Dal with Roasted Cauliflower, Aloo Gobi, and Basmati RiceI’ve been meaning to write about packed lunches for months. Thankfully, Kris at Cheap Healthy Good has beaten me to it. In her One-Stop Shop for Work Lunch Ideas, Kris provides seven invaluable tips for brown-bagging it:
Plan ahead. This is where your grocery list comes in handy.
Prepare your food the night before.
No one wants to wake 20 minutes early so they can half-assedly slap a bologna sandwich together before the 8am train. Assembling an simple lunch in the evening will let you sleep longer AND increase the likelihood of a meal you’ll enjoy. If those nightly 10 minutes are too inconvenient, you can always …
Prepare your food in bulk. I’m a fan of freezing individual portions of dal, veggie chili, soup, and cornbread.
Don’t settle for sandwiches. Amen. Have I mentioned the joys of dal?
Use leftovers wisely. Hmm, dal anyone?
Pack snacks. I’m all over this: raw veggies, fruit, nuts, hummus, beans. And if you’re doing this to save money…
Avoid the 100-calorie packs, though, as they are the biggest ripoff, ever.
Invest in reusable lunchboxes and utensils. Good tupperware that does not leak is key. I’m sad to report that the Laptop Lunchbox, though cute, is a big sloppy mess if you pack anything liquid. Check out JustBento for an awesome supply of container ideas.
I can’t hold back – I’m a star when it comes to packed lunches. But I guess it depends on your perspective. I had one workmate who once looked at what I was eating and said, to no one in particular, “Huh, life of a vegetarian, I guess?” I think he was confused, but I was too happy in my bowl of chili to care. I hope you don’t mind me showing off a few of my favorite lunches from this past year:
Amaranthy/Quinoa Timbales with Green Salad, Roasted Veggies, and Shredded Beetroot, Pinenut and Cilantro Salad
Pasta Arrabiata with No Knead Bread, Cannelini Bean Puree, and Tomato, Rocket, Cucumber and Asparagus Salad
What are your favorite brown-bag lunches? Please share in the comments below!
One-Stop Shop for Work Lunch Ideas [Cheap Healthy Good]
I laughed out loud at your saying you were a star and then stating your officemates reaction.
I get that all the time.
funny how what WE love isnt always what others would.
and I KNOW it is true about the 100 cal packs but I still recommend then to clients whom I know wont portion snacks out themselves (almonds etc)
M.
MizFit, that’s a good point about the 100 cal things. I mean, you can’t put a price on good habits, right?
This is super cool. What a great collection of pictures and site links. I just started weight lifting, been vegetarian for 15 years. I eat 85% organic. I still have a hard time finding the energy to get my 3 hour workout. This is a great way to get some needed energy. Nice post 🙂