Follow This Dietitian on Instagram for Ultimate Lunchbox Inspiration

Are you tired of spending money every day on mediocre, less-than-healthy lunches? For most of us, the answer is: Yes. While the idea of packing lunch seems great, the reality is that it takes a bit of organisation, and the lack of inspiration to actually prepare said lunch is all too relatable. But it doesn’t have to be like that. 

If you’ve ever found yourself feeling defeated, standing in a random aisle of the supermarket unsure of where you’d even begin to make a halfway decent packed lunch, this advice is for you: Follow @thefoodmedic on Instagram. Now. Your lunch confusion and fatigue is about to be solved once and for all, and once you get into the habit of making lunches ahead of time, you’ll never look back. 

While the account @thefoodiemedic is already follow-worthy in terms of both aesthetic and content, there’s something greater to be found here. Packed-lunch inspiration galore. Easier than full-on meal prepping, yet somehow perfectly organised, the “Lunch Box” section saved on this Instagram page’s Stories will leave you actually wanting to make lunch ahead of time. Run by Dr Hazel Wallace, who is — yes— an actual doctor and nutritionist, the page has a focus on holistic nutrition, with food playing a big part of that: Point being, you can trust her and her lunchbox recipes. 

A few examples of the easy lunch recipes include a lentil pasta, pesto sausage tray bake, veggie burgers, and miso tofu stir fry to name a few. And they all look even better than they sound. Being easy-to-make and equally easy-to-pack, the recipes are ideal for pre-prepared lunches. In the morning, you’ve just got to grab the food you’ve prepared and go. What could be easier?

To make things even more exciting, Hazel has started a hashtag for fans of her lunch box recipes to document their versions of her creations. By using #lunchboxclub, loyal followers can tag their own photos of their packed lunches. This not only holds followers accountable, but also lets them glean inspiration from their fellow lunch-packers. A quick scroll through the tag will show that Hazel Wallace is undoubtedly helping people prepare lunches all over the world. 

Next grocery shop, why not pick one of @thefoodmedic’s recipes before you go? Dedicating a little bit of time towards preparing lunches for the near future will be worth it in the end — and better yet, it will be delicious as well. Give it a try, and if your coworkers get jealous, why not introduce them to #lunchboxclub as well?

Here are some of our favourites.

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#LunchboxClub ?Roasted Root Veg Salad w/ Pecans + Feta. Still on a high after yesterday’s feature on @saturdayjamesmartin . Hello to all the new faces around here ? I’m Dr Hazel and the founder of this platform, The Food Medic. I’m a medical doctor and an associate registered nutritionist. I’ve also written two books, The Food Medic + The Food Medic for life which you can find on amazon and in all good book stores. Every Sunday I run a #lunchboxclub to help inspire your lunches for the week – enjoy! Ps. Scroll through my page and have a look in the lunchbox highlights for more ideas if this one doesn’t tickle your fancy. INGREDIENTS 1 small butternut, de-seeded, sliced and cut in halves. 2 carrots, peeled + cut into chunky wedges. 3 parsnips, peeled + cut into chunky wedges. 1 large red onion, peeled + cut into chunks. 1 bag of rocket leaves or salad of choice 2 handfuls of pecans 90g feta, crumbled – or halloumi Oil of choice Pinch of salt FOR DRESSING 2 teaspoons of wholegrain mustard 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1/4 teaspoon of salt 1 tablespoon of lemon juice Pinch of pepper METHOD 1️⃣Preheat oven to 180c, and line 3 baking trays. 2️⃣Scatter the butternut squash, carrots and parsnips onto the baking trays and drizzle in oil and season with salt. 3️⃣Roast in oven for 20 minutes before adding the red onion to a baking tray. 4️⃣Roast for a further 15 minutes. 5️⃣Add the pecans to toast for the last 5 minutes. 6️⃣Line your lunch boxes with rocket or salad leaves, then add the roasted vegetables and top with the toasted pecans and crumbled feta. 7️⃣Add dressing to each one on the morning of when you’ll be eating it – or pop it in a mini jam jar and keep it inside your lunchbox to use when you’re ready to eat! Ps. This one is @blackblumdesign ? #TheFoodMedic #LBC #Lunchbox

A post shared by Dr Hazel Wallace BSc MSc MBBCh (@thefoodmedic) on Nov 24, 2019 at 12:30am PST

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#LunchboxClub ?Sundried Tomato Scones ? SO excited to share this lunchbox – I wanted something to recreate a little picnic box that is both delicious but perfect for lunch time – also great for travelling! These savoury scones also work great as a side for soup so if you have some left over, you can serve with soup for the rest of the week or freeze them for another time. INGREDIENTS For the scones 260g plain flour 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of baking powder 125ml milk or dairy free alternative 70g sundried tomatoes, chopped 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt 85g butter spread 10ml extra virgin olive oil 1⁄2 teaspoon of chilli flakes 1⁄2 teaspoon of garlic powder 1⁄2 teaspoon of dried rosemary For the rest ?? Cherry tomatoes//Carrot sticks//Cucumber sticks//Grapes//Cheese cubes//hummus. METHOD 1️⃣First, sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and combine with baking powder, salt and garlic granules/powder. Add the spread, and using your hands combine until the mixture turns crumb like. Next, add the milk and combine well. 2️⃣In a separate mixing bowl combine the chopped sundried tomatoes, olive oil, chilli flakes and rosemary. Add this to the bowl of scone mixture, and mix in. 3️⃣Sprinkle some flour onto the kitchen surface, and knead the dough until the sundried tomatoes are evenly scattered throughout. Make the dough into a rectangular shape approximately 20cm by 15cm.Cut the dough into 4 squares, and then diagonally cut those squares so you end up with 8 triangles.Place the scones onto a lined baking tray, and into the fridge for 30 mins. 4️⃣ Preheat oven to 180c, and place the scones in the oven for 22 minutes. 5️⃣If making your own hummus now is the time to do it – ps. Check www.thefoodmedic.co.uk for hummus recipes! 6️⃣Leave scones to cool before adding to lunch boxes with tomatoes, carrot and cucumber sticks, cheese cubes and grapes. Add a dollop of hummus to each lunch box the night before eating. #TheFoodMedic #SavouryScones #LBC #LunchBoxIdeas Lunchbox @blackblumdesign

A post shared by Dr Hazel Wallace BSc MSc MBBCh (@thefoodmedic) on Nov 3, 2019 at 1:35am PDT

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#LUNCHBOXCLUB ? Baked Falafel Mezze Box. Save these ingredients for your weekly Sunday shop today and eat like a Queen (or King) for lunch this week. This recipe makes 3 lunchboxes but feel free to double up if you’re making for two. INGREDIENTS For the falafel 1 can of chickpeas, drained + rinsed 1 white onion, diced 2 cloves of garlic 100g of plain/gluten free flour 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley 1 teaspoon of ground cumin 1⁄2 teaspoon of ground coriander 1 tablespoon of harissa paste pinch of pepper 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt For the hummus – or shop bought 1 can of chickpeas, drained + rinsed 3 garlic cloves 1⁄2 teaspoon of paprika 1⁄2 teaspoon of ground cumin juice from 1⁄2 a lemon 60ml olive oil 2 tablespoons of tahini For the salad Juice from 1⁄2 a lemon 200g tomatoes, diced 1⁄2 cucumber, diced 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon of olive oil 3 spring onions, sliced pinch of salt For the tahini drizzle 2 tablespoons of tahini juice from 1 lemon 1 tablespoon of olive oil 3 tablespoons of hot water pinch of salt For the rest 1 large sweet potato, cut into chunks 1 bag of salad leaves Method 1️⃣Preheat oven to 180c degrees. Start by placing your sweet potato chunks on a tray. Drizzle with a bit of oil + place into the oven 30-35 min. 2️⃣Next, add all of the ingredients for the falafels into a food processor apart from the flour and blitz until combined. Be careful not to over blend – You want some chickpea chunks remaining. Empty the mixture into a bowl, and then combine with the flour. Split the mixture into 9 and roll them into large balls. If the mixture seems too sticky, gradually add a bit more flour. Flatten slightly and add to another baking tray. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, turning the falafels over halfway through. 3️⃣ Meanwhile, make the hummus by combining all of the ingredients into a food processor, blending until smooth. 4️⃣Make the salad by combining all of the ingredients together, and do the same for the tahini drizzle. 5️⃣Split the salad leaves between your 3 boxes, and add falafels, sweet potato chunks, salad + hummus. Pour the tahini drizzle over the falafels before eating. #THEFOODMEDIC

A post shared by Dr Hazel Wallace BSc MSc MBBCh (@thefoodmedic) on Sep 29, 2019 at 12:28am PDT

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