5 Simple Lunch Box Recipes – perfect for the summer!

Need ideas for simple, healthy and tasty lunches? Here are five, one for each day of the week from nutritionist Madeleine Shaw. You’ll only need to prep on Sunday and Wednesday then it’s only a few minutes to put them together in the morning. There is also prepared a shopping list to make it even easier! You can find more recipes like this in her book Read Steady Glow.

Ingredients

1 chicken breast

2 smoked mackerel fillets

1 small pot of natural yogurt (or coconut yogurt)

100g of dried quinoa

1 orange

50g of pumpkin seeds

50g of sesame seeds

2 carrots

1 pot of hummus (or make your own)

1 beetroot

1 pot of tahini

1 avocado

1 cucumber

1 pack of spring onions

1 lemon

2 sweet potatoes

1 small green cabbage

Coconut oil

Olive oil

Cumin

Smoked paprika

Chili powder

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Right here is your weekly plan….

Sunday Night Prep:

1. Cook up 100g of quinoa.

Rinse the quinoa and pop it in a pot (lid on) with 220ml of water and a pinch of salt, bring it to the boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 12 minutes until cooked through, take off the lid and let it cool.

2. Cook up your chicken

Take 1 chicken breast – rub in 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of coriander, a big pinch of salt and ground pepper. Heat a pan with a tsp of coconut oil and pan fry 4 minutes each side until cooked through, leave to cool.

Place both the fridge covered.

Monday Lunch: Middle Eastern Quinoa Chicken Pot (time 2 minutes)

1 chicken breast

1/3 of your cooked quinoa

1 carrot

1 tsp of sesame seeds

2 tbsp of humous

dressing – 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of tahini, 1/2 tsp of cumin, 2 tbsp of water and a pinch of salt

Grate your carrot and place in your lunch box next to the chicken and quinoa. Dollop on the humous and sprinkle over the seeds.

Make your dressing in a jar, whisking the ingredients well. Grab some foil, cut into a hand size square, make a small ‘bowl’ dent in the middle with your thumb and pour the dressing into it, wrap it up tight and pop it on top, ready to dress when it comes lunch time.

Tuesday Lunch: Smoked Mackerel and quinoa pot (time 2 minutes)

1 smoked mackerel fillet

1 raw beetroot

1/3 of the quinoa

1 orange

50g of yogurt

2 tbsps of pumpkin seeds

dressing – 1 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tbs of orange juice and a pinch of salt)

Grate the beetroot (this can get messy) place it into your lunch box, place the mackerel fillet next to it. Zest half the orange and throw it over. juice the orange and place 2 tbsp in a jar for the dressing (enjoy the rest) scatter over the seeds.

Make your dressing in a jar, whisking the ingredients well. Grab some foil, cut into a hand size square, make a small ‘bowl’ dent in the middle with your thumb and pour the dressing into it, wrap it up tight and pop it on top, ready to dress when it comes lunch time.

Wednesday Lunch: Quinoa and Avocado bowl (3 minutes)

1/2 large avocado (or one small)

1/3 of the cooked quinoa

1/2 cucumber

1 spring onion

3 tbsp of humous

1 lemon

1 tbsp of sesame seeds

Dressing – 2 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt

Peel and slice up the cucumber into small cubes. Leave the avocado in half and pour over some fresh lemon so it doesn’t brown. Finely slice up the spring onion. Place these all with the quinoa, seeds and hummus into the lunch box.

Make you dressing in a jar, whisking the ingredients well. Grab some foil, cut into a hand size square, make a small bowl dent in the middle with your thumb and pour the dressing into it, wrap it up tight and pop it on top, ready to dress when it comes lunch time.

Wednesday night prep

Sweet Potato roasting time!

2 sweet potatoes

1 tsp of smoked paprika

1/2 chilli powder

1 tbsp of melted coconut oil

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C. Cut the sweet potato into wedges. Sprinkle on the spices and a good pinch of salt. Rub them in the coconut oil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes until cooked through.

2. Let them cool and place in the fridge covered.

Thursday: Sweet Potato and coconut slaw (3 minutes)

1/2 cucumber

1 spring onion

1 handful of thinly sliced cabbage

2 tbsp of natural yogurt (or coconut yogurt)

1 tbsp of olive oil

1 carrot

1/2 the roasted sweet potato

2 tbsp of pumpkin seeds

Thinly slice the cabbage and grate the carrot. Mix with the oil, yogurt and a pinch of salt. Peel and slice up the cucumber into tiny cubes. Slice the spring onion into slithers. Mix in with the cabbage. Place in your lunch box with the sweet potato wedges and throw over the pumpkin seeds.

Friday: Sweet Potato and smoked mackerel. (1 minute)

1 smoked mackerel fillet

1/2 avocado

The second half of the sweet potatoes

Dressing – 1 tbsp of tahini, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 tsp of cumin, 2 tbsp of water and a pinch of salt

Place the fish, avocado and sweet potatoes in your lunch box.

Make your dressing in a jar, whisking the ingredients well. Grab some foil, cut into a hand size square, make a small ‘bowl’ dent in the middle with your thumb and pour the dressing into it, wrap it up tight and pop it on top, ready to dress when it comes lunch time.

Share your lunchbox ideas with us!