Hey guys, it's been a while! I have been so busy with school work that blogging hasn't really made it onto the agenda lately. I wish I had more time for it, but right now, Chemistry is just about all I do. But since I have been getting back into meal prep and packing my lunches for in-between classes, I thought I would do a quick post on some tips for that! Hope you enjoy. I am also collaborating on this post with two of my sweet friends. I will be posting links to their blogs with a preview to their post. Check them out for some more college prep ideas!
What To Prep?
First, you might be wondering what to prep to have on hand to pack up quick on the go lunches! I always pick one or two whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta. I always go ahead and rinse plenty of legumes for some good sources of plant protein. You could also prep chicken breasts to throw in as well. Lastly, I always pick a few veggies to roast and store for the week. Pictured here are roasted sweet potatoes and a mix of roasted green veggies.
First, you might be wondering what to prep to have on hand to pack up quick on the go lunches! I always pick one or two whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta. I always go ahead and rinse plenty of legumes for some good sources of plant protein. You could also prep chicken breasts to throw in as well. Lastly, I always pick a few veggies to roast and store for the week. Pictured here are roasted sweet potatoes and a mix of roasted green veggies.
Now, What to Pack for Lunch?
Here's my rule of thumb for what to pack: a balance of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs. I will give a description of the above lunch below!
Recipe:
1/2 cup brown rice
1/4 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup black beans
dash of liquid amino
1/2 avocado with turmeric powder
I love this lunch because it is a great balance of complex carbs, healthy fats, and protein. The mixture of the brown rice and legumes gives you a complete protein source and keeps your hunger at bay throughout your day. The avocado also helps in keeping you full and giving your body those healthy brain fats that they need everyday, especially in school. You can always substitute the grain for a different grain or pick a different protein, but this is by far one of my favorite combinations. Quick, easy, and delicious!
Below I will be linking some of my favorite bloggers and foodies so that you can check out their tips on how to survive packing school lunches as well :) Hopefully one day, I can have as good a blog as these two do. You want to check them out, trust me!
1) Hungry Haley
Here's my rule of thumb for what to pack: a balance of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs. I will give a description of the above lunch below!
Recipe:
1/2 cup brown rice
1/4 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup black beans
dash of liquid amino
1/2 avocado with turmeric powder
I love this lunch because it is a great balance of complex carbs, healthy fats, and protein. The mixture of the brown rice and legumes gives you a complete protein source and keeps your hunger at bay throughout your day. The avocado also helps in keeping you full and giving your body those healthy brain fats that they need everyday, especially in school. You can always substitute the grain for a different grain or pick a different protein, but this is by far one of my favorite combinations. Quick, easy, and delicious!
Below I will be linking some of my favorite bloggers and foodies so that you can check out their tips on how to survive packing school lunches as well :) Hopefully one day, I can have as good a blog as these two do. You want to check them out, trust me!
1) Hungry Haley
Recipe: 2 slices cracked wheat sourdough bread 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained 2 tbsp. hummus 1/2 avocado, mashed 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast 1/2 zucchini, chopped and steamed 1 tomato, sliced thinly spinach or lettuce Optional: mustard, spices, hot sauce, vegan cheese, etc. You know how to assemble a sandwich, right? Good, then we can stop here and move on. This is my go-to meal because 1) sandwiches pack and stay well in my backpack, 2) it doesn't involve much actual cooking, and 3) I feel perfectly satisfied with this sandwich and an apple for lunch. I always pack a few extras like an apple, some carrots, and a chewy sweet That's It fruit bar, just in case I need something sweet :)
1/2 cup Black Bean & Quinoa Pasta 1/3 cup Garbanzo Beans 1/4 cup Marinara Sauce 1/2 Large Sweet Potato Steamed Kale I love this on the go lunch because it's easy to eat in between classes and it's super delicious. Black bean & quinoa pasta with garbanzo beans and marinara sauce is a delicious and easy combination to put together. Adding some sort of green is always a must in my lunches and I love steaming organic kale in vegetable broth! Sweet potatoes add substance and balance out the savory foods. I have one piece of fruit in addition to this, which usually happens to be a banana. This lunch is versatile too. You could swap out the pasta with brown rice or quinoa, and it would still taste awesome. If you're not a kale fan, swiss chard would be super yummy! Same with the sweet potato, you could definitely opt for a russet potato, perhaps with a little guac on top.
Thanks for reading! We are so excited about this post and really hope it helps you guys get an idea of how to prep and pack healthy on the go lunches.