Diet Food

We've all been there, ten minutes to lunch time but you can't face another salad, what to do, what to do. The vending machine is looking mighty attractive right about now! If you've tried to use any of the recipes of the famous chef's on a daily basis, you'll notice they make cooking somewhat of a chore! It's taken a while to realise, but those recipes books are definitely for special occasions. Daily cooking is another skill altogether. Daily cooking requires re-usable ingredients, simple good tasting food-stuffs that store well and don't go bad. Years have been spent trying to fine tune the art of daily (healthy) cooking (and I'm still trying!). Here are my top five ingredients you need in your cupboard to be able to create a cheap healthy lunch every single day of the week.

#1 Chicken. This unassuming bird is top of the list, and for good reason. Protein is the basis of life, no seriously, it literally is. Your DNA is made of protein, your eyes, skin, hair and heart. Everything is made of, comes from or based on protein. Besides, chicken taste damn good! The best thing about this ingredient is that it can be added to anything; soups, wraps, sandwiches, curry, burgers, absolutely anything at all. However you want it to taste, just flavour it and its done!

#2 Eggs. No matter who you talk to, breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day. In fact, some of us could not function without a hot coffee and plenty of munch first thing in the morning. Eggs make sure we start the day on the right foot; plenty of protein and healthy fats. They are not second on the list for this reason though - eggs are also another super-versatile ingredient. You can add them to salads (if you want), curries, meat dishes, eat them boiled or however you like. You could even pickle them (yum!).

#3 Olive Oil. If there's one thing the Spaniards do well it's aging! Purported to be the reason for keeping them young, olive also happens to be a super-versatile ingredient. Whether you use it to cook or drizzle over foods it tastes great and packs a powerful antioxidant punch! This oil also provides plenty of unsaturated fats - the kind that will keep your skin young and your hormones healthy. Try and use extra-virgin olive oil wherever possible.

#4 Spice. Variety is the spice of life, and eating even marginally healthy food can be boring. Using herbs and spices however can make the difference between feeling like your eating cardboard and loving every bite. Not only do they taste great, herbs and spices are health promoting too! Cinnamon can be used to control blood sugar, basil for inflammation and cayenne for weight loss. Beef up your rack and get some spice back in your life!

#5 Fibre. I actually couldn't think of what to put for the fifth thing, and since I'd already decided on the title I simply had to have a fifth. I've listed fibre because it's important. You could eat oats, high-fibre breads, bagels or muffins. The fibre will help control sugar levels which will benefit everyone. It will also help keep you regular. It's not necessary to overload on fibre however, just make sure you get about 26g per day - that equates to 2 apples and a small bowl of oats. That's it, and your done.

So there you have it, the top five food-based ingredients for a cheap healthy lunch (well, according to me anyway!). You could also check out the 5 tips for a cheap healthy lunch.

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