Healthy Lunch Ideas

Healthy Lunch Ideas

Quit eating the same meals every day during lunch. Switch things up by adding healthy recipes with low calories for weight loss and healthy living. These options are not only beneficial for keeping a healthy lifestyle, but they are a great way to expand your lunchtime menu. Try these today!

1. Lime and Prawn Pitta Salad

Ingredients:

• Wholemeal pitta
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp Tabasco
• 1 tsp low sugar, low salt ketchup
• 1 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp fat free natural yogurt
• Lime zested and juiced, plus wedges to serve
• 60g cooked king prawns
• 1 little gem lettuce, leaves separated
• Small cucumber, peeled into ribbons
• 4 cherry tomatoes, halved

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan/gas 6).
2. Slice the pitta into triangles, put it on a baking sheet and drizzle over the oil. Bake for 10-15 mins until golden and crisp.
3. Mix the Tabasco, ketchup, mayo, yogurt and lime zest and juice. Toss the prawns in the dressing.
4. Layer the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and dressed prawns in a lunchbox or jar. Season. Top with the pitta chips and serve with lime wedges.

2. Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• Low fat spread for the tin, plus extra to serve
• 140g wholemeal flour
• 100g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 300g mashed banana (from overripe, black bananas)
• 4 tbsp agave syrup
• 3 large eggs, beaten with a fork
• 150ml pot low fat natural yogurt
• 25g chopped pecan or walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 160C (140C fan/gas 3). Grease and line a 900grams loaf tin with baking parchment, allow it to come 2cm above the top of the loaf tin. Mix the flours, bicarb, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
2. Mix the bananas, syrup, eggs and yogurt. Quickly stir into dry ingredients, then gently scrape into the tin and scatter with the nuts. Bake for 1 hr 10 mins - 1 hr 15 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean.
3. Cool in tin on a wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature with a low fat spread.

3. Lemon Herb Rice Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 lemons
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 Kirby cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped salted, roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch watercress, tough stems removed, leaves torn

Instructions:

1. Remove two wide strips of zest from 1 lemon with a vegetable peeler.
2. Combine one strip of zest with the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the edges of the lemon zest turn slightly golden in about 5 minutes. Let the lemon oil cool.
3. Cook the rice as stated on the label and add the remaining lemon strip zest to the water.
4. Transfer the rice to a large bowl, discarding the zest, and fluff with a fork. Let cool to room temperature.
5. To make the dressing, use both lemons for the juice. Add vinegar, brown sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and whisk in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Discard the zest from the lemon oil, then whisk the oil into the dressing. Add the onion slices and let marinate for 15 minutes.
6. Add the carrot, cucumber, peanuts, cilantro, mint, basil and watercress to the bowl with the rice. Add the dressing mixture and gently toss.