Healthy desk lunches for a healthier work day

Another day at work, another trip to the nearest hawker centre for lunch? On a daily basis, overly salty and oily hawker lunches can be damaging to your health, not to mention your wallet. Packing your own lunch can help you to control your portions better and make healthier choices. You will also feel less lethargic and more productive after a healthy lunch. Not all desk lunches have to be sad leftovers or soggy sandwiches. Here are five lunchbox ideas that will have you looking forward to staying in for lunch!

	Build Your Own Salad Start with grains such as quinoa and your favourite leafy vegetables; we love our kale and baby spinach. Next, add your protein of choice – try boiled eggs, roasted chicken, edamame, cold tofu or smoked salmon. Then top it with sides like crunchy carrots, toasted seeds or nuts, crumbly cheese, smooth avocado and fresh herbs. Bring your homemade salad dressing in a separate container and drizzle just before eating.

	Stack Up Sandwiches This is not your mayo-laden convenience store option, but a healthier version with a good balance of fats, grains, greens and protein! Instead of regular sandwich bread, try baguettes, pita bread, tortilla wraps, focaccia, ciabatta, or whole-grain breads. Some lighter sandwiches you can begin with are sliced apples and nut butter, smashed avocado and scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and cucumbers, or grilled cheese and tomatoes. For a heavier meal, fill your sandwich with sliced steak and onions, roasted chicken and peppers, or pan-fried fish with aioli.

	Pack A Power Bowl Of Rice If you absolutely must have rice for lunch, substitute white rice for healthier alternatives like black, brown, red or multi-grain rice. The trick to avoiding post- lunch lethargy from a heavy rice meal is to double up on vegetables and halve the rice. Popular and easy sides that will make any rice bowl taste fantastic – grilled chicken in teriyaki sauce, sautéed beef and onions, or salmon in citrus glaze. Top off your bowl with generous amounts of avocado, tomatoes, tofu, cucumbers, and fresh vegetables for a rice bowl that packs a healthy punch.

	Bring A Hearty Soup The best thing about soups or stews is that you can throw a medley of ingredients into a slow cooker the night before and wake up to a complete meal, hot and ready to eat. Soups and stews freeze well, and are ideal for make-ahead lunches that are healthy and wholesome. Soups and stews go well with a slice of bread or a small portion of pasta. Scatter a handful of fresh herbs, toasted nuts or chopped leafy greens for added flavour.

	Slurp Some Noodles We don’t mean the instant variety or greasy wok-fried hawker version! Yes, it is possible to bring noodles to work that will not go soggy by lunch. If you are having soupy noodles such as sliced chicken noodle soup, simply pack the liquids in a separate container. Come lunch time, heat up the soup until piping hot, and mix in your noodles. You can have dry noodles that taste delicious too, like chilled soba with vegetables in sesame sauce or stir-fried beef noodles with minimal oil.