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I always bring my lunch from home to work and I always have. Growing up, I brought my lunch to school pretty much every day, even when I was in college. I was never a fan of school cafeteria lunch so I grew accustomed to making and packing my lunch at home and bringing it along with me. Buying lunch, especially in NYC, gets expensive and I rather save the money I would have spent on lunch and put it toward something else. However, making lunch for each day requires a tiny bit of effort, but I promise anyone can do it. Here’s a lazy girl’s guide to bringing lunch to work!
First things first, buy yourself a lunch box. This way all your food is in one bag and if something spills/leaks it won’t ruin all your stuff. Then buy the appropriate containers and Tupperware. There are containers these days to hold everything from soup to salad dressing to cereal. You definitely don’t want your handcrafted lunch getting smushed on your way to work!
1. Prepare. Preparation is key if you want to bring your lunch every day. Think about what you want for the week, make a list and go food shopping over the weekend. Prepare any foods that you can Sunday night so you don’t have to do as much when you get home from work each night. For instance, if you want veggies and hummus, wash and cut up the vegetables then pack them in a snack bag or container.
2. Make foods in bulk. Okay, don’t make too much food but make enough so you can eat it two or three times but only have to prepare it once. Foods like chicken/tuna salad, chili, soups, etc. can all last for a few days in the fridge so make on batch and separate them into containers for each day.
3. Buy some mason jars. Mason jars can be used to hold a bunch of lunch options. If you’re a salad lover, store your salad in a mason jar, layering your ingredients on top of each other leaving the dressing on the side. When you’re ready to eat it shake it all out into a bowl and enjoy!
4. Stock up of frozen meals. When you’re in a rush or don’t have leftovers to whip something up, use a frozen meal as a backup plan. They are super quick and ready to grab on-the-go.
5. Use your resources. When you have downtime, search for new recipes that are easy to prepare and can last in the fridge for a few days. This way you’re not preparing meals every single day. Again, preparation is key!
It may take time to adjust to bringing your lunch, but you’ll get the hang of it. Plus, you can treat yourself once a week or once a month to a special lunch if you feel the need!
Don’t miss this easy recipe for coconut and chocolate pie and learn how to maximize your Chipotle burrito!
[Photo: Shutterstock]
