veggie lunchbox ideas

You can make these easy falafels in minutes for a delicious quick dinner. Top with chilli sauce, yoghurt, pickles or hummus to customise. It's a simplified falafel recipe for those on a budget with limited kit – it's so much cheaper than buying ready-made. See also our <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chickpeas_with_harissa_99809">easy chickpea stew recipe</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/easy_hummus_96922">easy hummus recipe</a> for more ways to shuzsh up that tin!


Falafel

400 grams/14 ounces tin chickpeas

spring onions, finely chopped

tsp cumin

lemon, zest only

dessertspoons plain flour

salt

black pepper

olive oil

lemon, juice only

½ cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

tomatoes, roughly chopped

round lettuce, washed, leaves

pitta breads

plain yoghurt

chilli sauce

hummus

Three easy, tasty ways with a chickpeas tin- falafel, hummus and with harissa.

Pimp my chickpeas tin

This frittata recipe is super flexible. You can use just about anything that's leftover in the fridge.  

Each serving provides 337 kcal, 21g protein, 15g carbohydrates (of which 5g sugars), 21g fat (of which 7g saturates), 4.5g fibre and 1g salt.

Anything-goes frittata

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

grams/3½oz cooked sweet potato,

grams/3½oz (¼ head) broccoli, stem sliced and remainder cut into small florets

red pepper, seeds removed,

leek,

(50 grams/1¾oz) frozen peas

100 grams/3½oz feta, roughly broken

eggs

sea salt and black pepper

green salad leaves,

Use up anything you've got in the fridge to make a veggie frittata for a healthy dinner.

Anything goes frittata

A rice bowl is a wondrous thing, but often – despite the simplicity of its title – a rather cluttered and complicated one. Here, I have pared it back, to make a gorgeously seasoned rice bowl, with nothing more than a few seeds, herbs and radishes stirred through it, and an avocado to top it. It’s a simple take on an inspiringly expansive idea. So please use this as a starting point only. It’s very much a non-recipe recipe, and every time I make it, I add something different, depending on what’s to hand.

Rice bowl with ginger, radish and avocado

150 grams/5½oz short grain brown rice

fresh root ginger, peeled

radishes,

1½ tbsp tamari or soy sauce

tsp cloudy apple cider vinegar

tbsp mixed seeds,

coriander

avocado

This chunky Greek salad recipe is quick to make and packed with protein. The wholemeal pitta makes a high-fibre accompaniement.

With a GI of 45, this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/high_protein_low_GI_diet">high protein, low GI</a>.

Greek salad

red onion, thinly sliced

tomatoes,

½ cucumber, deseeded and roughly chopped

grams/3½oz reduced fat feta cheese,

grams/1¾oz black olives, oil

mint leaves

oregano

tsp extra virgin olive oil

lemon juice

wholemeal pitta breads, warmed

Grating cheese is a simple way to make your calories go further because it looks so generous. The punchy pickle in this salad offers an alternative to high-sugar chutney. It's a good idea to make twice the amount of pickle and keep it in the fridge for another day; it will last up to five days.

Each serving provides 404 kcal, 19g protein, 29g carbohydrates (of which 10g sugars), 22g fat (of which 11.5g saturates), 6g fibre and 1.9g salt. 

Ploughman's lunch salad

grams/1¾oz mature Cheddar, grated

cherry tomatoes, halved

grams/1 ounces salad leaves, washed

grams/1¾oz bread,

½ red onion, thinly sliced

½ tsp runny honey

1½ tsp cider vinegar

Learn how to make three delicious grain bowls using quinoa, wholewheat couscous and bulgur. Add plenty of veg and healthy fats and you can meal prep your way to healthy lunches.

Make-ahead grain bowls

couscous

200 milliliters/7fl oz vegetable stock

kale

red and yellow baby tomatoes, halved

grams/1 nuts,

sprouted lentils and sprouted beans

tsp za’tar spice blend

milliliters/1fl oz olive oil

quinoa

carrot, thinly sliced

tbsp mixed seeds

orange, juice only

tsp rapeseed oil

tbsp cider vinegar

1–2 tsp dried chilli flakes

tsp honey

salt and black pepper

60 grams/2¼oz bulgur wheat

salad leaves

pumpkin seeds

beans,

tbsp tahini

tbsp sesame oil

sumac

cumin cumin seeds

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

juice of ½ lemon

Dr Rupy shows you how to cook three delicious grains and then top them with healthy veg.

How to make a healthy grain bowl

The cheesy flavor and crispy texture of these zucchini fritters make them a delicious option for the lunchbox!

Zucchini Fritters for the Lunchbox

zucchini (grated (about 3 medium))

Italian seasoning (or favorite all-purpose seasoning)

all-purpose flour

Parmesan cheese

Oil (for frying)

cherry tomatoes

Salt & pepper (to taste)

Place the shredded zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Transfer the zucchini to a clean kitchen towel and ring out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and Italian seasoning until combined. Add the grated zucchini, flour, and Parmesan cheese, and stir to form a cohesive batter.

In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add tablespoon-sized mounds of the zucchini mixture, flatten the mound with a spatula, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip over each zucchini fritter and cook an additional 2 minutes until golden brown.

Transfer the cooked fritters to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining fritter mixture.

Place the cherry tomatoes in a small bowl, and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

To pack for lunch, place 3-4 zucchini fritters in a compartmentalized lunch container, and fill the empty compartments with a portion of the tomato salad and your choice of snack.

Close the lunch container and pack it into a lunch bag with an ice pack.

Everyone needs a good buddha bowl recipe, and this one is particularly good. Soy-stained eggs, sticky roast veg and sesame spinach combine to make something filling, flavourful and fantastic.

Each serving provides 837kcal, 29g protein, 105g carbohydrates (of which 26g sugars), 30g fat (of which 5.7g saturates),13 fibre and 6.5g salt.


Top 8 veggie lunchbox ideas recipes from across the web

The most viewed veggie lunchbox ideas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Falafel

Anything-goes frittata

Rice bowl with ginger, radish and a...

Greek salad

Ploughman's lunch salad

Make-ahead grain bowls

Zucchini Fritters for the Lunchbox

Buddha bowl

Top 8 veggie lunchbox ideas recipes from across the web

The most viewed veggie lunchbox ideas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Falafel

Anything-goes frittata

Rice bowl with ginger, radish and a...

Greek salad

Ploughman's lunch salad

Make-ahead grain bowls

Zucchini Fritters for the Lunchbox

Buddha bowl

The most viewed veggie lunchbox ideas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine