Preparing a healthy meal away from home can be easier than you think. To be sure that you will succeed, you will need to plan the dishes in advance, shop on time and get on with work during your free time (for example, on weekends). With the right organization, you can prepare great meals to eat away from home for breakfast, lunch and even dinner.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Organizing to Succeed in Your Intent
Step 1. Plan your meals in advance
The first thing to do is strategically plan what you and your family will eat in the days to come. Organizing meals in time is the key to succeeding. Thanks to your meal plan, you will have the opportunity to eat healthily even when you are away from home. Once a week, get the family together and decide together what you would like to eat during each meal for the next seven days.
Step 2. Make your shopping list
Once you've planned your meals for the week using fresh, healthy ingredients, it's time to go shopping. Go through all the recipes you wrote down and make a list of the foods you need to buy to make them in the kitchen. Check your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to see if you already have some in the house.
Step 3. Go shopping once a week
When you return, the kitchen must be overflowing with healthy foods. It is an indispensable condition to succeed in your intent. Choose a day of the week to dedicate to shopping and make it a habit.
Step 4. Take care of the weekend preparations
When you come home after a long day at work, you won't want to start slicing and preparing the ingredients. For this reason it is better to play in advance and dedicate an hour or two of the weekend to preparing everything you need to cook the meals on the program.
- For example, you could slice the vegetables that you will need to prepare dinner on weekdays.
- If you plan to use rice in some recipes, you can boil it in advance and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Step 5. Cook in large quantities to save time
Preparing each course in large quantities allows you to make the most of your time in the kitchen. Once ready, you can put the dishes in the refrigerator or freezer and use them as needed. For greater convenience, create individual portions or portions adapted to the number of diners. By storing them in the freezer they will last even over a month.
Step 6. Plan ahead to reuse leftovers
You can achieve even better results by putting in place a strategy to take advantage of leftover food. For example, you could use leftovers from the Monday roast to make sandwiches to eat on Tuesday for lunch.
Step 7. Consider buying a slow cooker (or crockpot)
It is an appliance that is able to cook food without you needing to be there to check. You can put it into operation before going to work, school or shopping and find your meal ready when you get home. For example, you could put four chicken breasts in a saucepan with tomato sauce and cook them on a low heat for four hours. Once at home, all you have to do is shred the meat, which in the meantime will have become very soft, and use it to fill super healthy sandwiches. You could also add some of the fresh vegetables you washed and chopped over the weekend, such as lettuce, cabbage, carrots, or radishes.
Part 2 of 4: Simple to Make and Easy to Carry Breakfast Ideas
Step 1. Make a green smoothie
First, blend 300 g of spinach in half a liter of water, then add a banana and 150 g of frozen pineapple and mango. If you want, you can also mix in a tablespoon of protein powder. Blend all the ingredients until you get a smooth, even consistency.
- When ready, pour the smoothie into two separate glass jars and close them with their respective lids.
- You can easily carry them and drink them while at work, on a hike or after training in the gym.
- By storing it in the refrigerator, the smoothie will stay fresh and good for up to two days.
Step 2. Make a quiche
It is a quiche typical of French cuisine, simple to prepare, which can be cooked in advance and filled with fresh and healthy ingredients. You can also make it in individual portions using baking cups or a muffin mold. Once cooked, you can keep it in the refrigerator and carry it with ease to enjoy it for breakfast when you are away from home.
Another option is to cook 1-2 beaten eggs in the microwave for 45 seconds. If you like, you can also add diced vegetables and some cheese
Step 3. Make a tasty and healthy burrito with fruit and peanut butter (or another variety of nuts of your choice)
Take a whole wheat flatbread or tortilla and spread it with two tablespoons of peanut, almond or cashew butter. Add 150 g of fruit cut into small pieces and a tablespoon of vanilla flavored yogurt. Roll the flatbread like a burrito and cut it in half to make it easier to eat.
- As fruit you can use for example blueberries, raspberries, peaches, bananas and / or strawberries.
- To transport the burrito easily, wrap the two halves individually with cling film or foil.
Step 4. Pour the yogurt into a jar for easy transportation
Yogurt is rich in calcium, vitamin D and protein. Take an empty glass jar and pour a jar of Greek yogurt into it. You can add pieces of fresh fruit, cereals and chopped nuts. Don't use sugar.
Step 5. Make porridge to eat the next morning
Soak the oat flakes in milk, add pieces of fresh fruit and put everything in the refrigerator. When you wake up, you will have a tasty breakfast that is immediately ready to eat. You can use different ingredients each time and combine them as you like, try for example to use soy or almond milk instead of the classic one and wild or exotic fruits instead of the more classic ones. The possible combinations are almost infinite. Prepare the porridge in a glass jar, in the morning all you have to do is take it from the refrigerator and put it in the bag before going to school or work.
Part 3 of 4: Easy-to-Carry Lunch Ideas
Step 1. Prepare a salad in a jar
Take a glass jar with a wide mouth and first pour a couple of tablespoons of salad dressing into it. At this point, you can add vegetables with a firm texture, such as cucumbers, beets, carrots or peppers. Follow with a protein source, such as beans, grilled chicken or tofu, and coarsely chopped nuts or seeds of your choice. Finally add the salad leaves. Close the jar with the lid and take it with you to work.
- This salad in the jar can also be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Prepare several salads over the weekend so you can eat them when you feel like a healthy, complete and light meal.
- If you make your salad a few days in advance, add the dressing and protein only in the morning before eating it. You can put them both on top of the salad leaves.
Step 2. Make a sandwich or wrap with healthy ingredients
By their nature, sandwiches are among the easiest preparations to carry. To ensure a healthy meal, use flatbread or wholemeal bread. Stuff it with a lean protein source, such as tuna or turkey. Add fresh vegetables, such as lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, or cucumbers. If you want to use a sauce, you can make a light homemade mayonnaise or buy it ready-made in a light version. Also try mustard, it is healthy and tasty.
- Wrap the sandwich or wrap in cling film or foil so you can put them in the bag without risking dirtying it.
- If you want, you can pour the sauce into a small airtight container and add it just a few moments before enjoying the sandwich.
Step 3. Make a cereal salad
It's an easy-to-carry, easy-to-prepare dish that you can add vegetables and protein to to make it a complete meal. Cook 200 g of quinoa and let it cool, in the meantime slice a tomato, a green pepper, 4 spring onions, 2 cloves of garlic and a handful of fresh coriander. Mix the vegetables with the quinoa and finally add some canned beans after draining them. Dress the salad with 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
The cereal salad is a dish that can be prepared in advance and in large quantities. You can cook it on weekends and eat it for lunch on weekdays. Choose a different variety of grains each week to suit your palate
Step 4. Make a wholemeal pasta salad
You can use different varieties of short pasta as a base for a tasty lunch to eat outside the home. Combine various types of vegetables, such as courgettes, leeks and peppers, and cheeses, try using feta for example. You can dress the pasta salad with good extra virgin olive oil and fresh aromatic herbs.
Part 4 of 4: Healthy Dinner Ideas, Quick to Prepare and Easy to Transport
Step 1. Make a wrap using lettuce leaves
If you are following a gluten-free or lactose-free diet, this is a great recipe to start from and it's super easy to prepare. First create a base with large lettuce leaves, then add some boiled rice and a source of protein, such as grilled chicken, marinated tofu, or roasted and thinly sliced beef or pork. Sprinkle the ingredients with a savory or spicy vegetable-based sauce, such as kimchi.
You can make numerous lettuce wraps by combining various fresh and healthy ingredients and then wrap them in cling film and store them in the refrigerator for midweek eating
Step 2. Make healthy and tasty tacos
Here is another simple and inexpensive recipe that can also be healthy if you know how to select the right ingredients. The first thing to do is to choose wholemeal or corn tortillas. Add a source of protein, such as tempé or black beans if you're on a vegetarian diet, or grilled chicken or beef. Season the tacos further with a few slices of avocado and a salsa. Accompany it with a salad.
Step 3. Prepare a complete dish with vegetables and proteins
If you are looking for a simple and healthy dinner recipe, there is nothing easier than combining the varieties of vegetables and proteins that you like best. For example, you could combine grilled fish or chicken with roasted vegetables. If you're on a low-calorie diet, you can opt for marinated tofu and steamed vegetables. You should fill two thirds of the plate with the vegetables and the remaining third with the protein source.
