Not only can eating out every day be pricey, but it can also really slam you with additional calories from saturated fats or sodium found in many restaurant items. So whether it’s because your pants are tight or your wallet is loose, it’s time to start packing!
Not only are the lunches below healthier options than restaurant orders or the office cafeteria, but they will also be much kinder to your wallet, all of them under $4.00 a serving (since each store has different brands and prices, this may vary slightly by region). With these quick fixes, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start packing sooner.
The Bento Box
The beauty of a bento box is personalization. With no set recipe for what goes in, the art of bento has gained a cult following. Websites [http://lunchinabox.net/] are even available with galleries chock full of inspirational pictures. They offer fun how-tos for each palate and even ways to create animal shapes with the food. To make your bento balanced, place 1 serving (1/2 C) of brown rice, 1 C of mixed vegetables (like summer squash and snap peas), and 3 ounces of lean protein, like chicken, artfully within each division. Try grated ginger with a teaspoon of soy sauce as a glaze for a zing of flavor.
$2.00 14 ounces of rice (9 servings per container)
$3.50 bunch of broccoli
$2.50 4 oz chicken
$1.00 5 oz soy sauce
vs.
$7.00 lunch entrée at a chain Chinese food restaurant
Taco Salad
I recently went to a great Mexican restaurant with my boss from my internship in DC. We had taco salads that made us feel like stuffed piñatas afterwards: portions were too big, and probably too expensive for what they actually were! By making your own taco salad you won’t be wasting food or over-paying. Use approximately two to three handfuls of spinach leaves or shredded romaine lettuce. Chop a small tomato, some black olives, and avocado and place over the bed of greens. Rinse ½ C black beans for a protein punch along with a sprinkle of cheese. To top it off, add a wedge of lime to brighten the salad and serve as a low cal dressing. Just remember, no Coronas during work!
$1.00 1 can of black beans (roughly 7 servings per container)
$1.00 1 avocado
$1.70 1 pound tomatoes
$4.00 large tub of baby spinach
$2.00 3.8 oz can of olives
$0.11 lime
vs.
$5.50 taco salad bowl from other restaurants
Hummus Dippers
Hummus with pita and veggie dippers is the ultimate energy booster, and the easiest lunch to pack. Pick up one of the many flavors of hummus from the grocery and portion out ½ C. If you want to get ahead for the rest of the week, divide the entire container into ½ C servings for grab-and-go each morning. Along with the hummus cut a small whole wheat pita into triangles and pair with a variety of vegetable dippers. Some great crisp options include carrots, red peppers, celery, grape tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, and green beans.
$1.30 bag of baby carrots
$1.30 cucumber
$3.50 bunch of broccoli
$4.00 10 oz hummus
vs.
$7.00 Hummus and veggie platter from other restaurants
Ultimate Sub
Take advantage of your food selection at home by crafting what you envision as the ultimate sandwich. Going to buy a sub at a shop on your lunch break can cost around $7.00 with fruit and a drink. Instead, use leftover meat from dinner the previous night to save yourself some cash. You’ll use up food you’ve already made before it goes bad, and save money by not buying lunch out. The beauty of this option is that you make the choices to create a ‘wich that uses what you have in the kitchen. Make a roast chicken sandwich or a chopped steak sub to get the leftovers out of the refrigerator. Artichokes in a jar from places like Costco give a great alternative flavor to mayo or mustard and work well when paired with chicken, lettuce, tomato, and peppers (yum!). At a loss for what to start with? Here are some things you may have that you may have never thought to add to bread before:
- Capers
- Peppers
- Brie
- Chopped walnuts (think chicken salad)
- Bananas (Elvis loved PB and Banana)
- Sriracha sauce
- Eggplant
- Hardboiled eggs
$3.00 1 loaf whole wheat bread
$4.00 9 oz turkey breast
$1.70 p/pound tomatoes
$3.00 1 bottle of honey mustard
vs.
$6.50 for a sub meal at a specialty sub shop
Parfaits
If you’re the type of girl who just doesn’t want something heavy mid-day, a parfait is your perfect option. Using yogurt, fruit, nuts, or granola, layer your options in a to-go container for a refreshing lunch. The yogurt fills some of your dairy needs for the day (hello strong bones!) while the nuts give you omega 3’s for a healthy heart. If you bought a parfait on the go, you may actually be getting more sugar in your mix. Restaurants tend to have more sugar, fat, and sodium in their offerings than foods prepared en casa. A parfait at a local coffee house can cost $4.00. At home it will cost you less than half of that per serving and you’ll have enough to make lunch for a few days!
$4.00 1 pint of blueberries
$2.00 pint of strawberries
$2.90 7 oz Greek Yogurt
$5.00 1 box Kashi granola
vs.
$4.00 in a sandwich shop
Dessert time!
After running all over the office, you deserve a treat. An easy thing to have on hand is individually wrapped dark chocolate squares. Dark chocolate is an antioxidant-packed option compared to milk chocolate. Since it is flavor-intense, you only need a small square to do the trick. If you’re not so much of a chocolate lover, try dried fruit. Sunsweet One’s are dried plums that are individually wrapped. A single serving (four of them) only rings up to 100 calories. Compare these grocery store savvy options to springing for a cupcake each day! One cupcake for $4 will buy you an entire bag of chocolates to keep you going for the rest of the month, and save you extra inches around the waist.
What’s In Your Lunchbox?
We asked five girls who are interning this summer what they bring to work each day.
Amanda First, Cornell, Intern at Harper’s Bazaar
(No lunch break)
Luna Bar
Total: $2.50
Megan Hess, Syracuse University, Intern at O, The Oprah Magazine
Pesto Chicken Genovese from Trader Joe’s
Extra snacks: apple and a 100-calorie pack of something
Total: $6.50
Annie Wang, Harvard, Intern at Harvard Psychology Lab:
PB&J sandwich on wheat bread
Bundle of grapes
Small block of cheese
Water crackers
Total: $2.00
Katie Crandell, James Madison University, Intern at DigitalMailer, Inc.
Sandwich (turkey or salami, cheese, lettuce, tomato)
Chips or pretzels
Fruit (grapes, strawberries, banana)
Baby carrots
A sweet treat to cheer me up!
Total: $6.00
Hannah Orenstein, Needham High School, Intern at Her Campus
Lean Cuisine
Chobani Yogurt
Or
Hummus and pita
Fruit
Leftover Dinner
Total: $5.00
A big deterrent to packing lunches can be difficulty in transport. As part of a very eco-conscious generation, I fully support the use of reusable containers, but this isn’t your mother’s Tupperware. This is sexy Tupperware. Here are some HC-approved containers you are sure to love, that just might give you that extra nudge to start packing (if you still need it!).
A stainless steel container is a great sleek look to toss in the office fridge. The plastic top allows you to write your initials in marker to keep hungry co-workers at bay. $17
Salad dressing will make your lettuce turn to mush by lunch. By separating the dressing in this mini squeeze bottle, you make the call when the two meet. $7
Colorful and self-contained areas bring easy wash Bento boxes Stateside. This gem does double duty to teach you portion control. Approx $30
Embrace summer and your inner girly girl, with the Mackenzie Lunch Bag from Pottery Barn. If you share my love of personalized stationary (and bags, and jewelry…) an extra $6 will have your name or initials stitched on the outside. $22
Being an intern can be rough! By packing your own lunch you get to treat yourself to your favorites at the right portion sizes and price. Every Sunday morning over breakfast, plan out what is going in your lunch bag each day that week. Take inventory of your kitchen and make a grocery list of what else you need. By taking ten minutes a week to plan, you’ll save yourself money and give your body what it deserves.
Sources
The Find, Food Prices