Now that I’m often working outside of Athens and farther than 5 minutes from my house, packing lunches has become a daily task. For the past month I’ve been in a tiny little town about 50 minutes from Athens (dear ol’ Elberton, Ga) that doesn’t have much to offer other than Bojangles, McDonalds, Burger King, and La Fogata (their local Mexican restaurant…ole!), and had to face the question “to pack a lunch or not to pack a lunch?”. I’ve never been a huge fast food fan and I’m trying to save money, so the answer to that question was pretty clear: I would be packing my lunch thank you very much. The next question was a bit harder to answer, though: “so….what are you going to pack every, single, day..?” Its not that I get bored of the same food day after day because I truthfully don’t, but I also didn’t want to have a sandwich with yogurt, apple, and carrots every day either. Enter in some basic *MEAL PLANNING* and packing 4-5 lunches for the week is a breeze.
I get that meal planning is kind of a big hassle at first and can seem super tedious, time consuming, and boring, but at the same time it’s actually pretty great. Having everything for the entire week already cooked and stored by Sunday evening means I can watch at LEAST 2 more episodes of Friends a night without losing precious sleep time. And that my friends is a great feeling.
My advice for fitting in at least a little meal planning and prepping time in your weekly schedule?
- Start with a plan! Use the whole week leading up to Sunday looking up recipes or meal ideas so that you can build a grocery list to pick up items you’ll need. I have a continuous list on my phone (and an infinite board on Pinterest) dedicated to potential meals I can pull from.
- Block out 1-2 hours that you can spend in/around the kitchen getting everything prepared. This is probably the most daunting part of the process, but with time you will become more efficient, I promise!
- Invest in some type of tupperware container collection. We had odds and ends when it came to storage containers and tupperware, but it stressed me out that they didn’t all match, so I went out and bought a set that could be devoted solely to my lunches/packed meals.
- Make sure you are incorporating foods that you actually like and will eat!!
While I also meal plan a little for dinner throughout the week, I mainly focus on lunch simply because it’s easy to put in a tupperware container and grab out of the fridge as I’m (quietly) running out of the door in the mornings. I try to incorporate at least 1-2 veggies, a protein source (meat or plant), and a fruit (mainly as a sweet ending/dessert). That usually comes out looking something like:
– a spinach salad topped with baked chicken, roasted butternut squash/brussels sprouts/broccoli with an apple or 2 cuties
– quinoa with feta and roasted veggies from dinner the night before with an apple and carrots
– lettuce wraps with homemade chicken salad or a mixed bean salad (black beans, corn, chickpeas and salsa)
– simple baked chicken breast, roasted sweet potato, and steamed broccoli or asparagus
I’m trying to get a little more creative and include a greater variety of foods in my diet, so I’ve been forcing myself to think out of the box lately, which is what sparked the idea for this Lentil Greek Salad. I’ve had about half a bag of lentils in my pantry for the last few months because I usually opt for quinoa, but after comparing the nutrition facts I was reminded just how much protein and fiber lentils offer – 13 g and 15 g, respectively, per 1/4 cup! And while lentils are not a complete protein like quinoa is, simply pairing it with nuts, seeds, or whole grains will serve up all the amino acids you need to have a “complete protein” meal. Granted I haven’t done the best at that, but I have added in some extra veggies like broccoli and brussels sprouts!
This recipe yields roughly 5 1 cup servings, maybe a tad more. Each serving boasts 19 grams of protein, 17 g fiber, and almost 28% of your daily iron needs (important for healthy blood!). A simple meal inspired by the Mediterranean, you can eat this solo, on top of a bed of greens, as a side to a meal, or even as a wrap.
Lentil Greek Salad
servings: 5
Ingredients:
1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
4 cups water
1 cucumber, chopped
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (I only had fat free on hand, but feel free to use what you prefer!)
2 tablespoons Trader Joe’s Champagne Pear Vinaigrette (or dressing of choice)
salt and pepper, as desired
1) Rinse 1 cup lentils under cold running water until water from lentils runs clear.
2) Place lentils and 4 cups of water in medium size sauce pan. Cover pan and bring to a simmer for 20-22 minutes.
3) While lentils are cooking, chop cucumber into bite sized pieces and add to large mixing bowl.
3) Cut grape tomatoes in half, adding to large mixing bowl with cucumbers
4) Rinse and drain cannellini beans under cold water to get rid of excess salt. Add to large mixing bowl.
5) When lentils are cooked through, drain excess water from pan and allow to cool in fridge for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked down.
6) Empty lentils into large mixing bowl with remaining ingredients (feta cheese and vinaigrette).
7) Toss together so everything is well-incorporated and coated.
8) Add salt and pepper if desired and enjoy!!
ciao down,
clara