Here's How To Pack 5 Make-Ahead Healthy Lunches

Don't know what we're talking about? You'll need to read this before you go any further.

Below are descriptions of each lunch, as well as detailed instructions about how to pack what. You definitely don't have to pack things exactly the way we describe, if you don't want to.

PREP:

MAKE THE DRESSING: In a small bowl, whisk together the juice of ½ orange, ¼ teaspoon orange zest (optional), a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and whisk to combine.

CUT ORANGE WEDGES: Cut the remaining ½ orange into segments: Use a knife to cut the peel off the orange, so that there's no white pith left on the outside. Working over a bowl, use a small, sharp knife to cut the segments away from white membrane that separates them.

Put this in a large container:

⅓ recipe roast chicken breast (⅔ of a breast), bone and skin discarded, cut in rough ½-inch pieces

⅓ recipe sautéed white beans

Put this in a small container:

½ orange, segmented

1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoon parsley leaves, chopped

Put this in a dressing container:

Orange vinaigrette (recipe above)

At lunchtime, microwave the chicken and white beans on high for 1½ minutes, until heated through. Toss with the orange vinaigrette, then top with the feta, orange, and parsley.

PREP:

MAKE THE DRESSING: In a large mixing bowl, stir together ⅓ recipe tahini dressing with 1 teaspoon honey, and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add all of the raw, sliced kale and use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale.

Put this in a large container:

Raw kale w/ honey-tahini dressing (from above)

Put this in a small container:

2 boiled eggs, quartered

⅓ recipe cooked farro (about ⅓ cup)

1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled

½ a baked sweet potato, cut in ½ inch cubes

3 walnut halves, roughly chopped

At lunchtime, top the kale salad with the remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

PREP:

MAKE THE DRESSING: In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves with ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar and ⅓ recipe tahini dressing.

Put this in a large container:

⅔ recipe cooked farro (about ⅔ cup)

½ recipe roasted red pepper, sliced

⅓ recipe roast chicken breast (⅔ of a breast), bone removed, thinly sliced

Put this in a small container:

2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves

3 walnut halves, roughly chopped

Put this in a dressing container:

Parsley-Tahini dressing (above)

At lunchtime, microwave the farro, red pepper, and chicken on high for 1½ minutes, until heated through. Drizzle with the parsley-tahini dressing and top with the parsley and walnut halves.

Put this in a large container:

½ recipe roast chicken breast (⅔ of a breast), bones and skin discarded, shredded

½ recipe sauteed kale

Put this in a small container:

1 whole, baked sweet potato

Put this in a dressing container:

⅓ recipe tahini dressing

At lunchtime, cut the sweet potato in half, lengthwise but not all the way through, to make a pocket. Stuff the sweet potato with the chicken and kale mixture (it’s OK if it doesn’t all fit and is overflowing!) and microwave on high for 2 minutes, until it’s heated through. Drizzle with the tahini dressing and serve immediately.

Put this in a large container:

⅔ recipe sauteed white beans

½ recipe sauteed kale

Put this in a small container:

1 boiled egg

2 tablespoons parsley leaves, roughly chopped

At lunchtime, microwave the white beans and kale on high for 1 to 1½ minutes, until heated through. Cut the boiled egg in quarters. Top the warm bean and kale mixture with the egg quarters and parsley, and serve immediately.

You get a variety of sizes, and you can mix and match! Get it here.