Hands up if you’ve started your diet or life-style change with a healthy breakfast and a plain salad lunch only to break it with a hangry binge come dinner? Right, happens to the best of us. Growing up, I always had a big lunch. That’s how Iranian’s do it. Kebabs or stews on rice for lunch and something light, a salad or a small sandwich for dinner. There’s no better feeling than sleeping on a light stomach and by night-time, your lunch will be burnt off and digested. This also goes for sweets or dessert. If you must have them, have them during the day. Here are 6 of my favourite delicious and filling healthy lunch ideas:
1. Brown Rice Onigiri
Fried brown rice balls. With salad. So easy. Brown a little onion with a little oil in a frying pan, add 1 cup of carrot/corn/peas mixture, fry little longer. Crack a free-range egg or two in it, mix in. Add two cups cooked brown rice. In a small jar, mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter, crushed ginger, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over. Cook until hot and steamy. Shape into balls using a plastic wrap. Serve with a nutty salad.
2. Frittata
Frittata is super filling and great for left-overs. Be creative with your vegetable, herb, cheese and nut combinations. Serve with salad. Recipe HERE.
3. Wholewheat Couscous Salad
Like frittata, couscous salads can have absolutely anything in them. Get creative with a colourful mixture of raw vegetables, nuts and seeds. Use wholewheat variety. Delicious! Recipe here, here and here. Boiled egg, optional. Truffle/bliss ball recipes here, here and here.
4. Grilled Fish, Tofu and Salad
This ones for those who eat fish. A big piece, pan-fried served with raw tofu on a simple green salad. Will keep you full forever. Okay, that may be an exaggeration but you get my drift.
5. Brown Rice Salad
Basically a deconstructed brown rice onigiri. A delicious mix of raw and roasted vegetables, dried fruit, nuts and herbs. Recipe HERE.
6. Healthier Potato Salad
Mayonnaise free, potato salad. Dressed with avocado and yoghurt. Healthy fats and probiotics for the win. Enjoyed with a side of raw snap peas and cherry tomatoes. Recipe HERE.
Love the potato salad idea!!
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Good ideas! Do you find it easy to get couscous here? I don’t think i have seen it yet. i’m a New Zealander in Japan too :)
Are you baha’i? That sounds like a really random question if you’re not, sorry!
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Hi Lucy! Yes, I’m Bahai! Hehe how did you know? Also, I found couscous at Jupiter (an International store) and AEON mall’s Liquor store (which sells liquor AND international products).
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Oh cool, both of those are pretty close to me.
Because every person from Iran that i know who has moved to NZ in the past 15 years has been Bahai haha. Some of my family are as well, you might even know them ;)
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Haha maybe! <3
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Great ideas! I like to incorporate these as side dishes for dinner and then just add a few extra bits to jazz it up as a new dish for lunch.
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That is very smart! Love your blog BTW always following ;)
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Where have you been finding brown rice? I love the stuff but can’t find any >< I also make a special trip to Jupiter or Kaldi's for couscous and bulgur wheat!!
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If there is a farmer’s market near you, there will be brown rice !! Also, some supermarkets stock it in their rice section alongside quinoa and amaranth too
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I just bought some brown rice (I’m in the U.S., so it’s easy…the things we take for granted), and I need to go shopping, so your onigiri looks like a great idea with what to do with my rice!
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Hi Anisa, love this post! Especially the brown rice onigiri and the mayonnaise free potato salad ideas! Cheers!
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Anisa, the review is absolutely amazing and so inspiring! And I love the photos in japanese style :)
I absolutely crave prepare these dishes, ha ha! At midnight! This is my fave time for eat – I do know it`s not especially healthy custom, but I love it :-)
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going to have to try these recipes!
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Please do! And don’t forget to follow along xx
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So all your food and pictures look amazing! Looking forward to reading more from you.
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Thanks so much Rachel!
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These look great – very inspiring as I start planning meals for next week!
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So happy you like them!
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Lacking vegetables and instructions? :( aw
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