6 Adult Lunch Box Ideas

Whatever age you are, September always has a back to school feeling about it. A season for setting new goals, it’s the perfect time to up your game when it comes to meal prep – a great way to save money and get healthier at the same time. But what to cook for your adult lunch box? We’ve pulled together a selection of adult lunch box recipes which can be easily whizzed up, transported and enjoyed deskside.

Adult Lunch Box Ideas: Recipes To Take To The Office

Bulgur & Chickpea Tabbouleh

This adult lunch box recipe makes five portions. For each portion, add in 50g chickpeas at the bottom and top with 70g of the tabouleh mix. Garnish with 10g pomegranate seeds.

Ingredients:

Tabbouleh

• 160g flat-leaf parsley
• 80g brown-coarse ground bulgur  
• 80g tomatoes
• 4g fine salt                                 
• 60g spring onions
• 20g fresh mint                     
• 40g yellow onion                 

Marinated chickpeas 

• 250g chickpeas                   
• 10ml olive oil             
• 1g dried parsley                  
• 2g sweet paprika             
• 2g ground cumin                                
• 1g fine salt       

Dressing

• 35ml lemon juice                   
• 80 ml olive oil
• 80ml pomegranate molasses
• 5g dried mint                            
• 5g fine salt                                  
• 50g pomegranate seeds                

Method:

Tabbouleh 

• Finely chop the flat leaf parsley and the mint.
• Finely slice the spring onions.
• Finely dice the yellow onion.
• Deseed the tomatoes and chop/dice into small pieces (approx 0.5cm).
• Rinse and cook your brown-coarse ground bulgur according to packaging instructions using boiling water.
• In a large mixing bowl; mix all the ingredients (parsley, bulgur, tomatoes, spring onions, mint and onion). Add your dressing and toss to combine.

Dressing 

• Mix together all the listed ingredients until smooth and well combined.
• Transfer to a sealed container and store in the fridge until ready to use. 
• Store for up to 3 days. 

Marinated chickpeas

• Use pre-cooked chickpeas (from a jar), drained.
• Mix all listed ingredients listed 
• Transfer to a sealed container and store in the fridge until ready to use. 
• Store for up to 3 days. 

Recipe from Common Breads

Amalfi Lemon, Basil and Parmesan Spaghetti

You need to buy good lemons for this. Big, juicy, beautiful lemons always taste better. Good olive oil too and the best black pepper you can find. After all there are hardly any ingredients so you need to ensure they’re all the best quality. 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 60ml extra virgin olive oil
• 30ml lemon juice
• 10 basil leaves
• Half a lemon, zested
• ½ tsp Tellicherry black pepper
• 60 parmesan, grated
• 200-250g spaghetti 

Method:

1. Boil a large pan of well salted water. 
2. Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a saucepan, heat it very gently until just warm and then add the lemon juice.  
3. In a pan, cook the pasta according to the instructions, but don’t allow it to cook to completely soft. It will ruin the dish if you over cook the pasta. 
4. Drain the pasta (keep a little pasta water) and put it into the pot with the lemon juice.
5. Add the finely ground Tellicherry black pepper, whole basil leaves and grated lemon zest.
6. Mix the pasta very well using tongs. Sprinkle in the cheese and continue to toss the pasta adding pasta water to lubricate as needed. You should end up with a glossy sexy tumble of pasta. If it’s stodgy, add a little more pasta water, and keep tossing. Serve with more Parmesan.

Recipe by Stevie Parle, chef-restaurateur of Pastaio

Kolamba’s Parripu (Dhal)

Ingredients:

• 150g masoor dahl (red split lentils)
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• ½ small red onion
• 6-8 curry leaves, fresh, frozen or dried
• ½ tsp hot chilli powder1 tsp (or you can use 1 tsp ground coriander powder and ½ tsp ground cumin) Sri Lankan curry powder
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
  
• 5cm cinnamon stick
• 125ml coconut milk
• Fried onions, fried garlic, fried curry leaves and fried chillies, to garnish

Method:

1. Wash the lentils. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and, when it’s hot, add the mustard seeds and let them start to pop. Add the onion and curry leaves, and mix in. Add the chilli powder, curry powder and turmeric, stir and cook for 5-10 seconds. Add the cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt. Mix to coat with the spices. Cook for about 3 minutes until fragrant.
2. Add the drained lentils to the pan with 250ml of water, partially cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and ¾ tsp of fine sea salt, and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
3. Finish the lentils with fried onions, garlic, curry leaves and chillies, if you like.
4. Your dhal is now ready. Serve it warm with a pot of hot, steamed white rice, bread or string hoppers. 

Recipe from Kolamba

Tod Mun Khao Pod (Sweetcorn Patties)

A few years ago a friend was planning to visit a temple in Thailand. She wanted to make fish cakes for the monks, not realizing that Thai monks don’t usually eat meat or fish, so we had to come up with a vegetarian dish for them – and these quick and easy sweetcorn patties were born. We played around for a few hours and ended up with this recipe. These corn cakes are crunchy, with a wonderful balance of peppery savour to balance the sweet burst of corn. They’re great served as a party finger food. 

Serves 2–3 

Ingredients: 

• 260g (9½oz) canned sweetcorn, drained 
• ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes 
• ½ teaspoon white pepper 
• 2 tablespoons tempura flour 
• 1 tablespoon cornflour, plus extra 
• as required 
• 3 tablespoons cold water 
• 1 egg, beaten 
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded (optional) 
• sunflower oil, for deep-frying 
• Sweet Chilli Sauce 

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the sweetcorn, salt, pepper, tempura flour, cornflour, measured water and egg. If the mixture is too loose, add a little more cornflour. Stir the lime leaves, if using, into the batter. 
2. Fill a heavy-based saucepan or wok with oil to a depth of one-third and set the pan over a medium-high heat, to prepare for deep-frying. When the oil is hot, carefully drop a tablespoonful of the batter at a time into the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Deep-fry for about 1 minute, then turn over and fry for a further minute, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat until the mixture is used up – the mixture will make about 6 patties. Serve the patties with Sweet Chilli Sauce. 

MAKE IT VEGAN: To make these patties suitable for vegans, leave out the egg.

Recipe from Rosa’s Thai

Rhitrition’s Lunchbox Omelette Pinwheels

Ingredients:

• 6 St Ewe Super Eggs
• 60g cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 handful veggies of your choice, finely chopped or sliced
• 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 glug olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C, line a large, flat baking tray with baking paper all the way to the edges and rub in a little olive oil.
2. Sprinkle half the cheese over the base of the pan and spread your chopped veggies all over the cheese, evenly. Sprinkle the parsley on top.
3. Whisk your six eggs together and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the pan over the top of the other fillings. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.
4. Bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the egg is set.
5. Remove the tray from the oven and roll the omelette into a log. Do this while the omelette is still warm and then place the log into the fridge. It will hold its shape once cooled.
6. Once cooled, remove the log from the fridge. Slice the log into pinwheels and pop into the lunchboxes!

Recipe by Rhiannon Lambert for St Ewe Eggs

Rye Bread Bagel with Crème Fraiche, Smoked Trout and Beetroot Relish

These bagels will keep for up to six hours if wrapped and kept in a cool place, making them ideal for adult lunch boxes.

Ingredients:

• 4pc rye bread bagel
• 150g crème fraiche
• Zest & juice of 1 lemon
• 1tsp finely chopped dill & chives
• 160g smoked trout
• 120g beetroot relish 

Method:

1. Mix the crème fraiche with lemon zest & juice and finely chopped dill & chives.
2. Cut the bagels in half horizontally spreading both sides with the crème fraiche mixture.
3. Top with the smoked trout and beetroot relish.

Recipe by Kevin Bonello, head chef at Legacy in York