My current favorite packed lunch…

Gah, why is it already Friday!

…said no one ever!

I don’t know about you but I am more than ready for it!  Weekends are usually the part of my week where I seem to eat more indulgently than normal.  As much as I enjoy eating healthy, life is too short to always say “no” to dessert or a glass of wine. It’s all about striking an 80/20 balance…or in some cases 70/30 ;)!

With regards to the “80” bit of the equation, I thought I’d share an article a friend of mine sent me (Hi Sonia 😀 ): The 31 Healthiest Foods of All Time (with Recipes). I was glad to see some of my favorites listed including almonds, apples, broccoli, lean meat, oatmeal, salmon and quinoa.  Speaking of quinoa, I can’t get enough of the stuff for lunch lately.  I’ve had the same lunch 3 times this week and am already looking forward to the next time I make it:

Quinoa Salad with a couple of Boiled Egg Whites

I can’t do hard-boiled yolks

Nothing fancy but it’s just so delicious and easy!  I wish I could provide you a recipe with exact quantities but there really isn’t one.  It’s basically a mix of:

  • Cooked quinoa
  • Whatever veggies you have on hand (my current favorites are sautéed mushrooms, onions, zucchini, broccoli and green beans)
  • Basil
  • Garlic powder
  • Chickpeas

Combine the above, and top with feta and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

As the choice of protein, veggies & herbs is endless, I can’t see boredom kicking in anytime soon.  I know eggs being considered vegetarian is a grey area, but if you count it, this meal is more proof that a vegetarian diet can be high in protein too!

How many of the 31 foods do you eat regularly?

What did you make for lunch this week?

42 thoughts on “My current favorite packed lunch…”

  1. I love big bowls of quinoa & stuff like that! And I’m all about 80/20 (…70/30…) as well. You have to have balance! I’m visiting the fam this weekend, so there will be lots of homemade “20” foods…I can’t wait 😀 That list reminds me that I need more kale in my life.

  2. Quinoa “garbage bowls” are my favorite! And love that list – probably because I eat a lot of those foods regularly, except for the meat and skim milk. 🙂 I think I’m going to try making kale chips at home this weekend – they’re all the rage and sound like they’d be great paired with some hummus!

  3. I actually think I did say “why is it already Friday?!” a couple of times… like when I had exams/projects due on that day 😉 This week I’m definitely ready for the weekend though. And I love so many of the foods on that list, but I’m kind of on a hiatus with a lot of them because I think my stomach needed a break after I spent so long eating a diet that was so high in fiber. Still, I’m clinging to: blueberries, bananas, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, bread, almonds, milk, yogurt, chocolate, and olive oil 😀

    1. High fiber diets can be pretty “shitty” – pun very much intended :D! Glad to see chocolate & yogurt still on your list!!

  4. thanks for the shout-out girly. trying your recipe tom. xo, sonia
    ps: write a book! have i suggested that before? 😉

  5. YUM! That bowl looks fab! 😀
    That list is super cool too– I think my favorite on it though would have to be bananas– I just can’t get enough banana soft serve!!! 😀

  6. Yea baby! I just took a look at the list, and it seems I eat every single one of those at least once a week! At least being the key ;). Your lunch sounds a lot like mine! It’d be funny if we had lunch together. On Sunday, I always cook up a batch of quinoa, steam or roast some veggies, cook some sort of lean meat, then dump and mix for an incredible awesome and satisfying meal! And chickpeas are a must too! We’re lunch twins ;). As for the dressing, the sky’s the limit isn’t it? bbq sauce, marinara, salsa, balsamic vinaigrette, sriracha… fun!

    1. Great minds, my friend! I used to make quinoa every time I wanted to eat it. Such a waste of time- batch cooking is the way to go!

  7. I love recipe-less salads like this! Some of my best creations were born by throwing the contents of my fridge in a bowl. Who knew leftover sweet cinnamon-roasted squash would be so delicious with savory hummus tahini dressing? ;-p

    Lists like this make the nutrition nerd in me so giddy! I love all of these foods (except those containing gluten), and eat most of them on a regular basis, however many of them are super high fiber, so I have to be careful. 😉 My favorites on this list: almonds, bananas, Brussels sprouts, salmon, spinach, sweet potatoes and pumpkin! Oh, and red wine (preferably in sangria form). 😉

    Hope you’re enjoying your weekend!! xoxo <3

    1. Hummus tahini dressing? I need more details! When you make your trip to Mumbai (bc it will happen one day ;)), I’ll take you to try some of the best red wine berry sangria 🙂

  8. I love quinoa salad too except I make it with an olive oil, salt and pepper dressing. So good! My fav lunch has to be tuna salad (with romaine and tomatoes) though. Easy and yummy.

  9. I hateee hard boiled yolks..the chalkiness is just too much!! BLECH! I love reading lists like this to find that I eat so many of these “healthy” foods! I’m having a 70/30 kind of weekend ;).

  10. I love quinoa!
    Healthy meals don’t need to be so complicated 🙂 I’ve really into Israeli cous cous right now, it’s so quick and it goes with anything, great for lunch to pack to school 😀

  11. Just read this list, there are so many foods in it that i love! Including: sweet potatoes, kale, flax seed, chia seeds, almonds and salmon 😀 This quinoa salad looks so delicious!

  12. OMG love that ecard! So funny. I love reading about what people take for lunch. I could eat like a million hard boiled eggs at a time…love them. I’ve never combined them with quinoa but I’ll have to try it out! What isn’t delicious topped with feta and balsamic!? YUM!

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