Lunch: The Final Meal
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You should be really proud of making it this far. Seriously! It is in no way an exaggeration to say that our entire modern food system is stacked against you. But against all odds, you’ve made it here to the doorstep of your final habit: lunch.
Of course, one of the easiest solutions for lunch is simply to make more dinner. Or breakfast. If you make more than you need, then you’re already all set. Still, sometimes you end up eating more than you planned. For the days where you’re short on leftovers or you simply want a change of pace, we’ve got you covered with some delicious 40FRESH lunch recipes.
Today’s Checklist
If you’re following along with the 40FRESH Challenge, here’s your homework for today:
Read this post
Continue your 40FRESH habit for breakfast
Continue your 40FRESH habit for dinner
Grilled Chicken and Rice
Estimated time: 20 minutes
This recipe is my own and it’s so easy and delicious. While you’re prepping the chicken, get your rice started on the Instant Pot. Before you put the white rice in the pot, make sure to wash it in the sink in a strainer until the water runs clear. Add equal parts rice and water to your Instant Pot and, optionally, 1 tablespoon of butter for every cup of rice. The butter gives the rice a wonderful flavor that goes great with the grilled chicken. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 4 minutes with a 10 minute natural release.
Next, for the chicken, grab as many chicken breasts as you like. Use a meat mallet to tenderize and flatten them into a uniform thickness. After they are flattened, drizzle with olive oil and rub until coated on both sides.
For the next step, you’ll want to evenly coat the top each breast with equal amounts of the following spices:
- Salt
- Pepper (ground pepper is best)
- Chili powder
- Onion powder
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Oregano
- (Optional) Cayenne
Chickpea Salad
Estimated time: 5-15 minutes
There are a lot of ways you can dress up chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans). We like this recipe from Once Upon a Chef for its simplicity and elegance. Best of all, there’s hardly any effort involved. Unless you plan to soak the red onion in water to reduce some of the bite, you can whip up this one in about 5 minutes.
Since it’s so easy, this is a great meal to make on days when short on time. You can eat it as a standalone meal or use it as a side for the days where the leftovers are a bit thin. Bon appétit!
Cucumber Salad
Estimated time: 15 minutes
This recipe for a scrumptious cucumber salad is courtesy of The Cozy Apron. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, this recipe actually uses many of the same ingredients as the chickpea salad above. Why not prep both at the same time and give yourself some options for the week?
We love the feta crumbles and juicy cherry tomatoes in this salad. Regardless of whether you make it in the dead of winter or if it’s a summertime dish, it’s certain to delight.
Up Next...
You’re so close to done! Feel free to start experimenting with lunches if you like, but your lunch habit won’t start for a few more days. If you really have a hankering for some Nope items, this is your last chance! Pretty soon we’ll be eating all natural food all the time.
If you like, go ahead and add one of the recipes above for your lunch menu. Otherwise, make sure you’re planning to prep some extra dinner or breakfast as part of next week’s menu. It’s truly remarkable you’ve made it this far! Go ahead and slap another well-deserved X on your accountability calendar. We’ll take a look at three more recipes tomorrow.
Did you try one of the recipes above? Let us know what you thought in the comments!
40FRESH Day 33 >>