Staring at a few sad, limp, unappealing lettuce leaves again? Don’t torment yourself that way. Just because you don’t eat meat doesn’t mean that you can’t fill up with delicious beans, grains, and veggies to keep you going throughout the rest of the day. Whether it’s an easy-to-prepare salad, a big pot of nourishing soup, or a quick wrap or quesadilla, you’ll feel so much better when you actually give your body the nourishment that it needs.
Try these quick vegetarian lunches to give yourself a burst of productivity that’ll last until dinnertime.
Chopped Kale Salad with Edamame, Avocado, and Carrot
This chopped kale salad puts every other bowl of greens to shame. It starts with kale, that powerful superfood star, then adds the crispy crunchiness of carrots, the sweetness of fresh bell peppers and snap peas, the creaminess of avocado and edamame, and then goes for a spin in a homemade tamari-ginger dressing. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and packs up perfectly for work so you can stay healthy and love what you’re eating too.
Lemony Lentil, Chickpea, and Radish Salad
Make this salad once and then eat it all week long. Do you love bold, bright Lebanese flavors? This one’s a fast fix since you can even pick up pre-steamed lentils (try Trader Joe’s) to speed up the prep. The radishes are spicy, crunchy, and colorful, and they combine with the chickpeas and the lentils for protein-packed nutritious goodness. The best part is the dressing with its amazing flavors of dill, mint, lemon, honey, Dijon mustard, and freshly ground pepper.
Creamy Avocado and White Bean Wrap
If sandwiches are your thing, you’re going to love this creamy avocado and white bean wrap. The beans and avocadoes make for a delicious, smooth filling with contrasting flavors of sharp cheddar and spicy red onion. There’s even a tangy red cabbage slaw and chipotles in adobo sauce so you get to enjoy all the flavor, crunch, and deliciousness you can handle while filling yourself up for hours to come.
Veggistrone
It’s minestrone minus the meat, and it’s perfect for making on the weekend and eating all week long. A filling bowl of veggistrone includes cauliflower, carrots, green beans, cabbage, diced tomatoes, spinach, garlic, onions, celery, and basil – and then you’ll add kidney or pinto beans for some seriously simply protein. How can such a simple soup be so filling and so delicious and SO good for you all at the same time? I don’t know, but you’ll be looking forward to lunchtime like never before.
Barbecue Portobello Quesadillas
Working from home today? Now’s the perfect time to take a break and whip up some quick barbecue portobello quesadillas reminiscent of the flavors and textures of pulled pork. Barbecue sauce, chipotle chiles, and monterey jack cheese turn simple mushrooms into the crunchy, substantial lunch of your dreams so you can shove them in your face with absolute delight, then get back to being a productivity machine.
This lunch may not be free but it sure is scrumptious.
