a thumb-sized piece of kombu when cooking beans as it will aid in digestion.
- Follow same soaking and cooking instructions as chickpeas above using 1/2 cup dry black beans
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for about 15 mins until tender
Brown Rice Cooking Instructions (no soaking required):
- 1/2 cup dry brown rice yields 1 cup cooked.
- Rinse rice in a strainer (this removes some of the starchy material that makes rice stick together)
- Use 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice and 1 cup + 2 tbsp water (and more water if needed)
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, add pinch of salt, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes until tender
- Watch closely during the last 10 mins of cooking and add more water if it begins to stick to pot.
- Fluff with fork
Lentils Cooking Instructions (no soaking required):
- 1/2 cup dry lentils yields 1 & 1/4 cup cooked
- Check for pebbles and discard
- In a strainer, rinse well
- Use 1/2 cup dry and 3/4 cup (or a bit more as needed) water
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, simmer, and cook for 15-30 minutes, until tender
- I used tiny black lentils and it only took 15 mins cook time, but larger green lentils will probably take longer
Millet Cooking Instructions (no soaking required):
- 1/2 cup dry millet yields 2 cups cooked
- Rinse and drain (I was lazy and skipped this)
- In a pot or skillet, ‘toast’ the dry millet over medium heat for 4 mins or so, until it has a nutty aroma (this helps bring out the flavour as millet can be bland)
- Now add about 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, simmer, and cook for 20-25 mins, adding more water if necessary
- Fluff with fork and season well.
Note: This was the ultimate multi-tasking challenge! I had about 4 things going on the stove-top at once (and multiple timers). If you are time-crunched, you can always use canned beans and chickpeas.
It went from this…
To this…
All of that food only cost me about $3.50. Talk about savings!
While the legumes and grains were cooking, I did some other prep.
This trail mix, below, was one of my favourite recipes of the day. In fact, I’m munching on it right now. :)
Go Go Glow Mix
Energizing, delicious, and packed with antioxidants. This is the perfect mix to throw into a packed lunch. Sub the almonds with sunflower seeds if you want it nut-free. All ingredients were purchased at the bulk food store, Bulk Barn.
Yield: 2.5 cups
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup goji berries
- 1/2 cup almonds (or sunflower seeds)
- 1/2 cup mulberries
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate covered cacao nibs (or dark chocolate chips)
- (I also added natural dried apple rings, but I was not a fan of their spongy texture)
1. Mix together and enjoy for a quick pick me up!
Eric and I are seriously obsessed with this mix. The chocolate covered cacao nibs are phenomenal and something I’m going to have to re-create at home!
I also chopped up 1 cucumber, 1 large red pepper, and 4 carrots. I put them into a big container filled with water as this will keep them fresh and crisp all week long. Quick and easy snacks paired with hummus or other dips.
Note: I would not advise putting the peppers and cukes in water as I just discovered that they don’t crisp up, but get soft! The carrots were fine all week though.
When I had a burner free up, I made the Carrot Apple Ginger Soup using some beautiful garden carrots. Yes, my carrots are finally ready to harvest after planting tiny seeds way back on May 24. Happy!
Dare I say it turned out even better using my garden carrots? ;)
Once the prep work was done, I started assembling lunches.
First up, Monday’s lunch!
Monday’s Lunch featuring Avocado-Lime Black Bean Salad
Adapted from Avocado-Lime Black Bean Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 & 1/4 cup cooked black beans (from 1/2 cup dry)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or herb of choice)
- 1 avocado (cut this up and mix in just before serving)
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2-3/4 tsp ground cumin
- S & P, to taste
- Dash of maple syrup (or other sweetener), to taste
- Other snacks: 1/2 whole wheat pita OR use Gluten-free bread if required, Banana and nut butter (or sunflower seed butter for nut-free)
- Lemon water
1. Mix together the cooked black beans, chopped cilantro, and onion. In a small jar or bowl, shake or whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, S & P, and maple syrup, to taste.
2. Pour on the dressing and mix well. Season well to taste (I love adding Herbamare). Just before serving, chop avocado and mix into salad. Serve with 1/2 a whole wheat pita and a banana and nut or seed butter.
I had this lunch yesterday and it was delicious! (I forgot to include the avocado in the picture, but it really makes the salad.)
Up next, Tuesday’s lunch:
Tuesday’s Lunch featuring Carrot Apple Ginger Soup
Ingredients:
- Carrot Apple Ginger Soup (click for recipe) in a mason jar for portability
- 1 cup cooked millet (or quinoa), with Earth Balance, salt & pepper
- 1/3 cup Go Go Glow Mix (above)
- 1 plum
- Lemon Water
Be sure to heat up the millet with a bit of Earth Balance and seasoning. It’s also good mixing it into the carrot soup.
All the prep work I did yesterday took me the entire morning (about 4 hours), but I’m glad that I did it now because I have a ton of food prepped for the week.
Here is a grocery list, if you want to follow along. Keep in mind that it’s just a guide and you can make any modifications that you desire! I just used mostly what I had on hand…I’m not suggesting you go out and buy the entire list, but get creative and see what you can use in your own pantry and fridge. :)
What I used (for mains + all snacks)
Grains + Legumes + seeds + nuts
- 1/2 cup dry brown rice
- 1/2 cup dry black beans (or 1 can)
- 1/2 cup dry chickpeas (or 1 can)
- 1/2 cup dry millet or quinoa
- 1/2 cup dry lentils
- Mary’s GF Crackers or other crackers
- Whole wheat pita or GF bread
- Nut or seed butter
- 1-2 tbsp hemp seeds (or seed of choice)
- hummus or other spread
- nuts (I used a couple tbsp walnuts)
Fruit + vegetables
- 1 pear
- 1-2 plums
- 1 peach
- 1 apple
- 1 banana
- 1 lime
- 2 lemons
- 1 orange
- 1 red pepper
- 1 cucumber
- 2 lbs carrots
- jar of Roasted red peppers or homemade
- fresh herbs (I used parsley and cilantro)
- garlic
- 1 avocado
- 4 inch piece fresh ginger
- 2-3 cups Leafy greens (romaine, kale etc)
- Red onion
- Sweet onion
- Green onion (or just use onion of choice)
Other:
- Vegetable broth (4 cups)
- cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes (if you like adding a kick of spice)
- garlic powder or if you prefer, mince fresh cloves
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Dijon mustard
- maple syrup (or other sweetener)
- apple cider vinegar (or balsamic for dressing)
- Scant ground nutmeg
- Go Go Glow Mix: 1/2 cup each: Goji berries (I got 3/4 cup to use extra for salad), chocolate covered cacao nibs (or choc chips), mulberries, almonds, dried cranberries
- Chocolate :)
I sincerely hope I didn’t forget anything on this list!
In Part 2, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday’s lunches are coming on up! Click here for the post.
Like many of you, I was touched deeply by the tragedies of 9/11. I’m watching along today and sending my thoughts to those innocent lives that were lost and families and friends who were impacted. Bless you all…
I am ULTRA excited to see this post :D:D dark chocolate makes going to school and work that much easier!
please please please do this again! very very helpful!
Wow! What a fantastic post! Cannot wait for part two.
What an awesome post! You “glow” girl :)
This was an awesome post! I’m really into growing my own food, but I don’t have a big enough yard right now to be self-sufficient. I’m growing lots of tomatoes though and I logged in to get your roasted tomato basil pesto recipe. However, I had to read this post first. I love your meal plan and time saving tips. I can tell I will be using this post a lot….and I love all the recipes of you using produce from your garden. It just adds something special to your recipes and their creativity :-)
Thank you Brooke :) Enjoy the pesto!
Angela this post is SO comprehensive. Wow!!
The cheat sheet is very helpful!
And the trail mix, the chopped veggies, yes…I do that too to stay organized for lunches.
I need that carrot ginger soup in my life. Looks soooo yummy.
And packing lunches, getting things ready for the week, having produce cut up and on hand, having homemade snackie items in baggies or saranwrap is such a timesaver and money saver. I am all about it!
wowza – this is one awesome post! Thankyou so much for sharinG!
These lunches look great! Can’t wait to see what else you’ve got in store for us hungry readers. My packed lunch of leftovers is looking like it needs an upgrade glow-style.
def my favourite post of yours ever (that’s saying something!) Thanks so much for the work that went into this! I can def. see this being a new sunday routine :)
thanks Danielle! To be honest, I didn’t know if it would help at all, but I’m glad that you feel that it has :)
Excellent! I was just thinking to myself that I should google some healthy lunch ideas. Thanks so much, this is very useful!
I just love this post. And I just love your blog! Thank you for helping those of us who want (but may not know exactly HOW) to eat healthy!
Great post today! Everything looks lovely!
What an awesome post! I can’t wait to try these lunches!
Wow! That looks yummy and healthy!
Well isn’t this prettiest post? :) I just bought some Goji berries. They are a special (expensive) treat for me but I love them so much!
I agree…once and a while I buy some and it’s a nice treat (and you feel so healthy for eating them too)
OMG, I LOVE this post!! Thank you so much for doing this!! Working 2 jobs leaves me little time for meal prep during the week, so this is AWESOME. I’ve eaten one too many (plain, boring) salad for lunches lately..
THANK YOU!! :-)
Ange, this is amazing. Thank you! It’s going to be in my bookmarks list forever :D
Thank you for posting how to cook millet! I’ve wondered for a long time and haven’t gotten around to looking it up!
Angela I love this post! I always am looking for healthy lunch ideas, and these look perfect. Plus, I mentioned to you that my friend is switching over to Veganism and she told me she is so excited to try these recipes. Thanks for putting this together!
I hope she likes them! :)
wow, so many great ideas! thanks!
The timing of this post is impeccable! Today I just picked up {for the first time} a bunch of dried chickpeas, black beans and great northern beans in an attempt to save a bit of $$ at the grocery store since these items are staples in my kitchen! Having never used dried before, I was a little intimidated — thanks so much for the detailed info! Secondly, it’s tough to plan and prepare healthy balanced lunches without falling into a rut! Thanks for all the great ideas!! :)
Love this! Thanks for figuring this out. I will have to try it next week!
Thanks so much for posting this! I’m a full time student in Calgary without the funds to buy expensive lunches at school and I’m always looking for new ideas so I won’t get bored and “cheat” by purchasing something :) I’ve recently given up meat and really love new ideas for meat free lunches that will hold me over through the day. Can’t wait to see the rest of the lunch ideas! Thanks again for taking the time to do this!
Stacey
It’s amazing how much work you put in your posts! Everything looks sooo beautiful!! (and yummy)
Thank you so much for posting this! My boyfriend and I have been slowly transitioning to a vegan diet, and today he decided (after we watched Forks Over Knives) to go for it 100%. Right away he asked “what are we going to eat for lunches?” So I know we will be turning to your page for ideas! I already made him a batch of your blueberry muffins for breakfast tomorrow, and he was pleasantly surprised with the results of vegan baking! Keep the great recipes coming!
This is fantastic, thank you so much! My child just started Kindergarten and has to bring a snack and lunch every day – this post is exactly what I was looking for!
I am so glad you did a post on lunches because I have not been very creative lately. These look so good! I can’t wait to see the next post! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for this post!! I am in college and have a four year old daughter–between the two of us we are vegetarian, no-dairy, soy or gluten…so lunches on the go are both necessary and challenging. THANK YOU!!!! This post was especially appreciated!
That would be challenging Alexi, I hope it helps you a bit!
that soup looks out-of-this-world!
Great post ~ and I loved the picture of all the food you got with $3.50!!! Some people think being a vegetarian is more expensive than being a meat-eater; I don’t get it.
Thank you so much for this post! I rarely make anything with more than 1-2 servings, and when I do I find that I don’t want to eat it for four more days :P These look AMAZING, and I’m so excited to make them tomorrow! :)
Could the carrot apple ginger soup be served chilled too? I’m always looking for lunches that don’t require reheating in the microwave.
Good question! I have had a few spoonfuls chilled and it was pretty good, but I def. prefer it served heated.
Thanks!
Girl, love the time, passion and love you put into every post!! You rock this food world :)
xxoo
Kris
This is great! I am always looking for new things to take to work. I can’t wait to make the Carrot Apple soup, it looks delicious and so colorful! Most appreciated.
Happy Monday!
This is a great idea! I hate having to get up early to make food for lunch. However, I’ve heard that once you cut a vegetable it loses loads of its nutrients/vitamins? Quick google search says yes – but opinions differ as to how much is lost. I’d be very interested to know what your take is on this? Or anyone elses?
I’ve heard that too and have also read mixed info on it. I think for myself, it’s more important that I have the veggies accessible because then at least I know I will eat them. Half the battle for me is the prep work. I find when I don’t have them ready to eat, I often eat something else for convenience. So the way I see it is that veggies are better than no veggies, but maybe I should start drinking the soaking water? (joking!)
I agree! And I don’t really notice a difference in the way they make me feel! so in the end it’s a win win…. win (an office reference just for you!)
heh :)
This is one of the most useful/practical blog posts I have ever read! Thanks!
Carrot Apple Soup….Mmmmmm! Looks so good! :-)
Thanks so much for this post!
I feel like a big dork now, can you put any cut veggies in a dish with water? I cut up radishes, cauliflower, celery and broccoli to use everyday and the biggest problem I have is them drying out. Do you need to change out the water every day?
I’m not sure to be honest. I wouldn’t suggest soaking the peppers as I found mine got a bit soft, but I had good results with the carrots and cukes. Let me know if you try any other veggies!
You make it all so infectious, you write with such Zest that it always puts a grin on my face x
Thanks hun!
This is a crazy helpful post…not just the lunch ideas, but the whole spectrum of grain/legume prep, money saving, etc.
Your posts are always wonderful, but I’ll be bookmarking this one for later use!
This might be my favorite post of yours to date! I’m always looking for new lunch ideas. And you nailed it when you said things had to be prepped on Sunday. I love the idea of using a mason jar for soup!! I sometimes freeze the soup so it doesn’t spill in my gym back on the way to work but this is much better idea! thank you :)
Angela! This is one of my all time favorite posts you’ve made! So, so informative and delicious! It’s so good to plan meals ahead of time. I’m in school right now and there’s nothing worse than being pressed for time and being forced to buy a meal out that is lacking nutrients!
Great ideas!
I HAVE to try the carrot ginger!
Oh I so needed this post right now. I just started a new job and I’ve had difficulty packing lunches. Thanks! The granola mix sounds great, I’ve never tried goji berries or mulberries so I might start out with just one and create an adapted version! By the way, I brought your no bake chocolate peanut butter crispies with peanut butter fudge (with a few adaptations) to work and everyone loved them!!
I’m glad to hear they were a hit. :) I hope the lunch posts help you too!
What a great challenge! This makes life so much easier for those of us that have to pull some long days away from the kitchen. Thank you!
Thank you for these great ideas!! I am going to head into the kitchen armed with these tips today!:)
so excited about these!! Had to cut out dairy & gluten a few months ago, and while I love salads I’m excited to try something new (and the Clean Food cookbook rocks!)
I love this post! Thanks!! :D
I love the Avocado and Black Bean Salad! So good! It was actually the very firsy recipe I made off of OSG and it brought me back wanting more! :) Love this!
I made your avo-black bean salad for a bbq at my house and it was a huge hit! I make it at least once every two weeks! So tasty! Thanks for the lunch ideas, I really have been struggling with what to bring to work so I’ll definitely keep this in mind this week :)