I'm looking for healthy lunchbox recipes for work

[WhyAlwaysBoris]

I've eaten ryvita with cheese everyday for 3 weeks now, this madness has to stop!!!

Can you give me your best work lunch recipe?
I'm looking for
Healthy (ish)
Quick (ish) to cook
& Easy to eat at a desk with only a fork!

I normally just bring in leftovers from the night before, either full meals (spag bol) or cook extra chicken for the stir fry and take it the next day with noodles or a salad. a rice salad or pasta salad always works for me. Do you have access to a microwave? If you do the possibilities are endless really. Otherwise any sandwiches you like with different breads, pita, wraps etc or salads.

Are you trying to save money or on a diet or trying to save time? Why ryvita & cheese?

I don't normally get out of the office now to buy something, as i am very rushed at work, so ryvita and cheese is just a quick thing to grab in the morning but i'm aware i'm doing myself no favours having no veg whatsoever.

No microwave access- rice salad or pasta salad sounds nice, but no idea what you put in it to make it tasty so ideas would be great.

I'm not particularly on a diet, just want to look after myself more iyswim.

Maybe do some egg fried rice? Boil rice, half scramble some egges and put rice in when still not set, stir through some veggies (corn, peas etc).

Pasta with a tomato sauce? Fry onion with garlic, add sliced peppers, carrot and anythign else you fancy. Add tomato puree, dried herbs and chopped tomatos. I blend it at this point but you don't have to. Pour on pasta. Can add extra veg if you like.

A stir fry type thing with noodles, cooked meat, stir fry veg and soy sauce.

Boilded rice with mixed veg like corn, peas, chopped peppers, onions etc.

You could put some salad leaves or spinach with any of the above.

If I think of more I'll come back, I'm giving myself ideas! :)

Pasta with chicken, mayo and picalilli. If you eat it early enough it doesn't need to stay in the fridge between home and lunchtime.

Pasta with pesto - can be eaten cold.

Rice with corn, peas, celery.

Fruit

But you need a break at work.

Sandwiches, but treat yourself to some decent fillings e.g. BLT, tuna mayo and lettuce, egg mayo and cress, ham and coleslaw. Cous cous mixed with any veg is a good cold dish too.

Boil some puy (green lentils) with a bit of vegetable stock. They mix well with loads of things (see below), are healthy and filling and last for days covered in the fridge

• avocado, tomato, feta, crumbled bacon
• roast veg - especially butternut squash
• flaked fish or leftover roast meat and salsa verde (blitz anchovies, capers, garlic, lemon, Dijon mustard, lots of parsley and about half that amount of mint. This is great with all fish and meat)
• sausages

Variations on a theme:

• chickpeas mixed with tomato, finely minced red onion, parsley, chorizo and balsamic vinegar
• white bean humous: cannellini beans blitzed with lime juice and fresh coriander and enough olive oil to loosen slightly. Eat with crackers or crusty bread. Delicious with root veg soup.

Cous cous, wraps, veg and hummus / other dip, pasta salad, rice salad.

I bought DD a thermal food flask from lakeland so she can have hot soup, mac and cheese etc.

Do you like fish? I make a smoked mackerel and horseradish pate and it eat with oatcakes or bagels. I make a decent batch and put it in little pots in the fridge so I just grab one and go.
I also like to take a bit of a meze - hummus, pitta, olives, cherry toms etc. Stick it in a lunch box the night before and you're good to go.

One i do regularly from my SW days...
Chop butternut squash into bite sized pieces,toss in a bit of oil (and I use a sprinkle of dried chilli) roast for 10 mins-ish , add sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, stick back in for about 20 mins, add tin of drained chickpeas (or soaked dried) and do for a final bit. Stir in to cous cous made with stock and zest and juice of lemon. Keeps in fridge for several days.

I had some people over for dinner today. I tried a few dishes for the first time and they turned out really well. They would be suited for a healthy lunch at your desk, and can be eaten with just a fork.

For starters we had sun dried tomato/blue cheese tart with celery/apple salad. The main was Thai red curry and rice. Delicious and easy for a desk lunch the next day(obviously not the whole lot, either the starter or the main)

my failsafe is home made coronation chicken with a salad.

Love the blog www.justbento.com

I've made a lot of stuff from the site, and my lunches are amazing, if I have to say so myself .

Ooh, thanks for the bento link! I used to live in Japan, so I'm now reminiscing at the recipes . I'll have to try some out!