13 Packable Lunches for the Entire Family

1. Smear the guacamole on one side of each piece of deli meat. Place veggies sticks on top of the guacamole, roll up, and enjoy.

1. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook on high for four to five hours until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.

1. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the package. While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetables.
2. Drain the noodles but do not rinse them and do not wipe the pot clean. Add the potatoes, carrots, broth, onion, garlic, nutritional yeast, ghee, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and 3 ½ teaspoons salt to the pot and set over medium-high heat. Stir to combine, bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the vegetables are fork-tender. Remove from the heat.
3. Let the vegetables and liquid cool slightly, then pour into a blender and blend on high speed for about one minute, until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender directly in the pot to purée until smooth.
4. Return the sauce to the pot over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, and simmer for two minutes. If the sauce is too thin, in a small bowl, whisk together the arrowroot and 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry, then whisk the slurry into the sauce and simmer for three minutes more, until thickened.
5. Gently stir the noodles into the sauce until coated. Season to taste with salt and the pepper, then serve immediately.

Recipe excerpted from Healthy in a Hurry by Danielle Walker. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Aubrie Pic.

1. Cook the brown rice according to package directions or in rice cooker.
2. Break down the broccoli, making florets of equal size that include the stalks.
3. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. In a large pan over medium-high heat, cook the chicken breasts until they’re seared. Flip the chicken and add the broccoli, peppers, and garlic to the pan. Cover the pan and place on medium-low heat, cooking for six minutes. Be sure to cook the chicken until it’s no longer pink and reaches 165 degrees F.
5. After six minutes, turn the heat off and allow the pan to sit on the stove covered for 10 minutes.
6. Add all of the harissa ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until it’s the consistency of a paste.
7. Build your four bowls: To each bowl, add 1 cup brown rice, ¼ of the broccoli, ¼ of the roasted red peppers, and one chicken breast, and top with 1 tablespoon harissa.

1. Mix the hot sauce and coconut oil together with a whisk.
2. Add the chicken to a slow cooker. Pour the hot sauce and coconut oil mixture over the chicken so it’s fully covered. Cook on high for four hours, checking occasionally to make sure the chicken is still covered in sauce.
3. When there’s an hour left on the chicken’s cook time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pierce the sweet potatoes and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
4. After four hours, shred the chicken using a fork. It should shred easily. If not, continue heating the chicken in the slow cooker.
5. Create four equal portions with the chicken. Cut the sweet potatoes in half and top each half with chicken and green onion if desired.

1. Heat one tablespoon of coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat until melted. Add the chicken and sauté until thoroughly cooked, about eight to 10 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, add the chicken, lime juice, cilantro, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Combine until well mixed. Set aside in the refrigerator.
3. Heat another tablespoon of coconut oil in the skillet. Once melted, add the riced cauliflower and minced garlic and sauté for about five minutes. Add the black beans, red onion, and corn and sauté for another five minutes.
4. Add the riced cauliflower, beans, onion, and corn to a bowl with the chicken. Mix in the halved tomatoes and avocado, and squeeze the juice of the quartered limes over all the ingredients.

1. Assemble using desired combination of ingredients.

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and lay bacon strips evenly across the sheet.
3. Cook for 12 to 18 minutes, until cooked to your desired level. Remove from oven and set aside.
4. In a medium pan, sauté diced chicken over medium heat until cooked through.
5. When bacon is cool, crumble into small pieces.
6. Chop lettuce leaves into long strips and add to a bowl. Top with chicken, bacon, tomatoes and ranch dressing.

1. In a medium bowl, combine the drained chickpeas and the celery, red onion, dill, and nori.
2. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, mustard, and salt. Add the yogurt mixture to the chickpea mixture and stir to mix well.
3. Place a tortilla on each of two plates. Scoop about a cup of the chickpea salad into the middle of each tortilla, top with a cup of arugula, and then fold in the sides and roll up.
4. Serve immediately, or wrap tightly in wax paper and serve within two days.

Photography by: Terry Brennan; Food Styling: Betsy Nelson

1. Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak while you prep the soup.
2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Add the chopped cilantro and remove from heat. Pour into a crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients (aside from the cashew cream) to the crockpot and stir. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 to 6 hours.
3. If using pre-cooked chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Add the remaining ingredients (aside from the cashew cream and the chicken) and stir. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Just before the soup is done, make the cashew cream. Drain the cashews and add them to a blender along with ¼ cup of water. Blend on high for 1 minute or until very thick and creamy.
5. Remove the chicken and shred it. Add it back to the soup.
6. Add the cashew cream to the soup and stir until well mixed.
7. If using pre-cooked chicken: Add the shredded chicken to the soup along with the cashew cream and stir until well mixed.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro and tortilla chips if desired.

This recipe is excerpted from Life Time’s first-ever cookbook, 1-2-12.

1. Chop the chicken, cube the avocado, peel and core the apple, and dice the celery and red onion.
2. In a bowl, combine the chicken, fruit, and vegetables with the olive oil and lime juice, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

1. Prepare the quinoa according to the package directions.
2. Dice the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions, if using.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, oregano, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
4. Stir together all ingredients to combine.

1. In a medium pan over medium heat, sauté the ground turkey until cooked through, about seven to eight minutes. Add the taco seasoning and mix well.
2. Chop the romaine leaves into long strips and add to four bowls. Top each bowl with the cooked ground turkey, salsa, and avocado.