10 Quick and Easy Lunches for Work

10 Quick and Easy Lunches for Work

Eating well while working a full-time job can pose some challenges. The abundance of unhealthy food around you, limited cooking options and lack of time make eating healthy harder than it should be. If you're searching for a way to stick to a healthy diet, no matter what your work schedule may throw your way, then we're here to help. While there isn't a one-step solution, there are several small steps you can take throughout the week that will make eating healthy at work a breeze. Working out how much food you'd like to eat during your workday and what snacks you should pack with you is an excellent first step towards a healthier lifestyle. Next, you'll want to make sure you prep your food in advance, leaving you with no excuse not to eat the healthy meal in front of you. By learning the basics of meal prepping, you can discover healthy, simple recipes to enjoy on your lunch break every day. Keep scrolling to read more about the benefits of meal prepping, and discover 10 quick and easy work lunches to make this month.

Remove Temptation

Let's face it, we've all been there. Stuck at work with hunger pangs so strong, it makes it hard to concentrate on anything other than when your next meal will be. When hunger strikes, we commonly reach for the snack closest to us, healthy or not. Maybe it's a tempting candy bar or yesterday's leftover lunch. While almost any food will take your hunger pains away for a moment, if the food you choose to snack on isn't very nutritious, those pains will likely come creeping back. By planning your meals and snacks for working out in advance, you can make sure that the food you are snacking on will provide you with long-lasting energy and focussomething we could all use a bit more of during a long workday. To make sticking to your diet significantly easier, create one of the tasty lunches belowall of which are easy to make and meal prep!

Grain Free Focaccia

10 Quick and Easy Lunches for Work| Bob's Red Mill Blog Remove any temptation for fast food with this delicious Grain Free Focaccia recipe. Packed with flavor, it is nearly identical to traditional focaccia sans the grains. Made in just minutes, this recipe uses our Grain Free Flatbread Mix and is topped with garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley and olive oil.

Sesame Noodles With Tofu and Almond Sauce

A savory and colorful dish that will make your lunch plate look like an art piece, this meal features sesame noodles and veggies tossed in a zingy sauce made with our Almond Protein Powder. Turn up the heat by adding a bit of sriracha. These Sesame Noodles with Tofu and Almond Sauce will leave all unhealthy cravings by the wayside.

Regain Control Over Your Diet

Are you a fan of being in control? By cooking your own meals and planning lunches in advance, you get to take total control of your diet. You can create meals that offer a balance of fruits, veggies, healthy fats and proteins, all essential to a healthy lifestyle. Making homemade meals will also ensure that the food you're eating is the best quality option. In short, meal prep is a great way to stay ahead of your health goals. Try out the recipes below for easy-to-prep meals that are loaded with fruits and veggies.

Chickpea Flatbread With Vegetables

10 Quick and Easy Lunches for Work| Bob's Red Mill Blog Receiving your daily serving of veggies just became a lot easier. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, this Chickpea Flatbread with Vegetables is covered in seasonal produce. A portable lunch that you can take with you on the go, it's a flatbread so delicious you'll want to eat it every day.

Instant Pot Lemony Lentils and Greens Soup

Easy to make, this Instant Pot Lemony Lentils and Greens Soup is brimming with good-for-you greens and hearty lentils. Quick-to-make, this soup can be cooked in a pressure cooker in just six minutes. This leaves you with plenty of time to prepare the rest of the week's lunches.

Manage Hunger Better

One of the many benefits of planning lunches in advance is the ability to manage your hunger better. Over time, you'll learn how much food your body needs daily to remain satisfied, and your pre-made dishes will reflect that. Having the right amount of food on hand will allow you to eat as soon as you're hungry, instead of having to wait for a healthy food option. By eating intuitively, you can learn how to curb cravings while working and avoid overeating when you finally sit down for a meal later on. Here is a few of our favorite hunger-busting meal prepped lunch options:

Gluten Free Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff

10 Quick and Easy Lunches for Work| Bob's Red Mill Blog Rich, creamy and incredibly delicious, this stroganoff has a secret ingredient: chickpea flour! Naturally, grain and gluten free, the flour featured in this Gluten Free Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff is made entirely from garbanzo beans. When combined with richly flavored sauteed mushrooms and your favorite pasta, it's a memorable lunch even your coworkers will be drooling over.

Shepherds Pie

A comfort food classic, Shepherds Pie commonly gains popularity around St. Patrick's day. However, it's a tasty, warming dish that can be enjoyed year round. In this dish, ground lamb is cooked with various herbs and vegetables, sprinkled with cheddar cheese, and topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. Made with our potato flakes, this recipe is quick to bake and can be frozen to enjoy later.

Save Time

Once you get the hang of making and packing your weekly lunches, you'll find that it saves you a lot of time. Setting aside time at the beginning of the week to create a menu, shopping list, prep and cook your lunches means that you don't have to think about them again! This means no more scrambling to put together leftovers on your way out the door. Cooking your meals all at once will leave you more free time for the rest of the things on your to-do list. Searching for recipes that won't take hours to prep? Here are a few that we enjoy making.

Pesto Pinwheel Pull-Apart Rolls

10 Quick and Easy Lunches for Work| Bob's Red Mill Blog Warm and savory, these Pesto Pinwheel Pull-Apart Rolls are everything you could want for lunch and more. They're made with a simple dough and filled with delicious pesto and cheese for a real time-saving recipe. Top them with your favorite sauce like marinara or ranch, and enjoy!

Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole is a classic, and in our opinion, it's a recipe we'd like to see on every lunch menu. In this casserole, a creamy sauce is mixed with tender green beans and topped with crisp ovens to create true comfort food heaven. Make this recipe gluten and dairy-free by simply swapping traditional flour out for chickpea flour.

Stay Within a Budget

Planning and pricing out your food in advance is a great way to remain frugal throughout the week. By Choosing recipes that use similar ingredients, you can keep your meals versatile and your grocery list short. Plus, eating more home-cooked meals will save you money as you won't be ordering out for lunch every day. Check out these flavorful and frugal meal prep recipes.

Instant Pot Chili

10 Quick and Easy Lunches for Work| Bob's Red Mill Blog A budget-friendly recipe that tastes delicious and can be made in a snapsign us up! By soaking the adzuki beans overnight, you can have a flavorful bowl of Instant Pot Chili on the table in less than thirty minutes. P.S., don't forget to use the secret ingredient, apple cider vinegar. It brightens the flavors of the spices making this chili one of a kind.

Gluten Free Calzone

We transformed this Italian classic into a tasty Gluten Free Calzone Recipe with the help of our Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour. Its chewy crust can be stuffed with the toppings of your choice. We chose to fill ours with Italian sausage, sauteed peppers, onions and hummus! At Bob's Red Mill, lunch is one of our favorite meals of the day. Not only does it break up the workday, but when made with wholesome, flavorful foods, it keeps you feeling fantastic and energized until your next meal. By making a healthy lunch ahead of time, you'll have something to look forward to, and your body will surely receive the benefits. Whether you're working from home or in an office, treat yourself to one of these easy work lunches, all of which can be made in just minutes! From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, have a healthy and happy day! Have a quick and easy lunch recipe you'd like to share? We love hearing from you. Drop your favorite lunch recipes in the comments below!  
Bob's Red Mill
April 18 2021

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