5 Healthy Lunches To Prep On Sunday For The Upcoming Work Week

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  Packing lunch is one of the most effective ways to eat healthily and save money, but finding the motivation to wake up early enough to prep your lunch takes dedication. Many people don’t have time to make lunch every day unless they opt for quick fixes like sandwiches. However, prepping your weekly lunches on Sundays can save time and effort. You’ll have your mid-day meals ready to go, keeping your morning routine intact and making it easy to grab a lunch before you head out the door. Here are five lunches you can prep on a Sunday to keep your healthy eating habits going throughout the week.

  Greek Salad

Mediterranean diets are a perennial favorite of doctors and nutritionists because many of the ingredients are heart healthy, and these diets tend to be high on fruits and veggies. Add a Greek salad to your lunch menu. With this recipe from Simply Delicious, all you need to build this salad is a cucumber, ripe tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Prep early by chopping your veggies and packing them individually so you can assemble your salad right before you eat it. To make the dressing, combine 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of lemon juice, 1 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of dried oregano. Pick up a to-go salad dressing container and fill it with enough dressing for one salad. If you want more protein in this salad, add some grilled chicken.

  Chickpea and Cheddar Quesadilla

Take a break from traditional sandwiches and salads with this recipe courtesy of The Kitchn. The cumin-scented chickpeas add an earthy kick to the dish, and coupled with scallions and melted cheese, this dish will make you happy to take a break from work. This recipe is simple to make ahead of time, and it is designed to be easily carried from the kitchen to your desk. It is pretty easy to make and doesn’t require an abundance of ingredients.

  Lunch Bowls

If you’re gluten-free or cutting back on bread, try a lunch bowl instead of a sandwich. Much like salads, these can be made ahead of time with a vast array of ingredients. You have the option of adding many power ingredients to boost your energy and keep you nourished all day. Cafe Delites offers an excellent Balsamic Chicken Salad with Lemon Quinoa recipe. This bowl is packed with superfoods that will have you on top of your game all afternoon. The recipe requires a lot of prep, which makes it perfect for preparing during the weekend.

  Prepare Chicken

Add a healthy dose of protein to many meals by prepping and shredding some chicken on Sunday. By doing so, you can use the pieces to make salads, sandwiches, wraps and other easy recipes. If you have a slow cooker, this is a simple task as you can easily season your chicken breasts or thighs and throw them right into a crockpot. Once cooked, you can dice, pull or shred the chicken and separate it to go with your various lunch meals. Learn how to make a slow cooker chicken with this recipe from Eating Well.

  Make Soup

When it’s cold outside, soup is a quick and easy go-to recipe, and making it from scratch will help you stick with your healthy diet. There are a number of healthy soup recipes available. This Spicy Vegan Black Bean Soup recipe from The Glowing Fridge is a great lunch. It packs a lot of healthy protein with black beans, and it’s loaded with veggies. If you’re not into spice, you can cut back on the jalapenos or eliminate them entirely. For added texture, try mixing in some avocado slices.

  Cooking and preparing lunches on Sunday will allow you to stick with your healthy eating goals, while also allowing you to save extra money. Try these or a host of other recipes to keep variety in your diet.

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