Whew – can you believe it is September already? We hope you’ve been able to settle into your fall routine and the chaos of getting back to school and work. It’s been a busy time for my whole team as well! September is always an exciting month in my business with new clients booking appointments to relieve digestive distress and workshop launches. The team and I are busy with the back to school routine.
We hope our September lunch series has been providing you and your family with tips and tricks to adapt healthier eating habits. Our first article in the series gave you some tips for what to include in a healthy and balanced lunch. Next week’s article features some of our favourite lunch tools like food containers and lunch boxes. Cool lunch containers aren’t just for kids… admit it – you get excited too! (I do!) This week we have been working on some healthy, low FODMAP recipes that are perfect to pack for lunch. Eating away from home can be a challenge, especially when there are foods you need to avoid for digestive distress, allergies, or intolerance’s, sooooo we created some easy-to-pack recipes that stay fresh and taste delicious.
Mason jars are really trendy right now – have you seen all the craziness on Pinterest these days? From decorations to storage, it seems there isn’t anything these classic jars can’t do! And you gotta love how cost efficient this type of container is! One cool way we have seen them used is for Mason Jar Meals. All of the ingredients are assembled in a jar, including the sauce or dressing – how handy! If you’re making these at home, the trick is to strategically stack the ingredients so that the heartier ingredients (like rice or quinoa) are touching the dressing, protecting the more delicate ingredients (like lettuce) from getting soggy by placing them further away.
We love this idea so much that we were inspired to create two recipes that you could easily pack into a mason jar yourself. The recipes below are all complete meals, including a Whole Grain + Protein + Vegetables & Fruit. Store your mason jar in an insulated lunch bag to keep it cold and food-safe until you’re ready to eat it. These meals have all the components to keep you full and satisfied in a convenient container for the rest of your busy day.
Low FODMAP Recipe: Avocado Chicken Salad
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 10 minutes prep, 35 minutes cook
INGREDIENTS
2 (approx. 500g) chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 celery stalk, finely diced
¼ cup red grapes, diced
½ avocado
½ cup plain lactose free yogurt (you could also use veganaise or mayonnaise)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
4 gluten-free pita or tortilla wraps, such as Udi’s or La Tortilla Factory
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 450 °F.
Lightly rub both chicken breasts with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. (Note: choose bone in, skin on chicken breast, as it keeps the meat moist and juicy)
Place the chicken in the preheated oven and roast for 35 minutes or until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 °F.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the skin and shred the breast meat with a fork.
Combine the shredded chicken with the diced grapes and celery in a bowl and set aside.
Place the avocado, yogurt, vinegar, salt, and pepper to prepare the dressing into a blender, food processor, or magic bullet. Blend until smooth.
Toss the chicken with the dressing.
Divide the chicken salad into 4 mason jars (125 ml) and refrigerate (Note: preparing this recipe the night before is perfect because it allows the flavours to build).
Pack a gluten-free pita or tortilla in your lunch to fill with this delicious chicken salad when it’s time to eat. For a nutritional bonus, add some shredded spinach, kale, or collards right in your wrap/pita.
Low FODMAP Recipe: Unwrapped Bean Burrito
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes cook
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups canned lentils, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 cup canned corn or 2 fresh cobbs
2 large red or yellow peppers, diced
1 head lettuce, shredded
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare 2 cups of cooked brown rice according to package directions; let cool.
Whisk olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt and maple syrup together.
Pour dressing over lentils and mix well.
To prepare mason jars divide rice among the four jars. Next add a layer of lentils to all 4 jars. Then top all jars off evenly with corn, peppers and lettuce.
Note: Use shredded chicken or cooked ground beef for this recipe instead of lentils if you’re looking for meat. Try a variety of vegetables you enjoy to top!
Much love & good eating,
Stephanie and The Team