Because we don't always have 30 minutes to whip up something gourmet. 

A delicious and quick lunch to make. Image: iStockSource:BodyAndSoul

Lunch is one of those meals easily skipped in a busy day, but it's so important to keep those afternoon cravings at bay. These are some simple, quick, healthy and satiating lunch ideas to keep you fueled throughout the afternoon. 

We all know that protein is an important part of a healthy diet. It helps us to recover from exercise, keeps us feeling satisfied after a meal, and is key to preventing that mid-afternoon energy slump.

If you’re looking to boost your lunch time protein intake, the good news is that you don’t need to live on chicken breast and broccoli or spend your whole weekend doing meal prep!

Whether you work from home or are bringing your meal prep to the office, accredited practising dietitian Ashleigh Jones shows you how to have a healthy, high protein lunch prepared from your home kitchen in a matter of minutes.

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“Protein” and “pasta” are not words that typically go together, but with the right choice at the supermarket they totally can! By choosing a pulse pasta, such as San Remo’s Red Lentil, you can get close to 30g of protein and more than 7g of fibre from a single serving of pasta alone.

Add in a dollop of pesto, a handful of spinach or rocket, some olives and chopped tomatoes for a quick and protein-packed lunch you can prep in advance and enjoy for days afterwards. If you’re not fussed about keeping it vegetarian, you can also add a tin of tuna in olive oil, which will give the dish an extra boost of protein and some heart-healthy fats.

This super healthy meal prep has been made Tiktok-famous for good reason – there is zero cooking required, and barely any preparation. And best of all, it’s full of plant-based protein. Start with a microwave safe container and add a tablespoon of miso paste. Then add in some uncooked rice noodles, marinated tofu, and veggies such as shredded carrots, snow peas and Asian greens.

Put the lid on the container and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. When it’s lunch time you just need to boil the kettle, pour over some boiling water, and set aside for a few minutes while the noodles cook. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

For this super speedy at-home lunch you’re going to need some hot smoked salmon and a pre-cooked rice sachet. For bonus points, I recommend a brown rice or mixed grain option. Heat the rice according to packet instructions, then pour into a bowl.

Add hot smoked salmon, diced avocado, and any other veggies of choice – I like to use shredded red cabbage, cucumber, corn and frozen edamame beans that have been thawed in the microwave. Add a dollop of kewpie mayo if you like, and a sprinkling of roasted sesame seeds to make it truly insta-worthy.

Eggs are a convenient source of protein, and shouldn’t just be relegated to breakfast! A veggie scramble is the perfect way to use up any veggies you have sitting in the crisper, waiting to be cooked. I find that vegetables like onions, capsicums, tomatoes and zucchini work particularly well.

Start by roughly chopping your veggies, then add to a heated pan with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Sauté the veg until cooked to your liking, then pour over a few beaten eggs and mix them through, stirring until the eggs have set. You can then enjoy this dish on its own, or serve with toast on the side. A drizzle of hot sauce also works well here!

A delicious and quick lunch to make. Image: iStockSource:BodyAndSoul

You can give your favourite Mexican chain restaurant a run for its money with this wholesome at-home version. Coat some chicken tenderloins in Mexican chilli powder or some cumin and paprika, and cook in a pre-heated pan that has been drizzle with olive oil. Once cooked, remove the chicken and set aside.

Reusing the same pan, pour in a drained can of black beans and a sprinkle of cumin, cooking until the beans have been warmed through. Serve the chicken and spiced black beans on a bed of cooked rice along with chopped lettuce, tomato, fresh coriander, lime juice and a dollop of Greek yoghurt or lite sour cream.

Ashleigh Jones is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and leads a team of dietitians at Lite n’ Easy. She is known for her practical, no BS approach to healthy eating and her experience in helping patients with IBS. You can follow her on Instagram here.

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