10 Lunch Ideas for Busy Weekdays

Everyone grows up hearing that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, as grown-ups, you know for sure that lunch is often the most neglected one. Between picking the easiest available option (leftovers!) and finding the time amid your hectic schedule of working from home, looking after kids, and other household chores, it is no wonder you neglect your lunchtime meals the most. Here are some lunch ideas for busy weekdays

10 Lunch Ideas for Busy Weekdays

Keep reading as here is a list of quick lunch recipes that you can make in a matter of minutes.

Veggie-Packed Cauliflower Rice

One of the easiest to make and nutritious dishes on the list, you can make this within ten minutes. All you need to do is grab a bag of rice cauliflower and your favorite fresh or frozen veggies and toss them into a skillet. Just season with soy sauce and add a scrambled egg and your fried rice are ready. Pack it in an insulated lunchbox, and you can have your meal warm at lunchtime at the office. 

Asian-Inspired Ramen Salad

This exotic named dish is very easy to make. Take some packaged ramen noodles, and toss some veggies like cabbage, scallions, and sliced almonds, which will form the base of this satisfying, crunchy salad. You can complete it by adding whatever protein sources you have in your fridges, such as shrimp, chicken, or sliced deli meat. All you need now is an insulated food storage container, and it is ready as your lunch at the office. 

Creamy Spaghetti

Delicious cozy cream cheese pasta for lunch, anyone? This super easy to make cheap pasta recipe is comfy and filling and makes the perfect midweek last-minute meal. The cream cheese sauce is embarrassingly easy to make, and it transforms your plain pasta dish. All you need is to mix creamy cheese, garlic-infused olive oil, spaghetti, and add freshly ground pepper or chili flakes and a drizzle of olive oil to boost the flavor. 

Delicious cozy cream cheese pasta for lunch, anyone? This super easy to make cheap pasta recipe is comfy and filling and makes the perfect midweek last-minute meal. The cream cheese sauce is embarrassingly easy to make, and it transforms your plain pasta dish. All you need is to mix creamy cheese, garlic-infused olive oil, spaghetti, and add freshly ground pepper or chili flakes and a drizzle of olive oil to boost the flavor. 

Chicken Teriyaki with Broccoli

This will surely raise your eyebrow but trust us on this! You need to cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into small pieces, and it will cook in no time. And you can also make the teriyaki sauce at home from scratch, instead of buying those artificial ones from the stores. It is very easy to make while tasting like you got takeout. Add a lot of vegetables, and you can have it with rice. Pack it in an insulated lunchbox and have it as lunch at the office. 

You can also try these 5 min Healthy Breakfast Ideas with Recipes to never miss your breakfast

Rava Idli

When in hurry, Rava idli is the perfect recipe for your tiffin. It is a lot like upma but in idli form with its nice, flaky texture and brilliant flavor. Since it is steamed, Rava idli is easier to digest than upma, and you can make it healthier by adding vegetables of your choice. It is also the ideal lunch to store in insulated casseroles since it stays soft and humid for a longer period.

Vegetable Salad with Lemony Apple Dressing 

This vegetable salad, with a splash of brilliant colors and different flavors, is indeed worth experimenting with. Purple cabbages, carrots, capsicums will give you a variety of flavors and textures, while apple blended with dressing, will balance the flavor. This nutritious vegetable salad will not only make for one hassle-free lunch but also has many health benefits such as reducing your chance of acidity.

Chatpata Dahiwala Bread

Although of Western origin, bread loaves have been ably used by Indians to prepare many indigenous dishes such as upmas and bhajias. This will just add to the list of other exciting creations with bread. Coated with a tangy curd masala, cubes of bread are seasoned and sautéed till they turn brown and crisp. Easy to prepare and delicious, you will enjoy every mouthful of the Chatpata Dahiwala Bread.

Living in Delhi and looking for some good places with a healthy menu? Here are 6 best healthy cafes in Delhi to rely on this summer

Khichdi Pakodas

Got any leftover Khichdi? Don’t throw it away but use it to make these tasty pakodas. You just need to reinforce moong dal khichdi with besan and a few flavor and aroma enhancers like coriander and sesame seeds, shaping them into balls and deep-frying until they get all crisp. The ingredients add to the taste, while the besan ensures that the khichdi dough stays together and gets cooked uniformly. You can have them with green chutney or even a squirt of tomato ketchup.

Tomato Rasam

Here is a popular dish from the southern parts of the country! Tomato Rasam is a quick and low in salt version of the popular South Indian Rasam. A vibrant mix of masalas combined with apt proportions of everyday spices gives it an appetizing flavor and irresistible aroma. This dish is suitable for those who suffer from high blood pressure as garlic is known to control blood pressure. Pack it in an insulated lunchbox and enjoy it warm during the office lunch hours. Having lunch at home? Store the rasam in a hot case, and you are set for a delicious warm lunch come lunch time!

Instant Oats Dosa

Watching your weight and on a strict diet, but bored with your regular meals? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Dosa is one of the most popular snacks of South India, and over time it has attained a pan India and a global reputation too. Now make one with your staple weight managing diet that is oats! Just prepare the batter with oats, take a Tava, sprinkle a little water over it and wipe it clean, and pour the ladle full of batter. Keep spreading it in a circular motion and apply some oil or ghee on the edges of it, and cook till it is golden brown. You can enjoy the dosa with green chutney or coconut chutney. Made from oats, curds, and onions, this is a healthy dish, packed with nutrition. Enjoy hot dosas by packing them in an insulated casserole and make your colleagues jealous while savoring it during lunch hours.

Conclusion

Despite what you may think, eating a healthy, delicious, and full lunch every day does not mean you have to spend your entire Sunday learning to prepare meals from YouTube videos or finding your mother’s old recipes, and this article is here to prove it.