Simple Packed Lunch Idea - Quinoa with Chicken, Cherry Tomatoes, and Pesto

I'm still trying to maintain a balance between the busy school schedule and a healthy diet.  Since school has started a week ago, I realized that eating out may not be a good option if I want to maintain the healthy lifestyle I had during the summer (I tried to do as much home cooking as possible so I can control the ingredients of my meals and cutting out any sort of sugary food and any kind of salt as much as possible, although I still allowed myself 1-2 cheat meal(s) per week.). So whenever I have time, most likely after a workout at night or on weekends, I will try to squeeze in between the time to prepare lunch for the next day.  So here's a delicious and healthy packed lunch recipe that won't leave your stomach feeling empty for your busy daily schedule!

Ingredients (Serve 1)

• 100 ml of quinoa
• 6 cherry tomatoes (add more for your liking)
• 2 chicken fillets
• 1 glove of garlic
• A handful of sundried tomatoes
• 1- 1.5 tbsp. of pesto sauce
• A handful of basil leaves

Directions

1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions and set aside.  (For directions on how to cook quinoa, click here.)

2. Chop the garlic and dice the cherry tomatoes and chicken fillets.

3. Turn the stove to medium heat and heat the saucepan with olive oil.  Once heated, throw in the garlic until they turn golden brown.  Put in the diced chicken, tomatoes and sundried tomatoes.  Stir-fry everything together until they are cooked.

4.  Turn the stove to low heat and put in the cooked quinoa.  Stir in the pesto sauce and stir-fry for about 1-2 minutes. Once everything is cooked, put a few basil leaves on top for décor or to taste.

5.  It can be served immediately or just put in the fridge as your packed lunch for the next day.

This definitely adds another healthy salad option to your lunch!

Enjoy :)

Natalie