Healthy On-The-Go Lunch Ideas

If you're like me, lunches are always the hardest meal to plan for the week. Normally I like to try and make enough leftovers from dinner to use for lunches, but this doesn't always work out! If you take out the option of the standard sandwich-and-processed luncheon meat, then things can get a bit tricky. Thankfully I've managed to learn a couple of healthy lunches to make that are not very time-consuming and are also easy to take with you and put together at lunch time. If you're really hungry at lunch like me, you can also add more options - I like to have herbal tea, a piece of fruit, nuts and maybe a homemade cookie or Lara bar. Leftover soup in a thermos also works well with both of these.

Healthy Lunch #1 
Chicken & Veggie Salad

Ingredients:
-Leftover cooked chicken (especially easy if you've cooked a whole chicken for another meal and saved some for lunches.)
-1/2 an Avocado
-1-2 Green onions, chopped
-1 Tomato
-1/2 Small cucumber, sliced
-Mixed salad greens
-Dressing: Olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a squeeze of lemon juice

Healthy Lunch #2
Spelt Toast with Avocado, Cheese, Cucumber, Tomato and Pepper

Ingredients:
-1/2 Avocado
-4 Slices of cheese of your choice
-1/2 small cucumer
-1 Tomato
-2 Pieces Spelt Bread or other gluten-free bread
-Ground Pepper


What do you make for a healthy lunch to take with you to work or school? Maybe you can offer some inspiration to myself and others :)

Leek & Chicken Soup (GF, DF)

Hello! It's been a little while since I've posted anything, and that's mainly due to the fact that I've just moved to Canada from New Zealand. It's been a crazy couple of months of going on the most amazing trip to Torrent Bay in the Abel Tasman for Christmas, having a very fun engagement party with a lot of wonderful people, finishing up work, saying goodbye to a lot of friends and family, and definitely lots of packing. Now I'm back in Edmonton, and it's still a big adjustment - especially the season change of going from the middle of a beautiful, hot NZ summer to a snowy (and dark-forgot about that part) Alberta winter. So needless to say, it's been a pretty big change overall. I'm trying my very best to think of the good things about winter, however small - and one of these things is that it feels so great to make a big pot of delicious, warm and hearty soup. I love making recipes that involve throwing a whole bunch of healthy ingredients together! Here is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes, made with chicken drumsticks from Sunworks Farm which produces certified organic chicken, beef, eggs, turkey, bison, lamb and pork right here in Alberta. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Leek & Chicken Soup

Prep and Cooking Time: Approximately 1 hour 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Making the broth

Ingredients:
8 organic chicken drumsticks
2 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1/2 bunch parsley
Approx. 30 grams of organic butter
2 medium-sized leeks, pale parts only
2 large potatoes
1/4 cup (55g) rice pasta

Instructions:
1. For the broth -  place the chicken, 1 carrot, 1 celery and half of the parsley in 12 cups of water in a large pan on high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and summer for 1 hour so the chicken meat falls off the bones.

2. Strain the broth into a large heatproof bowl and set this aside for now. Discard the vegetables you've used for the broth, and when the chicken is cool enough, remove and discard the skin and bones. (You can soak the chicken in cold water to help it cool down more quickly). Tear the meat into small pieces and set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat, and cook the leeks for 4-5 minutes until they are soft. Stir in the remaining carrot and celery, and add the potato then cook for 5 minutes.

Prepping my ingredients while the broth simmers

4. Add the pasta and reserved broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Add the chicken meat and summer for another 5 minutes, until the pasta is cooked (*hint - for cooking rice pasta, make sure you don't over-cook it by turning the heat off when the pasta is still a little firm and you should end up with perfect pasta.)

6. Serve with the remaining parsley, chopped and sprinkled on top.

Quick & Healthy Minestrone Pasta (GF, Vt)

This is a recipe for a quick, inexpensive meal that is perfect for when you don't have a lot of time to cook, or when you feel too tired to prepare a more time-consuming meal. This would also be great for kids! The recipe I have posted is probably the quickest and cheapest version, and you could add to it to make it a bit more interesting - for example, using fresh vegetables instead of frozen, adding free range chicken or sausages or having it with a slice of bread or salad on the side. I've also added a Printer Friendly option at the bottom of each post so you can print out a copy of the recipes on this site. 

Quick & Healthy Minestrone Pasta

Ingredients:

2tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp. tomato puree or paste

300 grams frozen mixed vegetables

700 ml vegetable stock

175 grams pasta (I used Orgran corn/vegetable pasta spirals)

220 gram can of baked beans (make sure there is not a lot of sugar added)
grated cheddar to serve (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry the onion for 2-3 minutes until it begins to soften.

2. Stir in the tomato puree and add the frozen vegetable and stock.

3. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta and stir the mixture. Cover and simmer until the pasta is cooked.

4. Stir in the beans until they are heated, and serve hot with grated cheese on top (if using).

And enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1465

Pasta and Bean Soup (GF, DF, Vt)

Here is a recipe for a hearty and healthy soup, that is vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy free and vegan (if you don't use parmesan cheese). I also like the fact that it is a good recipe for the seasons in New Zealand and Canada currently; NZ being Autumn and Canada Spring. Although, I understand that in some places spring may still feel a bit too winter-ish. If you're feeling down about the weather wherever you are, one positive is that a meal like this is a lot more appealing when the weather is cooler - a warm bowl of soup on a warm summer's day just doesn't work as well. 

Pasta and Bean Soup

Ingredients:

90ml extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

600g mixed vegetables (e.g. courgette, fennel, potato, sweet potato, leek, celery, carrot or peas)

3-4 pinches of dried mixed herbs (e.g. rosemary,oregano and thyme)

salt and freshly ground pepper

sea salt

1 litre vegetable stock

80 g dried pasta (I used gluten-free corn pasta)

1 400g can of beans (e.g. cannellinni, borlotti, haricot or chickpeas) drained and rinsed

2 bay leaves

50g parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat approx. 60ml of the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and chilli flakes and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until they are soft.

2. Add all of the mixed vegetables, except the peas, and the mixed herbs. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Fry until the vegetables are soft (or about 2-3 minutes).

3. On medium, cover the pan with a lid and continue to fry for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables have softened.

4. In a pot (or in the same pan, if you have one big enough) add the stock, pasta, beans, bay leaves and peas and bring to a boil. (If you have put this in a larger pot, add the vegetables). Bring to a simmer and cover for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the pasta has absorbed some of the liquid and is tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly before serving.

5. To serve, spoon the pasta into serving bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top (if using). Season to taste with black pepper and drizzle a bit of olive oil over each serving.

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from Pasta and Bean Soup (Pasta e Fagioli) - Economy Gastronomy www.bbc.co.uk/food

Healthy Baked Quinoa Oatmeal (GF, SF, Vt)

With the weather being cooler in the mornings lately, I have been thinking about what I could make as a warm, easy and healthy breakfast. I love oatmeal, and I found a recipe for baked quinoa oatmeal and adjusted it to suit what I like/and am able to eat. One of the best things about this recipe is how good it smells when it's baking! It takes a little longer than eating a quick bowl of cereal, so it could be best for weekends or days you have a bit more time in the morning. But the good thing is that it doesn't take too long to mix all of the ingredients together, and while it's baking you can do other things to get ready. This recipe is wheat-free, egg free, refined sugar-free and vegetarian. You can make it dairy free by using soy yogurt or applesauce, and  gluten-free if you are able to get gluten-free oats (oats are naturally gluten-free but are often contaminated with gluten from being processed in the same plants as other gluten-containing grains). It is really versatile, and you can also use whichever fruit you have on hand or like best. I have one baking right now and it smells amazing!

Healthy Baked Quinoa Oatmeal

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees celcius

In a large bowl combine:

1 cup gluten-free flour mix 

1 cup quinoa flakes

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a sepearate bowl combine:

3/4 cup rice milk (or almond milk)

1/4 cup real maple syrup or honey

1/4 cup yogurt (or applesauce)

Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a baking dish (I used a bread baking dish, it's all I had that was the right size but worked perfectly) add:

1 cup blueberries

1 pear, cut into cubes

1 apple cut into cubes

(or any other type of fresh or frozen fruit you love)

Spread the quinoa and oat mixture over the fruit, and sprinkle the top with a bit of quinoa
 flakes, oatmeal and cinnamon.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the fruit starts to bubble. 

Serve warm, topped with yogurt or eat plain.
Recipe adapted from The Sensitive Pantry.

Sushi Rolls with Brown Rice (GF, DF)

Sushi rolls! They are a delicious and healthy option for both dinners and lunches, and are simple and inexpensive to make. They are also a great snack food and easy to take on trips, picnics, to work etc. The seaweed contains many trace minerals, the brown rice is a whole food that is packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals, and then you can add whatever vegetables you like and meat or tofu - or stick with just the veggies. (I have included them in the category 'vegetarian recipes since they are easy to make vegetarian, even though the ones in these photos that I made contain tuna fish.) Most people will be familiar with different kinds of rolls that are out there and you can suit what you put in them to what you like.

Why brown rice instead of white rice?

Brown rice is unrefined and is the whole grain; the germ, the bran and the starch along with all of their vital nutrients. When rice is milled into white rice, the bran and germ are removed and only the starch is left behind, meaning that white rice and its products have much less nutritional value. Brown rice is a whole food, which as mentioned before is high in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. It also contains essential oils and protective antioxidants. Rice bran has even been found to be one of the must nutrient dense substances to ever be studied!

Ingredients:

2 cups of brown rice (regular, long grain or sushi rice)

2 cups of water

A pinch of sea salt

Carrots sliced thin

Cucumber sliced thin

Avocado sliced thin

Green onions sliced thin

Meat and tofu options:

Canned tuna

Cooked salmon

Raw sashimi-grade salmon or tuna

Chicken/teriyaki chicken

Sauteed tofu

Rice vinegar and mirin for cooked rice (optional)

Nori sheets

Sushi roller

Instructions:

1. Place the rice and water into a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring regularly.

2. Lower heat to a simmer and cover for 25-30 minutes.

3.Remove from heat and let stand for 10-15 minutes.

4. Season rice with 2-4 tablespoons rice vinegar and 2-4 tablespoons mirin (optional) and a pinch of sea salt.

5. While the rice is cooking, you can prepare your vegetables and other ingredients.

6. Place a sheet of nori shiny side down on the sushi roller and spread a thin layer of rice to 2 inches below the top of

the sheet.

7. Put the veggies at the top of the sheet (as shown in the photo) and tightly roll from the veggie side.

8. Seal the nori by putting a bit of water on the end to help the ends stick together.

9. Roll the nori in the sushi roller firmly.

10. Slice with a serrated knife that has been dipped in water, and enjoy plain, with wasabi, ginger, soy sauce, tamari or another dipping sauce of your choice.

Sweet & Sour Steam-Fry (GF, DF, Vt)

This is a delicious and healthy Chinese-style meal that I got from Patrick Holford's website:
http://www.patrickholford.com/. It lists both chicken and tofu in the ingredients, and you can use both, or one or the other. I used just the tofu this time since I had already had chicken with another meal that week. It's called a steam-fry instead of a stir-fry because of the method used to cook the ingredients, and steam-frying is said to be a healthy way to cook vegetables. What you do is put some oil in a pan to sautee the veggies, then add water to the pan and cover, which allows the steam to cook the food. When everything is cooked you can take off the lid and boil off the rest of the liquid (or you can drain it as well).

Sweet & Sour Steam-Fry

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 can pineapple chunks, unsweetened in fruit juice
300 grams of tofu
100 grams of skinles chicken breast, cubed (if using chicken)
Rice noodles or rice

For the sauce:
2 teaspoons corn flour

4 tablespoons pineapple juice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar (good but not essential)
2 teaspoons tamari
1 tablespoon tomato puree

Directions:
1. Lightly fry the tofu in olive oil until it becomes slightly browned

(if you're using chicken, you can steam-fry the chicken in the oil for about 5 minutes, until cooked through)

2. Steam fry the veggies in olive oil until cooked through

3.Combine the sauce ingredients

4.Add the sauce to the vegetables

5. Add pineapple and tofu (and chicken, if using)

6. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring

7. Serve with rice noodles or rice

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables, Tomatoes and Basil (GF, Vt)

This is one of my favorite recipes right now, and I love the colours of the roasted vegetables just as much as I love the taste. I used brown rice spirals which are gluten-free, but if gluten-free pasta isn't your thing then you can use whatever pasta you like. You can also make it dairy-free and a bit less expensive if you don't use the parmesan cheese. You can also substitute whatever vegetables you like roasting, I like to use sweet potato (or kumara as it is called in New Zealand) because of it's high levels of beta carotene, which is converted in the body to Vitamin A. I also use pumpkin, zuchinni and red peppers. I would highly recommend using fresh basil if possible for this recipe, it really makes it extra good!

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables, Tomatoes and Basil

Ingredients:
3 red bell peppers
1 1/2 medium sweet potatoes
2 1/4 cups of pumpkin
1 or 2 zuchinnis (courgettes)
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups (approx) pasta of your choice
3 medium tomatoes (I didn't use tomatoes in mine, but it bet they would be good!)
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 1/4 tablespoons dried
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250 degree Celsius.

2. Combine sweet potato and pumpkin in a roasting dish, drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat and cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until they start to become slightly soft.

3.Add the rest of the vegetables and garlic, and roast until they are tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, approximately 25 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender but firm to bite. Drain the pasta and save 3/4 cup of the liquid.

5. Combine the pasta, roasted vegetables, tomatoes and basil in a large bowl. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and the balsamic vinegar. Toss to combine (in my photo I have not combined the pasta with everything else, but I would recommend combining it all so the pasta gets the flavor of the balsamic vinegar). You can season the pasta to taste with salt and pepper, and add some reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls to moisten if needed.

6. Serve up the pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. I always like to make extra and take it for lunch the next day since it's really good to eat leftover as well.

6 Delicious and Healthy Breakfast Ideas

 (Steel-Cut Oats, Honey Yogurt, Peaches, Blueberries, Cinnamon & Nuts)

You've all heard the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and there are a lot of reasons why this is true. One is that people who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight than those who skip it, since if you skip breakfast, you are more likely to over-eat later on, and more likely to eat less healthy foods when your blood sugar gets too low. A second reason is that skipping breakfast is also linked with poor memory and concentration - so on top of feeling hungry, you could be finding it harder to focus, study, get things done at work, etc. It's also sometimes really confusing trying to sort out what breakfast foods are actually healthy, and which ones are just marketed as being healthy. One of the foods that frustrates me the most is breakfast cereals. Many of them have a ton of added sugar, and are heavily processed, which strips the food of many of the nutrients they originally had. So when they advertise that the food is "enriched" with all of these vitamins and minerals, it might just be replacing what you would be getting if you just ate healthy, un-processed foods instead. It makes me so angry that companies can market foods as healthy, espeically to parents and children. Then on top of that they target children with the branding, free gifts, competitions, puzzles and so on.

But on a happier, healthier note, here are my current favorite breakfast ideas, and I have started making extra most of the time so that I eat half before leaving the house, and then eat the rest at morning tea/break.

6 Healthy Breakfasts I Love:

1) Steel Cut Oats with Plain Yogurt mixed with honey, blueberries, peaches, cinnamon and cashews is the ultimate power-packed breakfast. You can also use regular oats, however I have recently discovered steel cut oats - they are unrefined, whole grain groats (the inner potion of the oat kernel) and have a more dense, creamy texture and a slightly nutty flavour. In Christchurch, I found them at Piko Wholefoods. They take a bit longer to cook than regular oats (about 30 minutes) so if you are in a rush, regular rolled oats or even instant oats are still good options.

2) Cherry & Vanilla Granola with Plain or Honey Yogurt. This is my new, all-time favorite breakfast - it's so good it helps me get up in the morning just because I look forward to it! Liberty Market in Christchurch packages their own granola mixtures so there are other flavors as well, but this one is my personal favorite. It's really reasonably priced as well.

3) Buckwheat Puffs with Rice, Hemp or Almond Milk. This is a breakfast I have started to eat when I need something quick, or when I just want a snack. Some of you may be thinking that buckwheat cereal doesn't sound very appealing, and I thought this too at first. It does take a bit to get used to, just because we're so used to those sugar-filled cereals, and of course, milk. But it is just another thing that I have found gets better each time I eat it. Buckwheat is also a suitable substitute for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein glutens. 

4) Scambled Tofu or Scrambled Eggs and Toast.
I always find I feel full for a lot longer when I eat eggs with breakfast (although I am not currently eating eggs after finding out I am allergic to them). You can add some olive oil, your favorite veggies (I like onions, peppers and mushrooms) and eat them with some whole-grain toast or gluten-free toast, which works well since most of the gluten-free bread I've had so far tastes a lot better toasted. I like to have toast with peanut butter or sunflower seed butter and jam, but people here seem to think that is weird!

5) Bean & Rice Breakfast Bowls. This one might sound a bit un-conventional, and this is a recipe I found from one of my favorite websites:  Nourishing Meals . It includes a recipe for spicy avocado sauce to go with it. Bean and Rice Breakfast Bowls . This recipe is free from eggs, soy, gluten and dairy and they said they were getting requests for breakfast ideas free of these ingredients, which sounds pretty tricky! As I mentioned, it may sound unconventional, but to many cultures these are food staples that they eat every day, and it is a really healthy and filling option for breakfast.

6) Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes. This is a good recipe for week-ends since I would never be organized enough to make something like early in the morning. This is another recipe I found on  Nourishing Meals  They have a slight hint of nutmeg and cinnamon, and are delicious with maple syrup. A nice tasty and healthy weekend breakfast, and you can add other things on the side such as yogurt with honey or a fruit bowl. Also very nice with a good cup of coffee or fresh orange juice.Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

I hope these ideas have given you some inspiration to make some healthy and tasty breakfasts. I know they are not for everyone, but for those of you who are looking to make some healthy changes to your morning routine, taking the time to take care of yourself and make a nourishing meal is a great place to start :)

Winter Chicken & Vegetable Stew (GF, DF)

 Last night I discovered a really delicious and easy dinner option, from Whole Life Nutrition, based in Washington, USA. Since they are based the the states I have noticed that a few of the ingredients they mention are things that I have trouble finding here in New Zealand, but there are usually good alternatives if you ask around. I changed the recipe a little based on what I like and what ingredients I had - for example, adding sweet potatoes instead of only white potatoes, and I didn't have celery, which would have been great in it too. You can also use beans instead of chicken for a vegetarian option (I like cannellini and butter beans) and I also used cornstarch to thicken it up and make it more like a stew than a soup. I have also just learned that most cornstarch is gluten-free - except sometimes you don't know what is added to things to it pays to check the ingredients to make sure.

Winter Chicken and Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 small carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato, diced
2 to 3 teaspoons dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 cups vegetable stock
2-4 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 cup frozen peas and corn
3 cups of cooked chicken or 3 cups cooked beans
sea salt & black pepper

Directions:
1. Place the chicken in a pot of water (use approximately 6 cups) to boil which takes around 1 hour. Add two of the carrots (chopped) to make the broth.

2. Once the chicken has cooled down enough after cooking, take the meat off by hand. Depending on the size of the chicken, you will probably end up with a good amount of leftovers to use in another recipe. Also pour the broth into a heat-proof bowl and set aside for now.

3. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add diced onions and cook until they are soft, approx. 5 minutes.

4. Add carrots, potatoes, and after about a minute add garlic and any spices. Separately  combine the stock and cornstarch and mix well.

5. Add this mixture to the pan, cover and summer for 10-15 minutes.

6. Add peas and cooked chicken, cover and simmer approx. 5 minutes or until veggies are
cooked the way you would like.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe adapted from: Whole Life Nutrition: www.nourishingmeals.com