Morning! I have some simple, healthy lunch ideas for you guys today, as a kind of variation on my How to Make a Quick & Healthy Weeknight Dinner post!
One of my favorite lunches is an “everything but the kitchen sink” sort of wrap. I whipped up a variation of the wraps over the weekend for me and Matt and thought I would share. This is great as a packed lunch for work, too!
First step – start with a wrap! I love the Ezekiel wraps because they’re full of nutritious ingredients and higher in protein than normal wraps, but choose your favorite kind. Just make sure there are no hydrogenated ingredients listed – that’s trans fat, which is not good for you.
Next, spread on your base (I love hummus, but other ideas are pesto, salsa, or even just mustard). Add some avocado for a little healthy fat.
Next, add some meat or beans for a protein source! We had some leftover chicken and white beans on hand, so I threw those in. I also added some fresh chopped basil. I love fresh herbs in salads and wraps – they add so much flavor!
Top with some green! I added tabouleh (it went well with the hummus!), tomatoes, and mixed greens, but baby kale or baby spinach would be great here, too.
Add a little cracked pepper on top and that’s it! A delicious wrap, ready to go. I actually wrapped them in tin foil so they were easier to eat because they were bursting at the seams!
Both Matt and I loved this lunch. Two thumbs up! Here’s the loose recipe:
Mediterranean Lunch Wrap
On a wrap, simply add the following. The amounts are up to you – no need to measure, just eyeball it and get creative!
- Hummus
- Tabouleh
- Avocado
- Chopped cooked chicken and/or white beans
- Sliced tomato
- Mixed greens, baby kale or spinach
- Fresh basil, chopped (optional)
- Cracked pepper to taste
Here’s my other all-time favorite lunch wrap:
Mexican Lunch Wrap
On a wrap, simply add the following. The amounts are up to you – no need to measure, just eyeball it and get creative!
- Salsa
- Black beans and/or chicken (chopped)
- Avocado
- Chopped bell peppers and/or tomato
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- A small sprinkle of sharp grated cheddar cheese (optional)
- Hot sauce (optional)
Want some more lunch ideas? Here are a few other favorite sandwich/wrap ideas:
- Autumn Chicken Salad
- Cheesy Avocado Tuna Sandwich
- Smoked Salmon & Dill Wrap
- Tuna Salad with a Healthy Twist
- Turkey, Gouda, Avocado, Apple & Mustard Sandwich
Also, check out the “packed lunches” section of my recipe page. The posts noted there are all part of my “How To Pack Lunch in 5 Minutes Flat” series. Each post includes a fully packable lunch, as well as afternoon snacks!
What’s your favorite packed lunch or wrap?
I am a big fan of Ezekiel English muffins. I’ve never tried the wraps. I’ll have to grab them the next time I am at the store!
I love their English muffins, too – especially the cinnamon raisin!
My favorite breakfast is an Ezekial cinnamon raisin English muffin topped with nut butter and fruit salad on the side.
These look great! I just recently got into making wraps for my lunches. So far almost all of them have contained hummus, broccoli slaw, avocado, tomato, banana peppers, spinach, a little Parmesan, and fresh black pepper because I find that combination delicious and didn’t want to change it, haha. Maybe this post will help me branch out more!
I LOVE broccoli slaw but I always forget to buy it! Must bring it back. So good on sandwiches and in wraps to add crunch (and extra nutrients/volume)!
ooh! can you do a broccoli slaw recipe? perhaps subbing greek yogurt for mayo?
These are making me hungry!!! Must be lunch time!!
I used to be obsessed with “Black Bean and Rice Salad” and had it like every day for lunch. It was basically brown rice, black beans (could you guess those two ingredients?), and then whatever veggies I had on hand (usually tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, green onion, spinach), almonds, avocado and topped with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I used to make little lunch size packets of them ahead of time (minus the dressing) on the weekend and then bring them to lunch, dump them in a tupperware or bowl and add the dressing.
I make those sorts of salads all the time, too! So good.
i recently just tried the brown rice food for life wraps, and i think i like them better than these. the Ezekial always gets holes in the centers for me even when heating them up in the microwave. Do you have a reccommendation as to which you think is healthier?
I haven’t tried the brown rice ones – I’ll have to! I wouldn’t say one is necessarily healthier – just different! Variety is a good thing.
Yum! Makes my lunch look so drab now. :( Tomorrow is another day and it looks like wrap day! I see that you have kiwi on the side. I still have to try your idea of eating it like an apple – skin and all.
Yes, try it! It’s delicious.
Totally want some chicken now… But wait, when do I not? LOL!
I’m actually eating a delicious wrap right now! Ezekiel wraps are great. I also really like flat-outs….they are large for only 100 calories and don’t break apart. The tin foil idea is a great one, though.
Those mini larabars are the cutest thing ever!!
that wrap looks delicious! I love hummus, tabouleh, and tomatoes!
The wrap looks soooo good! I love the ezekiel ones, so I’ll def be giving this a try – thanks for the great ideas :)
I’m a sucker for anything breakfast-y, so I love wraps with scrambled eggs (with lots o’ veggies mixed in), a sprinkling of cheese, and some salsa. I’ve never tried Ezekial anything — it’s definitely on my list!
I love to make wraps for a healthy lunch at the university! Thanks for these yummy ideas, I’ll definitely try the mexican style.
Have a nice day!
Jola
Lately I’ve been on a huge salad kick. Lettuce, cucumber, tomato and corn are must haves, then either cheese and/or avocado and a little container of something that I can heat up- usually some combo of black beans, sweet potatoes, tofu or quinoa. Might have to make some tabouleh to throw in! That said, sometimes I just need a PB&J.
Are those mini larabars? Where can you find those?!
Yep! You can find the mini Larabars on Amazon.com
Good idea to wrap it in foil! I never thought of that. I usually just grab leftovers from the night before. I love taking leftovers from taco night and making it into a wrap though! With lots of veggies… :)
These look delicious! I’m glad you’ve got some great lunch ideas! Meal planning is one of the things I hate most! :) I love wraps, too!
Wraps – what a perfect idea! I tend to lean towards dinner leftovers or salads for lunch, so this would be a great way to mix things up. Lately, I’ve been making burritos and freezing them and heating them up for lunch. A similar take on these wraps.
I love wraps too!, always so simple to toss what you have. Normally I do a quick stove top stirfry with whatever veggies are left over from the night before for my lunches. So today was left over fingerling potatos, kale, tomatoes, bellpeppers and onions. Delicious!
This is exactly the post I needed to see today. I have been in a lunch rut and giving in to eating out temptations. I can’t wait to go to the store and stock up on some of these items after work!
I love making wraps…these look so good!
Those wraps look great! I wish we had sprouted wraps here in Australia like you have over there :)
These look wonderful. Thank you for the great lunch ideas. Feel like I’m in a rut.
I love wraps for dinner too. So easy!
Now I know what to do with my extra tabouleh – great idea! Also, thanks for mentioning Franklin St. Yoga in some of your past posts. Tried it out with some friends on a recent trip back to Chapel Hill :)
Aw I’m so jealous! I miss that studio. :)
YUM! Looks delicious! I also love adding sprouts to my veggie sandwiches or wraps. it’s been awhile since I remembered to buy some but every time I do, it’s usually my favorite part!
I love sprouts but I always forget to buy them, too!
Wow I love these ideas! I get in a lunch time rut a lot, these help a lot!
Love the recipes Anne! Pinning this to make sometime! Thanks!
Yum this sounds DELISH! Will definitely be adding this to my lunch ideas. Do you have a salsa you’d recommend? I always get nervous that there’s too much sodium and/or hidden unhealthy ingredients in mine.
I usually just buy the organic Whole Foods salsa! I wouldn’t worry about it too much :)
I have to pack my lunch everyday for work. My typical lunch has veggies, hummus, tuna with salsa on a bed of lettuce, some type of rice cracker, apple and almonds. I literally eat this every day. I am not one who needs variety, my co-workers think I am boring, but I tell them that dinner is different every night!