Since I have been back to work I needed to get back into the routine of prepping my lunches for the week. It had been five months since I had to come up with lunch ideas that would not only satisfy me for the week but also be easy enough to fully prep on a Sunday and be ready to go each day. I thought I would share with you some of the delicious and easy lunches I have been packing for the past four weeks.

I use a mix of staple Trader Joe’s items as well as items from my local grocery store to make my lunches each week. Trader Joe’s really does make everything so convenient from their salad dressings and dips to the balsamic grilled chicken which is my go-to protein each week.

Salad Idea Number One: Mixed local greens, sliced apple, blue cheese crumbles, candied pecans, balsamic grilled chicken, garlic and rosemary dressing. I started off really simple my first week back to work, but I have to say just a little blue cheese takes it to another level.

Salad Idea Number Two: Caesar salad mix, mixed greens, chicken cutlet. For this salad I kept it super easy and mixed a Caesar salad kit with additional mixed greens, and bought a few already pre cooked chicken cutlets from my grocery store that I just chopped up and added on top.

Salad Idea Number Three: Arugula, roasted Brussel sprouts, roasted sweet potato, candied pecans, goat cheese, and balsamic dressing. I think if I swapped the goat cheese for blue cheese next time I would like this one better but it was still a really great fall salad option.

Salad Idea Number Four: Arugula, cucumber, cauliflower tabouli (from Trader Joe’s), feta cheese, balsamic grilled chicken, kalamata olives, and tzatiki. Trader Joe’s was the hero when making this salad because they just make it so easy with their pre made dip section.

Salad Idea Number Five: This week I will be doing a pasta salad featuring the walnut pesto that I got at Trader Joe’s I am super excited to try out. I will be adding in artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, and arugula along with my go-to Trader Joe’s balsamic grilled chicken as well.

It has been fun to come up with new salad recipes to keep things interesting each week. I know that salads can sometimes feel less than satisfying, but adding a few fun ingredients (like a sprinkle of blue cheese!) always takes them to a new level. I will keep sharing new lunch ideas as I make them. Enjoy!