Super Simple Work Lunches

image courtesy of Vera Bradley website

 If you're a working mom/woman, you know what it's like to stand at your fridge each evening (or morning...I tend to make my lunch the night before so I'm less rushed in the morning, leaving me more time for coffee!) trying to figure out what to pack that's low in bad carbs, low in sugar, high in protein and low in fat. Because my lunch break is only 30 minutes due to my teaching contract, I really cannot go out to a local cafe for lunch although there are times I've used the Panera app to do the curbside pick up option as the closest one is only a 3 minute drive away.  But honestly?  those meals are full of sodium and fats so bringing my own lunch works best for healthful eating.

Here are some of the types of lunch foods I tend to rely on for quick, nutritious mid-day meals and snacks.  Try some!

• Rice cakes with nut butter:  I favor the apple-cinnamon rice cakes and I always have some kind of peanut butter or almond butter on hand.  My current fave is the Saratoga Peanut Butter Company's Maple Peanut Butter.  I put a couple of tablespoons in a tiny container, add a plastic knife (can be re-used if washed in the dishwasher, top rack or by hand) and stick the rice cakes in the new paper bags (recyclable!).  I also add to my lunch sak the following:

                      a fresh apple or clementine

                       a container of fresh, raw veggies:  baby carrots, cucumber slices, green, red, and yellow pepper strips, grape tomatoes

                    these fig bars for something "sweet"

image courtesy of Nature's bakery website

• Another lunch idea I go to often:  Leftovers!  things like homemade chili and cornbread; homemade soups and flaxseed, multi-grain crackers; left over casserole type dishes like chicken-broccoli bake or sweet potato casserole.  I also include fresh fruit with this (apple, clementine or berries like blackberries, raspberries and blueberries) or a handful of lightly salted almonds and a few pieces of dried fruit like pineapple or bananas. 

• Sandwich day:  I typically bring one sandwich a week to work.  I usually make the following on Naan rounds or multi-grain bread:  I spread both sides with lemon-garlic hummus (or sometimes roasted red pepper hummus...my 2 faves) and add fresh baby spinach and/or romaine lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced cucumbers, red, green or yellow/orange pepper strips.  It's so yummy and the hummus gives you protein and there's no animal fat in this type of sandwich option.  If I do choose to eat meat one day, it's oven roasted thinly sliced turkey from the deli. I add to the bread some light vegan Hellmanns or spicy mustard, baby spinach or romaine lettuce, sliced onion, a slice of tomato and sometimes 1 slice of thin cheddar cheese. Finish packing your bag with some lightly salted tortilla chips (I'm into the new brand called Late July thin and crispy lime tortilla chips) and a protein bar like the new One Plant brand or granola bar of your choice, plus a piece of fresh fruit. This gives you extra protein and usually lower sugar than packing cookies or brownies.  This is my fave:

• HUMMUS AND VEGGIES WITH PLANT-BASED CRACKERS: I tend to like any kind of flaxseed multi-grain cracker but I look for ones that have low sugar and salt content like any by Nature's Path or some of the other vegan brands. I choose a small container of hummus (about 1/4 c. worth) My current fave is Ithaca brand lemon-garlic.  I also love pine nut hummus and roasted red pepper hummus.  Add a small baggie or sandwich paper baggie of the crackers or pita chips.  Add raw fresh veggies of your choice.  Add a piece of fresh fruit:  currently my faves are clementines or gala apples; a pear; berries (whatever is in season or your fave).  Sometimes I add a container of those pick up and go fresh fruit in juice items like the low sugar grapefruit slices or the mandarin orange ones.  I tend to stick to apples or clementines though in the late autumn/winter months. Add to this lunch a fig bar or a piece of organic dark chocolate/vegan chocolate...I tend to bring an ounce of one of the Endangered Species bars or I stick to a fig bar or the one plant brand mentioned above for when I crave a sweet. 

• SOUP AND CRACKERS:  somedays, and when I have these on hand or I know the weather is cold, I like to pack one of the following quick soups:  no bowl is needed!!  You can sip right out of the container or pour into a bowl you leave at work.  My faves are these because they are low in sodium and sugar and are plant-based: 

These are huge favorites of mine and I simply pack some crackers to go with them:  flaxseed multi-grain or low salt ritz crackers work well.  I add in some raw veggies like raw broccoli, sliced cukes and a piece of fresh fruit.  

Those are usually the items I bring to work for lunch.  Once in awhile if we have leftover pizza (we like to make homemade veggie za), I will bring that along with a small side salad.  

I tend to use leftovers as my lunch base especially in the winter months.

Try some and let me know how you like these ideas!!

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