If you’re getting tired of eating the same boring foods for lunch every day or spending all of your money on Chipotle, you’ve clicked on the right article. We’ve been in quarantine for over ten months, and many people are experiencing a strange predicament; not knowing what food to make for lunch. This article is a guide to expanding your lunch palette. These recipes are all super-fast, most of them take under ten minutes to make. I’ve rated them all out of five stars based on your odds of making it to your next zoom class on time. 

Avocado Toast with Eggs

2/5 Not Late Stars

Although delicious, avocado toast at restaurants is often expensive, so why not save your ten bucks and make it at home? I’m ashamed to say I have been late to zoom classes as a consequence of making avocado toast with eggs, so giving it anything more than a 2/5 rating would be dishonest. I have not however, been late to class from making plain avocado toast. So If you choose to pass on the egg, the rating would go up to 5/5 stars. 

Ingredients:

-two slices of bread

-one avocado

-two eggs

-salt

-pepper

-½ a lime or lime juice

-honey or agave syrup 

1. Toast your slices of bread
2. In a bowl, smash avocado with a fork and mix in preferred amount of lime juice and honey as well as a dash of salt and pepper
3. Spread avocado mixture evenly on toast
4. Cook eggs in preferred style(many people like them scrambled, sunny side up, or over easy on their avocado toast) 
5. Put finished eggs on toast and enjoy

Twists on PB&J Sandwich

5/5 Not Late Stars

One really easy lunch idea that I often forget is an option is variations on the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Although peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were not allowed during in person school due to allergies, virtual school is a different story. I did not include a recipe for this one, instead here is a list of foods you can add to upgrade your pb&j. Probably the quickest lunch to make in this article, since making a pb&j has never made me late for class. 

Variation Toppings: 

-sliced strawberries

-banana and honey(or agave syrup)

-chocolate chips

-sliced apple

-blueberries 

-chocolate spread/fudge

Quesadilla 

1/5 Not Late Stars

Plain cheese quesadillas are extremely quick and delicious, but adding black beans, avocado, and cilantro adds more flavor and protein. This recipe takes approximately ten minutes to make, but would probably take too long to try and cook between classes.

Ingredients: 

-2 tortillas

-¼ cup black beans drained

-½ avocado 

-¾ cup cheddar or mozzarella cheese

-½ lime

-cilantro 

1. Smash avocado in a bowl with a fork 
2. Mix lime juice and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro to the avocado
3. Make sure to grease your pan with butter or oil 
4. Evenly spread cheese, avocado mixture, and beans between the two tortillas and cook until cheese is melted flipping over the quesadilla about a minute in
5. Cut into slices and enjoy

BBQ Nachos 

5/5 Not Late Stars

This last recipe is from Buzzfeed’s video “Seven Recipes you can Make in Five Minuets” and is a personal favorite of mine. You do have to plan ahead by buying the chicken but I think it pays off as you get many super quick and delicious lunches out of it.

Ingredients:

-1 cup of shredded rotisserie chicken 

-3 tablespoons of BBQ sauce 

-tortilla chips

-¼ a cup of salsa or pico de gallo 

-1 cup of preferred cheese (original recipe uses cheddar but you could also use mozzarella, pepper jack, ect.)

-guacamole(to serve, optional.)

-sour cream(to serve, optional.)

1. In a bowl, mix the chicken and BBQ sauce
2. Put tortilla chips on a microwave safe plate and spread the BBQ chicken on top
3. Spread the cheese and salsa evenly on top of that and microwave for about two minutes or until the cheese looks melted
4. Add guacamole and sour cream and enjoy!

Tasty/Buzzfeed BBQ Nachos Original Video & Recipe Link: https://tasty.co/recipe/microwave-4-minute-bbq-chicken-nachos