Healthy Lunches in a Hurry or on the GO

  • Ali

 

When it comes to eating healthy lunches when I’m busy my ‘Go To’ is a favourite shake. I love the way a Vegan protein shake fills me up, satisfies my hunger and helps me stay energised all afternoon and into the evening. But I sometimes feel that talking about healthy shakes isn’t for everyone. For those of you who still want a healthy lunch and who prefer to have a breakfast shake here’s a few of my favourite go to salads to snack on when I’m super busy.

I make all these in mason jars so that they stay super fresh (sometimes for days) and add the dressing at the last minute. Let me know what your favourite salad jar contains and I'll have an experiment. I love trying out new flavours.

 

Vegan salad with Creamy Hemp Dressing

Hulled hemp seeds (also known as hemp hearts) are nutritional powerhouses. They are packed with omega 3 fatty acids. Many think hemp seeds contain the perfect omega 3-6-9 fatty acid balance for the body, reducing inflammation and giving the skin, hair, and nails a gorgeous glow. They are also high in protein, meaning that even your salad dressing is packing a protein punch. As a young vegetarian getting enough protein into my diet was a real struggle so salad dressings that add any extra is a real blessing.

I love salad dressings that are super easy too and this is just that. Simply throw everything in the blender and blitz. It seems quite thin when you first pour it but don’t worry, it will thicken up.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan salt, to taste

You could add your own fresh herbs to give it a different twist too. Let me know what you love best.

For the Salad:

  • lettuce
  • baby tomato
  • avacado
  • shredded carrot
  • roasted delicata squash (the long yellow one with the green stripes) – or other squash (I often use butternut) or sweet potato
  • Pomegranate seeds
  • pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Directions:

  1. For the salad dressing: Add all dressing ingredients into a high-speed blender and blitz on high until smooth. Adjust salt to taste. The dressing will appear thin at first, but it thickens up after being chilled in the fridge.
  2. For roasting the squash or sweet potato: Preheat oven to 375F, 180C and line a baking sheet with baking paper. If using a Delicata squash there is no need to peel the skin off the squash, as it's thin and edible. Slice the stem off the squash and then slice in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard them. Slice each half into small, 1/2-inch half-moons. Lay flat on the baking tray and drizzle with coconut oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat both sides. Roast for around 25-35 minutes, flipping squash half way through baking. The squash should be fork tender and lightly golden when ready.

To assemble the salad:

Add a generous amount of lettuce into your jar. Top with squash, avocado, shredded carrot, tomato, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate and the dressing.

Dressing will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for at least a week, probably longer – it just doesn’t last that long in our house!!!

If you’re taking this to work, add the dressing to a small jar and take separately then assemble when you are ready to eat.

 

Protein packed Salad Jar with Tahini lemon dressing

Ingredients

Tahini dressing

  • 1/4 cup Tahini (organic if possible)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2- 3 lemons)
  • 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2-3/4 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt + freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 3 tbsp water, or as needed

Salad

  • 1 cup uncooked green lentils – this will yield 2 & 3/4 cups cooked lentils
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa or grain of choice, like brown rice
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil, for sautéing
  • 1/2 large red onion (1 & 1/3 cups), chopped
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 red  pepper, chopped
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 3 cups fresh spinach or kale, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 batch of Tahini Lemon Dressing (recipe below)
  • Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste
  • Lemon Wedges & lemon zest, to garnish

Directions

Tahini dressing

1. In a food processor, add all ingredients and process until smooth. This should make approx 1 cup dressing. Place in the fridge to chill.

Salad

1. Cook lentils and quinoa (or rice) according to pack directions. I do this the night before to save time. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large pan over a low to medium heat, add your coconut oil and sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic for a few minutes, being careful not to burn. Now add in the chopped red pepper and tomato and sauté for another 7-8 minutes.

4. Stir in the chopped kale or spinach and sauté for another few minutes, until just tender. Stir in the full batch of Tahini Lemon dressing, the cooked & drained grains and lentils, and simmer on low for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the minced parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with lemon wedges and zest.

If not eating straight away place in a mason jar in the fridge and enjoy for lunch the following day.

 

Ground Turkey Brown Rice jars!

Ingredients

Salsa

6 ripe tomatoes roughly shopped

1 bunch of fresh coriander 

1 onion peeled and roughly chopped

2 fresh jalapeño or other chillies 

1 large clove of garlic peeled

1-2 limes 

extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients (except tomatoes) to a blender and blitz until smooth. Add tomatoes and blitz again until tomatoes are the consistency you prefer. I like a smooth’ish’ salsa. If you prefer more chunks simply chop the tomatoes and stir into the blitzed herbs.
  2. Squeeze in the juice from 1 lime, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and mix well. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and more lime juice, if needed.
  3. Serve straightaway or to enhance the flavours cover and set aside for a few hours to let all those flavours develop.

Salad

1 teaspoon coconut oil
500g lean turkey mince (organic if possible) 
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1-2 tablespoons chili powder (you can always add more)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 can organic Black Beans, rinsed and drained

For the rice bowls:

2 cups cooked brown rice
sliced avocado
shredded lettuce
chopped tomato
 

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pan over a medium high heat. Add the turkey mince and break up with a wooden spoon.

As your turkey is browning, add your pepper, onion, garlic and spices to the meat mixture. Continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes until veggies are softened and turkey is cooked through.

Add black beans and salsa to turkey mixture and gently stir to combine. Turn off heat.

Build your rice bowls by adding a scoop of brown rice to your bowl, then topping with turkey and black bean mixture

Add toppings of choice but I love to add shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, avocado, and more salsa.

 

Chicken Nachos

Ingredients

coconut oil

2 sweet potatoes, thinly sliced (I use a mandolin)

1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

500g boneless skinless chicken breast chopped
1/4 cup guacamole – see below
1/4 cup salsa – see above
3 spring onions, thinly slice
1 jalapeños, thinly sliced

Guacamole

Ingredients

·       ½ - 1 chilli finely chopped

·       handful coriander, roughly chopped

·       1 tomato or 4 cherry tomatoes cut in half

·       1/2 small onion, roughly chopped

·       1 garlic clove roughly chopped

·       1 tablespoon lime juice

·       1 ripe avocado – stone removed

·       salt to taste

Directions

1.     Add all the ingredients (except salt) to a food processor or mini chopper and blend until roughly chopped

Taste and add salt to taste and more lime juice, chilli or coriander if needed

Salad Directions


Preheat oven to 375°F and line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Slice sweet potatoes thinly, using a mandolin or potato peeler. Watch your fingers.
Melt coconut oil on baking sheet then lay sweet potatoes on top and bake until crispy. Remove, let cool, and set side.
Once ready to assemble, top sweet potato nachos with shredded chicken, guacamole, salsa, spring onions, jalapeños, and any other desired toppings.

 

Ultimate Green Smoothie

And if all this thought of food makes you want to opt out then check out this Ultra Green Smoothie— it’s jam-packed with your favorite greens and an extra nutritional boost from Arbonne’s vanilla protein powder and Green balance which provides one serving of fruit and vegetable but packs a huge punch as they come from 37 different fruit and vegetable varieties. Plus there are some healthy fats to keep you full and satisfied throughout the day.

Ingredients

Serves 1

Directions

1.Blend all ingredients together in blender and enjoy!