Ringgggg it’s finally your lunch period and you can hardly wait to see what they have in the cafeteria this time! Or can you? If you’re like the many students that would rather skip a meal in school than eat a cardboard tasting chicken patty, then why not make your own lunch?

  We have all tried bringing in our own lunch to school at least once, whether it be a PB&J sandwich or a bag of chips. For some of us it either ended up stuck in our bags the whole day, came out soggy or just went straight into your stomach.

  These are a few recipes that will not let you down when it comes to making sure your satisfied during school. The best part is that they don’t require a microwave or a fridge, so you won’t have to worry about looking for a teacher who contains a fridge or a microwave during your free period.

  These are three of the easiest and mouth watering lunch recipes that will never fail to disappoint and are healthy all at once.

Hummus Veggie Wraps

Cooking time: 5-10 mins

  Ingredients

• 1 flavored wrap or tortilla
• ⅓ cup hummus (For more flavor try Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus)
• 2 to 4 slices cucumber
• Handful of fresh spinach leaves
• Sliced tomato, depending on size of the tomatoes
• 2 slices of avocado
  Optional greens to include:
• Fresh alfalfa or broccoli sprouts
• Fresh microgreens
• Basil leaves

Instructions

1. Spread the hummus on the bottom ⅓ of the wrap, about ½ inch from the bottom edge but spreading out the side edges. Layer the cucumber, spinach leaves, tomato slices, avocado slices and basil. Fold the wrap tightly, as you would a burrito, tucking in all of the veggies with the first roll then rolling firmly to the end. Cut in half and enjoy.

Penne with Almond Pesto and Green Beans

Cooking time: 20-25 mins

Instructions

• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted almonds, divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound penne
• 8 ounces green beans (about 2 cups), trimmed, thinly sliced on a bias

Ingredients

1. Pulse garlic, basil, 1/2 cup almonds, and 1 tsp. salt in a food processor until combined. With the motor running, slowly add oil and pulse again until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Cook penne in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, and add green beans 30 seconds before pasta is al dente. Drain pasta and green beans, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, and add to pesto. Stir vigorously and add pasta cooking liquid as needed to fully coat. Season with salt.
3. Transfer pasta mixture to a serving bowl or platter

Vegan Cauliflower “Egg” Salad

Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 3 cups of small cauliflower
• ¼ cup of vegan mayonnaise (or regular mayonnaise if you’re lazy)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• ½ tablespoon of mustard
• ½ tablespoon of hot sauce
• ½ tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of red onion
• 1 tablespoon of fresh dill

Instructions

1. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add cauliflower then cover and steam for 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, hot sauce and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Add the cauliflower to the bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork. Stir in celery, onion and dill.
4. You may eat this dish either by itself or with rice or even in between bread for on the go.

Extras

Tips on keeping your food extra fresh

• Freeze your beverages the night before.
• Buy a block of reusable ice packs to place next to your lunch.
• When storing your meal to take to school make sure the container is airtight.