Quick And Easy Autumn Lunches

When you’re a busy mum who is trying to lose weight, lunch time can be tricky. Whether you’ve returned to work or are based at home with your bubba, long, leisurely lunches are most likely a thing of the past.
We often plan breakfast and dinner days ahead of schedule, purely due to the need to shop for necessary ingredients or because we have the same thing each day.
Lunch on the other hand, slips through the cracks at times, leaving us with a rumbling tummy at 12.30pm. You may also be on-the-go at that time, at your desk or juggling your own need to eat around that of your newborn, toddler or a mix of the two. Situations like these call for quick, healthy meals that can be prepared and consumed easily.
As the weather gets cooler, you may decide that you fancy something other than your ultra-convenient Healthy Mummy smoothie. A warm, filling lunch is the best way to ensure that you have enough fuel to give you plenty of energy to get through the afternoon. It also means that you won’t be as likely to reach for something sweet or savoury around 3pm when tummies that haven’t been properly filled start begging for biscuits!
With a little forward thinking and preparation, a nutritious lunch can be all yours. Here are our top suggestions for the quickest, easiest options.

5 quick and easy Autumn lunches

1. Soup – A big bowl of soup is one of the quickest, easiest lunches around. Making a large batch over the weekend means that you’ll always have a bowl ready to pop in the microwave. Meat and veggie or plain veggie based soups are packed full of nutrients while still being low on calories. Check out our favourite low fat soup recipes HERE and HERE. If you can’t manage to whip up your own batch, there are some fabulous pre-packaged options available at the supermarket. Look for brands with a low sodium and sugar content and high percentage of veggies and/or protein.
2. Warm Salad Bowl – Put a winter-esque twist on a traditional salad by warming things up. While greens like spinach, lettuce and rocket aren’t microwave (or oven) friendly, veggies and meats can be heated up and served warm for a yummy, filling lunch, perfect for the cooler weather. Tasty options for your warm salad include roast vegetables (think pumpkin, sweet potato and beetroot), lean protein (poached chicken, grilled lamb or beef fillet) and healthy grains and seeds (cous cous, brown rice and quinoa are all ideal). Toss it all together with a low fat salad dressing and you’re ready to go! Check out our fave warm salad bowl recipes HERE, HERE and HERE.
3. Quiches, slices and frittatas – We often think of these kind of foods as dinner or snack time solutions but a slice of quiche or frittata makes for a fabulous quick and easy lunch. Vegetable slice, tuna, spinach and capsicum frittata and mushroom and spinach omlette are all packed full of protein from the egg content and nutrients from all the veggies. Made ahead of time, each of these recipes can be cut into slices for the fridge or freezer to have handy when hunger strikes.
4. Warm wraps – If you’re eating on the run, a wrap is a great, no-mess option for a healthy, filling lunch. Choose wholegrain or wholemeal wrap bread, warm things up by using cooked meats like chicken or beef, add your favourite salad greens and/or colourful veggies and top with some avocado or low fat cheese and you’re ready to roll. Check out some of our favourite wraps HERE.
5. Comfort Eating – if you are worried about gaining weight but want warming food in a meal plan, check out our Comfort Eating plan which is easy to follow and packed full of yummy foods – you can preview it here

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