Preparing lunch for work sounds like such a hassle, doesn’t it? Many working people say there’s just no time to fix a lunch pack before rushing out the door. And if they do pack a lunch, it’s usually hurriedly thrown together and by the time they unwrap it at lunchtime, it’s limp and lost its freshness.
With just a bit of planning and forethought, however, you’ll be well on your way to healthy and tasty lunches at work. Preparing your own fresh light summer meals is not only healthier but you’ll save money by not buying lunch every day.
Summer work lunch prep
Coming up with great lunches simply requires getting organized. Here are four work lunch hacks that will have you whipping up great summer recipes in no time. Making your own delicious and healthy lunches at work really is easier than you think. You just need to be clever about it.
Prepare in advance
Taking time in the evening to prepare your light summer meals will save you time in the morning. Chop up veggies or slice up meat ahead of time and either assemble your meal in the morning or take them to work and put it all together there.
If you like making your own salad dressings, make them ahead of time and take it to work in a sealed glass jar to avoid leakage. This will prevent the awful soggy salad which results when a salad is soaked in a dressing for hours before eating. When lunchtime arrives, just drizzle the dressing over and enjoy a crisp salad.
Some people are so well-organized that they cook and prepare all their meals for the week over the weekend, store them in the freezer and just grab and go in the mornings.
Stock your kitchen properly
Keeping your fridge and pantry stocked with the following staples will mean you can put together your summer work lunch quickly.
- Veggies and greens. Buy them weekly and you’ll have them on hand to throw a salad or stir-fry together.
- Pasta. Pasta meals and salads are easy to prepare so always make sure there are different types of pasta in your pantry.
- Canned tuna. Tuna works well for salads and pasta or can just be used for a sandwich.
- Burger patties. Fry up a patty or two the night before, take along to work with buns and greens and you’ve got a quick burger.
- Cottage cheese and hummus. Both work well for spreading on bread or adding to other dishes and are perfect for a mid-afternoon snack on some crackers.
- Eggs. Hard-boiled eggs are protein-rich and surprisingly filling. It’s another food that you can cook the night before.
- Cheese. Cheddar, feta, or brie, whatever takes your fancy. Cheese is ideal to add to a variety of lunch meals.
- Nuts, fruit, and berries. These are great for snacking during the day and for adding to various salads or grains like couscous and quinoa.
- Pates, sauces, and dips. If you can keep these in your office kitchen, they’ll be readily available.
Pack smartly
One of the best work lunch hacks is using Mason jars. They’re ideal for layering salads and you can layer them in such a way that the “wet” ingredients like tomatoes or pineapple can sit at the bottom while your leafy greens can be placed on top to keep them crisp. Then simply decant into a bowl, toss it all up, pour the salad dressing you prepared the night before over and enjoy.
Other useful containers include takeout containers with separate compartments and plastic containers in various sizes so you have a container for anything from a big hearty stew to the smallest ingredients like nuts.
Use leftovers
During summer, make the most of any leftovers like roast chicken or beef. Whip up a green salad or a cold noodle salad and toss in the leftover meat. Leftover meat can also be thinly sliced and used for a sandwich or wrap. Or just cook a little more of that meal and take some of the extra food to work. Remember to pack it immediately after dinner so you’re ready to go in the morning.
Summer recipes we love
Tired of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Try these three healthy light summer meals that we know you’ll love.
Quinoa salad with cherries and feta
Quinoa has health and nutrition experts buzzing. It’s a grain that an excellent source of protein, is gluten-free, high in fiber, and contains all nine essential amino acids.
Ingredients:
2 cups cherries
Kosher salt
2 cups quinoa
3 tablespoons minced shallot
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
Directions:
- Pit the cherries into a small mixing bowl, and let sit so that some of their juices will drain into the bowl.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, add the quinoa to a fine-mesh strainer, and rinse thoroughly under cool water. Add the quinoa to the boiling water, and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the quinoa is just barely al dente and strain.
- Add an inch of water to the quinoa pot, set the fine-mesh strainer (with the cooked quinoa still in it) inside the pot; make sure the quinoa doesn’t touch the water. Cover with a dish towel and the pot’s lid, turn the heat up to high, and steam for 3-5 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and no longer waterlogged. Turn the quinoa out into a large mixing bowl and fluff it up with a fork.
- Slice the pitted cherries into thin rounds and set aside in another small bowl.
- Add the minced shallot, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the bowl that the cherries were pitted into (to make use of the cherry juices). Whisk to combine.
- Drizzle the dressing over the warm quinoa. Add the parsley, feta, and almonds, and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt.
Sesame-ginger soba noodle salad
Not only is this meal packed with lovely Asian flavors, it’s also incredibly simple to prepare. Best of all, if you made for supper the night before, it will be perfect for leftovers and taste even better the next day.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon chili oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 9.5-ounce package soba noodles
1 bunch asparagus, ribboned
2 red bell peppers, roasted and sliced, or 1 cup jarred roasted bell peppers, drained
2 large handfuls mung bean sprouts
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Directions:
- Whisk together the oils, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, ginger, and garlic in a large mixing bowl.
- Cook the soba noodles until tender but not mushy. Drain them and then rinse with cool water or dunk in an ice bath until the noodles are at room temperature. Drain off excess water, and then add the noodles, asparagus, bell peppers, mung bean sprouts, scallions, sesame seeds, and cilantro to the dressing, tossing to coat.
Spicy shrimp and citrus salad
Say goodbye to the boring salad. This recipe makes a salad exciting! It’s bursting with summery citrus colors and flavors.
Ingredients:
3-4 cups spinach, kale, or lettuce
1 grapefruit, cut into segments
1 orange, cut into segments
1 blood or cara cara orange, cut into segments
1/2 red onion, sliced
For the spicy shrimp:
15-20 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Pinch cayenne powder
For the grapefruit vinaigrette:
1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons avocado or extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon honey
Pinch of fine sea salt
Directions:
- Put spinach, kale, or lettuce in a bowl. Then add the citrus segments and onion.
- In another bowl, coat shrimp with chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic, sea salt, and cayenne powder.
- Heat oil in a skillet and add in shrimp.
- Let it cook for 8 minutes, tossing often until shrimps are fully cooked and opaque.
- While the shrimp cooks, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
- Add shrimp over salad base.
- Pour dressing over and serve.
Hopefully, these summer lunch ideas will help you reinvent your work lunch and have you saying goodbye to greasy fast food and nuked microwaved meals.
Recipes from Popsugar.com and Lexiscleankitchen.com.