This sweet potato, chickpea, and baby spinach lunch box is an easy meal designed for packing ahead. It works well for work lunches, outings, or days when you need something ready to grab. The ingredients keep their texture once cooled, which makes the dish easy to store and transport. It’s naturally gluten-free and doesn’t rely on anything delicate or hard to pack.

Roasted sweet potatoes bring warmth and natural sweetness. They’re rich in fiber, vitamin A, and antioxidants, which makes them a good base for a filling meal. Chickpeas add plant protein and help keep you full for longer. They also bring iron and slow-digesting carbohydrates. Quinoa rounds things out with extra protein and minerals like magnesium, while staying light and fluffy. Baby spinach adds freshness and provides vitamins like folate and vitamin C.

This lunch box works well when assembled ahead of time. Pack it into containers and add dressing just before eating. Enjoy cold or at room temperature.

Prep your chickpea and baby spinach lunch box

Roasted sweet potatoes, chickpeas, quinoa, and baby spinach make this an easy, gluten-free lunch box that holds up well once packed. It’s high in fiber and plant protein and works well for work lunches, outings, or make-ahead meals enjoyed cold or at room temperature.

sweet potato, chickpea and baby spinach lunch box

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Duration1 20

Cook Time1

Prep Time20

Servings

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes peeled and diced
2 shallots peeled and roughly chopped
1 sprig of rosemary or thyme
Pinch of salt
tbsp olive oil
1 tin chickpeas
4 tbsp whole nuts
2 tbsp maple syrup
Cooked quinoa
Baby spinach leaves
Dressing of your choice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Spread the sweet potatoes on a large baking tray along with the shallots and herbs. Drizzle with olive oil, lightly season with salt, and toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes.
Add the chickpeas to the tray and toss everything together. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
Mix the nuts with the maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Add them to the tray, stir, and roast for a further 5 minutes.
Serve the roasted mixture with the cooked quinoa, baby spinach leaves, and a dressing of your choice.

This recipe comes from the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission (NCSC).