Lunch is both the easiest meal to plan ahead for and the hardest. So much will depend on how you approach lunch… Are you a grazer? Big luncher? Small luncher? Do you prefer a sandwich every day? Maybe a salad? Perhaps you just like to have leftovers! As you can see, so many options! Here are some of the ideas that I use to help make lunch an easier process… and to make sure I don’t just graze on junk food!
I tend to have weekly themes. Like I might do sandwiches for a week…. then salads the next week. Since I’ve been home a lot more, I am eating more leftovers for lunch. Whichever option it is, I try to plan lunch as part of my weekly meal planning.
Sandwiches: This is pretty straightforward — you can use leftover meat for this or you can purchase lunch meat. I always have tuna (canned) on hand — this is great if you forgot to plan ahead! If I am working outside the home, I will make my lunch the night before… no matter how well I plan to make it in the morning, mornings are tricky. If you are getting bored with what you are having (same old ham and cheese on white bread…) try mixing up the meat, cheese, or bread! You can also mix up the condiments (my favorite!) — try an aioli mayonnaise, try a dijon mustard, or add some horseradish or hot sauce! You can also add veggies – tomato, cucumber, lettuce, sprouts — if you will be bringing the sandwich to work, you may want to store the veggies separately so that they don’t make the sandwich soggy! You can also add pickles with the same caution.
Salads: There are so many ways to make a delicious salad…. and make it filling! My basic ‘diagram’ for for a salad is: greens (try to mix it up with some arugula or baby kale!), a protein (turkey, tuna, hard boiled eggs…), other veggies (cucumber, tomatoes, sprouts, carrots, celery…roasted squash), other fun stuff…. nuts (raw, salted/roasted, even candied), dried (or fresh!) fruit, crunchy items (croutons, toasted breadcrumbs, crunched up tortilla chips), cheese (freshly grated parmesan, blue cheese, shredded cheddar…) and of course, dressing (oil/vinegar, ranch, honey mustard…) What is your favorite salad combination? You can prepare salads ahead using the “jar salad method” — be sure to put the heaviest/wettest ingredients on the bottom… It can also be helpful to precut the toppings so that salads are easier to put together. Mixing up the toppings is an easy way to keep them fresh and fun!
Another option that I will use is a bento or protein box approach. This has so much flexibility, but the basics are to put together a bunch of random items that make up the lunch! I include jerky, cheese sticks (or baby bell cheese rounds), hard boiled eggs, nuts or dried beans, crackers, hummus or black bean dip…. plus veggies and/or fruit. When I am getting bored with lunch this is usually what I go to. It takes more effort to eat (I think) and makes me feel like I’m snacking 🙂 A lot of these items are great because they can be kept on hand for a last minute “throw together” lunch! They are also good if your work environment doesn’t always have a designated lunch time that allows you to sit for a longer period and enjoy.
I will also add in snacks (especially if packing for work…) I like to include a fruit, some chopped veggies (I usually include a ton because these are the go to low calorie option when I am bored and just want a snack…), and something crunchy/carby (this could be some chips, pretzels, nuts… whatever it is I make sure it’s only one serving!).
So, that’s my lunch plan… maybe not super novel. The most important thing is the include lunch in your meal planning and to prepare ahead (either on the weekend or at least the night before)….
What are your struggles with lunch? What are your favorite lunches?
xoxo, Gretchen