Lunch In A Rush: 8 Time-Saving Healthy Food Recipes

You are either always in the rush, or if you aren’t, there are days when you wish you had made lunch the day before. People who work a lot know the struggle of being sick of eating the same unhealthy food that makes you fat and unproductive, since you feel bloated all the time.

Moreover, if you are at home and have a lot of obligations, and there is no time to play some music and play MasterChef, then you have to come up with a healthy solution made out of the leftovers from your fridge. That almost never works out, and in order to avoid eating just buttered bread and drinking milk from the cartoon, let’s go through some healthy meals recipes you can make in no time.

1. Gingered tofu and green veggie stir fry

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 125g mushrooms
• 300g broccoli, cut into florets
• 125g chopped curly kale
• 200g tofu, cubed
• 1-2 tbsp soy sauce or stock
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Put ginger, onion and garlic, in a wok or large pan with heated oil and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Then add broccoli, tofu, kale, mushroom and soy sauce. Cover and cook for 7 minutes. After it’s done, just sprinkle it with sesame seeds, and your meal is done.

So, it takes you only 10 minutes to make this delicious and nutritious meal, without much effort. You’ll need 5 minutes to peel and chop, but you can also prepare the vegetables the night before. So, when lunch time comes, you’ll just need to put everything in a wok and have your meal ready in ten minutes without any additional cooking.

The meal is tasty even if you don’t use mushrooms, as well as if you put chicken instead of tofu. If you aren’t a fan of soy sauce, spice it up with chili. Everything this meal consists of is healthy, and you should practice eating these foods, especially because of the health benefits of tofu, which is naturally gluten-free, and provides you with protein, calcium and iron, while broccoli is perfect for detoxification.

2. White Bean & Herb Hummus with Crudités

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup canned white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• assorted raw vegetables, such as chopped broccoli florets, sliced green or red peppers, and baby carrots

Take a small bowl and mix beans, oil, lemon juice and chives with a fork. When it becomes smooth, your meal is ready to be served. Add raw vegetables as suggested previously, and add some more if you like.

For this meal, you need just 5 minutes to prepare everything without much effort. It’s healthy, simple and delicious. Definitely perfect for a quick lunch, as you’ll get all the needed energy and stay healthy at the same time.

Don’t forget to add some of the vegetables you like or just have lying around in your kitchen. Chives go perfectly with these ingredients, and are perfect for your metabolism, as they provide you with lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. What many people don’t know is that chives need to be cut with a sharp knife and very gently, because the flavor will stay on the cutting board if you squash them with a dull blade.

3. Spiced quinoa with almonds & feta

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• ½ tbsp turmeric
• 300g quinoa , rinsed
• 50g toasted flaked almonds
• 100g feta cheese, crumbled
• handful parsley , roughly chopped
• juice ½ lemon

Boil 400ml water and add to it some vegetables of your choice. Take a large pan, put in the olive oil and all the spices. When it heats up, add quinoa, and when you hear popping, add boiling water and stir. When the water evaporates, let it cool down a bit, and add other ingredients. Mix with crumbled feta.

You will need 10 minutes for preparation, and it’ll need to be cooked for 15 minutes. Quinoa is a great complete source of protein, as it contains all nine essential amino acids. Instead of feta, you can also use blue cheese. It takes a bit longer to make it, but it’s really worth, as it will keep you going throughout the day. Don’t doubt the nutritional power of quinoa, and if the long day is front of you, make sure you make this meal.

4. Porridge with blueberry compote

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp porridge oats
• just under ½ x 200ml tub 0% fat Greek-style yogurt
• ½ x 350g pack frozen blueberries
• 1 tbsp honey (optional)

Put 400ml water in a pan, preferably of the nonstick variety, and stir for a minute or two until it thickness, and then add yogurt. Don’t use everything, add a third of it. Put blueberries in another, also nonstick pan, and add 1tbsp water and 1tbsp honey. Pour porridge in a bowl, and pour the rest of the yogurt, and blueberries over. Depending on your taste decide how much yogurt and blueberries you’ll put.

Quick, easy and tasty porridge with blueberry compote is perfect for a breakfast, but it can also be a brunch or even lunch, especially if you’ve already had brunch. It takes only 10 minutes to make – 5 minutes of preparation and 5 minutes of cooking.

Porridge oats provide you with fiber, which helps you lower cholesterol. You don’t need probiotic drinks, if you eat porridge oats, as they provide you with more than enough fiber to keep your stomach running smoothly.

5. Kale, Spinach & Pear Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 heaping cup spinach leaves
• 1 heaping cup chopped kale leaves
• 1/2 pear
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 1/2 cups cold almond milk (or soy milk or orange juice)
• 1 tablespoon honey

Put kale, almond milk and spinach in a blender. Don’t forget to remove the leaves from kale, and blend until there are only small pieces of kale. Add a banana, honey and a pear. Keep blending until it’s smooth.

With just a bit of healthy fats from the almond milk, not too many calories and 5g fiber it is a great help if you have digestion problems, as it eliminates toxins with fiber. Also, spinach is great source of niacin, protein and zinc, as well as fiber. When you add powerful healthy bananas, you get one of the healthiest smoothies to keep you energized and healthy until dinner time. You may have doubts about the taste, but be sure that the taste of this green smoothie will blow you away.

6. Open sandwiches – Crushed bean, artichoke & red onion

Ingredients:

• 1 slice granary bread
• 1 small can white bean
• basil oil
• artichoke heart, from a jar
• sundried tomatoes, from a jar
• few slices red onion

Put a little oil and white (haricot) beans in a bowl and mash. Throw it on a slice of bread, previously toasted if you like, and put an artichoke, tomatoes and red onion on top. Feel free to top with basil oil.

This sandwich is very quick and easy to make, and because it is very nutritious, it can be a perfect lunch in a rush. If you have just 5 minutes to eat, this sandwich will keep you healthy and energized. The haricot beans are rich in fiber, and as such help lower cholesterol. Moreover, they prevent rapid rising of blood sugar levels right after a meal. If you are a diabetic, and you have planned meals, when you are in a rush this sandwich will definitely be perfect for you. The combination of extremely healthy artichoke hearts, haricot beans and onions makes for one healthy and tasty lunch.

7. Bold & beautiful coffee smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana
• 8g chia seeds
• 125ml coconut water
• 1 tsp ground almonds
• 1 shot of espresso

This smoothie is so simple. Just put all ingredients in a blender, and blend until it’s smooth. This smoothie recommended by Jamie Oliver is usually a great breakfast. But, if you had a light brunch, then this smoothie will be a perfect addition. The worst mistake is not to have a snack at lunchtime, because of a late breakfast or light brunch, as your body needs energy to keep you focused and productive. Also, the greatest reason is definitely your health.

The night before, put a banana in the freezer, as it is the most important ingredient of this smoothie. Except for that, this smoothie doesn’t require a long preparation. While coconut water keeps you hydrated, the health benefits of coffee shouldn’t be neglected either. Except for boosting your physical performance, coffee is rich in antioxidants, which is the reason it is included in many diets. Moreover, chia seeds provide you with omega 3 healthy acids and protein.

8. Fresh Cranberry and Orange Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2/3 cup frozen cranberries
• 2 oranges, peeled, segmented, and seeded
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

Combine everything in a blender, and when it is smooth, serve it. As this smoothie is a replacement for your lunch, and is also recommended if you had something to eat a bit later in the morning, make sure you use full-fat Greek yogurt. You need some energy to keep you going until dinner, so don’t think that you will gain weight because of half a cup of yogurt.

However, if you are having this smoothie as a snack after a big meal, then use non-fat yogurt. As smoothies can negatively impact your teeth, particularly ones with highly acidic fruits like oranges, make sure to brush your teeth or at least rinse with water after you’ve had this quick meal. On the other hand, cranberries are always a plus, as they prevent germs from sticking to your teeth. Also, they are good for preventing urinary tract infections, and improving immune functions.

Lunch is an important meal, which needs to keep you fueled and focused, while making sure you stay healthy. Avoid junk food, as there are no health benefits and plenty of downsides. When it comes to smoothies, they can be a great replacement for a lunch, when you are in a rush, but make sure it doesn’t happen every day.

These meals will definitely help you get the needed vitamins, fiber, some iron and proteins, but still it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spend at least one day in the kitchen preparing something more complex. If you had a light and early breakfast, it is not recommended to have a smoothie for lunch, but as you are in a rush, opt for gingered tofu or spiced quinoa. Bon appétit!

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