Why not try prepping a hearty and healthy lunch at home over the weekend and bringing that to work instead?

Instead of Takeout, Try These Healthy Lunch Recipes

If you frequently order takeout for lunch and eat it at your work desk during the week, why not try prepping a hearty and healthy lunch at home over the weekend and bringing that to work instead? It may feel as though you don’t have enough time to plan and prep your meals over precious and short weekends, but you’ll save yourself valuable time and money in the long run. You’ll also nourish your brain and body with plenty of nutrient-dense treats.

And if you think a homemade lunch can’t be as tasty as the offerings at your standby salad place or local deli, think again! From a rocket pie recipe that’ll rival your favorite pizza slice to a quinoa and mushroom frittata filled with fragrant and healthy herbs or a berry salad that you can easily top with chicken or shrimp, the lunch recipes we’re sharing here will leave your stomachs satisfied and your wallets stuffed.

Quinoa-Mushroom Frittata with Fresh Herbs

Used as healing compounds since the early days of medicine, herbs have strong scents and flavors that indicate the presence of unique phytonutrients. Study after study shows that traditional healers were right: these plants are medicine.

This simple dish brings some serious plant power with fresh herbs, mushrooms, olives, and quinoa. Mushrooms also contain unique phytonutrients, helping you round out this meal. For your next brunch or lunch, serve up some healing!

Ingredients

Serves 6
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa (or 1 1/2 cups cooked)- 6 large pasture-raised eggs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or tarragon
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 green onions or garlic scapes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms such as maitake, shiitake, or chanterelle, brushed clean and sliced
- Olive oil
- 1/4 cup assorted pitted olives, whole or chopped

Directions

Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then stir in the quinoa, Parmesan, herbs, pepper, green onions or garlic scapes, and mushrooms.
Coat a medium, ovenproof skillet with a thick layer of olive oil. Place over medium-high heat, add the egg mixture, and sprinkle with the olives. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes without stirring.
Preheat the broiler with the rack in the second position from the top. Broil the frittata until the top is lightly browned and the eggs have firmed up in the center, 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove the frittata from the oven and let it rest for 3 minutes. Loosen the edges with a spatula and cut into 6 wedges. Serve immediately.

Berry Spinach Salad

If you love sweet and salty paired in one dish, then this nourishing salad is for you. To take this dish on the road, pack the berries and the dressing separately to avoid wilting the greens. For a cocktail party, swap the greens out for lettuce cups and spoon them full of the carrots, radishes, berries, and nuts, then drizzle with dressing.

Ingredients

Serves 4
- 1/3 cup hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons plain kefir
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 pound salad greens, such as mesclun, baby kale, or spinach
- 4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cups radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced

- 1 pint berries such as raspberries or blueberries

Directions

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350 F.
Spread out the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the oven until the skins split and the nuts turn a deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
While still hot, rub the hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel to remove the skins (some bits of skin will remain). Cool for 5 minutes, then chop.
Combine the oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, kefir, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Divide the salad greens among four plates. Top with the carrots, radishes, and berries and drizzle with the dressing. Garnish with the chopped hazelnuts and serve immediately.

Shakshuka

This is a flavorful and rich dish eaten in North Africa, Israel, Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries (though it has different names and varieties). It’s usually eaten for breakfast, but it can also serve as a light lunch or dinner. The great thing about this dish is you can individualize it as much as you like.

The basics are tomatoes, onions, peppers, cumin, garlic, water, salt, pepper, and eggs. Other than that, it’s up to you. You can add paprika, or sometimes I cook it with a dried pepper like chipotle to give it a smoky kick. You can add hot sauce or whatever herbs you like. I personally use green peppers as that’s the way they do it in Northern Africa, but in Israel they often use more tomatoes and red peppers. It’s very versatile.

Ingredients

Serves 2
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tomatoes, I prefer plum, large diced
- 1/4 cup water, more as needed
- 4 eggs

Directions

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, sauté the peppers and onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic after about 5 minutes, as you don’t want it to brown. Then add cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and cook for one minute. Add tomatoes and the water. Cover the pan and let it all cook for about five minutes. Add more water if it gets dry.
Once the veggies have cooked down a bit and start to look saucy, make three indentations in the pan with the back of a spoon and crack the eggs into them. You want to keep them separate. Add a little salt and pepper and cover. You are basically steaming the eggs in the tomato sauce. I cook them until the yellows are slightly cooked, about 10 minutes. For a true shakshuka, cook just until the egg whites have set.
Serve on its own, with a side salad, pita or bread. Add chopped herbs at the end (cilantro is a good match).

Rocket Pie

Feed your brain with pizza? The fresh arugula, a.k.a. “rocket,” that tops this pie adds a spicy bite to a rich, savory base. Clams contain more vitamin B12 than any other food and deliver protein, iron, and iodine. You can pull this recipe off in just minutes by using dough from the freezer section in your grocery store and swapping out the fresh clams for jarred.

Remember to place the dough in your fridge the night before to gently defrost.

Ingredients

Serves 4
- 1/2 pound clams, well rinsed under cold running water
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups packed kale leaves
- 1/2 pound frozen pizza dough
- 1/2 cup grated pecorinoRomano cheese
- 1 cup baby arugula or micro-greens

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 F.
Partially fill a large stockpot with 3 inches water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the clams, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shells open and the clams are cooked through inside. Drain and pull the clam meat from the shells. Chop the clams and set aside.
Place the olive oil, garlic, and salt in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the kale and pulse again until a chunky mixture forms.
Roll out the dough and place it on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Top with the kale mixture, and using the back of a spoon, spread it almost to the edges of the dough. Sprinkle with the clams and cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the edges are cooked and golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the arugula. Serve immediately.