During quarantine, it feels like I am constantly cooking especially since I used to skip lunch or just buy something from the cafe in my office. The reason for that is, I hate eating heavy meals during the work week because it makes me want to fall asleep at my desk. As time went on during my work from home adventures, my schedule really changed. I actually had time to cook a lunch and enjoy it! Since I still prefer lighter meals during the day these recipes are a true reflection of that.
For my girls who don't get full off of just salad, I always suggest 1 of 2 things. The first is add more protein. Plain and simple, if you need to use the whole packet of tuna or do more chicken then go for it. My second is add to quinoa, orzo, brown rice, or couscous. This certainly adds more carbs, but will for sure fill you up a lot easier.
As you'll see, I use shredded chicken a lot. I am lazy and typically like buying pre-shredded chicken from the Deli section at grocery stores. However you have a few other options! Buying a whole rotisserie chicken for dinner one night covers a meal and you can use the leftovers for your lunches throughout the week. Another option is making your own shredded chicken in the crockpot.
Lemon Pepper Tuna Salad
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| Lemon Pepper Tuna Salad |
2 C Mixed Greens
1/2 Package Starkist Lemon Pepper Tuna
1/4 C Diced red onion
1/4-1/2 Avocado
1 TBS Low Fat Feta
5-6 Crumbled Crackers of your choice - I use CrunchMaster Protein crackers
2 TSP Lemon Olive Oil dressing
Other add-ons:
-Black Beans
-Hard Boiled Egg
-Shredded Carrots
Notes: There are a ton of tuna flavors that this salad would work with. My favorites are lemon pepper and herb from Starkist. Also the lemon olive oil dressing I refer to is the Private Selection brand from Kroger. Nick and I use that dressing on nearly everything! This is a really easy dressing to make yourself or find similar at any store.
Chicken Summer Salad
1 C Shredded Chicken
2 C Mixed Greens
1 TBS Feta
6 Sliced Strawberries or big Handful of Blueberries
Diced red onion
1 TBS Poppy seed dressing
Other add-ons:
- Avocado
- Cranberries
- Roasted or candied nuts
- Hard boiled egg
Kinda a Rainbow Salad
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| Rainbow Salad |
1 Whole carrot (sliced, diced, or shredded)
1/2 C Shredded Chicken
1/2 C Shredded Cabbage
1 Sliced Raddish
1/2 C Halved Cherry/Grape Tomatoes
1/2 C Wedged Cooked Beets
3 Slices of Red Onion
2 TSP Lemon Olive Oil dressing (or really any light dressing)
Sprinkle of Feta Cheese
Other add-ons:
-Avocado
-Wonton strips or your favorite crackers
-Goat cheese instead of feta
-Raspberries
Notes: This recipe basically is a compilation of every vegetable I have in my fridge. If you don't like something, don't buy or add it! Sometimes I have a hard time getting in raw vegetables, so when it's covered in salad dressing, it makes my life easier. If you have the time, I think this recipe would be good with some shrimp or salmon instead of chicken.
Vegan Peanut Zoodles
1/4 Extra FirmTofu Package
1/2 Zoodles Package (or 1 Spiralized Zucchini)
1/2 C Shredded cabbage
1 Chopped Green Onion
1/4 C Cilantro
1 TBS Peanut Sauce or Ginger Dressing
Other add-ons:
- Mandarin Oranges
- Crushed Cashews
-Avocado
-Snap Peas
-Shredded Carrots
Notes: Press the excess liquid out of the tofu. Cook the tofu for 3-4 minutes in a medium skillet to get them firmer. I eat the zoodles raw with this salad for lunch. However, you can heat up the peanut sauce, zoodles, and cabbage (plus any other veggies you want to add) with the tofu for more of a stir-fry feel. Also depending on your mood, you can sub the zoodles for salad or the tofu for chicken (obvi not vegan then). Also, I bought my peanut sauce and ginger dressing from the grocery store. The brands Makoto for the ginger, Sky Valley's peanut sauce, or Chinese Southern Belle (not peanut sauce but a good saute sauce) are delish!
Quick and Easy Tacos (this is my favorite)
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| Chicken Tacos |
1/4 C Shredded Chicken
2-4 Tortillas
1/4 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 C Diced Onion
Chopped Cilantro
Other add-ons:
-Cotija or Mexican blend instead of cheddar
-Avocado
-Picked red onion instead of white
-Mango
-Lime
-Salsa
Notes: You can use crumbled tofu, soy chorizo, chicken, white fish, or shrimp for these! Cook everything how you would normally and add some blackening, southwestern, or Tajin seasoning. While your protein of choice is cooking, warm up tortillas in a medium-high skillet for a few minutes, add the cheese to get it melted. Add the protein on the cheesy part then add your toppings!
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Wanna be friends?
Leave a comment below or email me at victoria.edwards@breathinglavender.com.
Thanks for reading!
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