Food | Time to liven up your lunch box

Soggy sandwiches and lacklustre salads do nothing to inspire us to enjoy our lunch, or eat more healthily. Creating simple, easy and tasty dishes is not as hard as many of us think.

Is it a desk space or a dining table? According to recent research, there is now no difference. Over half of Irish workers now eat their lunch at their own desk with pressure and ongoing deadlines the primary contributing factor to this habit.

Time and money are naturally two other deal breakers. Why spend €10 a day on tasteless food when you can create the same at home for less?

Many of us seem to hit a creative block when thinking of something to cook up for lunch. Indeed, such is the debate over ‘sad office lunches’ that a website was established for people to post their uninspiring daily dishes.

However, it does not need to be an ordeal.

A different take on an ordinary salad, for example, is the Orzo Pasta Salad. Simply use spinach leaves, crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes, red onion, orzo pasta and some olive oil to drizzle. A pear and blue cheese salad is another good option, as is a Wild Rice salad.

For those wanting a more hearty, warm and healthy dishes, the choice is endless. Stuffed peppers are full of nutrition, as is Turkey Barley Risotto.

Sandwiches don’t have to be a boring affair. A Pulled Pork Sambo is the ultimate on-trend variety, while Fish Tacos can tickle the tastebuds.

Snack lovers should create their own Trail Mix bags to cut costs. These include cashew nuts, peanuts, almonds sultanas and raisins.

*All recipes for the lunches listed are featured in the Woman’s Way Cookbook, currently on all good newsstands and only costs €1.99 (£1.99).