Packed lunches are back – get creative with these recipes

The lunchbox that’s been “lurking” at the back of the cupboard for the last few years “may finally be heading back to work”, said Andrew Ellson in The Times. Fewer of us are popping into Pret a Manger for a sandwich as more office workers are “rediscovering the packed lunch”.

As prices at high street shops continue to soar, polling from Ocado has found that more than two thirds (69%) of professionals think buying lunch out is too expensive. Almost half (46%) of them have started to bring in lunch from home more often than they did a year ago.

But a packed lunch doesn’t have to mean soggy sandwiches or a “punishment tub of undressed baby spinach and slimy sweet potato chunks”, said Jimi Famurewa in The Guardian. Instead, you can get creative with “punchy, textural riots” like Rukmini Iyer’s tasty chapati omelette rolls or Rosie Birkett’s celeriac, apple and lentil salad “brightened by lemony mayonnaise and an enlivening lick of dijon mustard”. Or, if there’s a kettle nearby, consider making Tamal Ray’s “veg-filled, rainbow-hued riff on everyone’s favourite additive-stuffed hangover salve: the noodle pot”.

For something easy but “great for gut health”, try whipping up a batch of ancient grains (you can use a Merchant Gourmet pouch from the supermarket) with feta and avocado, said Xanthe Clay in The Telegraph. Pack in as many vegetables as you like and add pumpkin seeds for a tasty lunch that will “boost your diet diversity” and deliver slow-release energy.

If you prefer a hearty lunch that will warm you up as the weather cools down, consider making a homemade minestrone with parmesan meatballs. Ideal for cooking at the weekend and freezing in batches, it “always tastes better the next day”.

Another brilliant recipe to “add to your repertoire” is an “oh-so-comforting” vegan chickpea and cauliflower dahl, said Good Housekeeping. Filled with “fragrant” spices and plenty of vegetables, it’s perfect served with “cooling” yoghurt, steamed rice or naan bread.