Healthy Scandinavian Lunch Meal Prep. An easy and tasty solution for a healthy new year. Salmon salad is served with nutritious crackers and veggie sides. Prepare lunches for the whole week without the guilt.

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I don’t know about you but I am overdue for a nutritious re-boot. The holiday snackage in the break rooms at our hospital is insane. Holiday love from our hospital friends has been super sweet and super sweet. I am ready for some meal planning as a defensive move and get back on track. Are you with me?
What is meal prep?
Meal prep can be any method that makes eating meals easy. The premise is that you work ahead of time to make eating or cooking meals later, much easier and faster. This is super important if you are planning your weeknight dinners or work lunches.
One simple method I have used in the past includes boiling boneless, skinless chicken ahead of time and keeping it in the fridge. Then during the week I would use it to make salads, sandwiches, soup, quesadillas, tacos etc. This is really handy and you will eat healthier than stopping for fast food or take-out on the way home from a hectic work day.
Today I am sharing with you one of my favorite meal preps for lunch. This meal prep is inspired by a recent binge watching of New Scandinavian Cooking on PBS. Have you seen this show? Who is your favorite chef? So far Andreas Viestad is my favorite with Tina Nordstrom a close second.
Andreas was making me hungry with his many seafood dishes and then meal prep was on my mind, because you know, holiday binge eating snacking and such things of that nature were happening. So this Scandinavian-healthy-meal-prep -for-lunch-thing was born. I really need this in my life right now.
Scandinavian Meal Prep
This plan is for lunches all week. What makes this plan unique is that the sides are changed up a bit with some easy, traditional alternatives that add variety to your weekday lunches. Unlike most meal plans, you won’t be eating exactly the same items each day which will prevent Leftover Syndrome. Don’t let this happen to you. Symptoms include good intentions followed by shoving storing Thursday and Fridays lunch in the back of the fridge, where it will be ‘forgotten’ and a quick pizza delivery suddenly happens during a busy workday because you ‘deserve it’. This is finished up by a round of guilt and a repeating of symptoms the following week.
The Plan
A simple and easy salmon salad is made with canned salmon and a few staples you may already have in your fridge. This is quickly mixed up in a medium bowl.
Next, potatoes are chopped and boiled until fork tender, drained and mixed in a another bowl with just a few ingredients you probably already have. This makes a tasty, traditional Scandinavian potato salad.
A robust cheese is sliced and quick pickles are made from cucumbers and beets. For an even quicker prep, buy jarred pickles of different varieties. I like a garden variety which usually include gherkins, carrots and bell peppers. Cauliflower or beets are also AMAZING.
Assemble five different meal prep containers with a serving of salmon salad, crackers, cheese and your choice of pickles or potato salad. Fresh fruit or canned mandarin oranges are a great touch too and if you switch these out, you have even more variety.
What to buy for this meal prep
- 15 oz canned salmon
- 2 large waxy potatoes or red potatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 can of cooked beets, either sliced or julienned.
- A wedge of your favorite cheese. I like Dunmore by Kerrygold.
- Wasa crackers, melba toasts go well too or Triscuits.
- 1 lemon
- red onion
- A jar of pickled vegetables, or you can make your own.
- 1 apple
- 2 cans of mandarin oranges slices
You will also need these staples:
- mustard, either plain, brown or dijon
- vinegar, preferably apple cider vinegar
- dill, dried is OK
- salt
- star anise or cloves
- mayo
Meal Prep Containers
Pro Tips for successful meal prep
Variety is key. We eat with our eyes too so be sure to change out the sides so you don’t get meal prep fatigue. Substitutions should be healthy also. Change up your lunch plan every week.
Plan ahead. It’s easier to prep this on Sunday or the night before work instead of workday mornings.
Benefits of Scandinavian Meal Prep lunches
This plan is based on the Nordic diet which is full of lean, healthy foods such as veggies and fish. Eating this type of food may result in weight loss and feeling more alert as compared to eating take-out, fast food or in the cafeteria everyday.
By using canned salmon, a few shelf items and some produce, you can save money with your lunches as well as a lot of time not cooking.
You can save time in the mornings by having your lunches ready to go the night before.
Good luck on all of your resolutions, may your future be healthy, happy and bright!
Bon Appetit!













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Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade says
I love these containers, to keep everything separate and fresh! I’ve never used canned salmon, but I love canned tuna and could definitely substitute
Stacey says
I love all the tips, and that Salmon Salad has my name all over, love it!
Tina says
Thanks Stacey, I’m a salmon fan too!
Kate says
Yum! I love meal prepping, too. I always pack my husband a lunch for work!
Tina says
He’s a lucky man Kate, and probably much healthier because of your home-packed lunches:)
Helene says
Nordic diet? That sounds very interesting. I need to start a lunch meal prep, I feel famished and lost deeply in my work during the day and that’s obviously not good. We don’t get salmon that easily here and if we do it’s expensive, so I will try to use something else which can be found fresh here.
Tina says
Maybe you can find canned salmon, that’s what I used here. Good luck Helene!
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
I’ve seen so many meal prep posts, but this one is truly different! What a fun, healthy meal!
Tina says
Thanks Ashley! Happy New Year:)
Sharon Glascoe says
I’m always looking for new and exciting ways to brighten up my lunchtime routine. Can’t wait to try this.
Elaine @ Dishes Delish says
This is fun! I certainly need to eat more healthy after the new year! But not before! 😉 It will be fun to try your recipe then!!
Ben Myhre says
I love the idea of meal prep, but I never really get around to doing it.
Dominique | Perchance to Cook says
I love ALL of these ideas. I just went to Sweden this past summer and this post is officially making me miss it.
Tina says
Happy traveling Dominique, so glad to hear you went to Sweden. I would love to go, how was the food?
Jenni LeBaron says
These are so fun! I love that you’ve added ample pickled veg and cheese.
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says
We love to meal prep for the week! Usually we start on a Saturday after a trip to the Farmers Market. The Scandinavian diet is awesome, so healthy, nutritious, but also tasty, and those containers are perfect for a varied meal!
Tina says
Farmers markets sound lovely, I miss the ones in Austin, they were so big. Those containers you can find almost anywhere, I use them a lot.
Alicia Taylor says
That sounds like how I eat every day – fish and veggies. I haven’t ever tried canned salmon, but I like the idea that it saves on cooking time. I’ll see if I can find any good wild caught varieties.
Ayngelina says
This came at the PERFECT time, I was just thinking about how my holiday snacking is way out of control and I needed a strategy to get through the next couple weeks. Thank you SO much!
Cheapskate Cook says
Really like this. You broke it down into steps, and grocery lists, and most meal prep plans I see are kinda light on the flavor and heavy on the dry veggie – this looks so flavorful and still fresh. Pinning.
Monica | Nourish & Fete says
I would absolutely love to have all this tidily packed and ready to go for the week – it looks so tasty and healthy!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Meal prep is the best, especially for busy weeks, especially this time of year. Looks delicious!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
I’ve been trying to get better at meal prep, because it’s so convenient having healthy options in the fridge throughout the week! This looks great!
Silvia says
So many great tips and tricks. Very informative. Love this post. 5 stars from me.
Tina says
Thanks Silvia, enjoy these tips and Happy New Year!
Cricket Plunkett says
These look like such tasty lunches, I love the idea of changing them up a bit each day!
Tina says
Thanks! I don’t like eating the exact same thing everyday but I do love that salmon salad.
Lisa says
I love those handy little containers, fabulous for making lunches ahead of time and keeping everything separate. I need to start planning my weekly meals like you’ve suggested.
Laura says
great idea to make prep lunches Scandinavian style. I would do with some good fish either salmon or tuna. I also love those Scandinavian crackers
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
I really need to do more meal prep, I’m always scrounging around the kitchen for a bite to eat, and I’m totally inspired by Scandinavian food these days, thanks!
Tina says
Me too Sue, I am really enjoy that Scandinavian Cooking Show, very inspirational.