Cheap lunch box ideas with low calories. Sometimes when you prepare your lunch box might feel overwhelming and is absolutely normal to run out of ideas.
To help you decide what to prepare for your lunch box, I have created these recipes that are easy to cook and packed with full nutrients that your body needs.
Deciding what to eat for lunch is like pushing a mountain for a lot of people. Are you tired of junks that are not good for your health, or feel like you are not getting it right with your lunch?
There are plenty of healthy and low calories lunch ideas that will fulfil your satisfaction and will make you feel energetic throughout the afternoon.
Eating your lunch is as important as breakfast. The reasons I’m saying that is because at midday your body needs a boost of energy and food is the fuel you need to improve your productivity for the rest of the day.
Here is a list of cheap lunch box ideas that are cost-effective but packed with full proteins and vitamins to sustain your normal body functions.
Sweet Potatoes with Beans
Sweet potatoes with beans are perfect and cheap to prepare a lunch box. Sweet potatoes contain Vitamin A and C but also plenty of fibre. After this meal, you will get enough energy to carry on the rest of your day without the need to reach for a snack.
Ingredients:
To prepare this low calories lunch box idea, you will need
- Sweet potatoes (2)
- Beans (1 cup)
- Chopped tomato (1)
- Minced garlic (3 cloves)
- Chopped cilantro (1)
- Minced onion (1)
- Lemon juice (1)
How to prepare sweet potatoes with black beans:
Start by cutting the sweet potato into small pieces and cook for ten minutes or until become soft enough so you can mash it. Mash the potatoes, then add the beans, tomato, garlic, onion, cilantro, and lime juice.
You can choose to season your beans with cumin, chilli, and garlic powder separately before you add it to sweet potatoes. Serve your delicious meal with orange juice or lemon water and enjoy yourself.
Roasted Vegetables with Whole-wheat Spaghetti
This is one of the best lunch box ideas for a tasty and nutritious meal. You cannot get it wrong when you make wheat pasta and roasted vegetables for lunch. This amazing recipe has very low saturated fat and contains only 400 calories. Eat healthy while balancing your intake calories.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil (2tbsp)
- Carrots (3)
- Brussels sprout (6)
- Red pepper (2)
- Black pepper (2)
- Salt
How to prepare roasted vegetables with whole-wheat spaghetti:
To get this low calories lunch box idea ready, cut the carrot into round slices. Trim and cut the Brussel sprout into half. Slice the red pepper and grind the black pepper.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil, add all the ingredients and the vegetables and fry for five to eight minutes. Cook the wheat pasta to your taste in a separate pan and drain it. Reduce the heat, add the fried vegetables and stir until everything mixed together. Enjoy your meal with your preferred juice.
Chicken shawarma with salad
Ok so chicken shawarma with salad can be perfect for lunches for construction workers since it doesn’t necessarily have to be heated, this meal can be consumed cold or hot, either way, is absolutely delicious.
Chicken shawarma should be on your lunch list anytime. Wrapped nicely this meal is ideal for cold lunch ideas for construction workers. Dress it with basil sauce and you will have a refreshing, balanced, and superb lunch to keep you going for many hours. One serving of this meal contains 392 calories.
Ingredients:
- Chicken breast (2)
- Garlic (3 cloves)
- Chilli powder (1tbsp)
- Ground cumin (1tsp)
- Olive oil (2tbsp)
- Salt
Ingredients for salad:
- Spring greens (6 cups),
- Cherry tomatoes (1 cup)
- Basil leaves (2 handfuls)
- Sliced avocado (½)
How to Prepare chicken shawarma:
To prepare; cut the chicken breast into thin and long slices so it can be easy when you grill it. Mix the chicken breast with chopped garlic, chilli powder, ground cumin, salt and olive. Seal the mixture properly and marinate for twenty minutes.
After twenty minutes, heat a pan or grill and cook the marinated chicken breast on moderate heat until it turns dark golden. Turn on each side every two minutes to cook it properly without burning it.
Once the chicken is cooked, add each slice on top of each other, just like American pancakes and cut small pieces so you can sprinkle on the salad.
You might like to read:
Vegan lunch ideas that won’t break the budget
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For the salad: in a bowl, mix the spring green with cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, avocado and the chicken bits, then sprinkle a touch of salt and pepper. If you like you can pack the whole salad in a lunch box as it is, or wrap some salad in tortillas to make rolls which are handier to eat while at school or work.
Buena petit!
Ratatouille Omelette
Are you tired of eating sandwiches for lunch? Give yourself this spicy and refreshing lunch box packed a perfect combo between animal protein and vegetables. In only twenty minutes, you will come up with ratatouille omelette.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil (2tbsp),
- Sliced onion (1 medium-size)
- Courgetti
- Aubergine (½ cup)
- Milk (½ cup)
- Red pepper (1 medium-size)
- Garlic (3 cloves)
- Tomatoes (1 medium-size)
- Basil
- Butter (1tbsp)
- Eggs (1)
- Grated parmesan
- Grated gruyere cheese
How to prepare ratatouille omelette:
To prepare this meal, slice the aubergine, dice the red pepper, chop the tomatoes and basil and crush the garlic. Pour oil into a frying pan and heat it.
One by one add onions and aubergine, fry for five minutes until become soft enough, then add courgette and pepper and fry for another five minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and allow it to simmer for ten minutes, then add the basil.
Mix the egg and milk and fry in melted butter. Spread it over the vegetables and cook for five minutes or till it turns lightly golden. Serve and enjoy your delicacy.
Green beans Salad and Mushroom
This combo is one of the best you can have for lunch. Mushrooms are very low in calories, and when combined with beans, you can be sure of a balanced and healthy lunch. This recipe is super easy to cook, and within thirteen minutes, your lunch is ready.
Ingredients:
- Frozen soya beans (1 cup)
- Green beans (1 cup)
- Mushrooms (1)
- Chopped onions (1 medium)
- Drained canned beans (1)
- Diced chorizo sausage
- Olive oil (2 tbsp)
- Chopped garlic (3 cloves)
- Ground black pepper
- Lemon juice (1 lemon)
- Sundried tomato paste (1tbsp)
How to prepare beans salad and mushroom:
Boil water in a saucepan, add soya and green beans and let it cook for ten minutes. Drain the beans, rinse with cold water, drain and pour into a salad bowl. Add the mushrooms, chopped onions, canned beans, chorizo sausage, and mix together.
Drizzle the other ingredients over the salad. Cover it and leave for thirty minutes, is best served cold.
With these low calories lunch box ideas, no more boring sandwiches every afternoon.
