Easy Lunch Ideas - Bagel Sandwiches + Nutrition Reminders

Easy Lunches to Make

I’ve realized something when endlessly scouring recipe ideas online…something is missing. Lunch! Poor lunch, it seems like when I’m on Pinterest or anywhere else, it’s the neglected middle child of meals:)

That said, if you’re like me, you either eat leftovers or want something easy and quick (that isn’t fast food). While I’ll still bring you different meals or more complicated options, from time-to-time, I’m going to try to narrow my focus when it comes to recipes to easy lunches that are (relatively) healthy.

My first easy healthy lunch idea: Bagel Sandwiches

While this doesn’t really require and actual recipe, I use the following products:

1 Toasted Plain Bagel
A small amount of cream cheese (I use less than a tablespoon, but really , just spread it on to suit your taste).
1 slice of Swiss cheese
Handful of spinach
3-4 slices of roma tomatoes (seeded)
5-6 slices cucumber slices

Other tasty options you could include: peppers, turkey bacon (or regular bacon), avocado, sliced turkey.

Again, I feel like I don’t really need to include any difficult instructions other than toast the bagel, slice the veggies and put it all together. I meaaaan, it’s a sandwich, I’m pretty sure you can handle it.

Typically my side dish is the remainder of the tomato, sliced and quartered + an equal amount of cucumber, also sliced and quartered topped with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and pinch of salt. It’s not shown in these pictures because, well….let’s just say their was an incident and leave it at that;)

Benefits of Spinach, Tomatoes and Cucumbers

I threw this sandwich together one day after buying a bag of spinach because I thought I should be eating more of it, BUT, I didn’t want it just in a salad.

So let’s talk spinach for a minute. As you’ll see below or might remember from 8th grade health class, benefits of spinach are numerous - the main reason I decided to start incorporating it into my diet more.

Spinach is rich in iron, which is essential in keeping our red blood cells transporting oxygen here, there and everywhere throughout our body, as well as energy production and DNA synthesis. Spinach is also a great source for Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and folate, plus manganese, magnesium and Vitamin B2.

Because of it’s nutrient content, it’s a better option than lettuce in salads and on sandwiches, but you could also add it to omelets or other egg dishes, pastas, soups, or even just sauté it with just a small amount of butter and add bacon crumbles.

Roma Tomatoes

I love a good tomato, but did you know how healthy they are for you? Roma tomatoes nutrition value is extensive, and again, how easy is it to work tomatoes into your regular routine? Obviously sandwiches and salads, but cherry tomatoes make great snacks and instead of buying canned versions, tomato based soups and sauces are SO easy to make.

Tomatoes are a huge source of lycopene, an antioxidant linked to the reduction of heart disease and cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of Vitamin C, potassium, folate and Vitamin K.

Cucumber Nutrition

If you’ve ever wondered, “are cucumbers good for you?” the answer is YES! Cucumbers are a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese. All that AND they have an incredibly high water content (96%) to help you stay hydrated without even realizing it.

Cucumbers are also high in antioxidants, helping to protect us against those pesky free radicals, which play a role in the development of heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

As I mentioned above, cucumbers in vinegar (doesn’t have to be a lot) are extra tasty. And if you don’t have balsamic, a cucumber salad with just a bit of white vinegar, thinly sliced onion and tomatoes, is also good.

Hope you guys liked this easy healthy lunch - I’m excited to share more of these ideas with you, plus give you a basic nutrition refresh on a few of the ingredients. I also promise to never include cereal as one of my ideas (which I do have for lunch (and supper) from time to time:)

Be sure to Pin this to any relevant Pinterest boards so you can easily come back to it later!!

My Corelle dishes have been discontinued (kind of). You can get the same pattern, just with red and black accents here.