During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have explored new hobbies to make good use of their during quarantine. Over the past few months, there’s been a surge in people seeking to improve their culinary skills, whether that be by following a challenging new recipe or crafting one of their own for others to recreate. To many, cooking has become a therapeutic activity to help recenter focus and channel their creative outlets into the kitchen.

During this wave of at-home cooking, many have found an improvement in their mood and mental state from creating meals that are healthier than ones they’d typically order when out at a restaurant. According to a Harvard Medical School study, foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin B, and antioxidants can boost one’s cognitive ability, which is especially important in a time where technology is causing a major sensory overload. Since many virtual students struggle with staring at the computer for such long periods of time, there’s been a spike in the amount of students who cook their own meals during their lunch period. Many consider their lunch prep to be not only a respite from listening to lectures and studying, but also as an outlet to move away from the screen and refuel their body to help get through the day.

There are many recipes for fun, easy lunches, including sandwiches, salads, and much more. One healthy salad has steak, romaine lettuce, spinach, sliced carrots, rutabaga (a root vegetable), feta cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette. For this salad, you can prepare the steak over the weekend and store it in your refrigerator. Additionally, the protein on your salad doesn’t have to be steak— other alternatives include turkey, chicken, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, or even chickpeas. All of these options provide protein and can be prepared in advance.

Additionally, sandwiches can be an elementary and versatile lunch. Essentially, with a sandwich, one adds protein, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and sauce like mustard or mayonnaise. However, all of this is entirely customizable depending on your preferences and the availability of ingredients.

Finally, Pinterest has hundreds of readily available lunch recipes for you to use and enjoy. Whatever your food preferences are, preparing and eating a healthy lunch during your lunch period at home is an excellent opportunity to improve your day dramatically.