When we’re pressed for time, thinking up inspiring lunch ideas can be a challenge. Making it easy to race to work without enough food to sustain us through a busy working day.

The great news is that creating an lunch box with a variety of healthy food choices can be easy and can help with weight management, energy and mental focus.

Put aside a small amount of time for food prep, either on the weekend or night before and you will find packing healthy lunches a cinch.

Here are a few ideas to inspire your lunchbox…

The Humble Salad

Summer is the perfect time of year to experiment with different salad combinations. Starting with a base of leafy greens or vegetables then adding in a protein source, some healthy fats, quality carbohydrates and a tasty dressing and your away. Options include:

Leafy Greens: baby spinach, superfood leaves, baby salad leaves, cos lettuce, sliced iceberg lettuce, rocket, dandelion greens, fresh herbs

Vegetables: grated beetroot and carrot, radish, snow peas, cherry tomatoes, sauerkraut or kim chi, cucumber, sprouts

Protein: chicken, fish, ham, turkey, meatballs, chickpeas, lentils, black beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, tempeh

Fats: avocado, nuts, seeds, cheeses, olives, cashew cheese

Quality Carbohydrates: roasted pumpkin or sweet potato, cooked and cooled potato chunks, quinoa, brown or black rice, pulses

Dress your salad with a delicious combo of olive oil, balsamic or apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Check out our Balsamic Chicken, Kale and Chickpea Salad for a perfect balance of macro nutrients and flavours: https://www.gonaturalfoods.com.au/balsamic-chicken-kale-and-chickpea-salad/

The Leftovers (they always taste better the next day)

Cooking an extra-large serve of dinner and saving a portion for the next day’s lunch is a great way to save time and money. I love to cook more than I need. I will even make extra sides like steamed or roast veggies, then reserve some in a container to eat cold or heat up for work the next day. Great leftover choices include:

Meat or vegetarian lasagne
Bean pasta or kelp noodles with bolognaise, tomato or pesto sauces
Shepherd’s pie with a mince or lentil base and sweet potato topping – recipe here
Quiche and frittata – recipe here
Soups, casseroles and stews with crusty sourdough bread

Wrap it

Wraps are great as you can get in more filling (so more nutrients) and less bread. There are a number of wrap options at go natural foods, including spelt, paleo and coconut.

But if you’re a sandwich lover, these combos can also work well on some tasty sourdough bread.

Tandoori spiced organic chicken or turkey with lettuce and mayonnaise
Almond or peanut butter with tahini, honey and banana
Nitrate-free leg ham or organic turkey ham with grated carrot and sheep’scheese
Tuna, vegan aioli (try Naked Byron Foods Vegan Aioli) with salad
Falafel with hummus and tomato
Roast veggies (leftover from the night before) with cashew cheese

An adult’s lunchbox can include snacks similar to the kids school lunches. What big kid doesn’t love coconut yoghurt, bliss balls and homemade muffins?

Check out some of these tasty yet very healthy in store snacks to round off your adult lunchbox…