Healthy Lunch Ideas For Each Day Of The Week

Tired of the convini? What to eat something healthy, cheap AND easy to make for lunch? Read on.

When I shared my last Savvy Tokyo article “Healthy Breakfast Ideas For Each Day of The Week” on my Facebook page, someone commented: “thankkkk you for this! now can you make one for me for lunch and dinner too???” Of course, I say, this is what I’m here for, so here it is — just for you my savvy ladies, a list of seven healthy lunch ideas for each day of the week. Each recipe is highly customizable and very easy to assemble. I hope that they please your bellies as much as they do mine.

Monday: Puffy Cakes with Toppings

Mondays are hard. Let’s start with something easy. Puffy cakes (rice, corn, quinoa, buckwheat, or combinations) are fuss-free and as versatile as a toast. I like mine with smashed avocado, smoked salmon, goat’s feta, cucumber slices and fresh basil. I also like basil pesto, mozzarella and fresh tomato. On Mondays when I don’t feel sweet enough I like two additional combinations: peanut butter, fresh berries and maple syrup or unsweetened yogurt, honey and pistachios. 

Tuesday: Cold Soba Salad

In addition to being super delicious (my second favorite Japanese food after tofu) and hugely accessible in Japan, soba noodles offer a low-carb/calorie alternative to wheat pasta. Simply cook 8 ounces of soba as per packet instructions, rinse and let cool in a large bowl. Add in chopped favorite vegetables, herbs, nuts and/or seeds of choice (I used tomato, capsicum, cucumber, spring onion, cooked and shelled edamame beans, fresh basil, sesame seeds, and peanuts). For the dressing, combine 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, juice of half a lemon or a lime and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to a small jar and shake to combine. Add in the dressing and mix everything until salad is well combined. Refrigerate before nomnom.

Wednesday: Cauliflower rice sushi

A great low-calorie/carb alternative to regular white rice sushi, these cauliflower beauties are worth the careful assemblage. Simply remove 1 medium cauliflower’s stem and leaves, then using a sharp knife, roughly chop small. Place chopped cauliflower into a high-powered food processor and blitz until crumbed. Put crumbled cauliflower into a microwave-safe bowl and cook covered for 6 minutes on high. Once cooked, add one teaspoon of rice vinegar, mix with a spoon and let cool slightly before beginning standard sushi production.

Thursday: Roast vegetable salad

Preheat oven to 200C. Take favorite vegetables (I used pumpkin, beetroot and sweet potato) wash and chop small. Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with ‘roast vegetable mix’ or a combination of your favorite spices. Bake for 20-30 minutes until well cooked. Let roasties cool slightly before mixing through mesclun leaves and dressing with lemon juice, a little balsamic and a little olive oil. For extra protein and oomph, add cold meats and unsalted nuts and/or seeds, too.

Friday: Egg sandwiches

Mash three cooled boiled eggs, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, a sprinkle of salt and black pepper and a handful of chopped fresh chives together in a bowl. Divide the egg mixture between two slices of bread (or brown, Bio bread) lathered with smashed avocado. Scatter over mixed greens. Top each with another slice of bread. (Makes two sandwiches).  

Saturday: Green Quinoa Salad

Completely versatile, simply swap ingredients for fresh in-season produce. My recommended ingredients are: quinoa (of course), asparagus, fresh parsley, green peas, fresh mint, snap peas, edamame beans, and nuts and seeds of choice. Roughly chop all herbs, cut the asparagus and snap peas in pieces roughly the same size while removing their woody ends. Cook quinoa in boiling water according to the package instructions. When ready, place the asparagus, green peas, snap peas, and edamame beans into a heatproof colander and rest it over the quinoa pan. Cover and steam for a quick minute, or until tenderized. Once done, drain and rinse the quinoa and vegetables under cold running water, then leave both to cool. Combine all salad ingredients together and mix gently. Then simply refrigerate … if you don’t accidentally eat the whole thing! Here is the full recipe.

Sunday: Bacon-wrapped eggs with avocado

I have Pinterest to thank for this one. Bacon wrapped anything is a winner in my books. Preheat oven to 200C. Cook bacon in a frying pan until still pliable, not crispy (about 8 minutes), then let cool.

Grease a muffin tin. Place one or two pieces of bacon in each muffin hole wrapping them around to make a sort-of bacon bowl. Crack one egg in each bacon ‘bowl,’ then top with chopped chives and season with a little salt and black pepper. Bake until bacon is crispy, and eggs are cooked. Serve with our generation’s no1 love: avocado.

Bon appetit!