Pack your lunch like a pro

Pack your lunch like a pro

Packing a lunch daily can be tough, but a little bit of planning can go a long way. 

The first step to successfully packed meals is committing to a weekly grocery trip. Look ahead at your week’s schedule and write out what you plan to bring each day. Use this meal plan to help create your grocery list. Be sure to have good storage containers, a sizeable lunch box and freezer packs to spare.

You could bring different options each day, or for simplicity, you could prepare multiple portions of the same meal for the week. That’s meal prep! Feeling lazy? Peanut butter sandwiches and fruit it is! Another option is to plan to cook an extra portion at dinner each night for lunch the next day.

A little bit of planning and meal preparation will make for a less stressful week and a healthier you.

Food Safety Note: Food needs to be packed in an insulated lunchbox with a cooler pack to keep items cold for the duration of the day or kept in a refrigerator.

Day Meal 1 Meal 2 Snack
1 All-Day Energy Smoothie Bacon, lettuce, tomato wrap
-whole wheat wrap
-bacon
-Romaine leaf
-sliced tomato
-mayonnaise

Caprese Salad
-cherry tomatoes
-Mozzarella cheese (cut up a cheese stick)
-equal parts Olive oil and balsamic vinegar		 Melon,ham and Mozzarella (cut up a cheese stick) salad,
just eat with a fork!
2 Hardboiled egg, cheese cubes and grapes Pizza “lunchable”
-whole wheat pita
-jarred pizza sauce
-shredded Mozzarella cheese		 Roasted Chickpeas
3 Peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread Chicken Meatballs with marinara and a chopped salad
– meatball ingredients
-marinara sauce
-romaine, spinach or mixed greens
-toppings of your choice
-dressing (add at meal time)
 Lara Bar
4 Almondbutter and banana on a whole wheat wrap Quinoa Patties with fruit
-quinoa patty ingredients
-fruit of yourchoice		 Homemade trail mix
5 High Protein Bran Muffin Spicy Tuna Cakes on a whole wheat bun
-tuna cake ingredients (make ahead)
-mayonnaise
-whole wheat bun		 Peanut butter and whole wheat crackers

Need more ideas?

Breafasts:

  • Breakfast tacos, scrambled eggs, cheese and salsa on a tortilla
  • Avocado toast
  • Frozen Breakfast Burrito
  • Greek yogurt with fruit and granola (pre-mix to make it grab-and-go in the morning)
  • Oatmeal made with milk and flavored with peanut butter (or make-ahead oatmeal in the crockpot)

Lunches:

  • Pre-made black bean burger
  • Pesto pasta salad: Whole wheat rotini noodles and pesto
  • Chicken salad/tuna salad
  • Grilled chicken salad with tomatoes and sliced avocado (keep dressing at work so you don’t have to pack it)
  • Bean based soup

Snacks

  • Veggies, chips or pita and salsa, guacamole or hummus (look for individual packs at the grocery)
  • Veggies and Ranch dip
  • Plain Greek yogurt flavored with honey and cinnamon
  • Whole wheat crackers (like Triscuits) and cheese

Need recipes? Try these!