Top 5 Tips To Better Packed Lunches

Ever hid a sandwich behind your bed? I have. I never ate my lunch as a kid. By the time I got around to it my fruit was bruised, half peeled and all over my books and my sandwich was a squished up ball at the bottom of a bread bag. I’d toss the fruit at school but for some reason the sandwich would always end up under my bed.

Why am I sharing this face palm worthy piece of info with you? Whether you’ve done it yourself or your kids have brought home an untouched lunch, I can relate to the dreaded, soggy, squished lunch.

It’s time to say goodbye to sad, unfinished or unsatisfying and hello to a better with these lunch packing ideas that will help you make a lunch that offers the nutrition you’re looking for and the taste you want. One that’s packed up so nice it’s just as fresh at noon as it was at 7am. As originally posted on MyVega.com.

Stock Up

Put in some time to pick up adorable, colorful bento boxes, stackable, glass food storage containers and Mason Jars and save time later by taking your lunch on the go. Look for containers that are sealable as well as microwave and dishwasher safe for optimal convenience.

Prep Once, Eat Five Times

My go-to lunch transporter is Mason jars. Prep lunches for the week with one of these Mason jar ready recipes that can be divided into five jars.

Taco Salad in a Mason Jar
Upgrade your taco salad and enjoy taco Tuesday every day of the week. No need for a bowl, you can eat this one straight from the jar.

 

Give Your Sandwich a Makeover

You can make anything into a sandwich; the sandwich is the vessel that keeps everything together so it’s easy for transport and eating. No fuss, no muss, no mess.

 

Chickpea Falafel
Make these for dinner and enjoy the leftovers for lunch in a wrap.

 

Vegan Sushi
Handrolls are fun to make. Period. Once you make the rice all you have to do is load up on veggies (tofu optional), wrap, rock and roll.

 

Don’t Skip Your Snack

Prep your snacks ahead of time so you’re not reaching for a something from the bottom of your bag (what is that anyway?), coffee or something from the convenience store.

Fruit Leather
Get your fruit fix with added veggies. Make multiple batches and once and store them for up to one month so you always have snacks ready to roll (pun totally intended).

Chocolate Spicy Popcorn
Call it a snack, call it dessert, whatever you pick you’ll be calling up your popcorn maker again and again after trying this popcorn. Pop and portion this recipe into four so you have snacks for days.

Keep Your Cool

Keep your cool lunch cool with small, reusable ice packs that you can pick up at the grocery store, department store or even the dollar store. Take them out in the morning and freeze them again at night.

What’s your tip for packing the best lunch ever?