5 Satisfying Lunches for Everyday
BY JACQUELYN DUGGAN
Contrary to popular opinion, lunch is my favorite meal of the day. It’s the perfect part of the day that bridges the gap between morning and afternoon, productivity and rest. What if we paused during this short hour of the day, choosing to nourish our minds and souls with a loving lunch? And really have a satisfying lunch?
Maybe I’m over-spiritualizing or making this bigger than it needs to be, but I’m curious about the opportunity to slow down: to rest and savor a small break in our busy day.
I think there’s a real opportunity here to take good care of ourselves. So, with this small nod to self-love as my inspiration, I’m sharing five of my favorite go-to lunches that are both energizing and so very satisfying.
Let’s dig in!
Chicken Salad
There are few things I love more than chicken salad (really, the only one is a turkey sandwich, shared below!) – created in various ways; chicken salad is quite simple: a traditionally mayonnaise-based salad with chicken, veggies, nuts, and fruit. This is a lovely little lunch paired with a cracker, some veggies, or a toasted croissant. Here are a few of my favorite go-to recipes:
Or as Ina Garten would say: store-bought is fine too! There are plenty of wonderful options at your local grocery store. If I buy a container of chicken salad from the store, I mostly look for freshly prepared and whole ingredients.
Loaded Turkey Sandwich
Turkey sandwiches remind me of the warm summer days of my childhood. I feel like they get a bad rep, so let’s spice up the traditional turkey sandwich, shall we? There are 5 components to a fantastic turkey sandwich, IMHO:
- The perfect bread
- High-quality, shaved turkey breast from the deli
- Crunch-factor (think: fresh bibb lettuce, sliced onion, pan-seared bacon)
- Layered favorites (think: avocado, cheese, tomato)
- Seasoning
The combinations here are endless. My favorite? Aran Goyoaga’s gluten-free bread, with Boar’s Head mesquite turkey breast (shaved-falling apart), local bibb lettuce, local tomato, sliced onion, and fresh avocado, topped with a generous shake of Peg’s.
Friendship Salad
I shared recently about my love for what I call, “Friendship Salad.” This is no ordinary salad and makes a wonderful lunch.
Leftovers in an Omelet
One of my favorite things to do with leftovers is making an omelet the next day! Chopped too many veggies from dinner? Save them for an omelet! Only have a few herbs or onion left? Save them for an omelet! Really, anything can go into an omelet (don’t tell Julia Child I said that!) Here’s my favorite omelet base recipe.
Snack Plate
When you don’t know what else to do, make a snack plate! Sometimes, if I’m bored of my options or I’m not much in the mood for making lunch – I’ll chop some carrots, scoop a dollop of hummus, grab a handful of crackers and fresh fruit and call it a lunch. The funny part? The variety usually makes me happy, and I almost always end the lunch hour in a better mood than when I started!
What do you enjoy making for lunch? Which of these recipes would you try? I’d love to know! Happy lunching!
If you enjoyed this post, read 4 Soups You’ll Want to Make this Season
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