With about eleven months in a school year, it is often difficult to maintain a healthy and balanced lunch every day. It happens to the best of us- we start the year off strong with salads and vegetables but soon tire of the same things and become too lazy to make extravagant things in the morning. Although many students enjoy the empanadas sold for lunch, they are not the healthiest option. Below is a list of healthy school lunches that are easy and quick to make for all those who want to have a nutritious lunch while studying hard.

A Source of Protein with Greens

A very quick and easy lunch that will keep you full throughout the school day is a source of protein like a chicken with a side of your choice. The chicken can be easily prepared by adding any number of seasoning mixes to it. In order to ensure that the meal is nutritious, the side should include greens such as asparagus, green beans, or broccoli. Alternative sides that can still be healthy is sweet potato, mashed potatoes or corn. These are easy to make as they only need to be put in the microwave for the recommended time.

Chickpea and Quinoa Salad

Any type of salad is a great and healthy choice for lunch. However, a more unique yet delicious choice is a chickpea and quinoa salad. One can add as many ingredients as they would like but the typical ingredients include spinach, tomato, chickpeas, quinoa, corn, chicken, almonds and more. This meal is a twist on the typical Caesar salad that most people settle for.

Quinoa with Lentils

Another simple way to incorporate quinoa in your lunch is by having it with delicious lentils. Lentils are also great in their nutritious value and are extremely easy to make. Prepare the lentils and quinoa in the evening by cooking the lentils on a stove and the quinoa on a rice maker. This meal is guaranteed to leave you satisfied while maintaining your health.

“I always try to maintain a healthy diet and lunch in school is no different. I love pairing quinoa with a bunch of different things like lentils or beans,” senior Brianna Fernandez said.

Avocado/Hummus and Chicken Wrap

To stray away from the typical and boring sandwich that most students bring for lunch on a daily basis, one can instead opt for a tortilla wrap. Spread avocado or hummus on the wrap and then add all of your favorite ingredients. Some ideas of things to put in your wrap include beans, chicken, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, thinly sliced carrots and other amazing and nutritious ingredients.

“

I used to constantly bring a sandwich for lunch but I wanted to change it up so I started to bring different types of wraps. They are so much better than your average sandwich!

— senior Gaby Villa

Whether you try out one of these recipes or create your own, it is very important to try to maintain a healthy and nutritious diet while in school. Keeping up this diet now will prepare you for the long run in college and the rest of your life when what you will eat on a day to day basis is solely your decision. Eating healthy is beneficial in many ways as it can help brain development and concentration, thus causing you to do well in school.