You go to work in the morning. You pack your bag. You take your phone and keys. But many times you forget to think about your lunch. Then afternoon comes. You feel hungry. You order food from outside. That food is oily. That food is heavy. That food makes you sleepy at your desk. This happens with many people. You want to eat healthy. But you think healthy food takes too much time. That is not true.
In this article I will tell you simple easy healthy lunch ideas for work. These ideas are for people who live in India. These ideas use things you can find in any Indian kitchen. You do not need special things. You do not need expensive things. You do not need cooking skills.
Let me start with a very important thing.
Why your work lunch matters for your body?
When you eat heavy oily food in afternoon your body works hard to digest it. This makes you feel tired. You cannot focus on your work. Your head feels heavy. You want to sleep. But when you eat light healthy food your body feels good. You stay active. You finish your work faster. You do not feel lazy after lunch. Also eating healthy every day keeps your stomach fine. No gas. No acid. No feeling of heaviness. Your weight stays under control. Your skin looks clean. Your energy stays high through the whole day.
So packing your own lunch is not a big task. It is a habit that helps your whole body.
Read Also: Healthy Poha Recipes For Breakfast
What makes a lunch good for office?
Before I give you the ideas let me tell you four things a good office lunch must have.
- First thing is it should not spoil fast. You pack in morning. You eat in afternoon. That is gap of four to five hours. Your food should stay fresh till then.
- Second thing is it should not smell too much. Office is a shared space. If your lunch has very strong smell it can disturb other people. So choose food that does not fill the whole room with smell.
- Third thing is you should not need many things to eat it. You should be able to open your box and eat with a spoon or with your hand. No extra work.
- Fourth thing is it should fill your stomach. Not for one hour. For three to four hours. So you do not feel hungry again soon and eat unhealthy snacks.
Keep these four things in mind when you pack your lunch.
Easy healthy lunch idea one – curd rice with vegetables
Curd rice is a very old and very simple Indian food. It is soft. It is cool. It is very easy to digest. To make this you need cooked rice. Any rice is fine. Leftover rice from last night works best. Take that rice in a bowl. Add fresh curd. Add salt. Mix well. Now add small pieces of cucumber. Add small pieces of carrot. Add boiled sweet corn if you like. These vegetables give crunch and nutrition. Keep this in your lunch box. Keep a small spoon. That is all. Your lunch is ready. Why this is good for office – no heat needed. No smell. Stays fresh for many hours. Fills your stomach without making you feel heavy.
Easy healthy lunch idea two – chickpea salad
Chickpea is called chana or kabuli chana. You can buy boiled chickpea in a can. Or you can boil at home and keep in fridge. Take one bowl of boiled chickpea. Add chopped onion. Add chopped tomato. Add chopped cucumber. Add chopped coriander leaves. Add a little black salt. Add a little lemon juice. Mix everything well. Put this in your lunch box. You can eat as is. Or you can take small roti with it. Why this is good for office – chickpea gives protein. Protein keeps your hunger away for long time. The lemon and salt give taste. No oil. No heavy masala. Your stomach stays very light.
Easy healthy lunch idea three – vegetable poha
Poha is flattened rice. It is very common in Indian homes. It is very light on stomach. And it takes only ten minutes to make.
Take one cup poha. Wash it with water. Keep aside for five minutes. In a pan put one spoon oil. Add mustard seeds. Add curry leaves. Add chopped green chilli. Add chopped onion. Fry for two minutes. Add boiled peas and chopped carrot. Fry for two more minutes. Now add the wet poha. Mix well. Add salt and a little lemon juice. Cook for two minutes. Done. Let it cool fully before putting in box. If you put hot poha in box it becomes sticky. Why this is good for office – poha does not smell strong. It tastes good even when cold. You can eat with your hand or spoon. Very easy to make in morning.
Easy healthy lunch idea four – peanut and vegetable wrap
Wrap is a very simple thing. You do not need to cook much. Take one roti or one wheat paratha or one plain dosa. Even leftover chapati works. On that roti spread a thin layer of fresh curd or homemade chutney. Now put shredded cabbage. Put grated carrot. Put chopped capsicum. Put boiled and crushed peanuts. Add salt and chaat masala. Roll the roti tightly. Wrap it in butter paper or foil. Keep in your lunch box. Why this is good for office – no smell. No mess. You hold it in your hand and eat. Peanuts give good fat and protein. Vegetables give fiber. Very filling.
Easy healthy lunch idea five – khichdi with a twist
Khichdi is rice and lentil together. It is the most easy to digest food in Indian cooking. Many people think khichdi is only for sick people. But that is wrong. Khichdi is perfect for office lunch if you make it a little thick. Take one part rice and one part moong dal. Wash well. Put in pressure cooker with three parts water. Add turmeric, salt, and a little ghee. Cook for three whistles. Let it cool. Add small pieces of boiled vegetables like lauki or pumpkin or carrot. This adds taste and health. Put this khichdi in your lunch box. It stays soft for many hours. You do not even need to heat it. Why this is good for office – one box gives you rice, lentil, vegetables, and ghee. That is complete meal. No smell. No oil. Very easy on stomach.
Easy healthy lunch idea six – boiled egg and vegetable box
If you eat eggs then this is one of the best office lunches. Eggs are very cheap. And eggs give very good protein. Boil two eggs in the morning. It takes ten minutes. Remove the shell. Cut into pieces. Now take a lunch box with two parts. In one part put the boiled egg pieces. Add black salt and black pepper. In other part put sliced cucumber, carrot sticks, and tomato slices. Keep a small spoon and fork. That is your lunch. Why this is good for office – no cooking after boiling eggs. No oil. No masala. Very clean eating. Protein keeps you full for very long time.
Easy healthy lunch idea seven – cold millet salad
Millets are getting famous again in India. And that is a good thing. Millets are very healthy. They do not make your sugar go up fast. They keep your stomach full. You can use foxtail millet or little millet or any millet. Cook it like rice. Let it become completely cold. Add chopped cucumber, tomato, onion, capsicum. Add boiled chana or boiled soybean. Add lemon juice, salt, and a little oil. Mix well. Put in lunch box. Keep a spoon. Why this is good for office – millet salad does not get spoilt fast. It tastes better when cold. Very good for hot summer days in India.
How to make your lunch stay fresh till afternoon?
Many people worry that food will get bad by afternoon. That does not happen if you follow small rules.
First rule – let your food cool fully before putting lid on box. Hot food makes steam. Steam makes water in box. Water makes food soft and bad. Second rule – use a good lunch box. Steel box is best. Plastic box is fine but steel keeps food cooler for longer. Third rule – keep your lunch box in a cool place in office. Do not keep near window or near machine that gives heat. If office has fridge you can keep there but not needed for most Indian foods. Fourth rule – do not mix wet things with dry things. If you are taking curd keep it in small separate box. Mix only when eating.
What not to pack for office lunch?
I want to tell you some foods that look easy but are not good for office.
- Do not pack dal with too much water. It spills very easily. It makes your bag dirty. Then whole day becomes bad.
- Do not pack raw onion or raw garlic in large amount. The smell stays on your fingers and in your breath for long time. Your coworkers will feel uncomfortable.
- Do not pack fried food like samosa or pakora. They become soft and oily by afternoon. They do not taste good. And they make you feel heavy.
- Do not pack fish. Even if you like it. The smell goes everywhere. Some people get headache from fish smell. It is not fair to them.
- Do not pack very spicy food. Spicy food on empty stomach in afternoon can cause burning and gas. Then you cannot work properly.
A weekly plan for your easy healthy office lunch
I am giving you a simple plan. You do not have to think every morning. Just follow this.
- Monday – curd rice with vegetables
- Tuesday – chickpea salad
- Wednesday – vegetable poha
- Thursday – peanut and vegetable wrap
- Friday – thick khichdi with lauki
- Saturday – boiled egg and vegetable box
- Sunday – no office. Make something special for yourself at home.
This plan covers all five working days. All foods are easy to make. All foods keep you healthy. All foods are office friendly.
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How much time you need in morning?
This is the biggest question people ask. They say I do not have time in morning. Let me tell you the truth. Most of these lunches take ten to fifteen minutes to pack if you prepare a little the night before. At night while making dinner keep some boiled rice aside. Keep some boiled chickpea in fridge. Wash and chop vegetables and keep in box in fridge. In morning just mix things. Your lunch is ready in five minutes. You spend more time deciding what to order on Swiggy or Zomato. Packing lunch saves that time. And saves your easy healthy lunch ideas for work.
What to drink with your office lunch?
Do not drink cold drink or packaged juice with lunch. They have too much sugar. That sugar makes you feel sleepy. Drink plain water. Keep a water bottle on your desk. Drink slowly while eating. If you want some taste then put lemon piece in your water. Or keep fresh coconut water in a bottle. Or drink buttermilk without salt. These things help digestion. Do not drink tea or coffee just after lunch. The heat of tea and the milk together slow down your digestion. Wait at least one hour.
One last important thing for your office lunch
Do not eat lunch while looking at phone or computer. Your mind does not get the signal that you are eating. So you eat more or you eat very fast. Both are bad. Sit away from your desk. Open your lunch box. Look at your food. Eat slowly. Chew well. This small habit changes how your body feels after lunch. Also wash your lunch box the same day. Do not keep dirty box in bag till evening. It leaves smell and bacteria. Wash with soap and dry before putting back in bag.
Conclusion
Eating healthy at work is not hard. You do not need expensive things. You do not need cooking classes. You just need a little plan. The ideas I gave you are used by thousands of people in Indian offices. These foods are from our own kitchens. They are simple. They are cheap. They are healthy. Start with one day. Pack lunch on Monday. See how you feel on Monday evening. You will feel lighter. You will feel more energy. You will save money. Then pack again on Tuesday. After one week you will not want to order outside food. Your body is your real office. Take care of it. Give it good food. Your work will become better. Your mood will become better. Your health will become better.
