all-in-one lunch

How great would it be to make lunches for the entire week by prepping for a couple hours on Sunday? I can tell you firsthand that it's awesome. You can use the time as an excuse to catch up on the TiVo without feeling guilty for just sitting on the couch all day, too... you can be productive instead. That's the best.

The guys I work with are usually exercising first thing in the morning, which means our staff is waiting to exercise later in the day when we have downtime. 

This is where lunch can become really important essential to a successful workout later in the day. Many of us have experienced the day where we grab some leftovers, apple & PB, or something small hoping that it will give us the fuel to motivate a good workout... 3pm hits and we realize this was a bad idea.

Here is a lunch that is easy to assemble, takes 2 hours or less to prepare for the entire week, and lets you catch up on Property Brothers or Homeland. Yes, please.

This is the recipe I used, although any veggies in the fridge will work as a great add-on:
Spinach Kale 1 large tomato 1 cup goat cheese 1 can black beans 1 can white beans 1 cup dry quinoa *Add chicken, tuna, lean steak, etc for more protein (optional) Homemade balsamic vinaigrette (recipe below)
By using a variety of vegetables, you are incorporating many different antioxidants to naturally detox your body throughout the week. The goat cheese, beans & quinoa add in protein as well as some complex carbohydrates. The homemade dressing gives you flavor without the processed junk - hydrogenated oils, preservatives, etc.
Start with 4-5 empty containers based on how many days you need lunch this week.

Fill each one 1/2-3/4 way full with a spinach/kale mixture. If you have other dark leafy greens on hand, use those too! Next I added 1/4 cup cheese (REAL cheese), 3/4 cup black/white bean mixture (they were combined together in a bowl since I rinsed and drained previously), and 1/2 cup quinoa to each container. 
One of my favorite things about quinoa is that it can be paired with almost anything! It really doesn't have much of a flavor, so by adding it into this salad, you can add more texture & complex carbohydrates.

Quinoa is super easy to prep. For this specific lunch, I used 1 cup dry quinoa. Double the water (2 cups) & boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce to a simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all the water & easily fluffs with a fork (~10-12 minutes of simmering). 

  The dressing makes ~1 cup, which would give 1/4 cup dressing per salad. The dressing recipe was adapted from Oh She Glows (one of my favorite go-to blogs when needing a good recipe!).

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 clove garlic 1/4 cup olive oil
I put the dressing into a small magic bullet cup to keep for the week. While you can make this in a food processor, it's much easier to make with your magic bullet or other blender for easy clean up.
What will you have for snacks? Even with a nice veggie & protein-packed lunch, you may need something small pre-workout. 
This week is all about dips. I have hummus & avocado hummus ready in the fridge. Definitely use the suggested Tabasco in the hummus... so delish.

Boiled eggs with fruit is another perfect snack for the right combination of protein & carbohydrate while using zero processed food.
Within 2 hours, you are done with lunch & maybe even snacks for the week!