Quick & Healthy Meals to Pack for Work

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I'm in denial that summer is almost over. I mean seriously, how is it almost September already?
I guess I can deny it all I want, but days are getting shorter, evenings are cooler and the sound
of a school bus turning around in our cul-de-sac each morning lets me know that I better
kick it in gear and get to the office.



My days of getting a kid ready for school are over, but I'm still packing lunch every day
for me. I find that I eat much healthier if I pack my lunch instead of going out, plus it saves
money. Some days I pack leftovers from dinner the night before, but most days I pack
quick and easy foods that I prep on Sunday afternoons or while I'm making dinner.  It's
easy to bake a few extra chicken breasts or make a batch of quinoa while I'm already in
the kitchen or while the oven is already warm.

Today I'm going to share a few quick, easy and healthy recipes that I pack in my lunch for
work. My week varies - I'm in the office quite a bit, but I'm also on the road some days
visiting donors or going to appointments. I need a lunch bag that keeps food cold for hours
and PackIt freezable lunch bags do just that!

 

PackIt® lunch bags and lunch boxes have a special freezable gel built right into the lunch
bag, so there's no need for ice packs. Just place the lunch bag in the freezer (it folds easily)
and in the morning it's ready to go! Each bag is made from food-safe, non-toxic poly canvas
and EVA. They're free from harmful PVC, BPA, phtahalates, formaldehyde and lead.

I have the PackIt Festive Gem design lunch bag and lunch box and I love them!
The colors are so pretty!

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll find that I often post many of my favorite lunch ideas
there. You may have noticed these pretty pink and green bento food and snack containers.
They're also from PackIt and I love how customizable they are! Just move the divider
depending upon what type and how many food items you're packing. So cool!

Below is the Mod Snack Bento container and I use it pretty much every day.
Because snacks!

Healthy Chicken Salad makes an appearance in my lunch almost every week because it's
so easy to make and it's super low in Smartpoints for those of you doing WW.

Healthy Chicken Salad

1 cooked chicken breast, diced
2 T plain Greek yogurt
Mrs. Dash's seasoning, to taste (I'm pretty generous with it)
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 cup grapes, halved
1 T chopped pecans

Combine ingredients. Serve on a bed of lettuce with crackers.

Next is the Flex Bento food storage container. Today it contains chicken salad, mixed
greens, fruit and mango and black bean quinoa salad.
I've made this quinoa salad three times this summer - it's so refreshing and healthy!

Mango & Black Bean Quinoa Salad

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups mango, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
3 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
juice of one lime
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Combine black beans, quinoa, pepper, onion, mango and cilantro in a large mixing bowl.
In a small skillet sauté corn in one teaspoon of olive oil. Heat until roasted. Add it to the
mixing bowl.

In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, cumin, chili power and lime juice.
Pour over mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

This is the Mod Lunch Bento container, but today I'm using it for breakfast! Mini Pancakes, fresh fruit
and Greek yogurt. This breakfast is perfect for days when I'm running late and need to
take breakfast to go. I use a mini whoopie pie pan to bake the pancakes, but you can also
cook them on a griddle.

Baked Mini Pancakes

1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 large egg
dash of cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine mashed banana, milk, vanilla
and egg. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix just until combined.

Spoon mixture into a greased mini whoopie pie pan and bake at 350 for about 7 minutes
or until done. I like them with fresh berries and sugar-free maple syrup.

Some mornings I enjoy this delicious date shake. It's also great for breakfast or snack on
the go. You can find the recipe here.

Greek yogurt fruit smash is a delicious and healthy snack or breakfast.
Simply add fresh berries to plain or vanilla Greek yogurt and smash the berries using the
back of a spoon. I like to add mini chocolate rice cakes for crunch.

Apple slices, peanut butter and Greek yogurt is another healthy snack I enjoy often.

Packing lunch is easy if you plan ahead and meal prep as much as possible.
Cute lunch bags and bento containers from PackIt® make it fun!

Enjoy!