Lunchbox ideas
Who gets fed up of the same lunch over and over again? Or gets stuck trying to think of new lunch ideas? I know I do! So I have taken the time to research and find some good, healthy, balanced lunch ideas to keep you satisfied whether you're on the building site or in the office.
Sandwiches
Ham, cheese and homemade pickle bloomer
This classic sandwich was taken from BBC Good Food, I think it's a great way to re-nourish your body and keep you fueled throughout the day. The pickle can be made in advance to give it time to infuse, this also means making the sandwich takes just 10 minutes to make!
(serves 2)
Half red onion
4 radishes
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Pinch of golden caster sugar
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp dijon mustard or wholegrain mustard
4 thick slices white bread
Half a 130g pack of smoked ham
Handful fresh parsley
2 large slices cheddar
For the pickle
This can be made the night before or a minimum of 20 minutes before being used so it has the chance to pickle. Finely slice the red onion and radishes before placing in a bowl with the red wine vinegar and caster sugar.
For the sandwich
Mix the mayonnaise with the mustard, then spread it onto the bread. Fill the sandwich with the smoked ham, parsley and cheddar. Drain the pickled onion and radishes and place on top. It is then ready to eat! This can be accompanied by a side of salad and even some baked crisps.
Roasted vegetables and goats cheese
As a massive fan of roasted vegetables, I think placing them in some crusty bread with a tangy goats cheese just accentuates the flavour even more! Not only are the flavours amazing, it is balanced with vitamins and minerals of the vegetables with protein from the cheese and carbohydrates from the bread. Perfect for a busy day at work!
(serves 2)
Half red onion
Half red pepper
2 large mushrooms/4 small mushrooms
Drizzle of olive oil
25g goats cheese
Handful basil
2 ciabatta rolls
For the roasted vegetables
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6. Chop the vegetables and drizzle them in olive oil so they brown slightly whilst in the oven. Place them in the oven for around 25 minutes or until they are roasted to your liking.
For the sandwich
Cut the ciabatta rolls and spread them with the goats cheese. Stack the roasted vegetables in the rolls and sprinkle with the basil. This can then be placed in your lunchbox and eaten when ready!
Leftover pork club sandwich
The great thing about cooking joints of meat, are that the left overs can be used for lunches throughout the week. Say you're having a pork Sunday roast, instead of throwing away the left over meat why not use it in your sandwich like this one from Tesco.
(serves 6)
12 slices multi-grain bread, toasted
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 little gem lettuces, shredded
2 large tomatoes, sliced
100g mature cheddar, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Half lemon, juiced
Salt
Pepper
200g leftover pork, shredded
Preheat the grill to high and toast the bread on both sides. Spread each slice of toast on one side with a little mayonnaise. On four of the slices, layer up the lettuce, tomato and Cheddar and finish with another slice of toast, mayonnaise side up.
In a medium bowl, combine the oil, honey, mustard, lemon juice and seasoning. Add the pork and toss to coat well. Lay the shredded pork on top of the second slice of toast and top with the final slice. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally and secure in place with cocktail sticks.
Dessert/Snacks
Flapjacks
Flapjacks are great nutritious power houses, full of energy filled oats and nuts jam packed with healthy fats. The great thing about these snack bars is that due to the majority of it being oats and these being a slow release carbohydrate, it will keep you going all day!
50g coconut oil
50g pure butter 3 heaped tbsp maple syrup/honey
150g oats
150g dates
50g raisins
50g chopped mixed nuts
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5. Melt the coconut oil, butter and maple syrup/honey in a saucepan until it is all combined. Turn of the heat and mix in the oats until all the oats are covered.
De-stone the dates and put them in the food processor with a small amount of water, mixing until they form a sticky paste. Add this, along with the raisins and mixed nuts, to the oat mixture and mix until well combined.
Bake this in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden. Leave to cool and then slice into pieces.
Hummus
I absolutely adore hummus! It is an absolutely perfect accompaniment to vegetable sticks and crackers whilst getting in a few of your 5 a day. It is also so versatile, you can add various herbs, spices and even vegetables like beetroot to add even more goodness (and it's purple!).
2 400g tins of chickpeas
5 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp water
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp tahini
1 tsp cumin
Salt
Pepper
Blend all of the ingredients and you have your basic hummus mixture! You can now experiment with all different add-ins, coriander, beetroot, roasted red pepper or even harissa for an extra Moroccan flavour!
Trail mix
Trail mix is a fabulous lunchbox snack as it can be varied every day! Including small treats like dark chocolate keep cravings at bay whilst boosting your happy hormones!
Components of trail mix:
Nuts - pistachios (keeps the heart healthy), almonds (development and health of the brain) or cashews (protects the eyes against cataracts)
Dried fruit - blueberries (full of antioxidants), raisins (relief from constipation) or apricots (high in dietary fiber)
Seeds - hemp (rich in omega 3 and 6) or pumpkin (important for immunity)
Sweets - dark chocolate (powerful source of antioxidants) or peanut butter chips (source of healthy fat)
Grains - granola or pretzels (source of energy)
