Hectic work schedules and obligations to family can have us so busy that we forget to do even the basics of things. Eating a necessity to sustain a healthy body and mind. And, when we aren’t eating enough, we deprive our bodies of essential minerals and vitamins. As a result, we don’t perform physically or mentally at our best. One common dilemma people have is that they just don’t have enough time to spend preparing their meals. Luckily, there are a variety of stress-free recipes that take little to no time. The following are just a few delicious recipes and lunch ideas you can make without exhausting yourself in the kitchen.
Wraps are one of the most flexible meals you can make. For one, you can wrap your food with anything from tortillas to spinach leaves. Wraps are something you can prepare daily as there’s usually minimum preparation. Let’s say you make a tasty stir fry or have leftover beans and rice. You can add those into your wraps, topped with some of your favorite sauce or hummus. Actually, you can spend about 1 hour out of the week dicing up delicious veggies like lettuce, bell peppers, and onion. Feel free to add whatever you’d like to add to your wraps and use the food of your choice to wrap it with.
Lettuce wraps are one of my favorite kinds of wraps to make if you like a little bit of crunch to your bite.
Tuna Salad Sandwich
- 2 cans (6oz each) water packed tuna
- 2-4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp pink relish (optional)
One of my favorite stress-free lunch ideas is tuna salad. You can eat tuna salad by itself, serve it as a side, make a sandwich, and more. What I personally enjoy is making a tuna salad melt or a regular tuna salad sandwich. The mixing of red onions, mayo, and lemon make a perfect combination. Plus, there isn’t any cooking involved. So,you don’t have to worry about having to wash extra dishes. Usually, the canned tuna is drained and simply mixed in with everything else.
You can jazz your tuna salad up with celery, bell peppers, or shallot. Some people enjoy adding avocado and tomato to theirs for additional flavor. However, you can keep it simple by sticking to a basic tuna salad recipe. I love to add a piece of lettuce to my tuna salad sandwiches and toast two slices of bread so that each bite has a delicious crunch to it.
Shrimp Fried Rice
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp chopped green onions
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 1″ piece ginger
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 carrots
- 1 lb shrimp or meat of your choice
Rice is a staple in many peoples’ homes. Fried rice is very easy to make as you only really need a few ingredients. This lunch idea is very flexible because you can add whatever meat or vegetables you prefer. It can be eaten for lunch and also used as a side dish for dinner. My favorite kind of fried rice is shrimp fried rice. However, feel free to supplement the shrimp with chicken, beef, vegetables, tilapia, etc.
Overnight Oatmeal Jars
Oatmeal jars are a great idea for those who are on the go. These make for super yummy breakfast and lunch ideas that only takes up to 15 minutes to make. You can use regular oats or steel cut oats to make this. The cool think with overnight oatmeal jars is that the recipe stays the same, just changing the flavors by adding 1 or 2 items to the mixing bowl. This allows you to try several variations of oatmeal jars without the frustration of having to buy a bunch of different ingredients. Overnight oatmeal flavors include, but are not limited to, coconut cream, blueberry pies, peanut butter cup, pumpkin pie, creamy cappuccino, mint chocolate chip, and nutella.
Smoothies!
Smoothies are not only a great way to pack in a ton of healthy vitamins and minerals but can be used as a meal replacement as well. There’s infinite veggie and fruit combos that taste absolutely delicious. Smoothies offer a refreshing dose of energy. Many people feel lethargic after eating. However, smoothies are usually very light and filling. There are many recipes out there on tasty green smoothies and fruit smoothies. My personal favorite happens to be the Beginner’s Luck green smoothie. Also, if you’d like, you can add things like protein powder, maca powder, and chia seeds into the mix for extra health benefits.
Loaded Baked Potatoe
Baked potatoes are very filling especially when loaded with an assortment of delectable sauces, creams, colorful veggies, and more. You can bake your potatoes in advance and place them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. You can coat your potato prior to putting in the oven or dress it afterwards. Olive oil with a dash of pepper and salt will do just fine. After it’s baked and soft, you’ll want to cut it in half. Then, the fun part begins. It’s really up to you how you want to load your potato but common toppings include sour cream, tortilla chips, bacon bits, cheese, salsa, guacamole, chili, onions, baked beans, chives, and butter.
Buddha Bowls
Fast food doesn’t always have to consist of a trip to McDonald’s. Buddha bowls are quick, easy, and delicious! Typically, Buddha bowls consists of food like lentils, beans, roasted vegetables, rice, whole grains, chickpeas, and dressing. Feel free to add meat if you’d like or dress your Buddha bowls up with vibrant bell peppers and red onion.
Taco Stuffed Avocados
Taco stuffed avocados can take up to 15 minutes to make. With taco stuffed avocados, you don’t have to spend extra time baking taco shells. All you need to do is slice an avocado in half, remove the seed, and fill it with all the deliciousness your heart desires. Common toppings and fillings to put on your taco stuffed avocados include sour cream, ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, and cilantro. Anchovies also make for good garnishing. If you happen to not have any avocados, then you can also fill bell peppers, sweet potatoes, and zucchinis with your taco stuffed recipe.
Cake in a Mug
Looking for a quick, sweet dessert? Who knew you could make a chocolate cake so easy. Cake in a mug is becoming more and more popular as it only takes about 10 minutes to make, or should I say microwavable. Yes, it’s true. You can microwave make a cake! If you’re skeptical about it actually tasting like cake, trying this chocolate cake in a mug recipe will blow your mind completely. The basic ingredients consists of flour, milk, baking powder, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips of course. Don’t worry. If chocolate isn’t your thing, then you can try nutella mug cake, funfetti mug cake, vanilla mug cake, brownie mug cake, Greek yogurt oat mug pancakes, pumpkin mug cake, snickerdoodle mug cake, red velvet mud cake, and so much more. Mug cakes will take care of your sweet tooth and satiate your cravings.
Dare to try new things? These lunch ideas will save you time and fill your stomach. Have fun with these ideas, adding or removing ingredients as you desire. Food preparation should be fun and enjoyable. And, eating these foods should be just as gratifying!
