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Move over old-fashioned tiffin carriers and elaborate spreads. Your life as a student or young professional in Bangalore is far too busy for you to spare hours on meals, especially in the middle of your schedule. But that engrossment in your work can often lead to missed meals, or quick unhealthy snacks to tide over your hunger. Just because you’re not engaging tiffin services in Bangalore doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give yourself the nutrition you need. That’s why having some delicious and easy make-ahead lunch recipes can change your outlook towards lunch and help you fill up on-the-go.
Whether you need a quick bite in between classes, or something to munch on as you head to your next meeting, or even a small break from work in the office, these lunch ideas will keep you full and help you increase your productivity without worrying about hunger pangs. They’re really easy to prepare in bulk and portion, so that you can get all the prep out of the way on weekends and just grab your lunchbox before you head to work during the week. You can feel free to heat them up if you like a hot lunch or enjoy them cold. They’ll definitely be cheaper and tastier than your canteen staples.
Chickpea and Feta Salad
Salads are always good ideas for working lunches, especially since they don’t require heating and they’re light and fresh, priming you for working through the second half. And this chickpea and feta salad is an especially good idea as it doesn’t even have lots of greens that can wilt and make your salad soggy. All you need for this recipe are 1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas, 1 cup cooked sweet corn, 1 diced red bell pepper, ½ a bunch of shredded coriander leaves, 1 diced tomato and ½ cup of crumbled feta cheese. Mix all of these ingredients together and dress with 2 tablespoons each of lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and paprika to your taste and now you have a filling and delicious salad to take to work. It’s great on the day it’s prepared, but even better after it’s been in the fridge for a day, making it a perfect make-ahead meal.
Quinoa Bowl
Bowl recipes can be a game changer when it comes to on-the-go meals since they contain a balance of carbs, proteins and grains and don’t involve any fiddly components. And this quinoa bowl is an endlessly customizable recipe that you’ll want to bookmark for all your work lunches. Simply take 1 cup of cooked quinoa and toss it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Then top your cooked quinoa with the veggies of your choosing – we like diced onion and tomato (or you could go to the shortcut route and add ⅓ cup of store-bought salsa), a handful of baby spinach, and ½ cup of cooked blackbeans. If you’re non-vegetarian, feel free to add a scrambled egg or cooked chicken to increase the protein content of your lunch. Then mix it all together and dress with two tablespoons of low-fat mayonnaise or greek yogurt, and one tablespoon of sriracha or any hot sauce of your choosing. You could mix up the dressings to change the flavour profile of your quinoa bowl, try teriyaki sauce for an Asian flavour, or a mix of peanut butter and hot sauce for a cheat’s satay.
Stuffed Pita Pockets
If your lunch recipes are so complicated that they seem to need packers and movers in Bangalore to package and ship all the ingredients, there’s no way you’ll end up actually preparing them in time. Because when it comes to work lunches, fuss free is the way forward. That’s why relying on some quick, easily available ingredients can make your life easier and help you save time. Pita pockets are perfect for that. They’re the perfect container for you to enjoy any filling of choice, and using whole wheat pita can make this recipe even healthier. Think of these pockets as upgraded sandwiches and let that inspire your filling choices. The internet has a tonne of ideas for you to try, but our favourite is an olive tapenade and hummus stuffed pocket. The only prep you’ll need for this is making the tapenade which involves blending a cup of olives with a clove of garlic, ½ a red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the tapenade inside your pita pocket, fill in with tablespoons of homemade or store-bought hummus and stuff with a handful of baby spinach. This easy and delicious lunch is going to change your entire outlook towards on-the-go lunches and inspire you to find different recipes to try.
And there you have it! Three easy, healthy and scrumptious recipes to ensure you’re not skipping lunch even on your busiest days. Make them ahead and grab them before you head out in the morning and you’ll have a tasty and nutritious meal to enjoy on-the-go.
