Lunch Ideas

These easily adaptable salad shakers are the perfect make-ahead, portable lunch

Recently I asked some of my friends if they had any requests or ideas for new posts.

One friend suggested that I share some new lunch ideas.

This is a perfect topic because lunch can get pretty boring, and it's so easy to get in a rut when it comes to your lunch. And I don't want you getting bored and deciding to go out for lunch instead, ya know?

So, here is an idea for a lunch that is really easy to make; you can make more than one at a time; and you can change it up to add some variety to your lunch.

Salad in a Jar

It's genius, and I've seen it multiple times on Pinterest and other blogs. I was also inspired by the salad shakers at Whole Foods. The ones that I thought looked the best were the Asian salad shaker with rice and the Southwest with quinoa.

Since I'm obsessed with quinoa, I decided to use quinoa for my salad shaker. You can honestly use any cooked whole grain - brown rice, whole wheat cous cous, bulgur, barley, whatever your little heart desires.

The trick is to work in layers. You want to put the dressing on the bottom and then layer the ingredients according to their sturdiness {for lack of a better word}. Once you top it off with some lettuce and maybe a little nuts or cheese or avocado, you have a perfectly healthy & portable lunch.

Make these on Sunday for the rest of the week, and forget worrying about what to eat for lunch - it's already made & it's healthy!

Quinoa Salad Shaker

These easily adaptable salad shakers are the perfect make-ahead, portable lunch

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Author: Meme

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoon vinegar
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt-free Italian seasoning or any spices or herbs
• ▢ pinch salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup chickpeas or other protein
• ▢ 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• ▢ 1 cup chopped vegetables like bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, etc.
• ▢ 3 cups chopped lettuce any kind

Instructions

• First, you make the dressing - Add the olive oil, vinegar, spices, and salt into the jar, and whisk everything together.
• Next, you add your protein. In this salad, I'm using chickpeas. You can use cooked lentils, shredded chicken or turkey, any other beans.
• Then, you add the quinoa or whatever whole grain you are using.
• After that, you add the vegetables - the sturdy ones first {like carrots, peppers, celery, beets, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.}. Then add the other veggies that won't hold up as well if they are somehow touching the dressing {which is very unlikely, but just in case!}.
• Finally, you add your lettuce. I like to do romaine and then spinach on top. Pack as much as you can in there. If you really want, you can also add a tablespoon or so of chopped nuts.
• Now screw the lid on top, and stick it in the refrigerator until you're ready to each your lunch! Resist the urge to shake it until right before eating.
• When you're ready to eat, just dump it onto a large plate or in a big salad bowl. Enjoy!
  

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

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If I know I'm probably not going to have a refrigerator then I'll use beans or lentils and not chicken (or something sensitive to lack of refrigeration). But do try to keep it in an insulated lunch box, preferably with an ice pack or something.

Hope this helps adds a little excitement to your lunch routine

Have a great day!

Meme