My Viva Plan Lunch Basics
Lunch Basics When putting together any meal keep it simple. Healthy choices don t need to be complicated they just need to be available! By keeping just a handful of foods in your pantry, fridge and freezer you can create healthful, tasty and balanced lunches! The following 10 recipes are made by using these common staples: Pantry Fridge Freezer Canned fish Lentils Chickpeas Whole grain crackers Barley Hard-boiled eggs Rotisserie chicken Cottage cheese Fruit Vegetables Tortillas Homemade soups Stew Chili Meat
Beef and Cauliflower Meatballs with Zoodles 6 servings 1 lb. lean ground beef 1 egg 2 Tbsp. basil 1 Tbsp. oregano 3 clove garlic, minced 1 cup cauliflower, chopped ½ cup rolled oats 1 cup onion, diced 1 can diced tomato 3 large zucchini, spiralized Heat oven to 350 F. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and strain the cauliflower. Allow the cauliflower to cool. Combine beef, egg, 1 tsp. of oregano and basil, and 1 clove of minced garlic in a bowl. Sprinkle in oats and allow to sit for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, pulse the cooked cauliflower in a food processor until fine. Add to meatball mixture and mix well. Form into 18 ball shapes and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine onion, the rest of the garlic, oregano and basil along with the diced tomato into a sauce pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. When the meatballs are done, remove from oven and add to sauce pot. In another pot, bring water to a boil. Add the zucchini and cook for 4 minutes. Remove zoodles and top with sauce and three meatballs per serving. Nutritional analysis per serving: 263 calories, 10 g fat, 25 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate (13 g available carbohydrate), 4 g fibre, 89 mg sodium My Viva Servings: 0 grain, 3 protein, 3 vegetable, 0 fruit, 0 fat, 0 dairy For more great recipes, visit
Beef and Sweet Potato Stew Slow Cooker Recipe 6 servings 2 lbs. stewing beef 1 Tbsp. flour ¼ tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 1 Tbsp. canola oil 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 2 cups beef stock 1 cup onion, chopped 1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 1 cup sweet potato, peeled and chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 bay leafs 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. dried parsley 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried oregano ¾ cup frozen peas Combine flour with salt and pepper. Toss the beef into the flour mixture being sure to cover all sides of the beef with the mixture. Heat oil in pan on medium-high heat and brown the beef. Pour the browned beef into a slow cooker along with all of the other ingredients except the peas. Allow to cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. 30 minutes before serving add the peas into the slow cooker. Nutritional analysis per serving: 307 calories, 14 g fat, 24 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate (16 g available carbohydrate), 4 g fibre, 292 mg sodium My Viva Servings: 1 grain, 3 protein, 1 vegetable, 0 fruit, 0 fat, 0 dairy For more great recipes, visit
Chicken and Barley Soup 6 servings 1 Tbsp. canola oil 3 chicken breasts, cubed 1 cup onion, diced 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced 1 cup celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. ginger, minced 1 Tbsp. turmeric 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock 1 Tbsp. thyme 1 Tbsp. rosemary 1 tsp. pepper 1 cup barley ½ cup frozen peas Heat oil in a pot on medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 8 minutes. Add onions and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, ginger, turmeric and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the carrots and celery begin to get soft. Add the barley and cook for 10 minutes. Pour in the peas, cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. Nutritional analysis per serving: 282 calories, 7 g fat, 30 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate (19 g available carbohydrate), 5 g fibre, 250 mg sodium My Viva Servings: 1 grain, 4 protein, 1 vegetable, 0 fruit, 0 fat, 0 dairy For more great recipes, visit
Chicken Quesadillas 4 servings 1 tsp. canola oil 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1 green bell pepper, sliced 1 green onion, sliced 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. garlic powder 2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped ½ cup tomatoes, diced 1 cup cheese, grated 4 tortillas Heat oil in a fry pan on high heat. Add peppers and cook until starting to char, approximately 3 minutes. Add green onion, chili powder, garlic powder, chicken and tomatoes. Reduce heat and cook for another 5 minutes. Line the tortillas on a flat surface and split the cheese evenly for each. Split the chicken filling into four and fill one half of the tortilla. Fold the tortillas in half. Clean your frying pan and place one or two tortillas at a time back into the frying pan. Return to medium heat. Flip tortillas once one side becomes brown. Nutritional analysis per serving: 370 calories, 13 g fat, 35 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate (25 g available carbohydrate), 5 g fibre, 715 mg sodium My Viva Servings: 2 grain, 4 protein, 2 vegetable, 0 fruit, 0 fat, 0 dairy For more great recipes, visit
Chicken Salad 4 servings 2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped ½ cup grapes, halved ½ cup granny smith apple, diced ¾ cup celery, chopped ¼ cup pecans, chopped ½ cup Greek yogurt 1 tsp. cider vinegar 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 tsp. tarragon Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Nutritional analysis per serving: 366 calories, 12 g fat, 31 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate (6 g available carbohydrate), 2 g fibre, 341 mg sodium My Viva Servings: 0 grain, 4 protein, 0 vegetable, 1 fruit, 0 fat, 0 dairy For more great recipes, visit
Cottage Cheese Bowl 1 serving ½ cup cottage cheese ½ avocado ½ cup cherry tomatoes ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. black pepper Slice the avocado and tomatoes into bite sizes. Pour overtop of cottage cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Nutritional analysis per serving: 152 calories, 8 g fat, 13 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate (6 g available carbohydrate), 3 g fibre, 352 mg sodium My Viva Servings: 0 grain, 2 protein, 1 vegetable, 0 fruit, 2 fat, 0 dairy For more great recipes, visit
Lentil Taco 4 servings 1 cup dry lentils 2 cups low-sodium stock 1 tsp. canola oil ½ cup onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced ½ cup red pepper, diced ½ cup tomatoes, diced 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. cumin ½ tsp. smoked paprika 4 whole wheat tortillas 1 cup greens mix Lettuce and cilantro for garnish Combine lentils and stock into a pot and cook until lentils are soft. Heat oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, approximately 7 minutes. Add peppers, tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika and cooked lentils, along with any excess cooking liquid that may remain in the lentils (if there is no excess cooking liquid, add 2 Tbsp. water). Cook until well mixed and fragrant. Divide into 4 portions and pour into tortillas, garnish with lettuce and cilantro. Nutritional analysis per serving: 356 calories, 6 g fat, 22 g protein, 66 g carbohydrate (46 g available carbohydrate), 20 g fibre, 483 mg sodium My Viva Servings: 3 grain, 2 protein, 1 vegetable, 0 fruit, 0 fat, 0 dairy For more great recipes, visit
Spicy Tuna Wrap 2 servings 1 can solid white tuna in water, drained ½ avocado 1 Tbsp. hot sauce, such as sriracha 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 Tbsp. red onion 1 green onion 1 cup greens mix 1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchstick shape 2 whole wheat tortillas Combine tuna, hot sauce, mustard, lemon juice, red onion, and green onion in a bowl and mix well. Lay out two tortillas. Place half of the tuna mixture, as well half of the lettuce, carrots and avocado that you have prepared, in each tortilla. Wrap tight. Nutritional analysis per serving: 332 calories, 10 g fat, 23 g protein, 41 g carbohydrate (32 g available carbohydrate), 9 g fibre, 556 mg sodium My Viva Servings: 2 grain, 3 protein, 2 vegetable, 0 fruit, 1 fat, 0 dairy For more great recipes, visit
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps 4 servings 1 tsp. canola oil 1 lb. ground chicken 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup carrots, peeled and grated ¼ cup green onion, chopped 2 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. ginger 1 Tbsp. lime juice 3 cups ice burg lettuce, kept whole 1 cup purple cabbage, sliced thin ⅓ cup peanuts, crushed Heat oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add garlic, carrots, green onion, soy sauce, ginger, and lime juice. Cook for 5 minutes. Spoon 1 2 Tbsp. of frying pan mixture into each lettuce cup. Top with peanuts and cabbage. Nutritional analysis per serving: 320 calories, 19 g fat, 31 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate (5 g available carbohydrate), 3 g fibre, 396 mg sodium My Viva Servings: 0 grain, 4 protein, 2 vegetable, 0 fruit, 1 fat, 0 dairy For more great recipes, visit
Turkey Chili 12 servings 1 tsp. canola oil 1 lb. ground turkey 1 cup onion, diced 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced 1 cup celery, diced 1 cup red peppers, diced 1 cup mushrooms, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp. chili powder 1 Tbsp. cumin 2 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. cayenne powder 1 can low-sodium diced tomato 1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed Heat oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Add turkey and onions. Cook until turkey is fully cooked through. Add carrots, celery, peppers, mushrooms, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and pepper. Allow to cook until vegetables begin to soften. Add the can of tomatoes, bring to a boil then reduce heat. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the black beans and cook for 2 more minutes. Nutritional analysis per serving: 166 calories, 5 g fat, 15 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate (10 g available carbohydrate), 6 g fibre, 95 mg sodium My Viva Servings: 0 grain, 2 protein, 2 vegetable, 0 fruit, 0 fat, 0 dairy For more great recipes, visit