Were you one of those kids whose mom packed you a lunch in one of those old-fashioned lunchboxes with the matching metal thermos? And you went off to school with it bumping against your legs? If so, you can probably remember the enjoyment of opening your lunch box every day to see what she had made for you. Well, the great news is that packed lunches aren’t just for kids! They can be great for adults, too — for a whole variety of reasons.
Advantages of a Packed Lunch
Between school, work and daycare, the first few hours of the day can be pretty hectic. So why take the time out in the morning to pack a lunch?
To begin with, the best part of taking a packed lunch to work is that eating this way tends to save you a lot of money. As you probably know, going out to eat or living off of convenience food at the office can be expensive and really take a toll on your pocketbook.
Secondly, having a lunch already prepared can save you time. Depending on where you work, you might not always get a regular lunch hour. Bringing a premade lunch to work enables you to sit down to eat right away instead of wasting most of your lunch break actually getting the food.
And thirdly, if they are done right, packed lunches can also be incredibly good for you. You can incorporate healthy items like whole wheat products or fresh fruits and vegetables into your meal. Eating from home can limit your exposure to the trans fats, high fructose corn syrup and other unhealthy additives that are typical in a lot of restaurant and convenience food. Packed lunched, therefore, can be another way to keep fit and to follow a healthy diet.
What to Bring?
Be warned: once you get into the habit of packing your own lunches for work, you will probably not want to go back to fast food again!
However, it can take a long time to figure out things to pack that a) are not too expensive, b) do not take too much time to put together and c) can travel easily with you to work. To get you started, here are some basic ideas, taken from both international and American cuisine.
Traditional American. If you are wanting a more traditionally American lunch, why not try the basics: a ham or turkey and cheese sandwich with all the fixings, served with fresh fruit, potato salad and a jar of apple juice, with Vanilla wafers for a little treat afterwards? This menu is much healthier than eating out and might take you back to your school days as well!
Italian. Italian food can also make an easy but delicious lunch. Start with a cold pasta salad and add meat or seafood as well as vegetables (artichokes, cherry tomatoes, green onions, or black olives are all great in this). You can serve this along with olives or a store-bought marinated antipasti. Some Italian bread and a small jar of grape juice can really top this meal off.
French. For a little taste of Paris, why not bring some sliced French bread, a few wedges of Brie, either homemade or store-bought pate, and fresh fruit to work? A bottle of grape juice goes well with this combination. This is a bit more expensive than some of the other lunch ideas, but it is still far cheaper than going out to eat!
Middle Eastern. In the mood for something a little more exotic? If so, you can bring a Middle Eastern-style meal, including a whole wheat tortilla wrap with falafel and cucumber-yogurt sauce and serve it with carrot sticks and green onions and a hummus dip. Mint tea pairs wonderfully with these foods and this lunch in general is great for a hot summer’s day.
English. One of the most popular lunches in England – served in pubs all up and down the country – is the Ploughman’s Special, which consists of a large chunk of homemade bread, a chunk of Cheddar cheese and either pickles or chutney. This can be an especially good lunch if there is a bakery in your area that makes good-quality bread.
Chinese. If you are wanting a lighter lunch which still has a lot of flavor, think about bringing homemade egg drop soup to work (this can be made quickly and simply and there are many recipes on the Web for it) and pair it with a few eggrolls and some oolong tea? This makes a great lunch for a cold day especially!
Black Friday Special. One great way to start getting rid of those Thanksgiving leftovers is to bring a turkey sandwich (complete with stuffing) to work, along with leftover cranberry sauce and even a serving of next-day green-bean casserole! And pumpkin pie only gets better the next day!
Southern American. If you have access to a microwave at work and you are craving some good old-fashioned Southern cuisine, bring a pulled-pork barbeque sandwich to work, along with a side of coleslaw and, of course, a bottle of iced tea or cold lemonade. This is another lunch that is great for the summertime.
The possibilities of packed lunches are seemingly endless. While the ideas above can get you started in this direction, it is also something that you can experiment with to find what combinations work best for you. As you get more confident, you can gradually add new meal ideas to your lunchtime repertory. Whether you work on the road or in an office, bringing attractive and yummy lunches to work can help your pocketbook immensely. It can also save time on your lunch break and be an important part of an overall healthy lifestyle.
About the author: Brian Wu (@brianwwu) is an MD/PhD student and freelance writer. He is the founder of the Storybook Illustrated Guides, healing stories on medical topics. Learn more at brianwwu.com, where you can read the books he wrote that eventually became the Storybook Illustrated Guides.