8 Budget-Friendly Recipes That Make a Perfect Packed Lunch
Tasty meals you can batch cook this weekend.
It might be easy to pack a sandwich each morning for work, but it can be a less than inspiring meal to bring out for lunch day. After all, you deserve something tasty to enjoy and keep you fuelled throughout the afternoon. We're saying goodbye to sad work lunches and hello to you the tasty yet nutritious treats you deserve.
From delicious dumplings to an easy spaghetti alla puttanesca, brighten up your lunch repertoire with these elevated and budget-friendly recipes. They are perfect to take to work and you can easily prepare them in advance on the weekend.
1. Brothy White Bean and Kale Soup
Tomatoes, leafy greens, spices, herbs, and legumes culminate to create a meal that's heartwarming, delicious, and perfect for a healthy lunch meal. Topped with croutons for added crunch and carby goodness, it truly is the most well-rounded of soups.
2. Cheesy Lasagne Alla Portofino
Traditional lasagne recipes typically call for a meat sauce, but we promise that Jessica Nguyen's vegetarian-friendly version won't disappoint anyone. Packed with spinach and basil along with a velvety bechamel sauce and plenty of mozzarella cheese, this dish is indulgent and delicious. You can pop it in the fridge/freezer and have for lunch throughout the week.
3. Vegetarian Egg Fried Rice
Jessica Nguyen's recipe only calls for 11 ingredients and is filled with nutritious fibre and protein thanks to the variety of vegetables and egg. If you're carb-conscious, you can also swap out the white rice for cauliflower rice, which will triple the veg content of the dish, or use brown rice for a dose of whole grains.
4. Barley Salad with Preserved Lemon Dressing
Danielle Campbell's barley salad recipe boasts a wonderful flavour combo of asparagus, feta, and parsley. It's dressed with a preserved lemon dressing and topped with dill and sumac to take it up that extra notch. This fresh salad is the epitome of nutritious and delicious.
5. Spicy Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca
Pasta is one of the best budget-friendly lunch ideas and this tasty recipe won't disappoint. Those who love a salty snack will salivate at the ingredients list which consists of anchovies, capers, and two kinds of olives in a rich tomato sauce. Topped with parsley for freshness and parmesan for added bite, this pasta dish is balanced, bright, and downright delicious.
6. Spicy Peanut Noodles
This vegetarian recipe proves that delicious food need not be complicated or time-consuming to make. Silky noodles are coated in a wonderful umami combination of peanuts, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, and chilli oil, topped with sesame seeds and spring onions for a fresh hit.
7. Cheesy Eggplant Parmigiana With Tomato and Basil
This vegetarian delight is hearty, simple to make, and the ultimate comfort food. It can be thought of as a pasta-free lasagne made with thin slices of eggplant instead of layers of pasta. Generous amounts of parmesan and fresh buffalo mozzarella are used to make this dish extra tasty and creamy, and panko breadcrumbs bring a beautiful crispy texture to the recipe.
8. Simple Vegetable Dumpling Recipe
The filling of these dumplings is well balanced with a variety of textures and then seasoned to perfection with ginger, soy sauce, and spring onions. What’s more, they’re incredibly easy to prepare and cook, and can be made ahead of time, frozen and then cooked when needed.
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