When thinking about my university life and what my biggest obstacles might be, I never once guessed packed lunches would find their way onto the list. But here we are.
There’s something about a packed lunch that I really struggled to get behind what I started cooking for myself at uni, and I quickly found myself dismissing the idea altogether. They just began to seem like a constant hindrance to my time, and unnecessary with so many accessible alternatives; meal deals, the TLC and Billy B cafes, or even grabbing something at a coffee shop on my walk to/from lectures.
However, as time passed, I was faced with the stark realisation that these seemingly minor daily expenses were stealthily accumulating and adding up. The sandwiches and salads often purchased on a whim could easily be replicated for much less at home with a bit of dedication to morning or weekend meal prep. Yet, despite these revelations, there lingered the sense of an unglamorous simplicity about preparing and actually eating a packed lunch. The thing is, I wasn’t making food I felt particularly excited to eat. I’m not suggesting that all of your meals need to be some kind of major event within your day, but having something you might look forward to can help lessen the appeal of buying lunch and keep the habit of packing a lunch easier to maintain.
Personally, salads became a quick staple in my lunch repertoire. Their versatility and convenience made them an obvious choice and provided several bases which I could adapt as I wanted, but there is also something about a really good sandwich that will never get old.
Below you’ll find some of my favourite salads and sandwiches to bring with me. I will also note, with all of the salads I find it’s best to assemble everything except for the dressing in advance and dress on the day to avoid anything getting too soggy.
Roast Veg Salad
This is my absolute essential salad and my go-to whenever in doubt. I’ve probably had it once a week for the last three years and I will somehow never get sick of it. It’s also a great way to use up any odds and ends that you might have sitting around because you can add almost anything and it will work out.
Ingredients
- Sweet potato
- Small onion or shallot
- Peppers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Chickpeas
- Rocket (and/or baby spinach or a greens mix)
- Chopped cucumbers
- Grated carrot
- Feta
- Sliced almonds
Method
- Preheat oven to 200C
- Roughly chop all of your veg and spread across a sheet pan. Drizzle with some olive oil and season as you wish (spices can be a choose-your-own adventure, but I usually use harissa, cumin, paprika, chilli flakes, and salt)
- Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway. The time can vary here, but you just want everything to be nicely roasted and softened
- While the veg is in the oven, prep the chickpeas on a separate sheet pan and season the same. Add them into the oven for the final 15 minutes
- Once everything is done in the oven, leave to cool completely
- In a large bowl mix the rocket (and any other greens) chopped cucumber, grated carrot, feta, almonds, and anything else you might want to add and then add all of the roast veg and chickpeas
- Once everything has been evenly disrupted and mixed around, keep it in the fridge
Pesto Orzo Bowl
This is a great option if you like pasta salads but want to try something new. It is so simple and easy, cook the orzo separately and combine everything (pesto included) in a large bowl.
Ingredients
- Orzo
- Pesto (if you’re feeling ambitious you could try to make your own, but I find buying premade jars ten times easier)
- Chickpeas
- Feta
- Sliced almonds
- Cucumber
- Oven-roasted tomatoes
Pesto Chicken Sandwich
I started making this sandwich when I was craving an identical one from a restaurant back home. Through a long series of trial and error, I finally managed to replicate it exactly.
Ingredients
- Bread (white, whole wheat, sourdough – all is fine)
- Chicken breast
- Pesto
- Feta, ricotta or some kind of creamier cheese
- Cucumber
- Rocket
Method
- You can use either leftover chicken you might have, or cook your chicken in the oven. Pop it on a baking tray, drizzle with a little oil and whatever else you might have (chilli flakes, harissa, salt, a squeeze of lemon, etc.) and cook at 400 for about 25 minutes
- Once it has cooled, slice and it’s ready for your sandwich
- Personally, when it comes to assembly, there is no right answer, but I like to do pesto, cheese, cucumber, chicken, rocket
Crunchy Chicken (Or Chickpea) Feta Salad
This salad is also a great base for you to adapt as you wish. I like it on its own, but I find it can be even better as a wrap or with a pita on the side. I like to serve with a simple balsamic dressing (balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, squeeze of lemon)
Ingredients
- Shredded chicken (I’ll usually use any that I might have leftover)
- Chickpeas
- Shallot
- Cucumber
- Carrot
- Radish
- Pepper
- Feta
Rocket and Salmon Salad
Usually, if I’m making something with salmon for dinner, I’ll try to double the salmon portion and have this salad on the following day. Again, I like it with a simple balsamic dressing.
Ingredients
- Rocket
- Baby spinach (or any other greens)
- Cucumber
- Sliced almonds
- Feta
- Tomatoes
- Chili flakes
Method
- Mix the greens, cucumber and tomatoes and lay flat as the base of your salad
- Lay the salmon on top and sprinkle the almonds, chilli flakes and feta over the top