One of the first suggestions that many get when looking to better their lifestyle is to choose to eat home-cooked meals. This can often be a difficult change in some people’s lives, especially if they have gotten used to eating out. Lunch especially is a problem area for many, since people are usually out of the house during this time and find it more convenient to just buy food. Packing lunches for your day may seem daunting at first, but there are a bunch of tips that you can follow to help make the process that much easier.
1. Make a big dinner
A lot of people hate the idea of waking up early just to cook for lunch later on. Beat this annoyance by making enough dinner the night before to last till lunch the next day. This will give you much more free time the following day and will allow you to not stress about what you’ll be having for lunch. You can make this process even easier by putting the leftovers the night before in a container for lunch right after you’re done eating. You’ll just have to grab the container and go the next morning.
2. Meal Prep
Make use of your Sundays to meal prep for the rest of the week. Meal prepping involves making batch meals in advance in order to avoid cooking multiple times throughout your week. There are many ways that you can choose to meal prep. Take some time to research what options may be most beneficial for you and how you can get starting on implementing them. You can read more here about how meal prepping will save you money, and about how meal prepping is beneficial.
3. Don’t waste time on foods you don’t enjoy
Nothing will make you hate your mindful living process more than forcing yourself to eat foods you don’t like. There will always be healthy foods/recipes out there that you will enjoy. Make sure to bookmark these recipes and use them for your lunches. Adding a variety to your meals can also keep you motivated in packing your own lunches.
4. Plan the night before
While in a rush to get out of the house in the morning, you may make a quick decision to pack something that isn’t healthy or to even opt to buy lunch from outside. To avoid this, planning is key. Even if you don’t go as far as to pack your entire lunch the night before, writing down what you’d like for lunch the next day can be beneficial.
5. Buy in bulk
There are a few food items that you will consistently use in your packed lunches. These are items such as meat, lettuce, eggs, or other veggies. Stocking up on these makes it easier for you to have healthy options always at hand.
6. Repurpose your leftovers
If you don’t want to simply take your same-old leftover for lunch, there is a lot you can do to jazz them up. You can add new ingredients or even use the leftovers in a new recipe.
Works Cited:
Durand, F. (2014, August 29). 16 Smart Tips for Packing a Healthier Lunch. Retrieved from Kitchn: https://www.thekitchn.com/16-tips-for-eating-a-healthier-lunch-reader-intelligence-report-207655
Kohll, A. (2015, December 27). How to Pack a Healthy Lunch for Work. Retrieved from Huffpost: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-pack-a-healthy-lunch-for-work_b_8839046