Dahlia Breeze

If you have resolved to eat healthier this year, one step you can take to meet that goal is packing, instead of buying, your lunch. Here are a few tips to put your health (and budget) in your own control by taking your lunch and snacks with you.

1. Buy an insulated bag – it will keep your lunch cooler and you won’t be throwing out paper bags every day.
2. Buy snacks. When you grocery shop, think lunches and leftovers. All of those prepackaged snacks are fine, but you can also just buy Ziplocs or small Tupperware containers and make your own snack packs, which is cheaper and gives you more control over your portion sizes . Wash and cut produce ahead of time, then place in containers or baggies so that you can just grab and go. A few good snack ideas: pretzels, dried fruit, nuts, cheese and crackers, yogurt, granola, and fresh fruits and veggies. Meal replacement bars like Luna and Balance are good, I always cut mine in half, since a whole bar is a lot of calories for a snack.
3. Take leftovers. When you are done cooking dinner, put your leftovers in a small container right away (if you don’t have any leftovers, consider doubling your recipe). If you don’t like leftovers, buy some frozen dinners, bread and lunchmeat for sandwiches, pita bread and hummus, or salad and cooked chicken. If you run out of ideas, think about what you would order in a restaurant and try to duplicate it in a healthier, smaller portion way. For example, if you love pizza, buy a mini dough and load it with veggies and a little bit of cheese (the good stuff, not the non-fat spongy stuff!)
4. Pack your lunch the night before. If you wait until the morning, you run out of time and then you are back to buying lunch and scrounging for vending machine quarters.

Is going to lunch with coworkers a social expectation? Suggest a walk or a meeting over coffee instead. Or meet in a park with your packed lunches. It’s not about the food, it’s about the company. And if they are going to be weird and judgmental about your lunch, who needs them right? I mean, are we in 5th grade?

You will be amazed how much money and calories you will save with a little bit of planning, and I personally find I am much more efficient at work when I am not thinking about where to go for lunch and what to get out of the vending machine.

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