Let’s Talk Lunch!

I am a creature of habit, so when I find a meal that I love, I tend to stick with it for a month or two before changing it up.  I love to have the same breakfast and lunch everyday and then mix it up for dinner. 

So, today, let’s talk lunch! I’m not a big fan of hot foods or cooked foods for lunch.  I like it simple, healthy, quick and cold.  Ha!  Therefore, I am all about finding sandwich and salad recipes for lunch time.

Here has been my go-to meals for the past several months:

First up, hummus and cucumber on a whole grain english muffin with low fat plain yogurt and sprinkles…

This is super simple to make…simply toast the english muffin, spread on 1 tbsp of hummus on each muffin, place 2-3 cucumber slices and enjoy! The yogurt is about 1/2 a cup with 2 tsp. of sprinkles on top.  The entire meal comes in at just under 300 calories.

Next up, this has been my go-to lunch as of late:  Cream cheese, turkey and spinach rollups with strawberries.

Of course, this is super simple as well…simply take an 8” tortilla and spread 2 tbsp. of whipped cream cheese.  Place 3-4 slices of nitrate-free turkey breast and several leaves of baby spinach.  Sometimes I like to pluck off the stems if they are a little long.

Then roll and enjoy!

How pretty and colorful does that look?  And at 300 calories, it is super healthy and satisfying.

Now, if you want to get a little more complex in your recipe, but still have a delicious wrap, I highly recommend a tabbouleh wrap!

Here’s a recipe I like to use, but keep in mind you can pretty much add anything you want and it will still be delicious!

-3/4 cup bulgur, cooked

-3/4 cup of chopped cucumber

-1/8 cup chopped black olives

-1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

-1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

-2 tbsp. water

-3 tbsp. olive oil

-3 tbsp. lemon juice

-1/4 tsp. salt

-3/4 cup chopped tomato

Combine bulgur, cucumber, black olives, green onions, parsley and tomato in a bowl.  To make the dressing, combine water, olive oil, lemon juice and salt.  Stir and pour over bulgur mix. Toss to coat and chill in fridge for 4-24 hours.  This is one of those dishes that gets better with age, so the next day all the flavors have melded together and it’s delicious!

You can eat it with a spoon or put it on some whole wheat crackers or fill a pita or flour tortilla.  It’s very flexible and one of my favorite summer recipes!

This one comes in with the lowest calories!  This makes approximately five servings and each serving is about 170 calories.  If you add in a wrap it is about 250 calories.  Add in a cup of fruit and you’ve got yourself a lunch!

So, what are your favorite lunch recipes?  Comment and let me know!