These days it’s not just the kids getting a lunch packed in the mornings, there are several great reasons why grown-ups might want to pack a lunch for themselves during the work week too. When you pack your lunch, you know you’re bringing a healthy meal for yourself. So, here are some tips for packing a brown bag lunch that will keep your taste-buds tantalized!
- Design an upscale sandwich. Why settle for your usual sandwich when you can add interesting ingredients? Here are some examples: Roast turkey, provolone cheese,avocado on whole grain bread spread with olive tapenade (available at Trader Joe’s). Or grilled eggplant and fresh mozzarella drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette, topped with fresh basil leaves and served on whole grain bread.
- Include the 3 key components. A special sandwich or lunch entree includes these 3 components; Nutrient-rich side dishes such as fruits, vegetables or salad and something sweet or crunchy-like nuts, trail mix, or yogurt. All will make for a delicious and satisfying lunch.
- It’s a wrap! Buy some whole grain flour tortillas and try this combination: top a whole grain tortilla with some light Caesar dressing, sliced skinless chicken breast, parmesan cheese, tomatoes and lettuce.
- It’s all in the spread. Want to turn your sandwich into a high flavor delight? Try these spreads: olive tapenade; sundried tomato pesto; basil pesto, roasted red pepper hummas; mango peach salsa, or mango chutney.
- Make it a lunch salad. Do you have leftover pasta, potatoes, or tabbouleh? Stir in some leftover lean meat, reduced fat cheese and or veggies and you’ve got lunch!
What are some of your favorite brown bag lunches?
- Serves: 4; 2 kebabs (3 ounces chicken and 1/2 cup vegetables) and 1/2 cup brown rice per serving
Ingredients
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, all visible fat discarded, cut into 16 cubes
16 whole button or cremini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce each), ends trimmed
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 16 pieces
16 cherry tomatoes
Cooking spray
1/2 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch squares
Cooking Instructions
In a medium nonmetallic bowl, stir together the lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, oil, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add the chicken, stirring to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. The chicken can marinate for up to 8 hours for even more flavor. Turn several times if marinating for more than 30 minutes.
Soak eight 8-inch wooden skewers for at least 10 minutes in cold water to keep them from charring, or use metal skewers. Preheat the grill on medium high.
Drain the chicken and discard the marinade. Alternately thread the chicken, mushrooms, bell pepper, and tomatoes on the skewers. Lightly spray all sides with cooking spray.
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and tomatoes to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Meanwhile, grill the kebabs for 2 to 3 minutes on each side (8 to 12 minutes total), or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the vegetables are tender. Serve with the rice on the side.
Cook’s Tip
These grilled chicken-and-vegetable kebabs feature the flavors of sunny Tuscany—lemon, rosemary, garlic, and oregano. Serve them with brown rice studded with sun-dried tomatoes for a rustic and satisfying dinner.
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per serving
- Serves: 10; 1/2 cup per serving
Ingredients
Cooking Instructions
Cook’s Tip
Whether your schedule is go-go-go or hurry-up-and-wait, you’ll be glad you packed these tasty tidbits for healthy snacking.
For variety, substitute different nutrient-dense dried fruits, such as cherries, apricots, and plums, for the cranberries and blueberries. Cut them into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces before adding them to the cereal mixture.
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per serving
- Serves: 4; 2 kebabs (3 ounces chicken and 1/2 cup vegetables) and 1/2 cup brown rice per serving
Description
Ingredients
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, all visible fat discarded, cut into 16 cubes
16 whole button or cremini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce each), ends trimmed
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 16 pieces
16 cherry tomatoes
Cooking spray
1/2 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch squares
Cooking Instructions
In a medium nonmetallic bowl, stir together the lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, oil, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add the chicken, stirring to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. The chicken can marinate for up to 8 hours for even more flavor. Turn several times if marinating for more than 30 minutes.
Soak eight 8-inch wooden skewers for at least 10 minutes in cold water to keep them from charring, or use metal skewers. Preheat the grill on medium high.
Drain the chicken and discard the marinade. Alternately thread the chicken, mushrooms, bell pepper, and tomatoes on the skewers. Lightly spray all sides with cooking spray.
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and tomatoes to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Meanwhile, grill the kebabs for 2 to 3 minutes on each side (8 to 12 minutes total), or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the vegetables are tender. Serve with the rice on the side.
Cook’s Tip
These grilled chicken-and-vegetable kebabs feature the flavors of sunny Tuscany—lemon, rosemary, garlic, and oregano. Serve them with brown rice studded with sun-dried tomatoes for a rustic and satisfying dinner.
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per serving
- Serves: 4; 2 cups salad and 2 tablespoons dressing per serving
Description
Ingredients
1/4 cup all-fruit apricot spread
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons grated peeled gingerroot
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon saltCooking Instructions
Salad
4 cups mixed salad greens (spring mix preferred), torn into bite-size pieces
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup fresh or frozen snow peas, thawed if frozen, trimmed and halved diagonally
1 7.1-ounce vacuum-sealed pouch pink salmon
Frozen Fruit Pops
Ingredients
- 2-1/4 cups (18 ounces) raspberry yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 medium ripe bananas, cut into chunks
- 12 Popsicle molds or paper cups (3 ounces each) and Popsicle sticks
Frozen Fruit Pops (continued) 2 of 2
Directions
- In a blender, combine the yogurt, lemon juice and bananas; cover and process for
- 45 seconds or until smooth. Stir if necessary.
- Fill molds or cups with 1/4 cup yogurt mixture; top with holders or insert sticks
- into cups. Freeze. Yield: 1 dozen.
Nutrition Facts: 1 fruit pop equals 60 calories, 1 g fat (trace saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 23 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate
Blueberry Nectarine Granola Crisp
Makes 8 servings
Fruit Filling
5 cups blueberries
2 large nectarines, peeled, chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose flour (can substitute whole wheat or cake flour)
zest of 1 lemon
Granola Topping
1 1/2 cups regular oats
2 tbsp chopped pecans
2 tbsp chopped almonds
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the blueberries, nectarines, brown sugar, flour, and lemon zest in a medium bowl;
toss to coat.
3. Spoon fruit mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
4. For the topping, combine all ingredients and toss to evenly coat oat mixture and nuts with syrup.
5. Sprinkle granola over the blueberry nectarine mixture.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt, ice cream, or whipped topping.
Per serving: 241 calories, 5 g protein, 41 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 22 g sugar, and 16 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 28%.
Grilled Chicken with Strawberry and Pineapple Salsa
Serves 4; 3 ounces chicken and 1/2 cup salsa per serving Grilled pineapple and fresh mint and strawberries combine with tangy lemon and a bit of hot pepper flakes to make an interesting salsa for grilled chicken. Ingredients Salsa Chicken Directions Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the remaining salsa ingredients except the lemon. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon zest, reserving the lemon. Stir the zest and chopped pineapple into the strawberry mixture. Set aside. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the seasoning blend and salt. Grill for 5 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the center. Transfer to plates. Squeeze the reserved lemon over the chicken. Serve with the salsa on the side.
This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Face the Fats campaign. Recipe copyright © 2009 by the American Heart Association. Look for other delicious recipes in American Heart Association cookbooks, available from booksellers everywhere, and at deliciousdecisions.org. |
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10-Minute Marinated Veggie Toss
Serves 6; 1/2 cup per serving Ingredients Cook’s Tip: For additional nutrients and color, spoon the salad onto a bed of spinach leaves.
Dietary Exchanges: 1 vegetable This recipe is reprinted with permission from Love Your Heart, 5th Anniversary Edition, Copyright © 2008 by the American Heart Association. Published by Publications International, Ltd. Available at shopgored.com. |
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Grab-and-Go Snack Mix
Serves 10; 1/2 cup per serving
Pumpkin seeds and pie spices make this snack mix different from the norm. It’s full of crunchy goodness from nuts and grains.
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon canola or corn oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup shelled unsalted pumpkin seeds
3/4 to 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice
2 cups multigrain or whole-wheat cereal squares with maple syrup and brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries or sweetened dried cherries
Directions
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the honey for 2 minutes, or until it just comes to a boil. Stir in the walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and pie spice. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the mixture begins to turn golden, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
Immediately stir in the cereal and dried fruit until well coated, about 30 seconds. Pour onto the baking sheet, using the back of a spoon to quickly spread in a smooth, thin layer. Sprinkle with the salt. Let cool completely, about 45 minutes. Break into 1-inch pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
| Nutrition Analysis (per serving) | |
| Calories | 138 |
| Total Fat | 6.0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.5 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3.0 g |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2.5 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 32 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 20 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugars | 13 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Dietary Exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate, 1 fat |
This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Face the Fats campaign. Recipe copyright © 2009 by the American Heart Association. Look for other delicious recipes in American Heart Association cookbooks, available from booksellers everywhere, and at deliciousdecisions.org.
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