Brain Food: Easy Lunch Options for Law Students

Happy Labor Day! I wish I was on a beach, but I’m actually getting a head start on work. womp womp.

I was talking to a friend recently about all my missteps in law school and one of them (as I’ve mentioned before) is how bonkers my eating habits became. My school was located right near Michigan Ave, so it was full of so many dining options that it became easier to just purchase lunch rather than make something every day. Of course, I thought I was being smart by getting tuna sandwiches (brain food, right? lolol) completely ignoring the fact that it was laden with mayo, like wtf was I thinking.

But even if you’re not making dumb mistakes like me, the reality is that it’s hard to get all your readings done, and have spare time to make healthy food choices. I always see posts that “disprove” that fast food is cheaper than healthy food, but then I’m like HELLO–it’s not cost, it’s time! Who has the time?!

Well believe it or not, you can make the time to cook healthy food for yourself while in school (for the most part). It takes a little dedication and planning, but it’s not impossible. The key is opting for easy recipes that will still keep you nourished, but not pressed for time. And using easy ingredients that don’t require a lot of extra effort (like heating or cutting up).

I know it won’t be possible to always do this (I know it wasn’t for me), but it made such a difference in how I felt when I actually brought real food rather than fast food (or what others do, which is to skip meals).

Here are some quick options to try as the new semester begins:

One. Salad in Jars. This is so trendy, but it really works! Make a layered salad in a mason-like jar and add dressing when you’re ready to eat. My fave ingredients are chopped red pepper; queso fresco; baby spinach or baby kale; avocado; sunflower and pumpkin seeds (saltless). Add a packet of tuna when you’re ready to eat and it’s really filling and savory. But basically any salad works, just make sure you layer with the juicier items in the base.

Two. Turkey Wraps. I picked this up at a baseball game by watching an MLB wife–seriously! We scored really sweet seats and one of the player’s wife busted out her own snacks (which I totally get–she goes to all the games, is she really going to eat fries and nachos at every game?!). The wraps were so simple, but I had never thought of it: take three pieces of deli turkey and wrap each piece around provolone cheese. Ta-da! Have this along with some fresh veggies (like carrots; cucumbers; cherry tomatoes) and it’s pretty satisfying.

Three. Quinoa Bowls. This requires a little more prep work and you have to be ok with eating some generally warm food, cold. But quinoa bowls are super easy and allow for a good mixture of ingredients so you won’t get too tired of it. You start with quinoa as a base, then add your veggies, protein, and cheese (optional). Right now, my favorite is quinoa, black beans, sweet potatoes, queso fresco, and (because I have a lot of spare time, compared to a law student)–I sauté bell peppers & red onions and it’s amazing. I also add avocado, but that’s because I eat avocado like every day of my life.

Did you find it easy to take healthy lunches to school? If so, what were your go-to lunch options?