Stuck for delicious yet healthy lunch recipes, whether you're at home or at work? Fear not, we spoke to some top food bloggers to get some recipe inspiration...
Lunch can get monotonous, so we asked food bloggers Clean Eating Alice, Madeleine Shaw, Anna Barnett and Naturally Sassy to share some of their favourite healthy lunch recipes with us. They're simple to make and are perfect for if you need some packed lunch inspiration for work, or you're just looking for a quick, healthy meal at home.
1. Feta, Red Onion and Tomato Omlette by Clean Eating Alice Ingredients: One whole egg 150g liquid egg white Approx 7 tomatoes Half a red onion 50g Feta 50g Pre-cooked lentils (I use the microwave packs) 50g Tenderstem broccoli 50g Asparagus Coconut oil Salt and pepper How to make: Finely dice your red onion and chop tomatoes into halves and your feta into crumbled chunks.
Cook microwave lentils as according to packet and leave to stand once cooked.
In a pan, heat a small amount of coconut oil and then lightly Sautée your broccoli and asparagus until slightly browned.
Meanwhile, mix your egg and egg white until combined.
Begin frying your red onion in a separate pan with a little coconut oil until softened and then add your eggs.
After approximately one minute, add your remaining toppings (tomatoes, feta and lentils) and leave to gently cook.
Once the base of the omelette is cooked, remove your pan from the heat and place under a hot grill to cook the top.
To download more recipes from the LDN Bikini Guide visit www.ldnmuscle.com
2. Perfect Kale Salad by Naturally Sassy
-Serves 2
Ingredients: 180g bag of fresh kale 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds 1 large avocado 2 sweet potatoes
For the maple roasted walnut: 1/2 cup walnuts 1 heaped tablespoon maple syrup 1 heaped tablespoon olive oil
For the tahini dressing: 2 tbsp tahini 2 tbsp olive oil Juice 1/2 a lemon Juice 1/2 large orange 1/2 tbsp of tamari (add to taste) 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
How to make: Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Start by pealing the sweet potato and chopping them into small bite sized cubes, line on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil a tsp of cinnamon and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile wash the kale, and remove any hard stems.
Mix all ingredients for the dressing in a bowl. Pour the dressing into the bowl with the kale, and massage for approx 3 minutes, until the kale softens/wilts.
Add the walnuts to a bowl wih the pure maple syrup and olive oil, mic well and add to the tray with the sweet potato wedges for 2-3 minutes before removing.
Slice your avocado into cubes and add to the salad with the pomegranate seeds and the roasted sweet potato wedges.
Toss well, and plate, sprinkling with toasted walnuts. Enjoy! Pre-order Naturally Sassy's cookbook, 'Naturally Sassy: My recipes for an energised, healthy and happy you' on Amazon, out 6 August.
3. Halloumi & Chorizo Salad Wrap with Gherkin Mustard Mayo by Anna Barnett
-Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 10 minutes | Feeds: 4
'The combination of chorizo and halloumi with crisp raw veg does it for me. This is full of flavour and near on impossible to get wrong. Use up whatever salad you have in the fridge, but make sure you include the fresh herbs – the mint alongside the saltiness of the chorizo and halloumi really works.'
Ingredients: 250 g (9 oz) chorizo – get the good stuff you slice yourself 250 g (9 oz) halloumi, cut into eight slices and then each slice cut in half 4 soft flour tortillas 200 g (7 oz) gherkins (pickles), finely chopped 1 generous tablespoon American-style mustard 2–3 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 large carrots, grated ¼ red cabbage, finely shredded handful of finely chopped coriander handful of mint leaves
How to make: Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F/gas mark 2–3)
Chop the chorizo into rough chunks, then add to a non-stick frying pan and cook over medium heat for a few minutes or until the oil seeps out of the chorizo and the chorizo is slightly crispy. At which point you’re ready to add the halloumi – you want to cook it in this richly flavoured oil.
Leave to cook over high for a further 3–4 minutes: by not turning the chorizo or halloumi, you’ll be left with one side crispy and one side soft, which is perfect for this dish.
Meanwhile, wrap your tortillas in foil and warm through in the oven for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the gherkins with the mustard, mayonnaise and some pepper.
Have the other ingredients (carrot, red cabbage, chopped coriander and mint leaves) ready to assemble your wraps.
Start by spreading a spoonful of the mayonnaise along the length of the tortilla, then add the hot chorizo and halloumi, followed by the carrot, red cabbage and herbs. Roll up and serve.
This is also a nice dish to serve up on a platter and let people roll their own. Alternatively, serve as a stack – you can make it look mega by piling up the salad in the middle of the tortilla and adding the chorizo, halloumi and herbs last.
TIP: Don’t add any extra salt, as both the chorizo and halloumi are already pretty salty.
Recipe from Eat The Week by Anna Barnett (Murdoch Books £18.99) www.annabarnettcooks.com
4. Summer salad - grilled nectarine, parma ham and runner bean salad by Madeleine Shaw 'This is my summer salad, and it beautifully encapsulatesthe marriage of flavours between sweet nectarine and salty prosciutto. The texture of the cured meat alongside its softer counterparts really allows this summer salad to live up to its name.' -Serves 2 Ingredients: 150g runner beans, ends cut off 2 nectarines 30g watercress 30g rocket 100g parma ham 50g feta cheese, cubed 2 tbsp sesame seeds 3 tbsp Honey and Mustard Dressing salt and pepper
How to make: Pop the beans into a pan with a little water and a pinch of salt, and steam for 5 minutes. Cut the nectarines into eighths, put them on a griddle pan over a medium heat, and grill for 2 minutes on each side. Put the watercress and rocket into a bowl and mix them together.
Scatter the rest of the ingredients over the top, then pour over the dressing and finish with some cracked black pepper. Madeleine Shaw is working with 100% natural, cold-pressed smoothie brand Savse to spread the word that it’s easier than ever to ‘Health Yourself’, through simple nutritional, diet and health tips. For information visit savsesmoothies.com