Try Your Lunch In A Thermos On The Go

According to Ayurveda, lunch is the most important meal of the day. The pitta dosha (fire element), which governs the transformation of food into the tissues of the body, is at its highest level in the daytime from 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. Twelve noon is thus the best time to enjoy our main meal and maximize our ability to create optimal health, vitality and immunity. To avoid all the hassles of having to leave work and find an acceptable place to eat in a limited time, bring your lunch from home – in a thermos.

In addition to being economical, convenient, and much healthier than what is typically offered at most restaurants, the thermos lunch is an excellent opportunity to take a real break in our day to nurture ourselves at a deep level. This recipe is similar to my “Everyday Lunch,” [featured in the December/January issue of LA YOGA] but has been adapted for use by those on the go who wish to have a healthy, nourishing, balancing meal while at work or away from home.

Ayurveda recommends that our food be freshly prepared. It is considered fresh when consumed within three hours after being fully cooked. We are able to accomplish this with the following recipe as the ingredients are initially cooked for only a few minutes, and then continue the process of cooking slowly in the thermos over several hours.

After enjoying your thermos lunch, the ideal Ayurvedic practice is to remain seated for five to ten minutes to allow the digestive system to begin the process of transforming the meal into the numerous tissues of our body. If time allows, a short five to ten minute walk will further facilitate proper digestion and assimilation.

Thermos Considerations

For this recipe, I am using a 48-ounce (six cup) stainless steel wide mouth food thermos which will easily feed two people. If you are using a smaller size wide mouth food thermos, you will need to reduce the ingredients proportionately. A good quality stainless steel thermos will keep the food at a hot temperature for several hours or longer. When hot, you may need to pour your meal into a bowl and wait several minutes for it to cool enough to consume.

When pouring the mixture into the thermos, it needs to be soupy in consistency, as the grains and legumes will absorb water as they slowly cook. If you use a plastic thermos, it may lose heat too rapidly and not cook the meal thoroughly enough.

It is a bit of an art to measure just enough so that it completely fills the thermos without having too much or too little at the end. With a little practice you will easily perfect this.

Dr. Mark’s Thermos Lunch –

Winter Season

(Serves two to three people)

Ingredients

Note: Please use organic items when available; toxic chemicals damage prana (life-force).

• 1/4 cup legumes. Choose from the following: black beluga lentils, French lentils, red lentils, yellow split mung, or whole mung. (If using whole mung, soak overnight in pure water or cook alone for 15 minutes before adding grain.)
• 1/4 cup whole grains. Choose from the following: basmati rice, quinoa, amaranth or millet.
• Pure water. Use 2/3 to ¾ of the thermos’ capacity (more or less depending on the desired consistency).
• 3 – 4 cups chopped vegetables. Any combination of the following: zucchini, yellow or summer squash, opo squash, green beans, carrots, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels’ sprouts, cabbage, snow peas, Chinese peas, kale, Swiss chard, daikon radish, yams, sweet potatoes or okra.
• 2 – 3 cups green leafy vegetables (soft and easy to cook varieties). Chop into small pieces any combination of the following: spinach, lettuce, beet greens, daikon greens, arugula, endive, dandelion, cilantro, or other greens.
• ½ inch fresh ginger root chopped into small pieces.
• 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil.
• 6 ounces fresh paneer (optional) cut into one inch squares.
• 1 tsp Soma salt or Himalayan rock salt.
• 1 tsp kalonji (black cumin).
• 6 whole fresh curry leaves.
• 1/3 cup raisins (optional).
• 1/3 cup raw cashews (optional).
• 2-3 tsp SVA seasonal spice blend*.

Preparation

Place the legumes and grain into a large pot and rinse with cold water three times and drain. Add water and ginger root and bring to a boil for two to three minutes. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low, and add cut vegetables, paneer, raisins, cashews, spice blend, kalonji, curry leaves and oil or ghee. Cover and continue to cook for five minutes.

Note that cooking time will vary depending upon how soon the food will be eaten. If you plan to consume the meal in two to three hours, five minutes will suffice. If it will be four to five hours before you have lunch, then only two to three minutes will be required.

Then stir in salt and green leafy vegetables and immediately add the boiling mixture to your food thermos. (You can pre-heat the thermos by filling it with very hot tap water for several minutes before adding the mixture.)

Enjoy with a serving of chapattis or the bread/crackers of your choice.

*SVA Winter Spice Blend

(Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda)

Use organic ground fresh spices.

Mix the above ingredients in these proportions, preparing enough to last for a few weeks. Place in a sealed container and store in a cool, dark place.

Use one-half to one teaspoon per person of the pre-mixed blend in your favorite dishes, at least once a day. If you are unaccustomed to these spices, begin slowly starting with only 1/4 teaspoon per serving and gradually increase over several weeks or months.

Mark Vinick

Dr Mark Vinick is a Holistic Chiropractor and Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist in Redondo Beach, specializing in chronic, difficult to treat health conditions. He is board certified in the multi-disciplinary specialties of pain management, anti-aging medicine and Ayurvedic medicine. He is a graduate of the California College of Ayurveda, a long-time student of Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, and a lifelong practitioner of Yoga and meditation. He can be reached at (310) 375 – 4325, or: DrMarkVinick.com