HEALTHY LUNCHES

WHAT THE TOP HEALTH EXPERTS PACK FOR LUNCH

Pack a meal that’s healthy and delicious. These dishes are easy to prep (and transport) and chock-full of flavour.
1. Avocado Sandwich. Crazy delicious, start with two slices of whole-grain bread and then add half an avocado (sliced), half a tomato (sliced), a handful of alfalfa sprouts, and a handful of dark, leafy lettuce. To up the protein, add 3 ounces of free-range grilled chicken breast or turkey.

2. Black Bean Salad. A black bean, tomato, and corn salad with a dressing made from extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of cumin. Add feta cheese for some more protein and flavour.

3. Slaw/Tuna. Broccoli slaw, tuna, and chopped apple. Start with half a bag of the slaw, which is shredded broccoli stems, carrots, and cabbage. Mix in a 5-ounce can or 4.5-ounce packet of sweet and spicy tuna (flavourful enough to not need dressing) and half of a Fuji apple chopped. It’s filling, convenient, and delicious.

4. Turkey Meatballs/Chinese Cabbage. Packed with protein and veggies, start with a few homemade turkey meatballs (season with mushroom, onion, ginger, and sodium-free herbs and spices), on top of a cup of steamed Chinese cabbage seasoned with fresh, shredded ginger, then add a sliced avocado on top. Have a small baked sweet potato and slices of fresh jicama on the side.

5. Smoothie. 1 1/2 cups almond milk, 1 cup frozen mango, 2 handfuls spinach, and 1 tablespoon each cacao powder, hemp seeds, and almond butter. Make in the morning, pop into a travel bottle and at lunchtime add a few ice cubes, give it a shake.

6. Niçoise Salad. If you have salmon for dinner, cook an extra 5-ounce fillet for lunch. Salmon is good when chilled. Place on top of some pre-washed mixed greens, toss in olives, cherry tomatoes, and whatever vegetable left over in the fridge (cooked green beans, asparagus, new potatoes… ). Pack a container of extra-virgin olive oil seasoned with salt and pepper and a big wedge of lemon to dress it right before eating.

7. Tapas. Fill several small containers with all-natural beef jerky, a few slices of goat’s milk cheese, a couple hard-boiled eggs, a handful of green and black olives, a scoop of mixed nuts, a cup of veggies, and hummus. On a workout day, include a slice or two of olive bread for additional carbohydrates. If not, include a small piece of fruit like an apricot, peach, or plum.

8. Tuna Salad. Mix together a can of pole-caught tuna, a quarter cup of mayo (with avocado oil), a chopped organic celery stalk, half a diced red onion, sea salt, and pepper for hunger-satisfying fat from avocado oil, protein and omega-3s from the tuna, and a killer flavour.

9. “Crappy” Lunch. Two slices of quality whole-grain bread, 60 grams of whatever cheese on hand in the fridge, a tomato if available, and one or two pieces of fruit. Call it crappy, but is pretty tasty for less than a minute of prep time in the morning.

10. Fruit, Nuts and Sandwich. Pack an apple, raw walnuts or pistachios, and a sandwich made from coarsely ground and toasted whole-grain bread, roasted mushrooms, slivered red onion, avocado, sliced tomato, and a garlicky pesto sauce made from raw cashews, roasted garlic, nutritional yeast, soy milk, and fresh basil.