What's for Lunch

Lunch this week is a protein rich cold salad.  I've been buying frozen Bird's Eye protein mix veggies.  These are not just veggies, there are lentils and beans in the mix too.  For this huge batch, I picked the Italian and California blends.  There was a partial bag of the Italian blend in the fridge from a prior batch of lunch food, so that got  mixed in with a can of white beans and some sauteed mushrooms that had to be used.

Also in the mix is a brick of feta cheese, six diced chicken thighs, oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh squeezed lemon juice.  The liquid from the sheet I baked the chicken on is in there for flavor as well.   Shopping at Price Rite, I'm getting these frozen veggies for two bucks a bag and they are worth it for the convenience.  I couldn't pull the selection of ingredients together from scratch on my own.  We'll eat this cold and it will serve us both for five lunches -- probably with some to spare.

Making a big batch like this keeps us on track.  We always have something healthy and filling for lunch.  Granted, this isn't low calorie, but it's healthier than a sub, pizza or wings.  One big bowl of lunch costs about as much to make as the weekly lunch I used to go out for with my work buddies on Fridays at my old job.

If it looks like there will be more than we need for the week towards the end of the week, I'll probably work it into a soup.  Not only am I cheap, I hate the thought of food waste because we live in a world of surplus and over-consumption.  There is no free lunch, but I'm OK with a frugal one!