A few weeks ago Boho regular Becky wrote about healthy breakfast ideas. She gave us some fab options for healthy and delicious breakfasts that went down a treat with you. Today Becky is back to follow-up her breakfast ideas with healthy lunch ideas. I have to admit I’m not that adventurous with my lunch, it ranges from a toasted cheese and ham sandwich, soup, scrambled egg on toast or a banana and honey sandwich! So reading though these has definitely given me a few more ideas!

I’ll pass you over to Becky……

My recent post gave some ideas for a healthy breakfast. This post follows on through to lunch, giving some ideas to keep hunger at bay until tea time.

All my suggestions are made from REAL food and follow the theory that a plant based diet will give optimum health. Most people do not need to cut out grains, meat or dairy, although there are some people that will see a great improvement in their health if they do. My advice is to try a 2 week elimination diet if you suspect a particular food/food group of having a negative impact. But for most people, increasing plant based foods, and reducing grains, meat and dairy will be fantastic for both health and waistline!!
I love these lunches and they offer a great variety of foods to suit my mood!

Picky Lunch

So first up is a picky lunch – everyone’s favourite – just leave the crisps, and processed meat in the shop. This is one of my favourites and very satisfying – just add/amend any ingredients to suit you.

Ingredients

Cucumber
Carrot
Humus
Avocado
Tomato
Celery
Red/Yellow Pepper
Wholemeal/Gluten Free Pitta
Pistachio nuts

Directions

Make up a Guacamole – Mash up an avocado with some freshly squeezed lime or lemon and a sprinkling of Cajun spices.
Chop all the vegetables into fingers or rounds.
Toast some pitta
Dig In!

Sushi

This is an easy and healthy option if you are out and about, or worse, working at your desk – buy some sushi for yourself or with a friend and share – it will make it all the more of a treat, and feel a little special.

Salad

Any type works – just fill a bowl with salad, fruits, vegetables… Make a well-known favourite such as Nicoise or Greek, or make your own up. All those vegetables will fill you up, and leave you feeling light and energised.

Homemade Vegetable Soup

I make this at the weekend and freeze in portion sizes for a cold day, or a day when I just feel like comfort in a bowl. Make it chunky so you don’t feel like you’ve been short changed – you want to feel full at the end of your meal.

Ingredients

Onion – chopped
Garlic – chopped
Choose any vegetables from the following list – celery, carrots, peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, beans (pre-cooked), cabbage, spring greens, swede, turnip, squash, pumpkin, leeks, cauliflower… I tend to think of a big chunky peasant soup and quite often add shredded greens and beans to maximise the goodness.
Seasoning – choose from sundried tomato paste, herbs, salt and pepper, cumin, chilli, coriander, basil, curry paste etc.
Liquid – choose from water, tinned tomatoes, coconut milk.
Extras: olives, croutons, fresh bread, toasted pitta, fresh herbs.

Directions

Add a little Coconut Oil to a pan. Heat.
Gently fry the onions and garlic and any spices.
Add any hard vegetables and fry until nearly soft (e.g. Potatoes, cauliflower, carrot, celery). A gentle heat with lid on will ensure they cook slowly and don’t stick or burn. Stir occasionally.
Add any other vegetables and continue to cook gently (e.g. Peppers, cabbage, beans)
When all soft add your liquid and any additional herbs and seasoning. E.g. tinned tomatoes and sundried paste, or coconut milk and yellow Thai curry paste.
Stir well and let infuse and reduce for as long as you want. If you are short of time you could choose to blend a cupful or two of the soup which will deepen the flavour & thicken the sauce quickly.
Season with salt and pepper.
Enjoy with or without: fresh bread, croutons, toasted pitta, chopped olives or sprinkled fresh herbs.

Mixed Couscous or Pasta Salad

If you want a lunch that is quick to make – maybe something you could carry to work in a tub – and something that will definitely fill you up why not try a couscous or pasta salad. Choose wholemeal pasta or a good brand of ready seasoned couscous such as Ainsley Harriot ready prepared couscous which just needs water. Chop up raw veg finely and throw in everything you’ve got! You may want to add a spoonful of mayonnaise or salad dressing on top. Experiment and find what you like!

(Couscous salad / Pasta Salad)

Ingredient Options

Peas
Organic Sweetcorn*
Red Pepper
Yellow pepper
Red onion / spring onion
Tomato
Cucumber
Asparagus
Olives
Capers
Gherkins
Smoked salmon/cubed cheese/ham/chicken/hardboiled egg/smoked tofu

*I always choose organic sweetcorn to avoid GM corn.

Egg/Beans on Toast

Finally, this is an old favourite. This may not be the healthiest idea on my list, but it’s not a bad option and sometimes we all just need something comforting and quick. Choose a good quality fresh bread, real butter and organic eggs or beans (with sugar, not sweeteners…).

Enjoy the taste of a forgotten childhood – this was fast food before McDonalds and oven chips!