My Go-To Lunch in a Rush

My Go-To Throw Together Meal

I’m sure we all know those days when everything seems rushed, chaotic & it seems as though you don’t even have enough time to empty your bladder. It’s these days that many people find it tricky to stay on track with regards to adequately nourishing themselves, on many levels, but particularly nourishment through food.

It can be so easy to grab for that pre-made, processed food item when you are hungry, in a rush, potentially crabby and on the go. But, it really is just as easy – if not easier – to grab whole foods that are not only less processed and refined, but are also easier to eat (example: a bunch of banana and nuts versus a hamburger) and are truly satisfying for your mind and body. One of the biggest additional bonuses of eating whole foods over processed foods, particularly when you’re on the go, is that whole foods will leave you feeling energized, light, satisfied (on a cellular level) and nourished. This all enables you to carry out the rest of your day in the most efficient and energetic capacity you can. I always love the analogy of the car – if your car is running out of fuel, you want to put the best possible fuel in the tank in order for the car to keep going longer, stronger and more consistently. If you put poor quality fuel into your car, you’ll experience poor quality performance from it. It really is that simple. What you put in, you get out.

SO, let's put nourishing, delicious, wholesome, fresh fuel into our tanks and then we'll be able to witness and experience first hand the profound changes in our lives as a result of the increased quality of our performance! 

It also comes down to planning ahead. If you’ve spent a bit of time on the weekend cooking big batches of your favorite food items or parts of a meal (for example, cooking up a big batch of quinoa/brown rice/falafels/veggie patties/soups/curries etc) this makes those days of rushing around too busy to stop and prepare something from scratch that much easier. But, that aside, there are those times where you simply haven’t had the opportunity to pre-prepare and you’re in a pickle because you feel like something nourishing, wholesome and delicious without having to compromise on your health and vital life force energy. In those times, it’s important to have a good bunch of stand-by, hearty meals up your sleeve so that you can nourish yourself into action for the rest of your day and the following day because as I once heard from someone, “you eat today for tomorrow”. Which I’ve found to be very true – if I’ve eaten slightly less than I should have due to being too busy or some such thing, the following day I feel it for sure – I wake up slightly tired, I feel a bit lethargic or heavy. But, if I eat in a sufficient abundance today, tomorrow I wake up feeling energized, light and ready to roll. This is one such recipe. It is quick, light, hearty & delicious. It took me a total of about 15 minutes to throw together!

Ingredients for Salad

·     1 - 1 ½  cup cooked whole wheat couscous (or preferred grain) or freshly baked rye bread/sourdough/ciabatta/whole wheat/seed bread

·     1 cup shredded tightly packed raw spinach

·     ½-1 cup tightly packed arugula/rocket

·     1 ½ cup chopped raw cauliflower

·     1 cup chopped cucumber

·     1 cup chopped raw carrot

·     ½ cup preferred bean (garbanzo, kidney, pinto, black bean)

·     1/3 cup fresh basil

·     Optional add-ins: 2/3 cup corn, 5 raw button mushrooms, ½ cup chopped bell pepper, 1-2 tablespoons raisins, 2 tablespoons toasted seeds of choice, 1-2 tablespoons goji berries, 1-2 tablespoons hemp seeds

Ingredients for Salad Dressing

·     2 tablespoons peanut butter

·     1 tablespoon red/dark miso

·     2 tablespoons soy sauce

·     3 tablespoons water

·     Additional add ins: dried thyme/garlic granules/cumin/paprika/cayenne pepper

Method

1.       Wash, chop and prepare all of your ingredients. Then it just becomes an assembling and mixing job!

2.     Place all of your leafy greens in a big bowl, top with your carrot, cucumber, cauliflower, beans and whatever additional add-ins you want to add. Add the couscous/grain on top or slice bread and place on the side.

3.     In a little bowl prepare your sauce by adding the peanut butter to the bowl, then adding the water, soy sauce and miso paste. Stir until it’s well mixed and your desired consistency (add more water to thin if needed). Keep in mind that this is quite a salty sauce, but it is diluted when eaten with the raw vegetables and grain/bread.

4.     Drizzle as much sauce as you’d like over your salad, mix well and tuck in.

I hope you find this recipe as quick, easy and delicious as I do! It’s honestly one of my favorite go-to recipes of all time – and what’s wonderful is that once you start playing around with the different sauces and veggies, you realize that everything is interchangeable! All the veggies can be subbed for whichever veggies you prefer, as well as prepared in whichever way you prefer - raw, blanched, roasted, boiled you name it! The sauce itself is versatile – I always use a nut butter based sauce in my meals. My favorite nut/seed butters to use are tahini made from ground toasted sesame seeds (highly nutritious, too!), peanut butter, or almond butter.

If you give this recipe a go, let me know in the comment section below or email me how you found it and if it energized & sustained you for the busy day, I would love to hear feedback and insight from you!