Overhaul your midday routine with these creative, delicious, healthy lunch ideas for adults. You’ll be glad you did.
Is ordering lunch adding too much to your budget? Or your waistline? Throwing together a delicious midday meal with just a few ingredients can be almost as convenient as Grubhub and a whole lot healthier — without sacrificing taste.
Here are some ideas for turning ingredients you probably already have on hand into delicious lunches in just minutes.
Cooked Chicken
Avocado chicken salad — Mash a ripe avocado and then stir in lemon juice, salt, and garlic. Shred your chicken and dress generously with the avocado mash. This avocado chicken salad can be enjoyed on toasted wheat bread with sliced tomatoes or rolled into a tortilla with salsa, shredded lettuce and cheddar cheese. Hot sauce is a great addition!
Pesto chicken bagels — Slice a bagel in half and spread pesto on both halves. Top with shredded chicken and mozzarella and then broil for two minutes until the cheese is bubbly and brown. You can also cook this in a toaster oven.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Protein salad — Throw together your favorite green salad (for super speed, use a prepared salad kit) and top with chopped hard-boiled eggs. Serve with a side of toast.
Not an egg salad sandwich — Spread your favorite sandwich dressing (mayo, mustard, horseradish, etc.) on bread and top with sliced eggs, then sprinkle on a little salt and pepper. Add lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, or meats to your sandwich to customize it to your liking.
Hint: if you are packing perishables, don’t forget the ice pack! It will keep your meal cold and safe.
Canned Beans
Bean and noodle salad — Chop some celery and red onion and mix with canned beans of your choice and cooked pasta. Dress with your favorite vinaigrette and serve on a bed of greens.
Tex-Mex bowl — Mix prepared beans such as black beans or pinto beans with cooked rice (leftovers work great for this) and cheddar cheese, then season with garlic and salt. Microwave until the cheese is melted and stir everything together. Top with your choice of chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, jalapenos, salsa, guacamole or sour cream.
Deli Meat
Stuffed omelet — Whisk a few eggs and pour into a hot, greased pan. Fill your omelet with shredded deli meat, cheese, and any vegetables you like (mushrooms are great, especially if you cook them for a few minutes first in that same pan). Serve on toast.
Fast panini — No need for a sandwich press! Layer cheese, meat, mustard, and tomato on your favorite bread, buttered on the opposite side. Toast your sandwich in a medium-hot pan for a few minutes on each side, using a spatula to press it down as it cooks.
Cooked Grains
Everything salad — Toss a large serving of greens in a generous amount of your favorite dressing and then layer on your cooked grains and a protein of your choice (chicken, egg, or seasoned tofu all work great). Add sunflower seeds or walnuts for some crunch.
Quick fried rice — Microwave some frozen mixed vegetables. Warm-up a pan and scramble an egg, then add your vegetables and grains (doesn’t have to be rice!) to the pan and stir for a few minutes more as you season with soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger.
Now, which one of these healthy lunch ideas for adults do you want to try first?
