9 to 5 - School Edition

So maybe it's more like 10am to 4pm now that school is in session but the premise is the same. I need a home packed lunch that is satisfying, delicious, and healthy. I also need to meet these criteria without the luxury of having access to a mini-fridge and microwave as I did when I worked this past summer. No biggie! There are lots of great lunch options that don't need the help of either appliance.  In the instance that something should remain cool a frozen water bottle or ice pack will do the trick. If you're interested in knowing exactly which foods don't need the aid of an ice pack then head on over to "Pack a Safe Lunch".

Details:

Dried Apricots and Hazelnuts

- Several dried apricots and a handful of hazelnuts. You may have noticed that these dried apricots are brown rather than a bright yellowish-orange. This is because this is the organic variety and therefore does not have sulphur dioxide as an additive. I find that without this preservative dried apricots have a more caramel-like flavor and are sweeter.

Applesauce and Blueberries

- Unsweetened applesauce with fresh blueberries. Simple but so good. Having something to chew on when eating my applesauce helps make this snack last longer than 30 seconds and the pop of each blueberry as you bite in adds just the right amount of tartness to the sweet applesauce.

Salad with a Hard Boiled Egg, Cheddar Cheese, and Whole Grain Bread

- Fresh salad with a hard boiled egg, cheddar cheese, and whole grain bread. My simple salad consists of lettuce, cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, green peppers, kalamata olives, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.

9 to 5

There's nothing I love more than giving you guys ideas on what to pack for lunch. It can be such a challenge to think of something that involves little prep yet is well-rounded and different from the typical PB&J (although I do LOVE a good PB & J sandwich every so often, but lets not overdo a good thing).

The reason why what I have packed for lunch today was so easy to put together is because I relied on last nights dinner leftovers as my star ingredient: baked salmon. Which, by the way, was incredibly easy as well. We just put some salt, pepper, and olive oil on the fresh salmon and popped it into the oven at 375 degrees for 20-25min.

Leftovers should be the first thing you consider when thinking about putting together your lunch for the following day. You can eat it as is or make it into something entirely different in a few easy steps. One reason why baked salmon is an excellent choice is because it can be eaten cold - in fact, I prefer it cold.

Details:

Salmon Sandwich

Salmon sandwich:
- Piece of baked salmon
- 2 slices of Sesame Ezekiel 4:9 bread
- 3 slices of fresh tomato
- Dill mayo spread*

I hate a dry sandwich and this spread took care of that. Using just 3 ingredients, I made a spread which really made this sandwich into something special. It's refreshing lemony flavor is perfect for the summer season.

Dill Mayo Spread

Spread:
- 1 tbsp of reduced fat mayonnaise (unsweetened & eggless) - can be found in stores like Trader Joes
- Dill
- 1 tsp lemon zest

I really like the flavor of dill so I added about 1 tbsp's worth, you can add as much as you like. Just mix these three ingredients together and then smear onto each bread slice. Add the piece of salmon and tomato slices. That's it!

I also made a fruit salad with a grapefruit & cinnamon dressing. Just squeeze the juice of 1/2 a grapefruit and add in as much cinnamon as you like. Again, I really enjoy the taste of cinnamon so I sprinkled liberally (about 1 tbsp).

Fruit Salad Dressing

The acidity from the grapefruit not only adds flavor but also prevents the fruit from browning.

Fruit Salad

Fruit salad:
-  Red Delicious apple (you can use any apple)
-  Banana
-  Raw, slivered almonds
-  Grapefruit & cinnamon dressing

It took me 10min to put this lunch together and I can't wait to dig in. Summer has officially begun and I wanted my lunch to reflect that. Nothing too heavy or complicated with a great balance of sweetness and tartness.

9 to 5

Yesterday marked my first day at a new job, and unlike any other job that I've ever had, this one is 9 to 5 (cue Dolly Parton). It pains me to consider spending my hard earned money on a mediocre lunch so my goal is to pack a lunch and snacks 95% of the time. I'd strive for 100% but a scenario like going out for a bite with a coworker is bound to happen. As you would expect, the food I bring needs to meet certain criteria. Be healthy, easy to enjoy at work, and tasty. I also don't want to pack the same thing every day so time to get creative and plan my workday meals the night before. That really is the secret to successfully packing a lunch and saving your bucks for treats like a much needed (in my case) massage!

What I packed for work:

- Bottled water and 2 packets of earl grey tea (I could use the caffeine boost and since the weather here in NY is chillier than usual it'll be nice to have something warm).

- Cold stir-fry pasta salad. Just some brown rice pasta, mixed frozen vegetables (cooked in some soy sauce, red wine vinegar, chicken broth, and 1 tsp of corn starch to thicken it a little bit), extra virgin olive oil, and pieces of gruyere cheese.

- Walnuts with raisins 

- Cut up gala apple with lemon juice (to prevent browning)