Energy-packed lunch recipes perfect for triathlon training

How nourishing are your workday lunches? The advantage of working from home is that you can eat what and when you fancy.

Not so for those who either work in the office, schools, or in health care. And though cheap and convenient, the standard supermarket ‘meal deal’ is not only wholly uninspiring but also sadly offers little in terms of good nutrition for the busy triathlete following a triathlon training plan. This is where this month’s four nutritious and delicious meals come in…

First up, add a little spice to your lunch break with a delicious Vietnamese noodle bowl. This totally mouth-watering bowl of goodness will admittedly take a few more minutes to make than your average pot noodle, but it’s pretty fast all the same, much more nutritious, and a great balance of all three.

Macros – carbohydrate, protein and healthy fats. Get noodle-savvy, too, with the extra info at the base of the recipe and experiment with the different suggestions.

Next, an Italian chicken sandwich recipe to take your sandwich experience up another level! I firmly believe that if you can access good quality bread it is so much nicer, so treat yourself to some wholesome granary or (my favourite for this) seeded sourdough from your local bakery to pack this tasty Mediterranean-style chicken mix into.

This nourishing ‘superfood’ Butterbean, spelt and roasted veg salad delivers slow-releasing carbohydrate and protein to keep your energy levels sustained all afternoon.

Make a batch of this in advance and it can keep you going for days. Finally, a favourite for rest days, this is my Sweet potato, broccoli and chorizo tortilla, which is not only filling but also packed with protein and antioxidants to help your muscles recover and repair.

Enjoy cold or warmed in the office microwave. Tortilla is also one of my go-to meals for those ‘what’s for supper?’ moments. It’s a great vehicle for using up leftover veg, meat or fish.

Try experimenting with different combinations: hot smoked salmon, red peppers and spinach, or you can never go too far wrong with just plain onion and potato.

Four energy-packed lunch recipes

Vietnamese Noodle Bowl

Prep: 10 mins Cook: 5 mins Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 200g linguini rice noodles
• 200g pack cooked large prawns
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• Handful of radishes, finely sliced
• 1 red or yellow pepper, finely sliced
• 1 large carrot, grated or finely sliced
• 5–6 mushrooms, sliced
• 1–2 green chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
• Handful of roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
• Large handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

For the dressing:

• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1cm piece ginger, grated
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• 1 tsp sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp Thai fish sauce

Method:

1. Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Place the rice noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for about 5 minutes, or according to the pack instructions. When just tender, tip into a sieve to drain, then rinse under cold water. Set aside.
3. Place the prawns, noodles and vegetables in a large bowl and pour over the sauce. Toss together with salad servers or your hands so that the sauce is well combined. Taste for seasoning.
4. Divide into lunchbox-sized portions, top with cashew nuts and coriander, and add a wedge of lime to squeeze over just before eating. Any remaining salad will keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 48 hours, but add the coriander just before eating.

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Italian Chicken Sandwiches

Prep: 5 mins Makes: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 4 thick slices of crusty bread
• 1 pre-cooked chicken breast
• 1 small baby gem lettuce, shredded
• 1 tbsp pitted black olives, chopped
• Handful of baby tomatoes, quartered
• 5 small radishes, quartered
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 ripe avocado, cubed
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• Handful of flaked almonds
• 1 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

For the dressing:

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Make the dressing in a small bowl. Start with the mustard and then, using a hand whisk or teaspoon, whisk in the oil until emulsified. Whisk in the lemon juice and then season to taste.
2. Shred or finely chop the chicken. Transfer to a bowl, add all the salad ingredients, and toss together. Season, then stir in 1 tbsp of the dressing and gently combine.
3. Lay out two bread slices and spoon an equal amount of mixture on each slice (or save one portion in the fridge, covered, for the next day’s sandwich). Top with the remaining slices. Transfer to a lunch box or wrap carefully in foil.

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Butterbean, Spelt & Roasted Veg Salad

Prep: 5 mins Cook: 15–20 mins Makes: 12

Ingredients:

• 1 pack red, green and yellow peppers, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small aubergine, cubed
• 10 baby tomatoes, halved
• 1 red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsps olive oil

For the salad:

• 400g tin butterbeans, drained and rinsed
• 150g spelt
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1–2 tsps red wine vinegar
• Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7. Put the vegetables in a bowl, add the oil and some salt and pepper. Toss until coated. Arrange in a single layer on a baking tray. Roast for 30–40 minutes. Leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile, cook the spelt according to instructions (usually about 25 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar. Season well. Add the vegetables, butterbeans and herbs, and divide into lunchbox portions. Any remaining salad will keep for several days in the fridge, covered.

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Sweet Potato, Broccoli & Chorizo Tortilla

Prep: 10 mins Cook: 40 mins Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 head of broccoli, broken into small florets
• 1 large sweet potato, cubed
• 6 spring onions, finely sliced
• Chorizo, thinly sliced
• 8 large eggs
• Pinch of hot smoked paprika

Method:

1. Cook the sweet potato and broccoli in a pan of salted boiling water until tender. Add the broccoli halfway through cooking the potato. Drain and set aside. Preheat the grill.
2. Fry the chorizo and spring onion for 2–3 minutes. Add the sweet potato and broccoli and cook for another minute.
3. In a bowl, season the eggs and beat with a fork until combined. Bring the pan back to a medium heat and pour in the egg. Move the mixture around with a spatula until the bottom of the tortilla is set and the top is still wobbly.
4. Pop under the grill for a few minutes to finish cooking the top. Run a knife or spatula around the edge of the tortilla to loosen, place a large plate on top of the pan, and flip over. The tortilla should come out onto the plate.

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