I don’t know about you, but I spent the past long weekend pigging out on amazing food (from sandwiches to tapas and beers to hot cocoa).
My husband and I were celebrating our 2nd anniversary in one of my favorite places, Asheville, NC. I am in love with this cute mountain town, and it’s so exciting that we live under a 4-hour drive away now.
We had such a good time celebrating there and eating and drinking through town. (I’ll be posting more about that in the next few weeks.)
Between the biscuits and mid-day desserts, I am absolutely stuffed and looking for some lighter lunch options to take to work this week.
(If I haven’t told you yet, this will be my second week as a Web Copywriter at COCG, an awesome digital marketing company here in Raleigh. Yeah for getting back into the 8:30-5:30 swing of things!)
Lately, we have been starting the week with cooking up a few grains or lunch options on Sunday that will last us through the week. Whether it’s farro or quinoa for salads or brown rice to make a quick stir fry, having these healthy basics on hand makes getting your lunch together in the morning so much easier.
If you’re looking for some delicious and easy-to-fix salads to reset your body this week, here are some of my faves:
- Farro Slaw– This slaw is so fresh, full of flavor yet low on ingredients. If you’re not putting farro on a bed of greens or with roasted veggies, this is a great way to get a healthy, filling grain into your diet.
- Fruit Salad– Although this may not be your main course, this fruit salad uses the best of seasonal flavors. And you can switch up the fruits, depending on what’s in season. Maybe you’re into strawberries and blueberries topped with this honey lime mint dressing.
- Fall Kale Salad– No matter the season, kale salads are full of health and really go great with almost any topping. For a spring touch, I would add strawberries, almonds and goat cheese or stick with apples and maybe throw in some farro. The more colorful you make it, the more exciting it will be to eat!
- Cilantro & Black Bean Quinoa Salad– I just made quite a few cups of quinoa for this week’s lunches and I”m excited about combining them with seasonings and black beans to make this zesty salad. And I might use them for a quick stir fry, too!
Pair any of these salads or sides with some crackers and chips and a Granola Bar and you have a perfect meal to last you through your day.
I hope, like me, that these salads and grains help you start your week off on the right foot!
P.S. If you’re looking for more info on meal planning for the week, Shutterbean has some great tips.