Pack your lunchbox full of nutritious ingredients and look forward to a midday meal that not only tastes great, but is good for you too.

Chicken and Avo Wraps

Flatbreads and tortillas make a great alternative to bread, or you could use crisp lettuce leaves if you’re looking to cut the carbs. Protein-rich chicken and fish make great filling options, or pile on the veggies for a lunchtime nutrient hit.

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken leg quarters, skin removed
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Dash cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 medium ripe avocado
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 4 whole wheat tortillas (8 inches), warmed
  • Fresh cilantro leaves, optional

    Instructions

    • In a large pan, brown chicken in oil. Stir in the tomatoes, onion, cumin, salt and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Remove chicken. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones; discard bones. Shred meat with two forks; return to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
    • Peel and cut avocado into slices; drizzle with lime juice. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture over each tortilla. Top with avocado and if desired and roll up

Soup

To avoid leakage, pop in a thermos flask with a tight seal. If you can make use of a microwave during your lunch break, you could batch-cook soup, freeze in Tupperware (that’s suitable for the freezer and the microwave), then thaw and reheat when you want to eat.

Ingredients

  • Oil or butter – To brown the chicken.
  • Bone-in chicken thighs – Thighs offer the best flavor, but you can also use a mix of bone-in thighs and breasts.
  • Onion and garlic – For zesty undertones.
  • Celery – Sliced thin.
  • Carrots – Sliced into rounds.
  • Chicken broth – The base of the soup.
  • Fresh thyme leaves – You could also use dried thyme, if you can’t find it fresh.
  • Bay leaves – For deep herby notes.
  • Turmeric – For color.
  • Kluski egg noodles – Because they taste and feel homemade.
  • Chopped parsley – To add freshness at the end.
  • Fresh lemon juice – Also for freshness.
  • Cornstarch – Just a little, for thickening.
  • Salt and pepper – Always.
  1. Brown the Chicken. Set a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pot. Brown the chicken skin.
  2. Saute the Vegetables. Place the onions and garlic in the chicken fat. Stir and saute for several minutes. Then stir in the celery, carrots, and thyme and saute another minute or two.
  3. Simmer the Soup. Add the chicken pieces, chicken broth, bay leaves, and turmeric to the pot. Cover and simmer.
  4. Now the Noodles. Stir the egg noodles into the soup and simmer another minute or so, until the pasta is cooked.
  5. Shred the Chicken. Pull out the chicken and place it on a cutting board. Shred the chicken with a fork, and stir the
    chicken back into the soup.
  6. Freshen Up. Add the lemon juice and parsley!

 

Pasta Salad

Pasta is a portable lunch and super filling! Its equally delicious served cold in a pasta salad or quickly reheated in a microwave. Cook once, eat three times! Make anything from chicken pasta, hake or even a veggie pasta, pop it in a lunchbox and off you go! You can eat some for dinner too!

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the pasta salad:

  • 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • A packet of dried short pasta
  • 1 handful of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 1 small English cucumber thinly sliced
  •  mozzarella balls or cheddar cheese cut into small bite size blocks
  • salami slices, cut into strips
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves

Instructions

  1. Make the dressing. Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

  2. Soften the red onion in the dressing. Add the finely chopped red onion and stir to combine. Set aside to soften while you prepare the rest of the salad.

  3. Cook the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente — soft with just a bit of chew — about 8 minutes or according to package directions.

  4. Quickly cool the pasta. Drain the pasta in a colander and run under cold water

  5. Place the pasta salad ingredients in a bowl. Drain the pasta well. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella, salami, olives, and parsley.

  6. Toss the pasta with the dressing. Add the dressing, including the onions, to the pasta and toss until evenly combined.

  7. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

 

How to train, run and finish an ultra-marathon trail run
Looking for camping spots this Easter?