‘Nutritious’ doesn’t have to mean boring food that leaves you starving by lunchtime! These quick and healthy lunches can be prepared the night before or the day of, with fresh, tasty ingredients that’ll leave you the envy of the whole office. Plus, they’re filling to boot, as verified by our 12WBT members.
healthy lunches
Coconut Quinoa with Poached Chicken
1 Serve ~ 20 min prep ~ 25 min cooking ~ 300 cal/serve
Ingredients
125g Pumpkin, thinly sliced
60g Lean Chicken Breast
3/4 Cup Coconut Water (180g)
1/2 Teaspoon Reduced Salt Soy Sauce (2g)
2 Teaspoons Desiccated Coconut (4g)
20g Quinoa
1 Shallot (3g), trimmed & shredded
1/4 Cup Mint Leaves (10g)
1 Teaspoon Unsalted Pistachio Kernels (5g), roughly chopped
1 Teaspoon Craisins (5g), roughly chopped
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place pumpkin onto tray and season with freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.
- Meanwhile, place chicken in a saucepan. Add coconut water and soy sauce. Bring just to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Turn once during cooking if chicken isn’t fully submerged. Set aside to cool, then thinly slice.
- Scatter coconut onto a baking tray and bake for 3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve under cold running water. Place into a small saucepan with 30 ml poaching liquid and 30 ml water. Cover and bring to the boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and stand, covered, for further 3 minutes.
- Combine warm quinoa, shallot, mint leaves, pistachios, craisins and toasted coconut in a large bowl. Add pumpkin and chicken. Toss gently to combine and serve.
Mish Tips
- Coconut water is available in supermarkets and greengrocers. It comes in bottles, tetra paks or in its own shell. The coconut water from the shell (young coconut) has a sweeter taste. They are a little more fiddly to open but well worth the effort!
Potato, Spinach and Feta Tortilla
2 Serves ~ 10 min prep ~ 25 min cooking ~ 327 cal/serve
Ingredients
180g Potato, roughly chopped
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil (10g)
1 Red Onion (89g), cut into thin wedges
1 Red Capsicum (92g), roughly chopped
40g Baby Spinach
3 Cage-Free Eggs (177g)
1/3 Cup Low Fat Milk (80g)
40g Low Fat Feta, roughly chopped
20g Rocket
Method
- Place potatoes in a shallow, microwave-safe bowl. Add 1/4 cup (60ml) water. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until just tender. Drain well, and set aside to cool slightly.
- Heat oil in a small ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, capsicum and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until onion is lightly golden and starting to soften. Add spinach and cook, stirring, for a further minute or until spinach starts to wilt.
- Meanwhile, whisk eggs, milk and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Preheat a grill to medium.
- Pour egg mixture over vegetables in pan, then sprinkle feta over. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes or until mixture starts to set around the edges.
- Place pan under grill and cook for a further 8 minutes or until egg is set and golden brown.
- Set aside in pan for 5 minutes to rest. Cut into 4 pieces. Place 2 pieces on each plate and serve with rocket.
Mish Tips
- Use roasted capsicum in place of raw capsicum for an added flavour boost
- A dash of paprika and chilli will add a Mexican twist
Seared Salmon with Vegetable Noodles
2 Serves ~ 5 min prep ~ 10 min cooking ~ 276 cal/serve
Ingredients
1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce (5g)
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil (5g)
200g Atlantic Salmon Fillets, skinless and boneless
1g Olive Oil Spray
2 Carrots (122g), shredded or spiralized
3 Zucchinis (303g), shredded or spiralized
40g Baby Spinach
1 Teaspoon Sweet Chilli Sauce (5g)
Method
- Combine soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl then add salmon and turn to coat. Spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Cook salmon for 2-3 minutes each side, depending on thickness, until just cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate; wipe out pan.
- Spray pan with oil again and heat over medium heat. Add shredded vegetables and stir-fry for 2 minutes, adding a tiny splash of hot water to create steam, until just tender.
- Add spinach and cook 1 minute or until just wilted. Add chilli sauce and toss to combine. Divide between bowls and top with salmon to serve.
Inspired to try more healthy lunches? Our 12WBT recipe index is jam-packed with tasty, nutritionally balanced recipes just like this! Take the hard work out of meal planning and discover how we can help.
