For me, lunch is probably the least favourite of my three meals a day (of course I have snacks too) probably because it requires a lot of pre-thought effort and preparation the night/weekend before. I don’t always have time to pre-make lunch and I do tend to find it hard to find healthy shop bought options that are appealing. Lunch for me has to be very satisfying or I find that by around 2/3pm I start getting hungry and feel unsatisfied. That’s why my lunch also has to be protein packed, to keep me feeling full for as long as possible. Here are a number of my go-to options to get protein into my lunch:
If you still need more lunchtime inspiration, click here for some low carb lunch inspiration. Lunches don’t need to be fancy, just satisfying and tasty. As always, meal prep is key – but having some easy go to options like tuna rice cakes can save the day when you don’t have time.
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Tuna on rice cakesI really like the chilli flavoured rice cakes that you can buy in Coles/Woolies/Aldi, and enjoy topping them with tinned tuna; extra chilli flakes and then seasoned with salt and pepper. This is definitely a go-to meal when I don’t have time to prep my lunch the night before. I tend to stick with the plain tuna in spring water too. Tuna is such a great cheap protein packed option for lunch time. |
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Protein PizzaIf you have the time to pre-make a Protein Bread Co.’s protein pizza, this is a really satisfying lunch option: a couple of slices of pizza served with a side salad. I sometimes have two slices of pizza with a salad of spinach, feta, and tomatoes but equally you could serve it with some greens. I always look forward to this when I have it, and the pizza is really filling. |
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Chicken breast saladLean meats are always a good source of protein and if you can pre-cook some chicken breasts at the beginning of week, this will save you a lot of time. My go-to salad at the moment includes chicken with roasted pumpkin, feta, roasted cauliflower and spinach with a tahini/soy/apple cider vinegar dressing. To make the dressing simply add 1 tsp of tahini with 2 tbsp. soy and 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar and a splash of water. I usually shake well in a jar to get a good consistency. |
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Savoury protein muffinsThe Protein Bread Co.’s savoury muffins are also a great option for getting your protein in at lunch time. It’s good to make a batch of protein muffins, but to add different fillings to them; I usually do some with tomatoes and feta, some with little bits of broccoli and feta, and also some with cheddar cheese and spinach. This gives me just enough variety and cooking a batch makes lunches really easy. Throw together a side salad and you’re done! |