For years lunch was easy, and then you started working 9-5.

In elementary school and high school your parents or friend’s parents typically fed you.  For many, there was a nice sandwich or leftovers waiting in that lunch box or a lunch lady to serve you whatever had been cooked up in the school cafeteria.  In college there was the dining hall, which offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner to those with a meal plan.  Then you graduated and hopefully got a job or went to grad school, and suddenly packing or planning lunch was another task to add to your endless to-do list.  Many people I speak with cite lunch as a primary barrier to their healthy eating goals.

For some, buying lunch daily is the solution to the daily lunch dilemma, but this is not always the best solution for those of us on a tighter budget.  Packing lunch tends to be a cheaper and healthier option, but it does take a little bit of planning. Although packing a tasty sandwich is great once in a while, I prefer packing a combination of veggies, protein, and grains to keep me fueled throughout the day.

These stuffed bell peppers make the perfect work day lunch, because they are easy to pack, filling, healthy, won’t spoil (if left out of the fridge for a couple of hours), and are super tasty!

I chose to stuff these peppers with tofu, couscous, and spinach, because I was too exhausted to grocery shop after work and I had these ingredients available in my pantry/fridge.  You are welcome to alter the recipe to whatever you have available in your fridge/pantry.

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Couscous, Tofu and Spinach

Ingredients

• 5 bell peppers
• 1 cup couscous
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable broth if you’re veg)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 3 cups spinach
• 1 package firm tofu
• 1/4 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese (optional)
• fresh coriander or parsley

Directions

Preheat your oven to 415 F

Remove the tops of your peppers.  Clean out seeds and white innards.  Place peppers upright in a large glass pan

In a pot cook your couscous.  Place couscous, stock, and 1 tsp salt in pot.  Bring to a boil then remove from heat, cover, and allow to stand for 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork.

While you’re waiting on the couscous, dice onion.  In a large pan, place onion, olive oil, and other teaspoon salt.  Cook over medium heat until onions are soft and fragrant.  Add tofu and spinach.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes until spinach is just wilted.

Toss tofu spinach stir fry with couscous.

Fill your empty bell peppers with the tofu spinach couscous combo and top with cheddar cheese (optional).

Cover pan with foil and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until peppers are cooked and slightly charred.

Serve topped with some fresh parsley and fresh ground pepper.  Transport to work in a tupperware or a large mason jar.