If you are a mother reading this, then you are probably just as busy as the rest of us. You hardly have time to get ready, prepare food, or bathe yourself (the list could go on). I can go without many things, but food just isn’t one of them. Amidst the chaos of making my son lunch while turning on Sesame Street and responding to “mommy” every five seconds, I throw together my lunch that is now coined “Trash Can Lunch,” thanks to a good friend.
Yesterday, I received a text that read, “I eat like trash because of u.” I cracked up because I never thought of my lunchtime ritual as anything out of the norm. My friend came over with her daughter and son for a play date, and I had just returned from the gym. I was starving, so I pulled out my smallest mixing bowl and started to add whatever I fancied at the moment. On that particular day, it was a bag of vegetable medley, avocado, olives, shaved deli turkey meat, and balsamic vinaigrette. I mixed it all together, and what do you get? A quick, yummy, healthy meal.
My friend thought it looked pretty good and decided to give it a go when she got home, adding her own various ingredients. Now, she is hooked. As you can see in the text, I thought I’d share it with the rest of the world in case you all needed an idea for a quick lunch.
General Recipe for Trash Can Lunch
What you’ll need:
- Small mixing bowl
- Fork
- Imagination
Ingredients:
- Carbs: Use a vegetable base, which can be anything! Spinach, broccoli, sweet potato, etc. I like to buy frozen veggies because I don’t have to worry about them staying fresh in the fridge, and I can pop them in the microwave and walk away.
- Fat: Avocado, olives, almonds, olive oil, or dressing. (Don’t go crazy here. Just a little of this category will go a long way.)
- Protein: Chicken, pork tenderloin, deli meat, tuna, etc. (If you don’t eat meat, use whatever you use for protein — you need it.)
Again, I just use what I have in my kitchen. It’s kind of like kitchen sink meat loaf; except, for some reason, trash can lunch came to mind first. Well, you call it what you like, and make sure you are taking care of you!
Do you have a quick fix or go-to meal that you love?
I am REALLY bad about taking care of myself. Many time (as I am sure other moms do), I use the time when the kids are eating lunch (and I let them watch a show while they do it) to get some stuff done around the house.
If I do take a minute to fix myself something, I am definitely a meat and potatoes girl….not really healthy, but I will chop up a potato, bell pepper, onion and whatever meat I have (ham, turkey, chicken, sausage, if there is nothing else – cut up a hot dog) and pan fry it together. Makes a quick and yummy meal for mom. I also like cold salads and keeping those handy in the fridge is great – pasta salad or i made a corn/bell pepper/black bean salad with an oil/vinegar dressing yesterday and it is SOOO yummy.
This is so funny, because as I was whipping up lunch today in a big pirex bowl: spinach, tomatoes, hummus, pomegranate, cucumbers, baby carrots, spicy tortilla chips, and walnuts, I thought I should call this the “everything but the kitchen sink salad.” We make everything like this: eggs, tuna, salad, wharves. We just throw it all in and never use recipes. Haha! Thanks Isis!
and by “wharves” I meant “what-ev”.