Q: I'm a college student, and on Mondays and Wednesdays, I only have 15 minutes to eat lunch as I walk from one class to the next. I usually end up stuffing a sandwich in my mouth while walking or try to discreetly eat while in class.
Any ideas for healthy lunches (not energy bars) I can eat on the go? I try to avoid loud foods or anything with a strong smell. Any tips would be appreciated!
Sent by Alexa
Editor: You could switch up your sandwiches with a few other easily transportable foods like salad wraps, pita-pockets, and spring rolls. If you have time in the morning, making some vegetarian sushi (which wouldn't need to be refrigerated) would be an awesome lunch-on-the-go. Grain salads are also something that could you could easily eat at your desk once you get to class.
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Readers, what other suggestions do you have for easy, on-the-go lunches?
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Smoothies are a good option. They're quick and easy to whip up in the morning; you could even make a giant blender full to sip on all day. I know it's not "chewable," and might not seem as filling, but you can pack quite a lot of nutrition into them and can be surprising satisfying. At the very least, they'll tide you over until you get a chance to eat a proper meal.
I second The Enchantress's suggestion. Sometiems I make a blender full of smoothie and sip on all day. To make it more chewable, I add rolled oats. I'll let the oats sit in whatever liquid I'm gonna use for the smoothie for about 15 to 20 minutes, usually almond milk, before I add it into the blender. While the oats sit in liquid, I'll finish getting ready or prep the rest of my ingredients to save time.
The only thing about smoothies though, make sure you have a good insulated container because they tend to break down after about 5 hours--in case you make the smoothie waaay earlier than your lunch break is. Keep it in the fridge until you're ready to leave.
You could also do hummus and bread.
I actually just tried that apple-arugula salad wrap for the first time this week, and have already made it twice for lunch. I substitued pecorino for the gouda and skipped the garbanzos (which I don't like) but added some sliced almonds. It's great, one of those things that turns out even better than the sum of its parts. Definitely going into the regular lunch rotation.
How about muffins? Savory ones like corn-cheddar-jalapeno or sweeter ones like morning glory muffins. I think other breakfast foods might be fun for you. I like to make a nut butter sandwich with homemade yeasted waffles. The kale frittatas from last week could also be really good, or you could go for hard-boiled eggs.
You could approach this as more of a substantial snack that you supplement later. Then maybe string cheese or ants-on-a log could work.
What about making a batch of savory scones with some cheese and vegetables?