5 Healthy Alternatives to Sandwiches for Lunch

What you eat at lunch time can have a massive effect on how you feel for the rest of the afternoon. If you regularly feel like you could take a nap after lunch or have mental cravings for sugar you maybe need to change your lunch up a bit.

The best lunches are ones that contain some lean protein, a good complex carbohydrate (depending on your calorie out put) and lots of veggies. This will give you a nice sloooooooow release of energy rather than a quick burst that a white cheese sandwich would give you for example.

Mexican Rice Salad

This is crammed full of slow release energy from the brown rice and beans, good protein from the tuna and beans and good fats from the avocado. Super easy to fling together the night before, have the other half the next day.

Mexican Rice Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 Packet brown microwave rice

1 small ripe avocado chopped

half a green pepper chopped

half a red pepper chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

1 red chilli – deseeded and finely chopped

1tbsp olive oil

4tbsp lime juice

1 garlic clove crushed

half a tin of red kidney beans drained and rinsed

200g tin of tuna drained

Method

1. microwave the rice and allow to cool
2. mix the olive oil, garlic and lime juice together in a bowl/jug
3. take 2 lunch boxes and spoon in the rice then layer the rest of the ingredients on top, drizzle over the dressing and season!

Spanish Style Tortilla

Full of protein from the eggs, carbohydrate and fibre from the potatoes and a big mixed salad with lots of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Make it the night before, cut in half, add some salad and have the other half for lunch the next day.

Spanish Tortilla

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 eggs

2 egg whites

1 medium potato cooked and chopped into small chunks

1 onion sliced

Add any veggies like broccoli etc

As much salad as you want to lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion etc

1tbsp white wine vinegar

1tsp olive oil

1tsp or to taste of english mustard

Method

1. Boil the potatoes until tender.
2. Whisk the eggs together.
3. Dry fry the onion until cooked.
4. In a non stick pan place the potatoes and the onion, pour over the egg and cook through, finish the top off under the grill, ensure cooked right through.
5. Cut into wedges and serve with the salad, mix the oil, vinegar and mustard together and drizzle over the salad.

Chicken or Veggie alternative Pitta

This is a super duper easy lunch, a packet of cooked chicken or veggie equivalent like Quorn for protein, wholemeal pitta for slow release carbs and lots of salad for nutrients.

Chicken Salad Pitta

Serves 1

Ingredients

Packet cooked chicken pieces or veggie equivalent like Quorn 100g

1tbsp light philadelphia or any light soft cheese

1 wholemeal pitta bread

as much salad as you want lettuce, tomatoes, onion, carrots etc

Method

1. open up the pitta, fill up with the, cheese, chicken and salad and eat!

Summer Minestrone Soup

Packed full of veggies, a little wholemeal spaghetti for carbs and bacon, spinach, peas and parmesan for protein. If you are exercising in the evening/after work then add a wholemeal pitta to this too. Make this the day before, then your lunches are sorted for 2 days.

Summer Minestrone Soup 

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 bacon medallions chopped into strips – For veggie option leave this out.

1tsp olive oil

1 leek finely sliced

1 stick celery diced

1 courgette diced

1 garlic clove crushed

1 tin chopped tomatoes

500ml veg stock

50g of wholemeal spaghetti snapped into small pieces

100g baby spinach

100g peas

2tsp parmesan grated

Method

7. Put the oil in a pan and fry the bacon until crispy, remove the bacon and set aside.

1. Add the leeks, celery, courgette, garlic and cook for 10 mins, add the tinned tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil.
2. Add the spaghetti, spinach and peas and simmer for 10 minutes. add the bacon back in, stir and serve with 1tsp parmesan per portion.

Greek Salad

Super fresh flavours, all it takes is a bit of chopping! Add in a wholemeal pitta if you are training/exercising later in the day. Make up and divide into 2 portions, lunch sorted for 2 days. Great for summer!

Greek Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

Half a cucumber chopped

12 cherry tomatoes halved

1 green pepper finely chopped

1 red pepper finely chopped

half a red onion chopped

2 heads of baby gem lettuce torn up with your hands

100g of light feta cheese

12 olives black or green

DRESSING

1tbsp olive oil

2-3 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 pinches oregano

Method

1. In a big bowl add all the ingredients except the dressing, mix the dressing together and pour over, mix well and divide into 2 portions.