10 Healthy Work Lunches for Busy Mums

Organising lunch a packed lunch for work often seems daunting after having to look after the rest of the family first. But too often it’s that last minute rush that results in something soggy and disappointing… 

Well, Stay At Home Mum has come to the rescue with ten simple ideas that you can use to make a wide range of work lunches. When it comes to cooking, your imagination is the only limit to a taste sensation.

Individual Yogurts

Chobani Low Fat Yogurt is perhaps the healthiest yogurt you can buy at most supermarkets – and if you add a few almonds or walnuts, it makes for a healthy, easy and delicious morning tea.  Buy a heap of them and keep them in the fridge at work for when you want to grab a quick, easy and healthy snack.

Smashed Avo, Feta and Cherry Tomatoes

If you have a toaster at work – this is really easy to whip up, and it is so filly and delicious!  In fact, this is my go-to work lunch because it only takes a few minutes to put together.  Delish!

This is a great recipe if you are eating gluten-free!

Muffin Tin Meals

These delicious little morsels of yumminess aren’t just for kids – I make them in bulk and have them for lunch quite often too!

You can use your Muffin Tin to make little savoury dishes that are perfectly portion-controlled. You can try some of our recipes for Muffin Tin Meals such as:

• Crustless Mini Quiches
• Cheesy Top Lasagne Cups
• Vegetable and Ham Noodle Cups
• Baked Ham, Cheese and Egg Toast Cups

Sandwiches

Ok, don’t get discouraged; this list isn’t going to point out the obvious. Sandwiches can be really disappointing at lunchtime. You pack them full of the best stuff, but they can end up seriously soggy and ultimately leave you bloated and unsatisfied. But that doesn’t mean they should be discounted from your lunch menu. Sandwiches can be an enjoyable way to trial new pairings of food, and you can get really, really fancy.

How about a Tempeh BLT with Kimchi, Avocado and Chipotle Mayonnaise? Or even a Haloumi with Sun-Dried Tomato and Rocket? You can put literally anything on a good ol’ sanger. For those worried about the soggy bread, try taking your sandwich in pieces, and assembling it just before you eat it. Perfect!

Key to a Delicious Sandwich:

Ditch the traditional white bread – that shit is bad for you anyway.  Try different types of delicious breads such as:

• Sour Dough
• French Sticks are great for mini sandwiches with lots of crunchy crust
• Baker’s Delight makes a really delicious Pumpkin and Pepita bread that just scrumcious.
• Visit your local baker for artisan breads.
• Pumpkin and Zucchini Bread (we have the recipe to make it from scratch!)

Wraps

Ah, the flat, less yeasty version of the sandwich is of course the wrap. For those who aren’t really ‘bread people’ in the traditional sense, the wrap is your chance to experience a sandwich, but longer. Wraps are highly versatile and can be eaten round as they’re made, or grilled flat like quesadillas.

They’re a perfect option for someone avoiding eating a large amount of bread in their diet, or for those gluten-free folks (using GF wraps of course). There really isn’t anything you can’t put in a wrap, but we suggest a Harissa Chicken Wrap with Roasted Peppers, Feta and Avocado Aioli.

Hot Soups

People might relegate soups to the darker days in winter, but in reality, soups can be enjoyed all year around. They have some much potential, and offer a simple way to get a massive hit of veggies into your daily diet. Also, rather counter-intuitively, a warm soup can have a cooling effect on your body on a hot day.

Let’s not forget the best part about soup: It really lasts. In just one cooking session you can whip up a whole heap of soup, which can then be stored in containers and used as the perfect backup lunch for a busy morning. If you’re eager to get on the soup wagon get started with a Summer Corn Chowder (which features bacon and therefore can do no wrong), or even an Ultimate Chicken Soup, for when you need an at work pick me up.

Fried Rice

Fried rice might seem like something that isn’t work making and taking for lunch, but in fact it’s a flexible base for a whole lot of deliciousness. A great fried rice makes use of what you have available: leftovers.

Taking the rice that didn’t get eaten from last night’s dinner and adding a few little extras, you can end up with an amazing lunch meal your coworkers will drool over. Start yourself off with some simple tips to a perfect homemade fried rice, and get interesting by working out which fried rice twists you like best.

Jar Salads

Mason jar salads are the big thing on the workplace lunch scene at the moment, so if you aren’t making them you’d better get started. Just source a nice wide-mouthed jar from an op-shop, or your own recycling and get your food imagination started. The best jar salads are ones that involve a little bit of forethought in construction.

The dressing should always go at the bottom, followed by the chunkiest ingredient (often a grain) to stop the dressing from getting over everything else. Fill the rest of the jar, with the leaves on top. Then when you get to work, simply undo the lid and flip the jar over onto a bowl. It’s a salad ready to go, with a thousand variations to try.

Sushi/Nori Wraps

You might argue this is another variation on the wrap lunch idea, but you would be so very wrong. There’s so much to love about sushi, but man that can be one expensive lunch choice. Of course, if you made sushi at home you could enjoy it every day without the cost. And if you think you need fancy sushi making equipment, think again! There are ways you can make sushi with nothing more than a towel as a cooking tool.

Of course if you aren’t keen on eating a lot of rice, keep it clean and green by whipping up some nori wraps. These are like sushi but without the rice, with vegetables, avocado, hummus and more taking its place. Delicious!

Burrito Bowl

If you’ve never heard of the humble burrito bowl, you’re missing out. Made popular by Mexican fast food outlet Chipotle, the burrito bowl is actually a great meal to take to lunch any day of the week. It involves a deconstructed burrito with a base of rice, followed by beans, veggies and greens.

Usually, its served with avocado and a Mexican inspired dressing, but there’s so much you can do to this recipe to make it your own. Consider swapping rice with quinoa, or adding your favourite kind of protein, burrito bowls are such an easy, healthy way to add variation to your work lunch.

Dips and Dippers

A work lunch doesn’t need to be a full meal. If you aren’t really into having much for lunch, you can opt for something more simple like a dip and some dippers. We haven’t provided any recipes for this one, because it’s all about personal preference. For those wanting healthy, the best dips are ones that you make yourself.

These might be hummus, beetroot dip, guacamole, or anything else that can be easily thrown in a food processor and blended to perfection. As for the dippers, let your stomach decide. From healthy carrots and cucumbers to simple corn chips, rice crackers, and multigrain chips, there’s nothing to stop you now.

Rice Paper Rolls

Rice paper rolls, sometimes called Vietnamese spring rolls or summer rolls, are such a simple thing to make once you get a hang of the rolling process. They’re essentially an unfried spring roll, usually packed full of crisp, fresh vegetables and salad ingredients. There’s almost nothing you can’t put in these rolls, and that makes them perfect for a cool work lunch.

As well as being customisable when it comes to filling, these rolls are delicious when dipped in anything from peanut sauce to sweet chilli, or anything in between. Try them out today and you’ll want them every day of the week!

Plus, there are so many variations on this simple idea from chickpeas with kale to wild rice and rainbow chard. These 10 recipes should get you started, but you’ll find it’s easy to continue.

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What do you take for lunch?