A soggy sandwich is such a boring lunch. Ideally a lunch should be about 450-500 calories, which is hefty enough to satisfy your appetite but light enough to avoid overloading your digestion. That can lead to afternoon fatigue, which can lead to sugar cravings. Here are 10 great lunch ideas suitable for all kinds of days -- at home, in the office or out and about.
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1. American Favorite
A hot dog is a great lunch idea. There’s no need to load it up with extras to enjoy it. One frankfurter or a veggie sausage and half an onion, fried using an oil spray, means you can eat it alongside a small bag of low fat potato chips and feel totally satisfied. Tomato and ketchup on your dog is perfectly acceptable.
2. It’s All Greek to Me
Mix together as much as you like of sliced cucumber, fresh tomato and red onion. You can then top it with 10 olives and 2oz Feta Cheese. If you want to dress your salad, make sure it’s low fat or sprinkle with a lemon juice, wine vinegar and a few drops of olive oil.
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3. Cocktail Hour
Varying classic dishes is one way of coming up with great lunch ideas. Change the shrimp in a shrimp and avocado cocktail to 6 crabsticks chopped and mix with 1 tablespoon of low calorie salad dressing. Add some strips of red, yellow and green bell pepper for color and crunch. (Only use ½ an avocado.)
4. Super Soup
This is a great and simple soup. Add 2oz of red kidney beans or butter (lima) beans to any 300g can of vegetable soup before heating. Eat with 2 slices of unbuttered granary bread.
5. Skinheads on a Raft
Aka haricots sur pain grille. A favorite that’s been a great lunch idea for years is beans on toast. Top two slices of granary or rye bread toast with 200g of baked beans on tomato sauce. If you don’t want to eat dry toast, use low fat spread and maybe take off a spoonful of beans if you’re worried about calories.
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6. Unstilted Stilton
If you like blue cheese, you’ll love this salad. Make a salad on unlimited amounts of celery and apple chopped into small pieces, and add in 1 tablespoon of raisins and 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts. Add ½ oz crumbled stilton and mix well. It may not seem like a lot of cheese but it’s strong enough to give the salad flavor. If you want more cheese, reduce the number of walnuts.
7. Fa Fa Fa Falafel
This is delicious and easy. It's also great for you! Five ready made falafel balls served with 1 tablespoon of baba ganoush (an aubergine meze dish) or spicy tomato salsa accompanied by slices of cucumber, carrot and yellow bell pepper is a really great, tasty lunch idea.
8. British Brunch
Here's another simple lunch dish. Take one English muffin and top it with a poached egg and 1 tablespoon on Hollandaise sauce. Serve with a salad of lightly dressed baby spinach leaves.
9. Bang on Burrito
Spread one tortilla wrap with tomato salsa and top with 1oz grated cheese, 1 oz red kidney beans and 1 slice of lean turkey breast (or 2 slices of vegetarian ham). Fold into a burrito and eat cold or stick in a microwave for 45 seconds so the cheese melts. Delicious!
10. Nice Nicoise
Always tasty and a real classic, this is a great lunch idea. Make a salad from unlimited French beans and sliced tomato. Add 2 oz canned tuna, 6 black olives and 1 sliced, boiled egg. If dressing, make sure it’s low fat or make your own from wine vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil. Even better, just sprinkle a few drops of balsamic vinegar and olive oil straight on before eating.
You should always make time to eat midway through your day and with these great lunch ideas it can be something tasty and filling. I hope there’s something here you like the sound of or maybe you have some suggestions of your own. What do you like for lunch?
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