Good nutrition shouldn’t go out of the window with your work lunches, but it does for so many of us! It’s easy to opt for fast and easy meals on the go or at your desk, but this can be detrimental to your overall wellbeing. We’ve partnered again with our nutritionist friends over at SuperWellness to provide you with some fantastic healthy lunch recipes to take to the office! Keep reading for their advice and recipe instructions for healthy lunches to take to work.

When it comes to the balance of protein, starchy carbohydrates and vegetables on your plate, it’s helpful to keep in mind a rough split between the three. The recommended split ensures a good amount of protein to keep you feeling full, and a small amount of carb foods to avoid that blood sugar spike, which leads to mid-afternoon energy dips. You also need a generous portion of non-starchy vegetables, filled with great fibre, vitamins and antioxidants.

Additionally, don’t be afraid to include healthy fats as they are essential for energy, brain function and general wellbeing. Oily fish, nuts, avocados, eggs are all very beneficial, as is olive oil and butter (although in moderation). The key is to avoid foods which have been deep-fried or highly processed.

It might be that you’re featuring the right right foods in your diet already, but perhaps with the wrong proportions of each. Having the right balance will help you to boost the nutritional value of your meals!

Healthy Lunch Recipes for Work

Salmon Fish Cakes

Salmon is rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, protein and B vitamins, and is a great food product to include in healthy lunches to take to work. If you have time to prepare some food the night before going into to work, why not try your hand at these delicious and nutritional salmon fish cakes?

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes

2 cans red salmon (with bones), drained

100g smoked salmon, chopped

2-3 tablespoons ground almonds

1 egg, lightly beaten

100g frozen peas

Large handful spinach, finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil, optional

Preparation:

1. Steam the potatoes over boiling water until soft. Mash with a fork and allow to cool. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine canned & smoked salmon, mashed potatoes, ground almonds, egg, frozen peas and spinach and mix to combine. Add more almonds if needed.

3. Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape into patties using your hands. You should get around 8-10 patties. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

4. Heat the oil in a fry pan over moderate heat and gently fry until lightly browned.

5. Serve with a tomato and spinach salad, steamed broccoli and tomato chutney.

‘Feel-Good’ Salad - Butterbeans with Pesto Dressing

Pack this salad for work and your brain will thank you for it!

Both green leaves and butterbeans are excellent sources of magnesium. This mineral helps us feel relaxed and handle stress better, by supporting nerve signaling and the production of ‘happy’ brain chemical serotonin.

Like most seeds, pumpkin seeds provide zinc also needed to make serotonin. Pumpkin seeds are a handy source of omega 3 fats, known for improving mood and helping brain chemicals to do their job. And with a good variety of protein from the beans, seeds and feta cheese mixed with slow burning carbohydrates, you’ll be supplying your brain with a steady source of glucose to keep it whirring smoothly for hours. Free of energy crashes – another good reason to live a life full of beans!

Ingredients:

The salad

120g butter beans, cooked (half a can, drained and rinsed)

2 large handfuls baby leaves (such as spinach, rocket, watercress)

5 large green olives

100g Feta cheese

1 medium sized spring onion

1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

1/2 tablespoon mild olive oil (for browning the butter beans)

For the pesto sauce (use around 1 tablespoon each, keep the rest in an airtight container in the fridge):

50 g pine nuts, dry fried for a couple of minutes until golden

Large bunch of basil

50g shaved parmesan

150ml olive oil (extra virgin)

2 garlic cloves

Pinch of Himalayan salt

Or: Alternative Dressing (per person):

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (mild is also ok)

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

½ tsp Dijon mustard

Add all ingredients into a jar, seal and shake – et voila!

Preparation:

Pesto sauce (unless you are making the alternative dressing):

Throw all of the pesto sauce ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth, then season. It will keep in a jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. Use 1 tablespoon per serving.

The salad

1. Heat the mild olive oil in a frying pan and add the beans.

2. Leave for a couple of minutes to brown, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, in a wide bowl, place the baby leaves, olives cut in half, crumbled feta chees, and chopped spring onion.

4. Leave the beans to cool slightly.

5. In a dry frying pan, heat up the pumpkin seeds until they just begin to pop slightly. Don’t let them brown too much, just enough to give them a slightly more crunchy texture.

6. Mix your warm beans with the rest of the ingredients and 1 tablespoon of the pesto sauce (or alternative dressing) and sprinkle the seeds on top.

Quinoa feta and pumpkin salad

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Quinoa, which is actually a seed, is gluten free and one of the few complete plant-based proteins, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids. It is also high in fibre. Diets rich in fibre are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers and may aid weight loss. This is a hearty salad, which balances the salty feta with the sweetness of the pumpkin and pomegranate. Prepare the pumpkin, onion and quinoa in advance and you can throw this salad together in minutes.

Ingredients:

1 butternut pumpkin

1 Spanish onion, cut into wedges

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup quinoa

1 cup mint, chopped

1 cup Italian parsley, chopped

100g feta, crumbled

1 pomegranate, seeds only

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Dressing:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Toss diced pumpkin and onion wedges in olive oil. Cook in the oven until soft and caramelised, around 30 minutes depending on size of the pumpkin.

2. Cook quinoa in a saucepan of boiling water until softened, around 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.

4. In a large bowl, combine roasted pumpkin, onion, and quinoa and pour over the dressing.

5. Add pomegranate seeds, feta and herbs and mix gently to combine.

It’s much easier to improve your nutrition and wellbeing with some packed lunch ideas for work under your belt! SuperWellness help many businesses and employees to improve their nutrition on a daily basis, and we create wellbeing-focused office interiors to support health and happiness even further. Get in touch to chat about your workspace!