Weekday lunch ideas: You can take it to work! Here are simple recipes

Anice and simple lunch really doesn’t take much time. You can make it a lot easier by preparing in advance, for example, a mixture of spices, washed and sliced ​​vegetables, boiled eggs in their shells, etc.

There are also some ready-made food products that can be included in a healthy diet , such as integral tortillas, frozen vegetable and grain mixes, etc.

You can take all these dishes to work.

Ideas for lunch during the week

Below are ideas for lunch during the week

Lunch for two days

The combination of white meat, vegetables and nutritious cereals, i.e. pseudocereals such as quinoa, makes the meal complete and balanced. Make double portions and store in the refrigerator, so this meal can be your lunch for two days.

Ingredients:

• 500 g of turkey (cut into strips)
• 1 cup of quinoa
• 2 carrots (cut into rings)
• 2 cups of vegetable stock
• 1 red pepper (chopped)
• 1 red onion (chopped)
• 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 1 soup spoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of Mediterranean spice mix
• black pepper
• salt .

Preparation

1. Saute onion and garlic in heated olive oil until translucent, then add turkey and saute until browned.
2. Then add carrots and peppers and simmer for another minute.
3. Stir in the quinoa and pour over the vegetable stock and season. 
4. Cover the pot or pan and let the dish cook for about 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
5. Serve, if desired, with a bowl of fresh salad.
7. 

8. Veggie Bolognese

   If you like bolognese and want a little break from meat or are a vegetarian or vegan , here is a delicious vegan lunch.

   Ingredients:

   • 200 g of smoked tofu
   • 200 g whole spaghetti or lentil spaghetti
   • 1 red onion (chopped)
   • 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
   • 1 carrot (grated)
   • 1 red pepper (chopped)
   • 1 soup spoon of olive oil
   • 400 g of tomato sauce
   • half a teaspoon of dry basil
   • half a teaspoon of oregano
   • 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (vegan)
   • black pepper
   • salt
   • a few leaves of fresh basil .

   Preparation

   1. Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions , then drain and set aside.
   2. Sauté the onion and garlic in heated olive oil until they become translucent.
   3. Cut or blend the smoked tofu into pieces in a blender , then add it to the onion and garlic and simmer until slightly browned.
   4. Then add carrots and peppers and simmer for another minute until the vegetables are soft.
   5. Add the tomato sauce and all the spices except the fresh basil and let it simmer for a few minutes. 
   6. Then stir in the cooked spaghetti, sprinkle with parmesan or nutritional yeast and serve with a few leaves of fresh basil.

Pasta with salmon and spinach

For lovers of Mediterranean cuisine and fish, there is pasta with salmon and spinach. Although we like to eat salmon and spinach in combination with eggs and toast, we will leave that recipe for breakfast or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 salmon fillets
• 200 g of wholemeal pasta
• 200 g of fresh spinach
• 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 1 soup spoon of olive oil 
• juice of one lemon
• half a teaspoon of dry basil
• 1/4 teaspoon of dry parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
• black pepper
• salt .

Preparation

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions , then drain and set aside.
2. Sauté the garlic in heated olive oil , then add the spinach and season it with all the spices.
3. When the spinach is ready, leave it covered on the side.
4. Then fry the salmon fillets in a pan for a few minutes on each side , until it turns brown.
5. Add salmon, spinach and pasta and mix.
6. Add lemon juice and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Cauliflower puree with chicken

For those who want to try something new or different, without it being a complex dish, here is an idea. Instead of the classic mashed potatoes, make cauliflower puree and serve it with roasted chicken and grilled vegetables.

Ingredients for cauliflower puree:

• 1 head of cauliflower (washed and sliced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 2 soup spoons of butter
• 1/4 cup of regular milk or herbal drink 
• black pepper
• salt .

Other ingredients for the grill pan:

• 2 chicken fillets (cut into strips)
• 1 zucchini (cut into rings)
• 1 red pepper (cut into strips)
• 1/4 head of cabbage (cut into strips)
• 200 g of mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 red onion (cut into half moons)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• juice of one lemon
• black pepper
• salt .

Preparation

1. Boil the cauliflower so that it is covered with water, until it becomes soft, about 15 minutes.
2. When it is cooked, drain it and blend it .
3. Heat the butter in a pot , then sauté the garlic .
4. Add cauliflower, salt and pepper.
5. Return the mixture to the blender, blend and add milk or herbal beverage if necessary .
6. Then prepare the grilled chicken and vegetables .
7. In a bowl, prepare the marinade for the chicken by mixing lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
8. Marinate the chicken with the prepared mixture, while preparing the vegetables .
9. Roast the vegetables on the grill pan for about seven minutes until they soften and season as desired .
10. Take out the vegetables and fry the chicken in the same pan until it turns brown .
11. When the chicken is cooked, return the vegetables to the pan with the chicken and mix .
12. Serve the chicken with vegetables along with the cauliflower puree.

Quick meals for lunch

The above recipes do require a little more preparation because they involve baking or stewing, but you can always make double portions.

Quick and easy tortillas

For those working days when you have a minimum of time to prepare lunch, tortillas are a lifesaver.

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces of integral tortillas
• 1 cup canned beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella (sliced)
• 3 soup spoons of chopped paprika
• half a cup of grated cabbage
• green leafy vegetables of your choice ( arugula , spinach , lettuce ).

Ingredients for the sauce:

• 1 avocado (mashed)
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• juice of one lemon
• 1 clove of garlic (chopped)
• 1 soup spoon of freshly chopped parsley
• black pepper
• salt .

Preparation

1. First, make the tortilla sauce by mashing the avocado and mixing it with the rest of the sauce ingredients.
2. Mix beans, vegetables and mozzarella in a bowl and season.
3. Heat the tortillas in a pan, then fill them with the previously prepared mixture of vegetables and mozzarella, add the sauce and roll up.
5. 

7. Salad for lunch

   Another nice and simple lunch is various salads. Add a variety of vegetables that do not require heat treatment, as well as proteins that you can consume immediately, such as tuna, and canned  beans .

   Ingredients:

   • 1 can of tuna from brine (drained)
   • 1 cup canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
   • half a green pepper (chopped)
   • half a red pepper (chopped)
   • half a cup of arugula
   • half a cup of baby spinach
   • half a cup of canned corn
   • 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds
   • black pepper
   • 2 soup spoons of freshly chopped parsley
   • salt .

   Ingredients for the sauce:

   • 1 soup spoon of olive oil
   • juice of half a lemon
   • 1 clove of garlic
   • 1 teaspoon of honey
   • black pepper
   • salt .

   Preparation

   1. First, make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
   2. Then mix vegetables, tuna, chickpeas and parsley in a bowl and season.
   3. Stir in the sauce and finally sprinkle with sunflower seeds.