Food on the move

We often wolf down pastries, chips and fizzy drinks at lunchtime, but with a little planning, easy, healthy lunches are within reach.

THE HUMBLE SANDWICH

It’s important to choose a low-fat lunch with a low GI to keep your blood-sugar levels stable, and avoid the late-afternoon dip that sees you sending your PA on a chocolate run. Brown, wholewheat and rye breads are all complex carbohydrates. This means that your body takes longer to break them down, ensuring a much slower and sustained release of energy over a period of time.

Keep your sandwiches exciting — choose a variety of breads such as seed loaves and pumpernickel, and stock up on staples such as hummus, pesto and cream cheese to keep sandwiches tasty and moist.

Quick fix
Build a super sandwich by mixing 1 tub of low-fat cream cheese with lemon zest, a handful of herbs (like thyme, parsley and chives) and season with salt and ground black pepper. Spread this on a slice of rye bread. Follow with slices of smoked salmon, avocado, a squeeze of lemon, sprouts and watercress, and top with another slice of rye.

GET CREATIVE

1.Design a luscious grilled vegetable sandwich by spreading basil pesto on a slice of seed loaf and topping it with last night’s leftover grilled veggies. Cover with fresh ricotta and finish off with another slice of seed loaf.

2.Build a delicious wholewheat chicken sandwich, by mixing 5 T Bulgarian yoghurt with a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, mix through shredded chicken and place on the sandwich. Top with thinly sliced red onion rings, cucumber slices and fresh rocket leaves.

3.Give cold chicken and fish new life by stirring through pesto or yoghurt. Mix with fresh herbs and voila, a gourmet wrap in the making.

4.Mix grilled veggies with a dollop of hummus and use as a filling in a wholewheat pita.

Quick fix
Cut half a baguette open lengthwise, but not all the way through. Tear pieces off a chicken breast and mix with coriander pesto. Place the chicken on the baguette with some char-grilled peppers. Top with a few rocket leaves.

Use bits of leftover fish (cooked fish can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days; always keep your packed lunch chilled when it contains fish). Mix with brown rice, peas, sweetcorn and cubes of avocado. Mix with 1 T Greek yoghurt, chopped capers, gherkins and fresh dill.Put leftover curry to good use in a wrap — mix it with low-GI lentils, roll up and tuck in.

SNACK ATTACK

Responsible snacking can be a great way to ensure constant energy release to achieve full concentration throughout the day. This means keeping it healthy, low-kJ and energy boosting. Avoid simple Carbohydrates like fizzy drinks and crisps that will only give you a sharp powerful boost, followed by a rapid drop. For sustained energy, it’s important to snack on nutritionally balanced food — a mix of carbohydrates (like vegetable or sweet potato crisps), proteins (like seeds and almonds), lots of fruit (like apples) and vegetables (like carrots, avocado and celery sticks).

Quick fix
1.Slice an apple or pear into wedges and serve with low-GI hummus.

2.Make an avocado dip by combining 1 peeled avocado, a squeeze of lemon juice, 1 finely chopped red onion, cucumber and tomato in a small bowl. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve this with fresh vege-tables such as celery and carrot sticks.

3.Make a batch of air-popped popcorn, and then spice it up with a mixture of
1/2 tsp paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, coarse salt and ground black pepper. Mix through while the popcorn is still warm.

4.In moderation, nuts make for a great snack. They provide protein and vitamins A and E, and are a good source of fibre.

5.Mix all your favourite seeds like pumpkin and sunflower seeds together in a little snack bowl. Seeds are rich in protein and iron.

6.Quinoa is one of nature’s superfoods, it’s loaded with carbohydrates, fibre and protein. (Find it at your local health store.) Prepare quinoa according to the instruction on the packaging. Mix with pumpkin seeds and nuts for a crunchy snack.

PREPARE AHEAD

Spend a little time in the kitchen over the weekend to prepare staples such as cooked rice and noodles. Both can be transformed into quick stir-fry lunches or bulk up other leftovers such as curries and casseroles. Basmati rice and brown rice are both lower GI than white rice, which means they’re great for sustained energy release. Brown rice is also an excellent source of B vitamins, which kick-start the reactions needed to release energy from food.

Cook 1 cup of brown rice, and add a few chopped pecan nuts, chives and 1/4 cup crumbed, reduced-fat feta. Freeze in portion-sized, microwave-safe containers. In a resealable (microwave-safe) container or Ziploc bag, combine:

the juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 t lemon-flavoured avocado oil
1 small red chilli
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
a 2cm knob of ginger, grated
1 T sesame seeds, coarse salt and ground black pepper.
Add 500 g (1 bag) of ready-cut, stir-fry vegetables, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

When it’s time to eat, microwave the vegetables — covered with a lid — in the closed container for 2 minutes. Heat the rice (about 2–3 minutes). Serve the vegetables with the brown rice, reduced-sodium soya sauce and wasabi.

Quick fix
Quick soups can be prepared ahead and frozen
in portion sizes for a very satisfying lunch. Make
a refreshing, chilled summer soup by blending in
a food processor:

1 deseeded cucumber
1 cup frozen peas
1 L Bulgarian yoghurt
2 cups ice
2 T chopped dill
1 crushed garlic clove

Season with salt and lots of ground black pepper. Freeze for at least 2 hours or until needed. Shake it up just before serving.

FOR A HEARTY MEAL:

Heat a frying pan over high heat, add 2 T olive oil, 1 t Chinese five-spice powder, 1 T grated ginger and 1/2 tsp chilli flakes. Add 150 g sliced ostrich steak and grill for 3 minutes or until well browned. Add 500 g (1 packet) of stir-fry vegetables and fry for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups cooked buckwheat noodles and 2 T soya sauce, mix all the ingredients through. Divide into 3 portion-sized lunch bowls and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.