5 super-healthy (and gluten-free!) lunches you should make this week

Date March 7, 2016

If you’re looking to up the health factor in your life (who isn’t?), eating a healthy lunch during your workweek is a great way to start. That means five of your 21 meals per week (if we’re counting three per day) are on point: packed with veggies and nutrient-dense ingredients. Not only are these gluten-free, but most of them are vegan, too (you can always add your choice of protein, whether that’s eggs, chicken or grass-fed beef). And BTW, you will save a huge portion of the $60+ per week you normally spend on UberEats. Click through to try some of our fave recipes from the top nutritionists on our radar (including Amelia Freer, the woman behind Sam Smith’s body transformation).

healthy-lunches-01 — Photo Courtesy of Joyous Health

Simple Butternut Squash Soup
From Joy McCarthy, Joyous Health, author of Eat & Live Well without Dieting

Ingredients
2 butternut squashes, cubed (approx. 8-10 cups)
2 white onions, chopped
2 cans (14 oz each) full-fat organic coconut milk
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place butternut squash into a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and bake for 1 hour or until squash is fork tender.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the onions on medium in a touch of olive oil until slightly brown.
3. Let squash and onions cool. Then purée. There are a few different ways to puree: Either place both ingredients into a food processor or blender, add coconut milk and blend until creamy. Or place all ingredients into a large soup pot and blend with an immersion blender.
4. Reheat the soup before eating. Just don’t heat it too hot otherwise the good fat will curdle in the coconut milk. Add any seasonings you wish.

healthy-lunches-02 — Photo Courtesy of Scared Wheatless

Kale Magic, Serves 4
From Scared Wheatless, by Mary Jo Eustace

Ingredients
4 cups (950 ml) kale, julienned
olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
2 avocados, diced
1 cup (249 ml) cooked quinoa
½ cup (120 ml) pistachios
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. In a large bowl, toss the kale with a little olive oil and the lemon juice to soften the kale.
2. Add the avocado and quinoa, and toss again.
3. Finish off with a little more olive oil, the nuts, and salt and pepper to taste.

Option: Add a couple of cups of cooked broccoli or brown rice instead of quinoa. To amp it up, add a clove of minced garlic. You can even throw in a couple of cups of shredded chicken.

Perfection in a Jar, Serves 4
From Scared Wheatless, by Mary Jo Eustace

Ingredients
3 cups (700 ml) roasted cherry or grape tomatoes, red and yellow
1 to 2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
8 ounces (230 g) Burrata mozzarella cheese
1 to 2 avocados, sliced
1 cup (350 ml) Basil Cashew Pesto (recipe in Scared Wheatless, or use a good-quality store-bought one)
½ cup (120 ml) toasted pine nuts
Fresh basil
Cracked black pepper

Instructions
1. Roast the cherry or grape tomatoes and set aside.
2. Make the Basil Cashew Pesto, and set aside.
3. Slice the heirloom tomatoes and the avocado.
4. In the mason jars, begin to layer the ingredients. Start with the tangy roasted tomatoes, a little bit of fresh tomato, some Buratta mozzarella cheese, avocado, and then a dollop of pesto. Keep layering until you get to the top.
5. Top each jar with toasted pine nuts, some black pepper and fresh basil.

healthy-lunches-04 — Photo Courtesy of Cook.Nourish.Glow

Sun-Dried Tomato and Harissa Turkey Burgers, from Cook.Nourish.Glow by Amelia Freer

Ingredients
For the burgers:
5OO g turkey, minced
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or coriander
6 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 egg yolk
2 tsp harissa paste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
coconut oil

To serve:
1 little gem lettuce, leaves separated
1 avocado, peeled, stoned and cut into slices
2 vine tomatoes, sliced
Dijon mustard

Instructions
1. Mix the turkey, shallots, garlic, herbs, sun-dried tomatoes and egg yolk together in a large bowl. Add the harissa paste, season well with salt and pepper, and mix again.
2. Using your hands, divide the mixture into four and press into patties, roughly 3 cm thick. Place on a plate, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. When you are ready, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C/gas 6 (or 400°F/350°F).
4. Remove the burgers from the fridge and lightly grease a non-stick baking sheet with a touch of coconut oil. Arrange the burgers on the tray and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.
5. Serve the burgers on a bed of the lettuce leaves with the sliced avocado and tomato on top of each one. These are particularly lovely with a dollop of Dijon mustard.

Excerpted from Cook.Nourish.Glow. by Amelia Freer. Copyright © 2016 Amelia Freer. Photography copyright© 2016 Susan Bell. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Random House of Canada Ltd., a penguin Random House company. All rights reserved.

healthy-lunches-05 — Photo Courtesy of Cook.Nourish.Glow

Super Green Soup with Cashew Cream, from Cook.Nourish.Glow by Amelia Freer

Ingredients
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
3 handfuls of fresh or frozen peas
700 ml vegetable or chicken stock
1 x 250 g small bag of baby spinach
optional: a small handful of fresh
parsley, chopped
optional: 1 green chili, chopped

For the cashew cream:
150 g raw cashews
300 ml hot water
1 clove of garlic
zest of 1 lemon

Instructions
1. A few hours before making this soup, prepare the cashew cream. Put the cashews into a bowl, pour the hot water overtop and leave to soak for at least 2 hours.
2. Once the cashews are tender, drain and put into a food processor, along with 300 ml fresh water, the garlic and lemon zest, and blitz until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan, and sweat the onion until translucent. Add the broccoli and peas to the pan, cook for 5 minutes, then add the stock—the vegetables should be just covered (you may need to add a little extra water). Bring to a boil, then simmer until the broccoli is tender, roughly 4 minutes. (Don’t overcook the vegetables or they will turn a dull green.)
4. Using a stick blender, start blending the soup, adding a handful of spinach at a time—the spinach will cook as it’s mixed into the soup. Blend until the soup is smooth and thick, then stir through half the cashew cream.
5. Serve in bowls with a swirl of cashew cream on top and fresh parsley and chili, if using, scattered over.