Lunch is probably the most neglected meal of the day. How many of us do rely on frozen meals or boring sandwiches for week days lunches? this goes without mentioning all the money spent by eating out during lunch hour. Lunch does not have to be unhealthy, boring and expensive. These three healthy lunch ideas are easy to make and should provide you with useful basic ideas to improvise upon them and making your own.
Refreshing Sweet and Spicy Pasta Salad
This sweet and spicy salad excellent leftover vegetables and you can mix it up by adding some of your favorite meat into the mix. In addition, this recipe is wonderful for anyone on a gluten-free diet.
In a large bowl, cover 1 1/2 lb (454 g) of packaged broad rice noodles with boiling water and let stand until cooked through but still firm (about 5 minutes). Rinse in cold water, drain, and return to the bowl. To the bowl, add 2 finely sliced baby carrots, 1 small handful of blanched broccoli florets, about 1 inch of English cucumber finely sliced, 1/2 finely sliced yellow bell pepper, 5 quartered cherry tomatoes and one large handful of fresh minced coriander For the dressing, which will be added right when you are ready to eat, combine 1 tablespoon of mango chutney, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of orange juice. After combining the dressing with the noodles, sprinkle a small handful of chopped peanuts on top.
Awesome Microwave Mexican Chicken Salad
In a bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of fajita seasoning mix, 1 pinch of cumin and salt & pepper to taste. Coat six ounces of skinless, boneless chicken breast with the seasoning mixture and microwave for 6 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, combine 1 cup of non fat sour cream, 1 cup of salsa and pulse until smooth (if it is too thick, add a little water). For serving, cut the chicken into 1 1/2 inch pieces and toss with 1 small head of coarsely chopped iceberg lettuce, 1/12 cup of canned corn (drained) and top with salsa dressing.
Out-of-this-world Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
This is a nice spin on a classic sandwich!
Begin by toasting 2 slices of whole-wheat bread. Spread 2 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter on one slice of the toast. Cut 1/2 a banana into thin slices and arrange them on top of the peanut butter. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Top with bacon bits (real is better, use turkey bacon for low fat), add the second slice of toast and you’re in PB&J heaven!
