School has started and it is way too easy to just go for that $8 sandwich instead of making your own lunch in the morning. It is close to impossible for me to make and pack a lunch in the morning and still make it to campus on time. The other options on campus are either way more expensive, not for the nutritionist, or not for the foodie. Usually it ends up a mixture of the three. I have been able to solve my lunch dilemma with a little extra time added onto my Sunday dinner.
The only thing stopping me from a healthy lunch is the need for complete convenience. For me, it's not about just making lunch the night before, it's about making them all before the hectic week even begins. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to make all your PB&Js on sunday night for the week but really there are many different ways to make a nutritious and delicious lunch that will last for the week in the fridge. You can make soup, pasta salad, slow cooked stews, breakfast parfait, the list keeps going. Storing them can be a pain but ever since I started canning I realized there are a ton of more uses you can get out of a Mason Jar then just canning, including lunch storage. Mason Jars are my new favorite Tupperware. You can buy all different sizes and the top fits on all of them! Just pick whether you want a wide mouth jar or a narrow mouth jar for your collection. I have both for different canning projects but I still only need to sift through 2 different sizes of tops. There is no more time searching through your tupperware for the one matching top, AND there are no leaks or spills! Mason Jars have the air tight seal so you don't have to worry about your soup leaking all over your work. I don't see any better way to bring my lunches to school. For the first of the many Mason Jar Meals to come here is a n all time favorite: quinoa salad.
Layered Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups Water
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
8 Cremini Mushrooms, chopped
1/2 Onion, diced
1/2 tablespoon "Better than Bouillon" (optional)
1/2 bunch Asparagus, cut into 2 inch sticks
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1+ cup cooked Spinach
1+ cup fresh diced Tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste
5 Pint Narrow Mouth Mason Jars
Instructions
1. Bring water to a boil, add quinoa and reduce heat or low, cover with top
2. Allow Quinoa to cook for 20 minutes or until water is gone
3. While Quinoa cooks sauté mushrooms and onions with olive oil in a pan over medium high heat
4. Cook down until onions and mushrooms are tender
5. Add "Better than Bouillon" beef stock paste to mushrooms for flavor (can be found at Costco) and salt and pepper to taste
6. Set mushrooms and onions aside to cool
7. Using the same pan as mushrooms and onions add olive oil, asparagus, salt and pepper to taste
8. Allow asparagus to cook down until tender
9. Set aside Asparagus to cool
10. Add spinach to pan and allow to cook down, salt and pepper to taste
11. Using 5 narrow mouth pint jars layer spinach on the bottom of each, then diced tomatoes, quinoa, mushroom mixture, and asparagus.
12. If there are left overs, make an extra for a saturday lunch or have it with your dinner!
This post, like all, is about being creative with your food. Add some chicken or tofu for more protein (any protein you desire). Enjoy your time in the kitchen and at the table. Remember, have passion for your food and compassion for your body!
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