Lunch doesn’t have to be boring peanut butter and jelly, whatever’s available premade in the deli case down the street from the office, or a few bites of the leftovers that your kids rejected before heading upstairs for their afternoon naps.
Sound familiar?
Instead, lunch is your opportunity to refuel halfway through the day. Maximize healthy nutrition and flavor by serving up something that covers all of the basic food groups, by including some veggies, whole grains, and a good source of protein.
“Yeah, right,” you’re probably thinking. “Like I have time for that!”
Believe it or not, putting together a quick and easy lunch that’s full of nutrients and tasty, too doesn’t have to be super time consuming!
The following recipes can be whipped up in a flash. Some can be prepped ahead of time and packed into containers for the week, too. Throw in a piece of fresh fruit and a hydrating beverage and you’re ready to go!
Whether you have a sandwich press at home or decide to fry these up in a frying pan, panini are quick to make, flavorful and satisfying.
This list of recipe ideas from Food Network offers five variations on the classic caprese, plus 45 more ideas that will make your mouth water. Most of these make great cold sandwiches, too.
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If you ask me, the best tuna salad is made with mayo, celery, parsley and a bit of onion. That’s what you’ll find in this recipe from the Food Network.
For extra flavor and an added boost of protein, make your tuna salad the way my grandma does, by adding a chopped hard-boiled egg.
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A quick and easy lunch doesn’t have to come in sandwich form. Make this pasta the night before, and serve it up for lunch hot or cold. It’s quick enough to make fresh, too. The recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis at the Food Network.
I have to admit that I haven’t tried making this recipe yet myself, but Sue Lau claims you can whip up her dish in just 15 minutes.
Prepping the veggies ahead of time and using pre-cooked chicken breast strips will help you to throw this stir-fry based soup together even faster!
This quick wrap recipe from Betty Crocker combines flavorful garlic mayo with all of your favorite classic BLT flavors.
Rather than using sliced chicken cold cuts and bacon bits as this recipe suggests, try making these with leftover bacon and plain grilled chicken instead.
Served cold and made ahead, all of these dishes (okay, maybe not the soup… but everything else!) double as great picnic or beach fare for the whole family. Just pack them up in a cooler with plenty of ice.
Hungry for more recipes? Check out the Remember Stuff recipe search tool here.
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