Five of the best: Healthy work meal ideas

A good packed lunch gets us through the afternoon slog like this soba noodle salad. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Whether you're working from home or chained to the desk in an office downtown, we're all hungry for a taste of lunchbox inspiration. A packed lunch is thrifty option and also means you know you're eating something nutritious and delicious. For us, a good packed lunch gets us through the afternoon slog, is easy to transport and contributes to our 5+ a day. Here are five meals you can easily pull together the night before.

1: Quinoa salad

Quinoa is gluten-free, low in calories and full of protein so will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Boil a batch on Sunday arvo with water or add a bit of stock for more flavour. Each night, toss a scoop of the seed with any veges left over from dinner. Jazz it up with parsley or lemon juice or slithered almonds or goat's feta - go crazy, quinoa is super versatile. A great lunch that can be eaten hot or cold.

2: Chia pudding

This jar always attracts funny looks when we bring it to the office - some say it looks like soil - but it's delicious. It's more breakfast than lunch but it's still a meal we sometimes eat at work. We love that it can be prepared in advance. Blitz one banana (use the ones that are about to turn over-ripe) with a handful of blueberries (frozen or fresh) and a cup of almond milk (or whatever milk you prefer). Add a tablespoon of cacao powder and give it a good stir. Poor this into your jar, then add about 3 heaped tablespoons of chia seeds. Put the lid on and give it a good shake. Leave it in the fridge overnight and by morning you should have a nice, thick pudding-type texture. We like to scoop it out and add some fruit and nuts for breakfast. These jars will last a few days in the fridge.

Try chia pudding made with almond milk and blueberries. Photo / Thinkstock

3: Bacon & Egg muffin cups

Another one that is super easy to make, uses leftovers and can be prepared ahead of time for breakfast or lunch. I have seen a few variations on this, but here's what works for us to make a dozen cups. Grab a muffin tray, make it non-stick with your preferred oil or butter. Line each cup with a rasher of bacon. In a bowl whisk together a dozen free-range eggs. Add salt, pepper, parsley, some peas and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Ladle a spoonful of mixture into each cup. Sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds in each and top with half a cherry tomato. (Throw in any other veges you want.) Bake at 180C for 10-15 minutes. Leave to cool. These should last a few days in the fridge.

4: Soba noodle salad

We think this refreshing summer salad is best eaten outside in the sun if you can step away from the screen and give yourself a break. Boil your soba noodles - they will only take five minutes or so. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Meanwhile, thinly slice carrot, white and red cabbage, cucumber, red capsicum and spring onion. Add to your cool noodles. We also boil some broad beans to toss in. Add some raw cashews and sesame seeds. For dressing, mix a couple of tablespoons of tamari, a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, the juice of one lime and a bit of sesame oil: guess and taste, so play around. For a bit of protein add some leftover chicken or salmon.

5: Roast vege wrap

Roast veges the day after are one of our favourite things. We keep some flat bread at work so all you need to pack are your leftovers. Spread hummus on your bread, break up a bit of feta and add some baby spinach. Our favourite veges to wrap are pumpkin, kumara, capsicum and eggplant.