Dahlicious: Homemade Quinoa Lunch Bowls for Work

Friday, May 1, 2015

Homemade Quinoa Lunch Bowls for Work

Homemade Quinoa Lunch Bowls for Work... I have to confess that every week I struggle to figure out what to bring for lunch. I try to bring my lunch at least 4 days a week to be healthful and economical, but it's not easy. I would say you have to be really well organized and prepared at the beginning of the week, and you have to be OK with eating repetitive things, because creating something totally new each day is also hard. UNLESS you go the leftovers route which is a great route and trust me there are plenty of weeks where I just make extra dinner knowing it will be the next day's lunch. But for the last two weeks I have been making quinoa "bowls" if you will and they have been awesome! I have never been one who likes bringing salads, I just don't find them satisfying so this is a great alternative if you are like me and can't eat a bowl full of lettuce for lunch.

I start off by making a big batch of quinoa on Sunday. I have been doing about 2 cups of dry quinoa and that is plenty to last me the full week. Simply follow the instructions which likely include just bringing the quinoa and water (add better than bouillon or use chicken stock for more flavor) to a boil then on low for about 15-20 min covered until the water is gone. Store in some sort of sealed Tupperware,

I also make a batch of shredded chicken in the slow cooker. Pretty easy just 2-3 chicken breasts with a few cups of water (salt/pepper/seasoning for flavor). On high for 3-4 hours. Pull out the chicken, shred with two forks and store in some sort of sealed Tupperware.

Once you have those staples down, then pick the additions you'll add - so far mine have included:

Trader Joe's Lentils (pop in the microwave, fluff, and store in Tupperware
Chick Peas (Drain, rinse, dry, store in Tupperware)
Cucumbers (chop/dice/slice to your preference, store in Ziploc or Tupperware)
Radishes (chop/dice/slice to your preference, store in Ziploc or Tupperware)
Fresh Spinach
Avocado (I usually bring a whole one to work and chop it up at lunch time to add in so it doesn't get brown)
Edamame (I generally grab the already shelled stuff at Trader Joe's to spoon in as needed)
Tomato (I usually just throw in a handful of washed whole little cherry tomatoes)
Cheese (Probably better a hard cheese like feta or Parmesan, but experiment!)
Dressing (I have a favorite homemade dressing which includes grape seed oil, white balsamic vinegar, a squeeze of grainy mustard, salt, pepper, & dried oregano). I generally pack it in a mini Tupperware on the side to add at lunchtime.

I use a tall Tupperware to bring mine and so far it has worked out well. I basically just layer it all in there the night before and then give it a big old shake at work when I'm ready to devour it! Check out some pics below.... oh also how about these genius little guac cups from Whole Foods?? As a snack with little heirloom carrots - gorgeous!