Happy 2021! Wow. What a year 2020 was. We should all give ourselves a pat on the back for making it through in one piece! Today is my first day back to online school after winter break. To be frank, I am super disappointed to be going back to school virtually. I am burned out of all the screen time, and I miss seeing my friends and teachers in person. However, a silver lining of online school is the flexibility of my schedule which includes being able to make what I want for lunch! Over this time doing school virtually (approaching 7 months now), I have found my “menu” of super easy, nutritious, and delicious lunches that I love to make for lunch. If you are looking for great food to make in your lunch break, I have compiled a list of 10 of my favorite lunches to make while learning from home. I have included the lunches themselves along with the key steps I take to make them super delicious. Let me know what lunches you guys love to make if you too are learning online. I am always looking for ideas!

1. Berry Smoothie

This berry smoothie recipe is my go-to when I don’t feel like putting a lot of work into a meal but want something sweet yet healthy. It is so simple to make and gives the perfect boost of energy, perfect for before a test or quiz! It is also a great post-workout pick-me-up. All you have to do to make this delicious berry smoothie is…

1. Blend:

• 1-2 cups frozen berries
• One scoop of vanilla or unflavored protein powder. This helps to avoid crashing from the fruit sugar. If you do not have protein powder, nut butter and chia seeds also provide great energy and protein!
• 1.5-2 cups liquid of choice. The more liquid, the less dense the smoothie will be. If you prefer a thicker smoothie, add less liquid. I typically use almond milk as my liquid of choice because it is creamy yet light. However, water and other nut milk work great.
• Optional: handful of spinach and/or a scoop of spirulina if you want to add some greens into your diet without actually tasting them.

And that’s it! A tip I have learned is to not add ice to smoothies because it dilutes the flavor and provides no nutritious or textural benefit.

2. Breakfast tacos

Breakfast tacos are the perfect brunch/lunch. They are incredibly easy to make:

1. Beat 3 eggs in preparation to be scrambled.
2. Prepare your preferred add-ons to put in the scrambled eggs. I usually chop cherry tomatoes, ham, and spinach into small bits. I also prepare shredded cheddar cheese. Set aside your add-ons.
3. Pour the eggs into a nonstick pan along with your add-ons of choice. Cook on the stove at low-medium heat. Slow cooked eggs are technically better, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t crank the heat when I’m crunched on time.
4. In a different pan, cook your tortillas. I typically cook 2-3 corn tortillas.
5. When both the scrambled eggs and tortillas are ready, pour the scrambled eggs combined with the add-ons into the tortillas and enjoy! I like to top my tacos with salsa, and I love to enjoy these yummy tacos with chips and guacamole on the side.

3. Tuna melt

This tuna melt always hits the spot when I am craving a sandwich. Here is my beyond simple recipe, if you can even call it that:

1. Drain liquid from canned tuna.
2. Move the tuna to a bowl and mix with a scoop of mayonnaise and chopped celery bits for some crunch.
3. Add salt and pepper to the tuna mix.
4. Toast two pieces of bread with a slice of cheddar cheese on one of them, and spread tuna onto the toasted bread and enjoy!

4. Yogurt parfait

This one-step lunch is the perfect thing to make in a rush, but it is still delicious, especially if you have a sweet tooth! Here is how I make my yogurt parfait:

1. Mix yogurt or dairy-free yogurt (I love Noosa vanilla yogurt or Foyager vanilla cashewmilk yogurt) with berries and granola. I recommend also adding honey to plain yogurt for a touch of sweetness. Enjoy!

5. Arugula salad

This salad is amazing when you are craving something light and healthy. It is also beyond easy to make:

1. Mix washed arugula, chopped tomatoes, and parmesan cheese in bowl.
2. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
3. Top with salt and pepper and enjoy this delicious meal!

6. Tofu veggie bowl 

While this bowl takes a few extra minutes to make than some of the other recipes, it is still reletavly quick and the cooking definitely pays off! This is so delicious, healthy, and feels like something you would get at a restaurant. Here is how to make it:

1. Cook quinoa or brown rice. I usually make this when we have left over quinoa or rice, or I prep my grain of choice ahead of time since grains do take a bit longer to cook.
2. Sautée veggies of choice (spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, peas, etc.) and tofu. You can do this in the same pan.
3. Combine ingredients and enjoy! I love to top this bowl with avocado and enjoy with chips and salsa on the side.

7. BLT

This is another hall of fame sandwich! It’s so yummy and beyond easy to make. Here is how to make it:

1. Toast bread.
2. Cook bacon.
3. Create a sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and tomato, and I love to also add avocado into my BLT. Lentil soup is a delicious side to have with the BLT if you happen to have leftovers or time to make it!

8. Peanut butter and banana rice cakes

I have shared this on my Instagram stories before because it is one of the best sweet and salty combinations I’ve ever had! Maybe after kettle corn, on second thought, but it is a close second. Here is how to make peanut butter and banana rice cakes:

1. Spread peanut butter (or another nut butter) onto rice cakes.
2. Chop a banana into thin slices and place onto the rice cakes with peanut butter.
3. Sprinkle cinnamon or honey on top and enjoy!

9. Avocado toast

If you are stumped on lunches to make while doing online school, let me remind of our good friend avocado toast. Avocado toast is definitely in my hall of fame of lunches, especially on a fresh baguette. Mmmm! Here is how I make my avocado toast:

1. Toast bread
2. Spread avocado onto the bread.
3. Top with a light drizzle of honey (Yes, I said honey. Thank me later.) and a shake Everything But the Bagel seasoning. Salt is also great if you don’t have this seasoning. This is an amazing sweet touch to this savory toast. Also, apparently this is how Kylie Jenner makes her avo toast also, so I’m not the only one who loves this!

10. Caprese salad

This delicious salad is amazing when you want something a bit more gourmet without spending hours in the kitchen. Here is how to make this beyond simple salad:

1. Slice tomatoes and mozzarella into thick slices.
2. Arrange the ingredients on a platter so that the tomatoes and mozzarella alternate places.
3. Tuck basil leaves in between the slices of tomato and mozzarella.
4. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the salad.
5. Top with salt and pepper and enjoy!

I hope you love these lunch ideas, and hopefully they can brighten your days of virtual learning. Let me know if you guys like this, and I will create another post with more ideas. Bon appetit!

All images, except the arugula salad image, are from Google Images.