My lunch philosophy is two-fold. Stylishly toting food to work makes sense from a nutritional and financial perspective. Each day I load up a large plastic container with lettuce, topping and a protein. I add a jar or two of beverage, a granola bar or piece of fruit. Lunch is the optimal opportunity to fit in my five servings of fruit and veggies.
Frugal folks who bag lunch save money and time. The priciest component of my lunch is the assortment of pre-cut/pre-washed toppings. Sugar snap peas, rainbow slaw, bagged salad -- convenience means easy assembly. Anything that makes it easier to pack a nutritious lunch is worth spending a little more on. If you're the type who wishes they had more time to make a healthy lunch, just pick up your produce already bagged and toss it all together. Salad dressing can be packed separately and it will be fresh and crunchy at noon.
And if you're still not tempted, consider adding a stylish lunch tote to your work wardrobe. Now's the time of year to get marked down back-to-school stock, which is how this bag made it home with me. There's more to an attractive lunch than just fresh ingredients!
My trick is to prep the containers the night before, after clearing the supper dishes. In the morning, I just grab and go.
ReplyDeleteThat is always my goal! Most of the time I stick to it...
DeleteI worked a 2-10pm schedule for 16 years, and I very quickly grew weary of never getting to eat a real dinner. My solution was to batch cook and freeze meal sized portions in Pyrex containers. By the time dinner rolled around my solid block of frozen dinner was thawed but still cool, so I could easily nuke it. Saved a TON of money over my coworkers who ate out all the time - plus, I ate much healthier meals than I otherwise would have.
ReplyDeleteI am working 9-5PM now so I have more time in the morning but just picked up to implementations in Washington State. So I might adjust my hours to 10 -7, in which case, I'll be packing dinner too!
DeleteI have avoided anything I need to heat but soup season is approaching!
I'll take the pink one, please.
ReplyDeleteIt was too bad that the pink one was so flimsy! I think the newer bag will last a lot longer. But I do love pink...
DeleteI figure it is cheaper to wash my own lettuce and fix the carrots and other veggies. But, will I? So, bagged greens it is for me.
ReplyDeleteFor three months on one job, I ate the same thing every single day. I grocery shopped on Saturday and did the laundry. On Sunday I made beef vegetable soup and filled five Tupperware cereal bowls with tops. I took a sandwich, apple, banana, coke, water and something sweet. I never varied in my diet except on Saturday. It was relaxing to just grab it all in the morning and not think about what to fix. I even lost 25 lbs without thinking about it. Some days, I had to work late, so I had food. I forgot...I made a sandwich for breakfast and ate on the way. It was over an hour to work, so I munched my way there.
I had a black cube type lunchbox with a hard plastic liner and loved it. I either need to wash it well or replace it.
I am eating salad so much so at lunch that I'm kind of saladed-out at dinner. This week, I made a chili/soup for a change. Boy do I wish I'd drop a few pounds but so far, it ain't happening!
DeleteI used to be more cost-conscious but like you, realized I needed the convenience to make it happen -- and not waste!