How to Make Lunch in Five Minutes or Less
Today, I had exactly 10 minutes between driving my daughter back to college and picking up my mother for a doctor’s appointment. I had 10 minutes total to prepare a healthy meal, eat it, and get back out the door.
This burrito bowl was my lunch. How did I do it? The way that I stay on track with healthy eating is by having my meal components prepped and ready to go. I get prepared so that I stay successful. It sounds so corny, but it totally works.
At the beginning of each week, I prep the following items:
A whole grain. I pop a different grain in my rice cooker every few days.
A protein or two. I bake tofu, or I open a can of beans, rinse them, and put them in a glass container in the fridge, so they are ready to use. Garbanzos and black beans hold well for several days. I might also boil some edamame and have this ready, too.
I chop up a ton of veg. I pick ones like cabbage, carrots, peppers, and snow peas that will hold well.
I put frozen veg, like corn, into a container in the fridge to use. No need to thaw it first.
I make at least one plant-based, nutrient-rich sauce.
I have herbs on the counter for easy snipping. If you cut off the ends and put them in water, just like cut flowers, they will stay fresh for a long time.
I have nuts and seeds in small quantities in my fridge ready to use. I store the big bags in the freezer. Sometimes, I toast these in advance.
So, for lunch today, I ran in the house, scooped some beans and corn into a dish and microwaved them. While they were warming, I cut up a few cherry tomatoes and snipped off a few pea shoots from a container on my counter. I then added a scoop of rice from my rice cooker, threw in my pre-cut veggies, added a pre-made spicy cilantro sauce, and topped it with pepitas. I even had extra time to snap a photo before gobbling it up and rushing back out the door.
If you have your components prepped and ready to go, throwing together a meal can take mere minutes. Making healthy eating a priority is doable, even if you are super busy. It just takes preparation and a little practice.
You’ve got this!
🌱💕