Struggling to find time for a nutritious lunch during a hectic week? These five quick and healthy lunch ideas are perfect for busy schedules, offering a balance of convenience, taste, and nutrition to keep you energised throughout your day.
Why prepare your own lunch?
Preparing your own lunch ensures a well-balanced meal, allows for better portion control, and helps you stick to a budget.
Registered dietitian Jade Seeliger says one of the most effective ways to maintain a healthy diet is by mastering the art of packing weekday lunchboxes for both school and work.
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She explains that having pre-portioned, ready-to-go options makes packing lunchboxes much easier.
“Prepping and freezing items like homemade muffins, cooked meatballs, date balls, or sliced chicken breasts can save significant time during the week.”
Incorporate a variety of food groups into lunchboxes
Seeliger said it is important to incorporate a variety of food groups, such as dairy, vegetables, and fruit, into lunchboxes.
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“Including dairy such as yoghurt, maas, or cheese provides quality protein along with essential micronutrients that promote balanced eating.”
According to South Africa’s Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG), daily consumption of vegetables and fruit is essential, as they provide fibre, vitamins, and minerals that reduce the risk of nutrition-related diseases.
5 healthy lunch ideas for a busy week
1. Vegetarian wrap
Ingredients
2 red onion
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 courgettes
1 large red pepper
½ cauliflower
400g can chickpeas
3 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp garam masala
350g self raising flour
500g natural yogurt
small bunch coriander
100g pot coconut chunks
small bunch mint
2 limes
½ cucumber
2 garlic cloves
1 shallot
1 green chilli
salt, pepper, sugar and olive oil
Method
To make the sweet pickled onions, slice one red onion into thin half-moons. Put 2 tbsp cider vinegar in a small pan with 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Heat until almost boiling, then pour over the onions and leave for 2 hrs, by which time they will be sweet and crunchy.
To make the roasted veg, heat oven to 180C. Chop the courgettes, remaining red onion, the red pepper and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Tip into a baking tray with the chickpeas, plus 1 tbsp of the starchy water from the can. Pour over a good glug of olive oil, add 2 tsp of the coriander seeds, the garam masala, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and mix everything together with your hands. Cook in the oven for 45 mins, but give them a good shake after 30.
For the flatbreads, mix the flour with 350g of the yogurt, the remaining 1 tsp coriander seeds, and all the coriander stalks, finely chopped. It will come together quickly into a dough. Take a golf ball-sized chunk and roll it out on a floured board until it’s the thickness of a 20p coin, then dry-fry in a hot frying pan for about a minute on each side. When done, brush each flatbread on one side with some olive oil.
To make the tzatziki, blitz 1/4 of the pot of coconut chunks in a blender until it resembles breadcrumbs, then set aside. Pour the remaining 150g yoghurt into a bowl. Finely chop half the mint leaves and add to the bowl along with the juice of 1 lime. Grate in the cucumber and a garlic clove, then add the coconut. Season and mix.
To make the spicy green sauce, put the rest of the coconut chunks in a blender with the rest of the coriander and mint leaves, a peeled clove of garlic, the peeled shallot, chilli, the juice of a lime, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, and 1 tsp brown sugar. Blitz until smooth.
Take a flatbread, load it with a handful of vegetables, then a big spoonful of tzatziki and spicy green sauce, then a sprinkling of sweet pickled onions. Wrap it up and tuck it in.
To make the sweet pickled onions, slice one red onion into thin half-moons. Put 2 tbsp cider vinegar in a small pan with 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Heat until almost boiling, then pour over the onions and leave for 2 hrs, by which time they will be sweet and crunchy.
To make the roasted veg, heat oven to 180C. Chop the courgettes, remaining red onion, red pepper and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Tip into a baking tray with the chickpeas, plus 1 tbsp of the starchy water from the can. Pour over a good glug of olive oil, add 2 tsp of the coriander seeds, the garam masala, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and mix everything together with your hands. Cook in the oven for 45 mins, but give them a good shake after 30.
For the flatbreads, mix the flour with 350g of the yogurt, the remaining 1 tsp coriander seeds, and all the coriander stalks, finely chopped. It will come together quickly into a dough. Take a golf ball-sized chunk and roll it out on a floured board until it’s the thickness of a 20p coin, then dry-fry in a hot frying pan for about a minute on each side. When done, brush each flatbread on one side with some olive oil.
To make the tzatziki, blitz 1/4 of the pot of coconut chunks in a blender until it resembles breadcrumbs, then set aside. Pour the remaining 150g yoghurt into a bowl. Finely chop half the mint leaves and add to the bowl along with the juice of 1 lime. Grate in the cucumber and a garlic clove, then add the coconut. Season and mix.
To make the spicy green sauce, put the rest of the coconut chunks in a blender with the rest of the coriander and mint leaves, a peeled clove of garlic, the peeled shallot, chilli, the juice of a lime, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, and 1 tsp brown sugar. Blitz until smooth.
Take a flatbread, load it with a handful of vegetables, then a big spoonful of tzatziki and spicy green sauce, then a sprinkling of sweet pickled onions. Wrap it up and tuck it in.
Nutrition
Calories:732 kcal
Sugar:24g
Fat:20g
Saturated Fat:11g
Carbohydrates:103g
Fiber:16g
Protein:27g
2. Herbed cranberry and chicken salad
Ingredients
400–600g skinless, deboned chicken thighs
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil
¼ cup water, or as needed
2 cups mixed salad leaves
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup sliced chives
½ cup torn fresh parsley
½ cup torn fresh dill
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
For dressing
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
¾ cup dried cranberries, plus extra for garnishing
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3–4 Tbsp water
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Season the chicken thighs with thyme, salt, and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken thighs on all sides.
Cook the chicken until done, adding water if the pan gets dry.
Remove from heat and allow to cool before slicing.
Using a hand blender, blend the dressing ingredients until smooth.
Combine the mixed salad leaves with half the chicken and the red onion in a serving bowl.
Season with salt and pepper and pour over half the dressing. Toss to combine.
Scatter over the chives, parsley, dill, and blue cheese.
Add the remaining chicken, drizzle over the rest of the dressing, and garnish with extra dried cranberries.
Author:The Ultimate Salad Book by Chantal Lascaris
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Category:Lunch, Salad
Method:Frying
Cuisine:French
Ingredients
Scale
400–600g skinless, deboned chicken thighs
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1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil
¼ cup water, or as needed
2 cups mixed salad leaves
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup sliced chives
½ cup torn fresh parsley
½ cup torn fresh dill
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
For dressing
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
¾ cup dried cranberries, plus extra for garnishing
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3–4 Tbsp water
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Season the chicken thighs with thyme, salt, and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken thighs on all sides.
Cook the chicken until done, adding water if the pan gets dry.
Remove from heat and allow to cool before slicing.
Using a hand blender, blend the dressing ingredients until smooth.
Combine the mixed salad leaves with half the chicken and the red onion in a serving bowl.
Season with salt and pepper and pour over half the dressing. Toss to combine.
Scatter over the chives, parsley, dill, and blue cheese.
Add the remaining chicken, drizzle over the rest of the dressing, and garnish with extra dried cranberries.
Nectarine and granola parfait
Ingredients
4 large glasses for serving
30 ml butter
30 ml honey
4 medium nectarines sliced
1000 ml of Greek yoghurt
2 medium bananas peeled and sliced
125 ml of granola (or more to taste)
Garnish:
15 ml of yoghurt per serving
15 ml of toasted almond flakes per person.
Honey for drizzling
A few thin slices of nectarine
Method
Heat the butter and honey together in a frying pan. When it starts to foam, add the sliced nectarines and give it a good shake in the pan for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
Place 100 ml of yoghurt into each glass and top with sliced banana, followed by some of the nectarines, then top with 15 ml of granola, more yoghurt and nectarines, and granola.
Cover the glasses with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning,g remove the plastic and garnish the top with yoghurt, almonds, nectarine, and a drizzle of honey.
Heat the butter and honey together in a frying pan. When it starts to foam, add the sliced nectarines and give it a good shake in the pan for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
Place 100 ml of yoghurt into each glass and top with sliced banana, followed by some of the nectarines, then top with 15 ml of granola, more yoghurt and nectarines, and granola.
Cover the glasses with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning,g remove the plastic and garnish the top with yoghurt, almonds, nectarine, and a drizzle of honey.
4. Sandwich sushi
Ingredients
2 slices (2 x 30 g) of white bread, crusts removed
4 Tbsp (24 g) cream cheese or cheddar cheese spread
A quarter red pepper (30 g), deseeded, thinly sliced
A quarter carrot (20 g), peeled and thinly sliced
To serve
Sweet chilli sauce to serve
Cheese wedges to serve
Raisins to serve
Fruit to serve
Method
Place the bread on a clean, flat surface. Using a rolling pin, flatten the bread slightly.
Spread the cheese spread evenly over the bread slices, leaving a 2 cm border along 1 edge.
Top with red pepper and carrot strips.
Roll up to enclose filling and slice each roll into thirds. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.
