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Summer is (sadly) beginning to wrap up, and everyone’s getting back into routines. If you’re getting into a routine that involves a lunch break, then doing lunch meal prep might just be the thing for you to save time, energy, and money during the week! Whether you’re vegan, gluten free, or a carnivore, here’s how you can spend one hour and making 5 lunches for your work week.
Start with veggies!
Go to your favourite local grocer or farmstand and stock up on your favourite seasonal vegetables. Not only are you supporting local, anything in season tastes better and has even more nutritional value. Make vegetables the basis of your meal prep because
a) they are full of fibre and plant-based protein to keep you feeling fuller, longer
b) they are quick and easy to cook.
Try roasting all your vegetables or blanching them – they’ll be done all in one go, in 30 minutes or less
Add a starch or grain to bulk up your lunch.
Try yams, potatoes, rice, quinoa, or something similar to pair with your vegetable medley. All of these options are packed full of nutrients! Whatever you choose, a healthy pinch of salt goes a long way to add flavour (because if your food doesn’t taste good, you won’t eat it). If you’re cooking a root vegetable like potatoes, make sure to cut them in small pieces so they cook faster; come lunchtime, it’s also easier to eat them when they’re already cut into bite-sized pieces. If you’re making something on the stove like quinoa or rice, it shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes. To use your time efficiently, get your grains or starch going while your veg cook.
Add a protein.
This step is optional, since your grain might double as a protein already (quinoa is a complete protein, and so are rice & peas). You can mix in plant-based proteins like black beans or chickpeas to give your lunch an extra protein and fibre boost, or cook your favourite cut of meat and add it in. Oven-baked chicken is easy and takes about 25 minutes in the oven; you can cook it at the same time you roast your vegetables, or pop it in the oven first-thing while you do other things on the stove. Stir-Fry beef takes only about 10 minutes on the stove, and you can tend to it while your veggies cook. Proteins are a great opportunity to add flavour: whatever meat or legume you might add in, think about adding spices, herbs, or quick sauces to really make it the way you like it!
Garnish it up.
Meal prep has a dangerous tendency to be bland and boring, so when you have your elements of veg + grain + protein, jazz the dish up with a quick healthy garnish of chopped green onion, a few leaves of your favourite herb, some fresh cracked pepper, or maybe even some mustard or hot sauce. Any punch of flavour or freshness will allow you to enjoy your healthy meal even more.
Bring dessert.
If you have a sweet tooth or enjoy a little indulgence after a meal, pack yourself a piece of dark chocolate or maybe some Okanagan fruit – watermelon? Cherries? Something that feels like a real treat, but isn’t processed or full of empty calories.
If you can set aside an hour to put this together, you’ll be thanking yourself all week long for your fridge stocked with awesome lunches! #TreatYoSelf to homemade, healthy, and delicious food as you get back at ‘er. For more tips and tricks, check out my highlighted instagram stories on @thetreatlife.
Kelowna born and raised, Keddy Pavlik of TheTreatLife has been passionate about the local food scene basically since birth. If she's not in the kitchen, you can probably find her at the farmer's market or taking pictures of food. Photo Credit: Jordana Dickson.
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