It’s tough having to keep up with a healthy diet when you’re on a tight schedule, whether it’s because of work, school or any other reason. Being away from home for a large portion of the day leaves little time for you to actually cook your meals, but if you want to eat healthy that’s exactly what you’re going to have to do.
Fortunately, I was a college student at one point and I distinctly remember that period that I absolutely dreaded the fact that I had to cook. I was sharing my dorm room with two other people so getting access to the stove exactly when I needed it wasn’t always a given. So how did I come up with a solution for this? Well, I used something I like to call the twenty-minute rule; more specifically, if my lunch took more than twenty minutes to prepare, I would simply forget about it. With this sort of plan, I was quickly able to put together a list of weekday lunches that I could prepare in very little time and with very little effort.
Today, I want to help you out overcome that very same problem by sharing just one of my weekly meal plans with you, so without further ado, here it is!
1. Cup Ramen
Ingredients required:
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 4 tablespoons of scallions
- ¾ teaspoon of sesame seeds
- 3 cups of steaming water
- 1 ½ teaspoons of miso
- 1 ½ teaspoons of ginger (grated)
- 1 cup of carrots (shredded)
- 1 cup of shiitake mushrooms
- 2 cups of baby spinach
- 2 cups of ramen noodles (cooked)
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable bouillon paste
- 2 teaspoons of garlic sauce
How to make it: Start by evenly distributing the miso, the bouillon paste, the garlic sauce and ginger in three separate jars. On top of them start layering the carrots, the mushrooms, spinach, eggs and noodles. Finally, top off the mixture with a tablespoon of scallions and some sesame seeds, and leave it to cool in the fridge. You can store it this way for up to 3 days, or indefinitely if you stick it in your freezer.
2. Edamame Greek Salad
Ingredients required:
- ¼ cup of red onion
- ¼ cup of basil
- ½ sliced cucumber
- 17 ounces of thawed edamame
- ¼ teaspoon of pepper
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 8 cups of romaine
- 1 cup of grape tomatoes
- ½ cup of feta cheese
- ¼ cup of olives
How to make it: This one is super simple. The first thing you have to do is whisk together the oil, salt, pepper and vinegar in a medium-to-large bowl. Then all that’s left is to add the edamame, romaine, cucumber, feta, tomatoes, basil, olives and onion. Mix and toss it all around for a bit (I use my hands to get a really homogenous mixture) and you’re done!
3. Quinoa Salad with Wild Rice
Ingredients required:
- 1/2 cups of chopped pecans
- 2 stalks of celery
- ¼ teaspoon of pepper
- ¾ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ cup of pomegranate vinegar
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- 2 cups of sweet cherries
- 1 cup of goat cheese
How to make it: This one is actually a bit of an exception to my 20-minute rule, but I decided to include it anyway since it’s one of my favorite things to eat ever. First bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then add the rice and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Now it’s time to add the quinoa and keep cooking until it’s all nice and tender (I find that 10 minutes is just right). Drain all the water and leave it to cool down for a bit.
Take another bowl and whisk the oil, salt, pepper and vinegar, adding the rice, quinoa, cherries, celery, pecans and of course, the cheese. Make sure to stir it up real nice and stick it in the fridge to cool for about 4 hours before eating.
4. Fruit Salad with Couscous
Ingredients required:
- 2 tablespoons of shallots
- 2 tablespoons of orange juice
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
- 1 cup of nectarine
- 2 cups of couscous
- 1 cup of blueberries
- 2 tablespoons of sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
How to make it: Take a large bowl and combine the orange juice, vinegar, oil, shallots, salt and pepper inside of it. Then just add the cooked couscous, berries, almonds and nectarines. Use a spoon or your hands to mix it up nicely and you’re done!
5. Taco Salad in a Jar
Ingredients required:
- 1/2 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 cup of tortilla chips
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
- 1/2 cup of cheddar
- 3 cups of romaine lettuce
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 cup of salsa
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
How to make it: Add the turkey to a heated skillet and cook until it reaches a nice golden brown color. Add all your spices, make sure to stir the turkey up a bit for it to grab hold of all of them and transfer it to a bowl so it can cool down. Now you need to make the salad; the amount of ingredients I’ve listed here will work for 5 to 6 jars depending on their sizes. Fill up all the jars evenly with tortilla chips, then add a layer of salsa, turkey, tomatoes, cheese and finally lettuce. Enjoy!
Vanessa Davis is a 32-year-old fitness enthusiast, mother of two and content writer at www.diet.st. She’s originally from Long Island, New York, and when she isn’t cooking up some new health and fitness article, she enjoys doing yoga and figuring out new, delicious organic recipes for herself and her kids.
How much rice and quinoa please, I seem to be missing that.