Lunch Box Heaven

My favourite lunchbox is a big hearty salad that will not only fill me up but also taste delicious. One of the best bases for this kind of salad is quinoa. Yes I know people go on about it but there is a very good reason for that - it's really bloody tasty (AND filling AND nutritious)! It has a high protein content for a grain and this seems to keep me fuller for much longer than if I had just put rice or pasta in its place. Having said all that if you don’t like it feel free to substitute - I do often have a bit of brown rice pasta knocking about so will use it to bulk up a salad when the urge takes me.

The great thing about a quinoa base is that you can top it up with pretty much whatever you fancy. I will always add some avocado because I love it (so much so that my mum called me the avocado baby after the brilliant kids book when I was little). I’ve always got my jarred roasted peppers knocking about the in cupboard and frozen peas so both of them normally go in - another 'top tip' is that if you add the peas frozen in the morning it keeps things fairly chilled through your morning at work.

Basically all this rambling is to tell you to throw whatever you want in. the below is a guide based on what I like but you may want to mix things up a bit! I’ve not included amounts below as I think it depends how many meals you want out of it - I tend to do a huge batch on a Sunday so I have plenty of lunch options but unless you want soggy lettuce don't add it and the dressing until the day you are eating it.

Quinoa Salad Box

Cooked quinoa (cook a big batch on Sunday according to the pack instructions - I try to soak mine before cooking)

Spring onions

Little gem lettuce

Cherry tomatoes

Roasted red peppers

Avocado

Spinach leaves

Frozen or fresh peas

Pesto

Lemon juice

Good olive oil (extra virgin since you’ll be eating it as is)

Crushed chilli flakes

Salt and Pepper

Pumpkin and sunflower seeds

Season your cooked quinoa in a bowl with salt, pepper and crushed chillis.

Chop or slice up all your veggies.

Chuck them in with the quinoa.

Mix together pesto, lemon and olive oil.

Pour over the salad and stir through.

Scatter seeds over the top.

Have some for dinner with a seared steak (as below!) and box the rest up for lunch!