Healthy Lunch Ideas | Easy Lunches from Wholefully.com https://wholefully.com/recipes/lunches/ Fresh Family Meals - Made for Everyday Life Thu, 27 Jun 2024 14:14:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wholefully.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/favicon-150x150.png Healthy Lunch Ideas | Easy Lunches from Wholefully.com https://wholefully.com/recipes/lunches/ 32 32 Grilled Veggie Sandwich with Pesto-Feta Mayo https://wholefully.com/grilled-veggie-and-pesto-stacked-sandwich-with-lemon-feta-mayo-daves-2/ https://wholefully.com/grilled-veggie-and-pesto-stacked-sandwich-with-lemon-feta-mayo-daves-2/#comments Thu, 27 Jun 2024 14:14:52 +0000 http://backtoherroots.com/?p=27064 This delicious grilled veggie sandwich features a flavorful pesto-feta mayo that you'll want to put on Everything. grilled veggie sandwich on a cutting board These grilled veggie sandwiches are a weekly thing for us in the summer. They really are meant to be eaten when veggies are fresh (and cheap). Would this taste good in January? Probably. But it'd also cost you $15 per sandwich to grab all the out-of-season produce. Eat these sandwiches now. Eat them often. And then dream about them all winter long. That's what we do. Get the recipe »]]> https://wholefully.com/grilled-veggie-and-pesto-stacked-sandwich-with-lemon-feta-mayo-daves-2/feed/ 4 How to Make Awesome Grain Bowls https://wholefully.com/grain-bowls/ https://wholefully.com/grain-bowls/#comments Thu, 16 May 2024 15:17:57 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=29867 Grain Bowls are beautiful quilts of textures, colors, & flavors that are an absolute joy to bite into. Here's how to make the perfect bowls! How to Make Awesome Grain Bowls Call them grain bowls. Call them macro bowls. Call them power bowls. I don't care what you call them, just as long as you are making and eating them! Grain bowls are exactly what they sound like—a base of healthy whole grains in a bowl with all kinds of delicious, nutritious toppings. When done well, a grain bowl is a beautiful quilt of textures, colors, and flavors that is an absolute joy to bite into. Typically, grain bowls are improvised. Sure, there are recipes out there for them (hello, Cauliflower and Quinoa Power Bowls), but the beauty and fun of grain bowls is how free you are to experiment with your meal. Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/grain-bowls/feed/ 9 Italian Pinwheels with Cream Cheese Spread https://wholefully.com/italian-pinwheels/ https://wholefully.com/italian-pinwheels/#respond Wed, 15 May 2024 19:00:03 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=72095 Italian Pinwheels with Cream Cheese Spread are a perfect lunchbox treat or game day appetizer. These easy roll-ups can be made in just minutes—even the kids can help! Serving platter of pinwheel appetizers stacked with one on top showing all the spiraled layers inside. These Italian pinwheels are an absolute family favorite recipe! Packed with flavorful meats and cheese, these pinwheels work just as well as a prep-ahead school lunch and they do as a dish to bring to a potluck—everyone loves pinwheels! Our Italian pinwheels are fun to look at and have tons of Italian flavor that kids and grown-ups alike love to eat. Let's get rolling! Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/italian-pinwheels/feed/ 0 Split Pea Soup with Ham (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Stovetop) https://wholefully.com/instant-pot-split-pea-soup-with-ham/ https://wholefully.com/instant-pot-split-pea-soup-with-ham/#respond Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:52:29 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=52950 Fancy food it is not, but Split Pea Soup with Ham is delicious, comforting, and affordable. Stovetop, Instant Pot, slow cooker—we'll show you how to make it all three ways! I’m not going to lie, Split Pea Soup with Ham isn’t going to win any beauty contests. But I think that’s okay, because so often, the most comforting, delicious, coziest foods aren’t all that beautiful. And I think that’s a wonderful life lesson—sometimes the best things in life come in the most unsuspecting packages. Just know that this soup is so delicious, so comforting, and so flavorful that it made my six year old dance in the kitchen when she tasted it. Literally. She grabbed a bowl, grabbed a spoon, took one bite, and started dancing right there on our kitchen rug because it tasted so good. And I’m dancing because you can make this Split Pea Soup in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stovetop—I love me a flexible recipe that works no matter my schedule! Close-up of finished split pea soup in a bowl.

Do split peas need to be soaked before cooking?

Unlike other beans and legumes, split peas are tender enough that they don’t need to be soaked before cooking.

Wholefully Protip

If you have a history of digestive problems from split peas, you might want to go ahead and soak them in cold water overnight before cooking—it might help!

How do you make split pea soup from scratch?

You can cook this soup on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in an Instant Pot, but the process is pretty similar for all of them. To make split pea soup, here’s what you’ll do: Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/instant-pot-split-pea-soup-with-ham/feed/ 0 English Muffin Pizzas https://wholefully.com/english-muffin-pizza/ https://wholefully.com/english-muffin-pizza/#respond Mon, 01 Apr 2024 06:17:00 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=77280 English muffin pizza is a kid-favorite school lunch & great make-ahead meal. You'll love these mini pizzas for their easy prep!
Top view of two mini pizzas in a bento-style lunch container with clementines and snap pea crisps.
Tired of the same old boring school lunches or after-school snacks? Look no further than English muffin pizza! This quick and easy lunch (or snack!) is a great way to get your pizza fix without all the effort. Plus, they are so easy to make that the kids can make them themselves (with some oven supervision). Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/english-muffin-pizza/feed/ 0 Easy Vegetable Beef Soup https://wholefully.com/easy-vegetable-beef-soup-jar/ https://wholefully.com/easy-vegetable-beef-soup-jar/#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:00:34 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=41440 I always make sure I have the ingredients on hand to make a pot of this nourishing, comforting Vegetable Beef Soup! This soup is packed full of flavor, and thanks to a few shortcuts (hello, frozen veggies), it comes together in just a few minutes. Combine this soup with some crusty bread and a wedge salad for a perfect nourishing meal. For me, there is something about this combo that makes me all kinds of nostalgic—it just feels cozy. Neither of these recipes are particularly fancy, and you probably wouldn’t serve them to guests. But they are warm, comforting, and über-tasty (like the best comfort food always is). A ladle holds a scoop of soup over a Dutch oven.

What kind of beef is in this soup?

To make things easy, we’re using ground beef here—it’s easy to source, affordable, and it helps you get nice beef flavor in each bite. If you prefer, you can use beef stew meat for meatier chunks.

What kind of vegetables will I need?

The biggest shortcut here? Frozen mixed veggies! They save you tons of chopping and cooking time on the soup—and bonus, they are mega-affordable. You can grab a bag of organic frozen mixed veggies for less than $2. Steal. Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/easy-vegetable-beef-soup-jar/feed/ 1 Sesame Chickpea Mediterranean Salad in a Jar https://wholefully.com/sesame-chickpea-mason-jar-salad/ https://wholefully.com/sesame-chickpea-mason-jar-salad/#comments Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:32:25 +0000 http://backtoherroots.com/?p=15685 This nourishing Sesame Chickpea Mediterranean Salad in a Jar is full of bright Mediterranean flavors. You'll love this make-ahead lunch! A tall mason jar with layered salad ingredients sits on a white counter in front of a white wall. Lemon slices sit next to the jar in a small black bowl. This Mediterranean salad in a jar is bright, flavorful, and packed full of nourishing ingredients like sprouted lentils, chickpeas, and crisp veggies. And who can beat the convenience of a salad in a jar?  Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/sesame-chickpea-mason-jar-salad/feed/ 16 Easy Chicken Caesar Wrap Recipe https://wholefully.com/easy-chicken-caesar-wraps-recipe/ https://wholefully.com/easy-chicken-caesar-wraps-recipe/#comments Tue, 12 Mar 2024 18:57:16 +0000 http://backtoherroots.com/?p=27284 When life things get hectic, that’s when I think it’s time to take shortcuts. I’m a big believer that there is nothing wrong with shortcuts—especially in the kitchen. Would it be better if we could all grow our own lettuce and churn our own butter? Maybe. But we can’t. Most of us don’t live in that world! My food philosophy (and life philosophy) is to do what you can with what you have when you have it. And let’s get real, sometimes, I just don’t have time to craft a meal from scratch—and that’s when the glory of kitchen shortcuts come in! These super Easy Chicken Caesar Wraps spotlight two of my favorite kitchen shortcuts—rotisserie chicken and pre-made salad dressing. Sure, you’ll save cash if you roasted your own chicken and made your own salad dressing, but sometimes you need to save time instead of cash, and that’s where semi-homemade cooking comes in! These chicken wraps are ready in less than five minutes, meaning you can get a healthy lunch packed or a light dinner on the table FAST. Lettuce, croutons, cheese, chicken, and tomatoes are placed on a tortilla. Dressing and tomatoes also rest on wooden cutting board.

Are these wraps good for meal prepping?

I am a big advocate of meal prepping—especially when your schedule is hectic! Just an hour or even a half-hour can make a BIG difference when it comes to having healthy, nourishing food available for you during the week. These Chicken Caesar Wraps are great for meal prepping, because you can pre-make the elements, and then just assemble it when it’s time to eat!

Won't the wrap get soggy if you make it in advance?

You can make these wraps a few hours in advance (like making it in the morning for lunch later), but if you want to prep ahead more than a few hours, I recommend making all the individual elements—mixing up the chicken, cutting the lettuce, etc.—and assembling right before you eat. A good tip for packing any sandwich or wrap of eating later—use lettuce as a barrier to keep your bread dry. I like to put the lettuce down first in these wraps, then the chicken and tomatoes on top. Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/easy-chicken-caesar-wraps-recipe/feed/ 7 Veggie Pinwheels for Packed Lunches (Vegetarian) https://wholefully.com/veggie-pinwheels/ https://wholefully.com/veggie-pinwheels/#respond Mon, 19 Feb 2024 07:38:00 +0000 https://wholefully.com/?p=76828 Spice up your packed lunches with these easy-to-make veggie pinwheels. Perfect for vegetarians and anyone looking to add more veggies to their meals.
A colorful pinwheels lunch in a metal lunchbox with three sections.
Looking for a delicious and nutritious addition to your packed lunches? These veggie pinwheels are your answer! These delightful pinwheels are not only a feast for the eyes (we went with an all-orange theme here, but rainbow veggie pinwheels are super fun too!), but also a treat for your taste buds. Pack them in a lunch, take them on a picnic, or bring them to a potluck—they have so much potential! Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/veggie-pinwheels/feed/ 0 Easy Pumpkin Chili (Vegan!) https://wholefully.com/vegan-pumpkin-black-bean-chili-5/ https://wholefully.com/vegan-pumpkin-black-bean-chili-5/#comments Thu, 26 Oct 2023 19:03:59 +0000 http://backtoherroots.com/?p=27446 Oh, let me tell you about this pumpkin chili – it's a game-changer! Picture a hearty chili infused with the earthy goodness of pumpkin. The pumpkin brings a subtle sweetness and creaminess that's just divine, and it pairs wonderfully with all the aromatic spices and savory ingredients. And surprise! It's 100% plant-based. Read the post »]]> https://wholefully.com/vegan-pumpkin-black-bean-chili-5/feed/ 19