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A Workday Lunch

As I was getting our lunches ready this morning, I realized I hadn't blogged about one of the typical ones I make during the week.  Putting together a workday lunch in the morning doesn't have to be complicated or too involved.  If you plan just a bit ahead of time, a good, healthy lunch can be quickly prepared before you head out the door in the morning.  As you can guess, I don't allow 'grabbing something on the way to work' at my house, so brown bagging is what we end up doing every single day.  Ordering in at the office or going out to get something from the prepared foods section at the supermarket can get expensive and the choices are not always too healthy.  Sandwiches are made on a weekly basis at home, because they are quick to assemble and hold well through the morning.  I always try to have leftovers from the night before so that we can enjoy them the next day.  If, for instance, we have chicken cutlets or breasts for dinner, I make an extra one to slice up the following day.  I do the same with turkey cutlets or tenderloins. 

Slicing my vegetables, lettuce, chicken & bread (we love bagels or a good sourdough), and then prepping the sandwiches assembly-line style streamlines everything.  After I've made the sandwiches, I grab some fruit and pack a simple salad or I steam some vegetables and pack those into appropriate containers.  Everything gets put into a lunch bag and off we go!  

This is a typical workday lunch made about once a week.   



Everything is sliced up and ready to go.  In this case I'm using whole wheat bagels that have been split and hollowed out (it helps contain the ingredients).  One bagel gets toasted, the other does not.



The vegetables that go into our sandwiches vary; everything is carefully rinsed.  Today I have sliced up plum tomatoes, some ripe avocado and an entire kirby cucumber as thin as possible (kirbies don't need to be peeled).  Romaine lettuce is at the ready and I have some mayonnaise and dijon mustard as well. 

One chicken breast leftover from last night's dinner (I'll have to show you my Lemon Chicken Cutlets w/ Sherry Vinegar soon) is thinly sliced on the bias and is ready to go.  Since it was already seasoned I don't need to add anything to it.

I place the lettuce on the bottom of the bagel and then layer it with sliced chicken, tomatoes, avocado and cucumbers.  I then add a bit of mayo & dijon.  The entire sandwich is either cut in half or left whole.


A quick salad of romaine or other lettuce is sometimes mixed with greens such as escarole or frisee, if I have any.  I sometimes sprinkle a few dried cranberries if I feel like it.  Salad dressing is packed into a separate container.  Since peaches are ripe and plentiful right now, I add one or two to the lunch bag.  Simple.  Delicious.


If you don't pack your own lunch to take to work, try doing so at least once a week or whenever you have any leftovers from dinner.  Hopefully you'll come to discover that making your lunch at home is far more economical and healthier for you in the long run.  By the way, this sandwich is good without the chicken too.  I sometimes make veggie sandwiches for myself and I never seem to miss the chicken or turkey.  From my home to yours, a quick and easy lunch made at home is always good.
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