Tools of Simple Lunches
To-go containers
Leftovers
Non-cook options
Heated options
Prepared fresh food
Using the Tools
To-Go Containers
For those who must take their lunches or prepare them for others who take them to work or school, your choice of to-go containers can make lunch simple or complicated. Disposable, restaurant-style boxes are a good option if you find that your Tupperware never makes it home. Yes, it is more waste and more recycling, but if your plastic containers disappear you have to replace them. Better to replace paper than plastic.
A good thermos is indispensable for colder weather. Sandwich bags, zipper-type bags, paper lunch bags, plastic wrap, foil: there are endless options. The best way is to determine what type of lunches you will be making regularly, then stock up on containers that work for you. If you, your spouse, and/or your child will bring home reusable containers, they are best. If not, get something inexpensive and make of recycled materials if possible, and keep a good supply on hand.
Leftovers
You can provide almost every lunch from left-over dinner meals, if you so choose. Make more than is needed for dinner for your family, and go ahead and portion it out into the appropriate lunch container before dinner. Don’t feel that you have to wait until everyone has eaten and scrape up what is left. If you know you have more than enough, remove the part that will be someone’s lunch. We tend to eat as much as we see available: more if there is more, less if there is less. Help fight obesity and remove the lunch portion before it disappears at dinner!
Non-Cook Options
Especially in warm weather, the less time you have to spend heating up the kitchen the better. Cheese and crackers , peanut butter sandwiches, deli meat tortilla wraps, tuna salad in pita bread, and other quick, easy lunches require no heating and minimal preparation. You do not have to have endless options here, either. Just a couple of non-cook lunch items combined with some fresh fruit will be plenty.
Heated Options
In cold weather, it is nice to have something warm and a bit more substantial for the midday meal. To avoid having to cook every day for lunch, think ahead and make a bigger batch that can serve you through the week. A big pot of soup, cooked on Monday, can provide lunches through Friday. Bake five large potatoes on Monday and eat one every day for lunch; you can use different toppings every day, if you want more variety. Or you could choose one day out of the week when you will cook lunch. Make quesadillas and eat them fresh, but be sure to make extra and reheat them for the next couple of days.
You can also use your slow cooker for lunch. Put in thinner cuts of meat, beans, and vegetables in the morning and let cook on high for a few hours until lunchtime. Add some rice if you want, or scoop out and serve on tortillas. This method also allows you to really be on top of things for supper; be sure you’ve put enough in the slow cooker for both meals, and then turn it on again in time to be hot for the dinner hour.
Prepared Fresh Food
A good variety of fresh fruit requires very little preparation and makes lunch healthier. Fresh vegetables, already washed and peeled or otherwise prepared, can be served on the side of a cup of soup or with tuna salad or any other quick lunch option. If you have these things all ready to put on the plate, you’ve saved yourself more time to sit and eat and get back to whatever you were doing. This is also helpful when you have young children who understand hunger only as a very immediate need. Give them some carrot sticks or a handful of grapes to munch on while you finish putting together sandwiches.
The best thing you can do for lunch is plan ahead, even if it is only at breakfast of the same day. If you do need to have lunches packed to take away, your mornings will be far less stressful if you complete this task the night before. While you’re packing the lunches of those leaving the house, go ahead and do a little preparation for those eating at home. Why prepare twice when you can have everything finished?