Home visit: five healthy meals to pack in your food containers
Eat healthy during the workweek with our five easy, on-the-go packed meal ideas. By following these simple recipes, you can save more, waste less and, of course, improve your well-being. All you need to get started is the right food container set.
Meet Cosima, an expert on food-on-the-go
“I used to take a packed lunch to work because there were no real options for vegans. If you have a microwave at work then you can take in whatever you want, but if there isn’t one, you want to pack food that is still tasty when it’s cold. I would cook a meal in the evening and make sure there was enough for me to have for lunch the next day.”
Berry sweet yet healthy meal box
If you are craving something sweet, why not pack a healthy treat for yourself. Arrange the ingredients in a bento-style lunch box. This way, the individual compartments will keep the ingredients from getting soggy and touching each other before you dig in. For breakfast, pack yoghurt as the base and add in the nuts, fruits and seeds of your choice. “I’m vegan, so I would use coconut yoghurt,” says Cosima.
Light summer pasta on-the-go
If there’s no time in the mornings to make meals from scratch, try preparing the ingredients in batches. How about using cooked spelt pasta, fresh spinach, cherry tomatoes, red onion, green olives and sunflower seeds. Store them in the fridge in individual food storage containers. All you need to do in the mornings is mix them all together for a meal-sized portion in the lunchbox. Don’t forget to dress the meal with some olive oil flavoured with Italian mixed herbs, salt and black pepper.
When you’re packing your lunch, pick something that will taste good cold. Pizza can be nice cold but it can also be gross! Pasta can taste great cold, but rather than using a tomato sauce, do something more salady.”
Cosima
An easy-to-prepare dal recipe
Start with melting some coconut oil in a pot. Mix in a diced onion and garlic and toss until glazed. Add a teaspoon of turmeric, a can of coconut milk and a cup of dal. Simmer for about 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. If needed, add water and chopped cherry tomatoes when done. Flavour it with salt and pepper. Cook this dish in batches and store in the fridge divided into several storage containers. Before heading out, simply grab one and go!
When you’re making food on the go, think about how you’ll transport it and make sure you have something that’s up to the job. If you want to make soup, have a jar or flask that won’t leak – I’ve had a few accidents in the past!”
Cosima
Veggie roll to the rescue
Transform your sandwich into a wrap. "Spoon on a dressing of yoghurt seasoned with salt, pepper and mixed herbs then wrap everything up and enjoy on the go."
Make use of your leftovers
Those leftover veggie balls from last night, create a wholesome pick-and-mix meal out of them! “We’ve been vegan since New Year’s Day 2014. We took a 30-day challenge and didn’t stop!” says Cosima of her and husband Mel’s diet. “Mel studied nutrition so with each meal we have a multigrain like wild rice or bulgur wheat couscous, plus a protein and green veg.” Now that’s a great tip on how to balance what you put in your lunchbox!
We love to see our customers get creative with our products. Go for it! But please note that altering or modifying IKEA products so they can no longer be re-sold or used for their original purpose, means the IKEA commercial guarantees and your right to return the products will be lost.
Made by
Interior designer: Ashlyn Gibson
Photographer: Benjamin Edwards
Art director: Jules Rogers
Writer: Helen Bazuaye
Follow Cosima @ricemilkmaid
