So, What's For Lunch?

Everyday, during the week, I am finished with my college classes no later than 1:00pm. As much as I love having such an easy schedule (one that allows me to come home relatively early and do other things, instead of just sitting in a classroom setting all day), this particular time period is the standard "lunch hour" - so, by the time I leave class, exit the building, take a 5-minute walk to the parking lot, drive home, put my books away, and start to prepare lunch, it can become as late as 3:00pm before I can even begin eating my meal! Since I am trying to gain weight, I cannot afford to skip a meal, or even a snack - I need to make sure that I consume enough calories and nutrients throughout the day, in order to improve (and maintain) good health. In an effort to accomplish these goals (i.e. gain weight and have time for all of my meals/snacks), I have been preparing my lunches ahead of time, so that all I have to do when I come home from classes, is "heat it up and eat it up" :0)

Since a lot (if not, all) of my fellow bloggers are either in school, in college, or at work during this time of year, I am sure that I am not the only one who does not have the time to create a tasty, nutritious meal from scratch, each and every day. So, I thought I would share some of the dishes that I have been preparing (and consuming) over these past few weeks, in case anyone is in need of some quick, simple, and delicious options, for meals of his or her own. So, what's for lunch?



Whether I am busy or not, I absolutely love making sandwiches for lunch - they are perhaps some of the easiest, most versatile meals you can create! Due to the fact that sandwiches literally take no time to prepare, I am able to make this lunch "from scratch," right after I return home from classes. This particularly colorful sandwich of mine, pictured above, features half of a creamy avocado, steamed swiss chard, garlic and a thick, juicy yellow-tomato slice, stacked between two slices of toasted sprouted-grain bread. Chock-full of fiber, healthy fats, and other vital nutrients, this sandwich is quite satisfying. To accompany my sandwiches, I always have a generous helping of steamed or sautéed mixed vegetables, such as brussels sprouts, baby carrots, squash, broccoli - whatever happens to be in season at the moment. While the mixed vegetables are not seen in this picture, I DID eat them - I just happened to finish them off before snapping a photograph :0)



When I am in the mood for something a little more "elaborate" than a sandwich for lunch, I love making what I refer to as my "bowl-meals." These bowl-meals feature anything from pastas and stir-fry dishes, to soups and chilis. The bowl-meal seen above, is a hearty mixture of chickpeas, swiss chard, red onions, tomatoes, garlic, broccoli, and a sliced Tofurky Italian "sausage." I cooked the vegetables and chickpeas, according to a recipe from the Student's Go Vegan Cookbook (which I have blogged about before), and then just added the Tofurky "sausage" when I was ready to eat the meal. Between the Tofurky "sausage" and the chickpeas, this bowl-meal packs in roughly 33 grams of protein - not bad!! Just goes to show that vegans CAN indeed get enough protein in their diets, along with sufficient amounts of all other vital nutrients.



Another type of bowl-meal that I enjoy making as a "during-the-week" lunch is my rendition of the Italian classic, Pasta e Fagioli. I cook up some pasta (this particular bowl features whole-grain rye fusilli noodles), and toss it with some marinara sauce, broccolini/broccoli rabe, swiss chard (yes, I know, I am obsessed with swiss chard, haha), onions, garlic, and cannellini beans. The texture and flavor of the beans pairs nicely with the pasta noodles, as well as the lightly sautéed vegetables. After heating up the contents of my meal-bowl and sitting down to eat, I feel as if I am dining in an Italian bistro, enjoying a gourmet dish that took hours to prepare; but really it only took a few minutes! Now THAT'S amore.



As I mentioned earlier, I love making various types of bowl-meals, since everything can be prepared ahead of time (which is ideal). This last bowl-meal and lunch that I will be sharing, in this post, enabled me to "step outside of my comfort zone" in the kitchen. While the toppings are familiar (garlic, broccoli, marinara sauce, red onions, swiss chard, and Nate's brand meatless "meatballs"), the contents beneath are completely different. What is it, you wonder? Well, it's spaghetti squash! But not just any spaghetti squash, mind you - it is the Baked Herbed Spaghetti Squash from The Everyday Vegan cookbook. This was my very first time cooking (and eating) spaghetti squash, and I was very pleased with the result - it actually twirled just like spaghetti noodles! This "experimental bowl-meal" was definitely a nice change from my typical dishes featuring pasta noodles, rice, quinoa, or other grains - I will undoubtedly be making this meal again, especially since spaghetti squash is plentiful at the markets this time of year (and, after seeing it for themselves, I believe that my parents would like to try this dish for a Family Dinner Night meal, in the near future - sounds good to me!).

These four meals are just a taste (no pun intended) of what I have been cooking up lately, for make-ahead lunches. Not only are they quite scrumptious (if I do say so myself), but they ensure that I can receive proper nutrition during the day, despite a lack of time (which is important for my quest to gain weight). I am ALWAYS looking for more, simple, delectable meal ideas, so I would love to hear exactly what YOUR answer is, to the question, "What's For Lunch?" :0)