5 LOW CARB LUNCHES TO LOVE

Shrimp ceviche article and image credit: Heather Christo

 https://heatherchristo.com/2015/03/24/shrimp-ceviche-stuffed-avocados/

Desk lunches can look sad as hell. There’s simply nothing inspiring about reheated cabbage bredie and there are only so many boiled eggs you can eat before becoming the office pariah. I usually suffer from serious #lunchenvy and will pop down to the local lunch spot for my daily fix. But I’m tired of paying 80 South African Ronds for a salad. I discovered that I was spending up to R2400 per month on breakfast and lunch and that’s excluding the occasional bottled water, coffee, Coke and 3pm bag of nuts and chips! With the cost of living, it’s just ridiculous to spend that much. Also, I’ve also had it up to here with pies every day. Literally up to here – carbs have left my tummy so bloated that it starts below my neck now.

So, I’ve compiled a few low-carb lunches that you can assemble at your desk, or work microwave while you catch up on Carol’s boring weekend shenanigans (some don’t even require heating so you can skip Carol’s Venus Sigh Trap altogether!) They’re so lipsmacking, you’ll never reach for a pie or slap tjips again. I may have oversold them. J

Each will save you a ton of kesh in the long run. I’ll start with my money-saving (and time-saving) tips!

BEFORE WE GET STARTED

80s PREP IS BACK: I know what you’re thinking, “Prep. Dammit, Kim - Sunday evening is my “me time” – it’s the only hour I get to put up my feet, read a book and down a cup of tea or a glass of Pinot, wee and wipe my flaps in peace.”  (Sorry for the detailed picture, I saw this in a meme somewhere and couldn’t stop LOLing).

But really, a gourmet lunch is mere 5 minutes away when you prepare. If you set aside just 30-45 minutes on a Sunday night, you can prep an entire week’s meals and save hours in queuing and cooking time. Not to mention the money you’ll save. And really, caring for yourself is “me time”.  Everything comes pre-chopped nowadays (we even have pre-peeled oranges!) so all you really need to do is pack or pre-cook, package and freeze. Why wake up an hour earlier every morning to make lunch when you can grab a bag from the freezer and reheat a meal at work?

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BASE
Keep a ‘base’ or base ingredients in the company fridge and you’re good to go. A base can be anything from salad ingredients to soups to wraps to quinoa and cous cous. For the latter, you'll simply need some boiling water. Since this is a carb-free post, store a lunch bag of mixed salad leaves, feta, avo and cocktail tomatoes in the fridge, along with cheeses, wraps, dressings and other flavour-packing ingredients.

To take things up a notch, here are a few ideas:

-       Practically anything can take the place of toast nowadays – cucumber slices, lettuce cups, even slices of cheese. And there are some scrumptiously good banting breads and rolls out there – ready to go from fridge to toaster to lips in minutes.

-       You could also prepare cauli rice, mash and soups on a Sunday night, freeze them and pop them in the microwave at work. Then all you have to do is add a few ingredients in the morning to add fabulous flavour.

SAUCE OF INSPIRATION
Salad dressings are really what add deliciousness and character to a dish and you can switch up the same ingredients with a different condiment. My go-to dressing is bottled Balsamic Vinaigrette. But with a little ingenuity you can create delectable DIY dressings you can drizzle on practically anything. I’ve toyed around with infusing the humble olive oil with anything from orange slices, and ginger to rosemary and garlic. Or an old favourite - balsamic vinegar and honey.

Stock up your work “pantry” with:

·      Mustard
Mayo (I tend to use the regular one since the Low Fat version contains more carbs)

·      Soy

·      Honey

·      Balsamic vinegar

·      Olive Oil

·      Pepper
Sriracha
Unsweetened peanut butter

·      And add a few dried garlic flakes to your table salt

Some dressing ideas:

-       Honey and Mustard

-       Caesar dressing: Mix a tsp of mayo with parmesan, a little Worcestershire sauce or Dijon and a squirt of lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Peanut, honey and soy

-       Don’t underestimate pomegranate or squeezed orange juice – it can pack a punch when it comes to adding flavour to salads.

SNACK ATTACK: Nuts, seeds and fruit are perfect for getting you over that 3pm hump and give you a much-needed energy boost - so stock up your bag, fridge or desk drawer!

TIME FOR THE YUM…

I’ve added my own recipes as well as the links for more pinspiration (and for legal reasons)!

SPICY CRAB STUFFED AVOCADO

This is the easiest ‘salad’ you’ll ever make! Like every other red-blooded human, my greatest weakness is sushi. I could have sushi every day of my life if the wallet allowed. But rice tends to give me a tummy ache so I was thrilled when I happened upon this little recipe that curbs my sushi craving and is, honestly delicious! The spiciness is just divine!

What you need

1 avo

Crab meat – fresh, canned or frozen imitation crab sticks, but seriously a can of tuna will also work marvellously

Chilli flakes or Wasabi (hold onto those leftover tubs from sushi nights)

Mayo
Grated ginger

Optional: cucumber. I hate cucumber so it’s always optional for me!

Imitation crab sticks are already cooked so all you need to do is pour hot water on them and pull them apart. Julienne the cucumber (see why I leave it out?). Mix together the grated ginger, mayo, and your choice of wasabi or chilli flakes (you really don’t need this since ginger is already spicy) and combine with the crab. Halve your avo and stuff with the crab mixture. And voila! I always add a splash of soy or teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds to add to that sushi feel.

Note: The crab sticks you find in the frozen section is imitation crab so it does contain sugar and corn starch – so avoid them if you’re strict on your carb-free diet.

Find the accompanying recipe to the image, here https://za.pinterest.com/pin/18014467235555733/ 

THE MMM MICROWAVE OMELETTE

Don’t diss the modest microwave omelette. I’ve enjoyed many of these bad boys. It’s all about what you place on top. And you can easily go from gloomy to gourmet in seconds. Salmon may seem like a luxury but I recently learned that most supermarkets offer two for one specials as salmon nears its ‘best before’ date. And ‘best before’ doesn’t mean expiry, it’s merely a window for the best quality.

What you need

1-2 eggs

cream cheese

smoked salmon ribbons

salt and pepper

Optional: onion sprouts, herbs  and a splash of milk/cream

Method
Whisk your egg/s in a bowl. Add a splash of milk, cream or butter if you prefer to make it velvety. Microwave until done and season to taste. Smear on a generous dollop of cream cheese and add a few ribbons of salmon. If you’re in a fancy mood, you can add onion sprouts, or micro herbs to add to your daily dose of greens. Switch it up every day with cheddar, peppadews, avocado, mushrooms – the possibilities are endless!

Find the accompanying recipe to the image, here https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/smoked-salmon-omelette/

BROCCOLI SOUP

This is a freeze-and-reheat option but it’s so quick that you’ll pat yourself on the back for your inventiveness. I fell in love with a friend’s broccoli soup when I accidentally dropped in a chunk of blue cheese after three glasses of white wine. This recipe could easily serve four, or be four different lunch options. Because broccoli is such a mild flavour, you can create your base and add anything to it to switch up the flavour.

What you’ll need

·      Oil

·      Head of broccoli

·      1/2 small onion

·      garlic

·      two fingers of celery

·      1 tsp fresh thyme

·      paprika

Method

Heat the oil and fry the celery and onion until see-through. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a further 10 seconds. Add the broccoli and simmer until soft. Add a pinch of paprika, then blitz in a blender until creamy and smooth. Freeze in containers or bags.

For a Thai flavour: Ditch the celery and add a drizzle of coconut cream and a smidge of Thai Green Curry paste. If you’re not a fan of creamed soup, add a teaspoon of soy instead of the coconut cream.
If you love blue cheese: Add a tiny smidge and stir through.
Love protein? Add last night’s spicy prawns or grilled chicken on the side or on top – Cremora style. If you’re having it for breakfast, a poached egg on the side that can be whisked up in the microwave in 20 seconds is perfect!

Want to up your veggie intake? Add chickpeas/spinach/green pepper while cooking. You can also top it off with crispy precooked mushrooms.

Find the accompanying recipe to the image, here https://za.pinterest.com/pin/481322278920726250/

DO THE HOKEY POKE BOWL

Sorry about the terrible rhyming – it’s a way to make me remember how to pronounce ‘Poke Bowl’.

Inspired by the Hawaiian dish, poke bowls traditionally have tuna or salmon but for a budget-friendly version add imitation crab. What I love about poke bowls is that you can basically grab any of those pre-packaged vegetables you find at any supermarket and chuck it in a bowl. The secret’s in the sauce.

What you need

Ahi tuna

Packets of julienned carrots, red onion, beetroot

Peanuts or roasted cashews or sesame seeds

Hoison sauce

Soy sauce

Grated ginger

Method

Mix the hoison sauce, grated ginger and add a splash of soy. Marinate your tuna in it for a good few minutes. Pop your veggies in a bowl and top with the tuna. Sprinkle generously with crushed roasted cashews or sesame seeds.

Find the accompanying recipe to the image, here https://za.pinterest.com/pin/233483561910963253/

WRAPS READY ON MINUTES

What you’ll need

·      Banting Revolution Pumpkin wraps

Your choice of ingredients: A Caeser wrap is my favourite so I’ve used:

·      Lettuce

·      Leftover Chicken strips

·      Cherry tomatoes

·      Caesar dressing (explained above).

Method

Toast the wrap in your work sandwich press, on the toaster or heat in the microwave. If you’re on a tight deadline you can skip this part – I simply love the crispiness when you bite into them. Place your strips inside, layer with lettuce and tomatoes and add indulgent lashings of the dressing.

Find the accompanying recipe to the image, here  

https://za.pinterest.com/pin/481322278920726250/

I hope you’ll try at least one of these and that you found plenty of advice on stretching your budget too. I’m working on 30 low-carb dinners at the moment so keep an eye out for that.

Much love

xx