By: Alexis Newman, GatorCare Intern
Healthy eating during lunch time does not have to be a boring affair. Cultures around the world approach lunch in different ways, and incorporating fresh, culture cuisine into your weekly meal preps is a great opportunity to explore new flavors and customs, while encouraging a balanced diet that properly fuels you throughout the afternoon. Take a quick trip around the world to discover 5 easy, healthy lunch ideas that can be delicious additions to your meal rotation at home or in the office!
Poke Bowl
Filled with fiber and yummy flavors, prepare this lunch to enjoy your favorite sushi flavors throughout the week and on the go! This recipe is perfect to customize to your liking, and is delicious without a microwave. Below are options to incorporate into your meal
- Base: sticky brown rice, quinoa, sushi rice, mixed greens, etc.
- Protein: marinated ahi tuna, raw or cooked salmon, shrimp, teriyaki chicken
- Toppings: edamame, cucumber, avocado, shredded carrots, green onion, sesame seeds, ginger, seaweed, sweet potato, radish, and more.
- Sauce: homemade spicy mayo, soy sauce, sesame ginger glaze, at-home creamy ponzu
Greek Chicken Bowl
The Mediterranean diet is consistently ranked the healthiest diet in the world, so incorporating meals inspired by countries like Greece, Israel, Spain, Morocco, and Lebanon is a fantastic way to add cultural diversity into your diet while boosting your health!
Greek Chicken Bowls are highly customizable to your preferences and ingredients you already have on hand, and are loaded with lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats that will definitely keep you energized and full until dinnertime. Also, these bowls can be stored for up to 6 days in the fridge, so they are perfect for meal prep!
- Base: whatever you want! Quinoa, seasoned turmeric rice, and whole grain rice maintain flavor if you want something that can be stored or eaten cold.
- Chicken: prepare an easy lemon herb marinade in advance or grab your favorite prepared/rotisserie chicken from the store.
- Toppings: you can add cucumber, green pepper, olives, hummus, roasted chickpeas, feta cheese, tomato, pickled/plain red onion, fresh herbs like dill and oregano, and more!
- Dressing: a simple & easy lemon-herb vinaigrette, or you could try to make a greek-yogurt tzatziki dressing for some added protein.
Paneer Kathi Rolls
A popular vegetarian Indian street food, paneer kathi rolls are warm parathas (flatbread wraps similar to naan) filled with marinated paneer and veggies. This recipe is fun, easy to recreate, and flavorfully nutritious.
- Wrap: store-bought frozen parathas, naan wrap, large flour tortillas
- Filling: paneer cubes (Indian cottage cheese), mixed bell peppers, and onion, all tossed with spiced yogurt and cooked until tender
- Sauces and Spices: red chili powder, ginger, garlic, cilantro green chutney, garam masala, (all spices can be substituted for what you have on hand)
Spanish Paella
Paella is loaded with antioxidant-rich spices, veggies, and lean proteins, making it a heart-healthy option that tastes incredible at lunchtime.
- Base: yellow/brown/cauliflower rice, quinoa
- Protein: chicken breast, sausage, clams, shrimp, mussels
- Extras: chicken stock, onion, tomato, bell pepper, frozen peas, sugar snap peas, paprika, saffron, lemon, spices
Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Spring rolls are refreshingly light, healthy, and seriously easy to make and pack for a busy lunch. Adapt this recipe to ingredients you love, and prepare to have a new favorite meal that stores for 2-3 days!
- Prep shrimp, cucumber, purple cabbage, carrots, mango, avocado, bean sprouts, lettuce, vermicelli rice noodles, cilantro, green onion, etc. into long, thin slices.
- Fully dip rice paper wrapper in water, layer your filling onto the roll, and tightly wrap everything up like a burrito!
- Mix up an Asian peanut dipping sauce with creamy peanut butter, hoisin sauce, water, and for some optional spice, sriracha or chili garlic sauce/paste. You can also add soy sauce and rice vinegar!
Want more?
Check out our previous edition of Food for Thought!
Conferences can be a great way to reconnect with long-distance colleagues, learn new skills and gain valuable insight into new trending topics in your career field. While the days may be filled with great opportunities and networking, the long days, jam-packed schedules and the dessert table can wreak havoc on your health routine. But fear not, with a little planning and determination, you can enjoy the treats of the conference while still maintaining focused on your goals.
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Incorporating nutrient-dense foods like brown rice and veggies into your diet is a great start to improving your overall health! However, there are certainly additional foods to continue adding to your Neverita for a healthier lifestyle. Make healthy living your season-long strategy and schedule a nutrition consultation today!
