3 Quick & Healthy Lunch Ideas for Work

This time of year is always so busy and so social. Keep your lunch on point to slay your day and maintain a little balance, with energy boosting antioxidants from the right kind of plant foods, stress-busting healthy fats, and metabolism loving proteins. Check out these three easy, healthy lunch ideas to boost your energy & stay focused!!

Ultimate Brain Boost Lunch

This isn’t exactly a recipe, it’s something even better – a recommendation from the world’s top experts on health and longevity on what exactly to eat for the ultimate brain boost! All you have to do is fill your plate with three things: wild caught seafood, something dark green and leafy, plus some dark berries or other dark and antioxidant-rich food.

One of these would do the trick:

• Salmon on a bed of spinach or mixed leaves, with a handful of blueberries for dessert

• Sardines with chopped, steamed greens like broccoli, asparagus, kale, all drizzled with black tahini and a squeeze of lime juice

• Or a vegan option; a scoop protein powder, with a serve of super-greens containing quality algae like spirulina/chlorella (we love Good Green Stuff) and a handful of frozen berries. Blitz and enjoy!

Green, Lean, Plant & Protein Wraps

This lunch idea is SO easy, super yummy and the perfect light, healthy, yummy lunch for girls on the go.

All you need is:

• Large leafed greens, like iceberg lettuce, or collard greens

• Avocado (always avocado!)

• Chopped mint, or spring onion, or herbs like oregano/chilli

• Protein of choice – we love organic sliced chicken or turkey, but you can also use tuna, or legumes, tempeh/tofu, or toasted grains/seeds like buckwheat, quinoa and sesame

• Mustard (optional)

Now do this:

• Wash and lay the greens flat

• Slice or smoosh the avocado, place it in the centre of the leaf

• Top with your protein of choice and herbs/flavours, plus the mustard

• Roll the leaf up as if it was a bread wrap

• Eat up!

Rainbow Abundance Bowl

This is one of our favourite, covers-all-bases lunch recipes from our new book. The chicken is optional – you can leave it out or replace it with avocado if you really want to amp up the antioxidant factor after a few big days (or nights!).

PRO Tip: The cinnamon and olive oil in the dressing are particularly anti-inflammatory, so don’t be afraid to drizzle generously.

What You’ll Need (Serves 2)

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• 2 cups of pumpkin, cut into cubes

• 2 cups rocket

• 1 capsicum, diced

• 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in halves

• 1 Lebanese cucumber, diced

• 1 lemon

Unstoppable

• 200g chicken breast, cut into small pieces OR quarter to half avocado

• 1/2 cup quinoa

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• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/2 avocado, sliced

• 1 tablespoon tahini

• Sea salt and pepper

What You’ll Do

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a tray with baking paper.

2. In a bowl, toss the pumpkin cubes and chicken with the olive oil, cinnamon and salt.

3. Place the pumpkin and chicken on the lined tray and cook in the oven for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

4. To cook the quinoa, add 1/2 cup quinoa and 1 cup of water to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Once, boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 15 minutes, until the water has absorbed and quinoa is cooked. You may need to add extra water. (Yields 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa).

5. Once all the cooked elements are complete, it’s time to build your bowl!

6. Arrange the rocket, capsicum, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, chicken, pumpkin, quinoa and avocado in your bowl. Finish with a drizzle of tahini and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.