Of the three meals that most Americans eat each day, lunch invariably seems to be the most neglected. While the virtues of starting your day right with a healthy breakfast and the quality time of a family dinner are often extolled, lunch rarely receives equaled attention in American lives. Often eaten alone – particularly by those in the workforce – the luncheon meal is also often hurried, which then precipitates eating whatever is quick and easy (translation: uninspiring and unhealthy convenience foods). Many other cultures celebrate the midday meal as the biggest and most important of the day. While American culture may not allow for this to easily occur, there is no reason why lunch cannot be a healthy, satisfying and, indeed, delicious meal – even if the setting is not always ideal.
As the father of two young children, I can attest first-hand to the virtues of cooking ahead and relying on the ease of one-pot meals. While you may at first think that you have no time or inclination to cook an additional meal, just consider the possibility that preparing lunch dishes can be easy, healthful and economical. The key is to cook items that have multiple uses, prepare enough for multiple lunches and utilize one-pot dishes that are easy and efficient to cook, pack and transport. You can prepare lunches for yourself and your family for the entire week in just a couple of hours by trying out some new ideas. During the winter months, I gravitate toward hearty one-pot meals such as soups, stews, curries and grain-based dishes. With winter approaching I would suggest these dishes to prepare ahead for a midday meal. They hold up well throughout the week and bring a little warmth to oppose the season's chill.
One-pot dishes allow for convenience and variety in one format. Plus, you easily can use up any leftovers. For example, to prepare a curry, you can use almost any combination of leftover seasonal produce and/or meats from earlier in the week. Serve it as a stew or cook it down a little more and serve it over your favorite grain. Hearty soups and stews also can be used in exactly the same way.
Making your own lunches almost always will be healthier than the mass-produced, industrialized food that is available at most quick-service spots. In addition to being healthier, using up foods in your refrigerator is a more sustainable practice than throwing away unused food while purchasing prepared, processed foods which are usually packaged in a wasteful manner. Preparing and packing your own healthy lunch will amaze you in how much money you save. But, most importantly, by investing a little time in a practice healthy for both you and the world, you will be satisfied with the fruits of your own labor.
Here are a few recipes that can serve as a base for some one-pot meal experimentation. As always, I recommend exercising your creativity, utilizing sustainable, local ingredients whenever possible and having a fun time cooking.
Click below for the recipes.
Jonathan Grumbles, recently of The Candle 79 in New York City, is a personal chef and caterer in Cleveland, Ohio. He specializes in sustainable, organic, wholesome and vegetarian cuisines. He is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Cookery School and has been the Executive Chef at numerous organic-oriented restaurants. He can be contacted at (216) 320-0288 or chefboyjbg@hotmail.com.
