Leftovers in your meal plan
Your meal plan incorporates leftovers from your weekly dinners as lunches three times per week. If you plan to use leftovers like this, simply adjust the ‘servings’ size on your dinner recipes to ensure you’ve got enough extra portions.
For those times when you don’t want leftovers (or dinner was so yummy the extra portions didn’t make it to the fridge) we’ve got suggestions for quick DIY lunches below.
Are leftovers just for lunch?
Last night’s leftovers make today’s lunch easy. But leftovers can get you out of so many more jams than that. By making additional serves when you cook, you can freeze meals to eat later – for instance dinner when you’re getting home late or on those nights when you've been too busy to shop.
Feeling overwhelmed by meal prep?
A little forward planning goes a long way. Just increase the serves on your recipe (you’ll find this function under ‘Ingredients’) to adjust your shopping list so you can make multiple batches of your favourite meals at the one time and freeze them for the week to come.
Why cook every night when you can cook once for the whole week? Try some of our favorite recipes for batch cooking.
No leftovers?
Life and leftovers don’t always work out as planned. For those times somebody eats your leftovers, or you went out so didn’t cook, we have put together an easy DIY formula for a super-quick lunch or dinner.
Easy DIY lunch formula
To whip up a quick lunch using pantry and fridge staples, try using this easy formula of:
- One handful (palm-sized) of lean protein such as salmon, tuna, lean meats, eggs, tofu or tempeh.
- Two handfuls (1-2 cups) of vegetables and/or salad.
- Half to one handful (¼ - ½ cup) of wholegrain or low-GI carbohydrates such as sweet potato, quinoa, brown rice, legumes or wholegrain bread or wraps.
- One thumb (1-2 tsp) of healthy fats from foods such as avocado, yogurt, nuts, seeds, dips, olive oil or homemade dressings.
Lunch ideas
- Chicken & Tzatziki Wrap - 2 ½ oz (75g) roast chicken, 1 tbs tzatziki, shredded lettuce, small sliced tomato in a wholegrain pita wrap.
- Tuna & Egg Bowl- 1 boiled egg, 3 ½oz (100g) can tuna in springwater, ¼ avocado, 1 oz (30g) spinach leaves, ¼ cup pre-cooked brown rice.
- Mixed Bean & Tofu Salad - 4 ½ oz (125g) can mixed beans, 3 ½ oz (100g) tofu, 2 tsp pepitas, 4 cherry tomatoes, ¼ sliced red onion & 1 oz (30g) spinach leaves.
Dinner ideas
- Quinoa & Salmon Salad - 1 cup pre-cooked quinoa, 3 ½ oz (100g) salmon, 4 cashew nuts, 4 cherry tomatoes, ¼ sliced red peppers, shredded lettuce, ¼ cucumber & chopped parsley.
- Miso Noodle Soup - 1 sachet miso, 1-2 cups boiling water, 5 oz (150g) diced tofu, 1 ½ oz (50g) rice vermicelli, 2 tbs bean shoots & chopped cilantro/coriander.
- Beef Stir-fry with veggies - 4 oz (120g) ground/minced beef, ½ carrot chopped, 3 ½ oz (100g) green beans, ½ chilli, 2 tsp soy sauce, ½ cup pre-cooked brown rice.
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