Healthy Lunch Ideas

Barley Lunch Bowl

Lunch bowls are a great way to have a quick, nutritious and delicious lunch, much more versatile and filling than a sandwich. This lunch bowl uses pearl barley as a base for the lunch bowl, instead of rice or quinoa and this one swap makes a real difference to the nutritional balance of the meal.

Barley contains twice as much protein and 6 times as much fibre as white rice, so it will provide a slow and sustained release of energy leaving you feeling fuller for longer and less likely to have a post-lunch afternoon slump or mid-afternoon sugar craving. The type of fibre contained in barley is called beta-glucan, a type of soluble fibre that has been shown to help reduce cholesterol levels when consumed regularly. Beta-glucans have also been shown to have immune-boosting properties, making our immune cells more active and efficient.

A lunch bowl can be made with any combination of added vegetables or dressings, so feel free to add any other mix of vegetables you have hanging around in the fridge (a great way to use up leftovers). I really like the combination of broccoli combined with rocket and a Dijon mustard dressing. By combining cooked broccoli with a raw cruciferous vegetable (such as rocket, watercress or radish) and mustard you will significantly increase the absorption of the healthy compounds (called isothiocyanates) that are present in broccoli. So it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re eating broccoli to try and combine it with a mustard dressing and a handful of rocket.

 Ingredients

(makes enough for 3 lunches)

  • 150g Pearl Barley
  • 1 head Broccoli, chopped into florets
  • 1 large handful frozen peas
  • 100g Rocket leaves
  • Handful walnuts, roughly chopped

Dressing

  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 6 tbsp olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Toss broccoli pieces with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper and roast until cooked and slightly golden (around 20 minutes).
  2. In the meantime boil the pearl barley in a pot of lightly salted water and drain when still nicely chewy, try to avoid letting it go too soggy (this should also take around 20-25 minutes) and then drain and allow to cool.
  3. In a large bowl (or I use the saucepan I cooked the barley in to save on the washing up) mix together the cooked barley, broccoli, rocket, frozen peas and walnuts and then divide between 3 lunch bowls.
  4. To make the dressing whisk together all the dressing ingredients, or alternatively shake everything in a jam jar. I like to dress each bowl as I eat it so that it doesn’t go dry overnight in the fridge.

 

See Sarah’s Instagram page for lots more lunch bowl ideas and my favourite ginger, scallion, turmeric oil recipe as a nutritious flavour enhancer to top off lunch bowls.

 

 

Mexican Sweet Potato Lunch Bowl

Swapping regular white potatoes for sweet potatoes is a great way to up the beta carotene content of your diet. Beta carotene is the orange pigment that gives sweet potatoes their orange colour (you’ll also find it in carrots, green leafy veg and pumpkin).

Beta carotene has a number of health benefits. Getting more of it in your diet can:

Improve female fertility – women who ate more beta carotene were found to have better quality eggs and therefore better chances of conceiving.

Improve our skin condition – when we eat beta carotene our body converts it into vitamin A. Vitamin A is probably the most important nutrient for skin health: it helps maintain collagen levels, prevent pigmentation and ensure healthy turnover of skin cells.

Beta carotene can also protect the skin from the sun, people who eat more beta carotene develop a degree of natural protection from the sun, meaning it takes longer for them to develop sunburn when exposed to the sun’s rays.

On top of all that sweet potato is a great source of soluble fibre, which looks after our gut health and feeds the gut microbiome. So why not give these lunch bowls a go – a great alternative to your usual sandwich or wrap.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 2 bowls

2 large sweet potatoes
1 cos lettuce, shredded
1 avocado, diced
100g feta cheese
1/2 tin black beans, drained
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped or 1 tsp chipotle paste
Juice of half a lime
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 180c. Cube the sweet potatoes and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and season. Roast in the oven until tender, this should take about 25-35 minutes.

2. While the potatoes are cooking make your black bean and avocado salsa by combining the tomatoes, black beans, avocado, lime juice and chilli (or chipotle paste) with some salt and pepper to taste.

3. Assemble bowls by placing a layer of lettuce on the bottom and then top with your cubed sweet potatoes, black bean and avocado salsa and feta cheese. Enjoy!