Making Healthy, Work-Friendly Lunches

Breakfast: egg and smoked gouda on an English muffin
Lunch: homemade soup and cornbread
Snacks: yogurt with a banana and granola and a blueberry Nutri-Grain bar

I won’t lie.  Several years ago, I bought lunch out, rather often, when I was at work, because, at the time it felt convenient and easy. It didn’t help that I worked within walking distance of several restaurants, including a Chipotle, which I admit, I love. More often than not, I skipped breakfast, which is considered the most important meal of the day. One day I decided to calculate how much I spent on buying lunches, although I don’t remember the numbers, it was a lot. To save money, I have packed lunch (and many breakfasts) almost every day since. Money isn’t the only thing you save when packing lunch for work, you can also limit the amount of sugar, salt, fat, and calories you intake, and make healthier eating choices and habits. It’s also good for the environment because you can use reusable containers and silverware for lunch instead of Styrofoam boxes and disposable plastic ware. Like many night owls out there, my brain doesn’t work properly in the morning, so I tend to make and pack my breakfast and lunch the night before, so I can just grab it and go in the morning without having to get up earlier to prepare something. I also pack snacks for mid-morning and mid-afternoon so I don’t have to rely on junk foods.

Make a List. I am a list master! I make them for just about everything but none of them are as useful as the grocery list. Every week I draw up a list of what I need from the store for dinners and for lunches. I change it every week so nothing feels redundant and dull. Who wants to be bored with their food anyway? I often make my work lunches from scratch but I do keep a few frozen Lean Cuisines on hand and a few canned soups for lazy days. Although they may be low in calories, frozen dinners and canned soups will be higher in sodium. Something to also keep in mind is that Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice offer very few vegetarian options.

Preppy, Prep, Prep. I spend about 10 minutes, max, the night before making the next day’s breakfast and lunch, for work. It doesn’t have to be fancy- just something quick that you would enjoy. When you make dinner, make a little extra so you can bring leftovers for work the next day.

Breakfast. Breakfast is easy, you don’t need a lot of it, just enough to boost your metabolism, give you energy, and not leave you a zombie in the morning (or left feeling like you are starving to death before lunchtime). For breakfast try: cereal with a low fat milk, oatmeal with fresh strawberries or blueberries and a drizzle of honey, an egg on an English muffin, yogurt with fresh fruit and granola, half a grapefruit with lightly buttered toast, a large fruit salad, ½ a bagel with cream cheese, or an apple with a handful of cubed cheddar and almonds or walnuts. I tend to get to work about 15-20 minutes early so that gives me ample time to eat breakfast, grab a coffee and water, and relax before my day begins.

Lunch.  If having salad, change it up often. Don’t eat the same salad everyday for a month- you’ll get bored. There are endless possibilities on what can be added to one. One day have a salad with the norms cucumbers, leafy greens, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, etc. Another day, eat a salad with spinach, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and feta with a vinaigrette. Beans and/or a diced hard-boiled egg are a great source of protein for salads and also make you feel full. Again, leftovers are a great option here. Make a batch of homemade soup and bring some to work over a period of a few days. Make veggie wraps or sandwiches, quesadillas with salsa, or couscous salads. On the side: have fresh fruits and/or veggies (hummus is a great dip for veggies), sautéed veggies with herbs, or applesauce.

Snacks. I love me some snacks! I have a drawer full of them at work. Some healthful snacks include: fresh fruit and veggies, a handful of nuts, an English muffin with peanut butter, dried fruit and nut trail mix, a hard-boiled egg with salt and pepper, yogurt, cheese and low sodium crackers, apple slices with peanut butter, or apple chips.

Happy eating!