4 Quick and Easy Lunches

I’ve heard many of my clients explain one of their main barriers to meal prepping is not knowing what to make. Welp, lemme just Google that for you, or better yet, give you some lunch ideas on a SILVER PLATTER. The best part about the menu below is that every item is a plug and play choose your own culinary adventure.

Check it out, plug and play ingredients to keep your taste buds guessing and make your co-workers think you’re some superstar in the kitchen. Hey, perception is reality, you know?

Tuna Salad

Protein Substitutes:

• Canned tuna
• Tuna in a pouch
• Canned chicken
• Canned salmon
• Shredded chicken
• Ground turkey

Dice some veggies (use a few that have different textures) and add avocado as a substitute for mayo. Gently fold everything into each other, so you get that perfect bite every time.

Kimchi Chicken Tacos

Protein Substitutes:

• Ground chicken or turkey
• Pulled pork
• Grilled tofu
• Scrambled eggs*

*I would only do this if you want to get breakfast-y and work from home. Remember, there’s a special place in hell reserved for those who eat eggs in an office. Stick with kale or spinach since they’re so nutritionally dense. You can make Kimchi if you’ve got time on your hands. But for those who want to fix on the fly, Farmhouse Culture is a fantastic brand with so many different krauts and kimchis that spruce up every meal. I’m obsessed. If you don’t know the benefits of krauts or kimchis, it’s time you got smart, they’re full of probiotics which have so many benefits to the bod:

• Aids in digestion
• Strengthens your immune system
• Boots energy
• Enhances vitamin and mineral absorption
• Help keep your skin healthy and fresh
• Improve brain function and move

I’m a serial purchaser of the ginger kimchi and can easily go through a bag a week. It’s that good. Layer everything on top of a tortilla (I like Rudi’s) and relish each bite.

Pesto Zoodles

Zoodle Substitutes:

• Sweet potatoes
• Eggplant
• Turnips
• Whole-wheat pastas
• Lentil pastas

Protein Substitutes:

• Any meatball
• Ground turkey, beef or chicken
• Cooked shrimp*

*Again, only if you work from home, asshole.

Make pesto by blending basil, EVOO, a shallot and garlic in a blender or food processor. If you’re up for getting a little fancy make this basil vinaigrette by QUEEN BEE, Gaby Dalkin. I use “fancy” loosely, this recipe a SNAP. Make your Zoodles, sautee ’em up quickly, so they keep their crisp, prepare the protein as usual, and toss everything in the pesto or vinaigrette. I can eat this dish hot or cold.

Buddha Bowls

The possibilities are actually endless. All good bowls are made up of the following components: grains, proteins, nuts or sauces (i.e. fats) and roasted veggies. A few ideas, although not limited to:

Grains:

• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Barley

Proteins:

• Roasted chicken or salmon
• Grilled chicken, salmon, flank steak
• Rotisserie chicken
• Tofu
• Fried egg
• Roasted chickpeas

Fats:

• Avocado
• Walnuts, cashews or almonds
• Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
• Pesto
• Tahini
• Greek yogurt

Roasted Veggies:

• Sweet potatoes, purple potatoes or yams
• Brussels sprouts
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Zucchini

You can roast everything in the oven together across multiple pans while you’re preparing your grains, so the hardest part is the prep and event that’s a breeze. Even the lamest of us all can chop. Make it as Instagram-worthy as you want. Otherwise just dump all that shiz in a bowl and chow down.

Happy lunching, bitches!