It was slim pickins for breakfast this morning. We are out of everything! 
But, being out of everything usually means that no food went to waste! 
Somehow, I managed to scavenge a healthy breakfast of oats, frozen berries, ground flaxseed meal, and a big ol’ scoop of Barney Butter. Fresh berries are always great to have on hand, especially for instances like this when you have no food!
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With a multi-vitamin and a fish oil supplement…
Lunch Preview
It was also slim pickins in the lunch department. For today’s lunch, I came up with a can of Organic Lentil Soup, some wrinkly grape tomatoes, an orange, and a Luna bar. Not a bad lunch, but I’ve had better. Personally, I’d much rather pack my own lunch than purchase it.
Bring Your Lunch
Bringing your lunch to work (or school) is an easy strategy to save money and cut calories from your diet.
Making meals at home gives you control over calories and fat as well as the quality and kind of ingredients that you use. It’s the little things that add up, like high calorie and fat condiments and cooking methods. For instance, a typical take-out sandwich can have as much as 200 calories worth of mayo on it (Shape, January 2009)! Yikes! Making your sandwich at home with light mayo or even a lower calorie condiment like mustard can cut 100-150 calories!
The money that you save on homemade lunches will also add up fast. “We spend about $6.50 a day on lunch,” says Harry Balzer, vice president of the NPD Group, a marketing research company. If you do the math, a daily $6.50 lunch means $130 per month and almost $1700 over the course of the year! Yowsahs! If you take your lunch to work a few times a week, both your figure and finances will thank you!
Tips for Homemade Lunches
- Bring leftovers from dinner for lunch. Pack them for lunch when you are cleaning-up from dinner.
- Make it a wrap! Use a whole wheat or other flavored wrap to make a veggie-packed sandwich for lunch. Wraps are easily transportable, and the add-in possibilities are endless!
- Plan ahead. On Sundays, I will chop-up carrot sticks or a big cantaloup, portion-out plastic baggies full of cereal, and plan potential meals and snacks for the upcoming week.
- Have the right gear. Buy some sturdy and travel-friendly containers as well as a cute lunch bag. The right lunchware makes life so much easier. Plus having nice things keeps me motivated to prepare nutritious lunches. My lunch tote is a simple one from Crate and Barrel.
Easy Lunches
- 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 1 tbsp peanut butter or almond butter, 1 sliced banana, 1 container of low-fat or Greek yogurt
- 2 cups mixed greens + lots of veggies, 2 ounces of chicken, tofu or 1/2 cup canned tuna, 1 serving of whole grain crackers, 1/2 cup of fresh berries, piece of quality dark chocolate
- 1 veggie burger, 1 whole grain English muffin or bun, 1 slice cheese, sliced tomato, onion, cucumbers, spinach, etc, 1 piece of fruit
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup fresh fruit, carrot sticks, 1 homemade muffin or piece sweet bread
- 1 cup lentil soup, split pea, or vegetarian chili, 1 serving of whole grain crackers, carrot sticks, 1 piece of fresh fruit
- 1 whole wheat pita, 1/4 cup hummus, sliced cucumbers and peppers, 1 container of Greek yogurt with cereal and/or honey
- 1 slice leftover homemade pizza, small garden salad, Larabar (or other similar bar)
- You can also search “Lunch Preview” on my blog to find additional ideas.
Final Day to Enter
Question of the Day
Are you a “lunch bringer” or “lunch buyer”? If you’re a “bringer,” what’s your favorite lunch to pack?
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Leftovers are my favorite lunches, but I also bring big salads. My coworkers always comment on my healthy lunches, but lately I’ve been trying to bring heavier foods because a giant salad and some fruit can still only by 250 calories (hello, volume eating!) and I find myself raiding the snack drawer two hours later unless I bring more filling meal items.
I work in a touristy area, so I bring my lunch because it’s healthier but also WAY cheaper. Every once in a while I’ll go out to eat, and it’s lovely because it’s a treat.
Thanks for the tips! I am lucky though because my boss usually treats me to lunch, well my pockets are lucky, not sure about my waist line lol…but I do try to make healthy choices when we order out, to the point that the people picking up the phone hate me “Can I have grilled shrimp but with no oil and don’t send me ANY bread” ha
BTW has anyone tried Trader Joes Lentil Soup??? I want to buy it but would like some reviews before I purchase it, thanks! =)
I am a lunch buyer, but I NEED to change to a lunch bringer!!!
I bring my lunch almost every day! It saves so much money. I always bring turkey and hummus wraps, tuna and goat cheese wraps, or Morningstar Farms burgers. Maybe once every 2 weeks I treat myself to an outside lunch!
I’m a bringer, too.
We try to limit eating out to once/twice a week just because of $$. We’re on a pretty tight budget, and it’s so much cheaper and better for you to pack your own food.
I love packing leftovers when I have them, or wraps/sandwiches with parts of dinners.
I usually try to make 1-2 things on the weekend just for lunches in case there aren’t any leftovers, too, plus prep veggies/fruit, etc.
We always bring our lunches, and it is nearly always soup – so convenient to make on Sunday and have the whole week.
i ALWAYS pack my lunch! when i make it the night before, i cram as many fruits and vegetables i can with big salads and lots of color. this way, when i’m tired at night or rushed for dinner, i know i covered my nutritional bases already!
Those are some great ideas for lunch! I always bring my lunch because I am a teacher and have a 25 minute lunch break. I practically inhale my food! Look at my blog to get some ideas for lunches. Thanks! itsawrapteacher.blogspot.com
I bring my lunch every day, even though my office pays for everyone’s lunch every day! it is just so much healthier and satisfying to have a good homemade meal every day!
my favorite lunches:
huge salads with leftovers on them (chicken, veggies, etc)
and low carb wraps with good quality turkey, cheese, and avocado!
I’m DEFINITELY a lunch bringer! It’s to the point where I bring food to every event I go to – I’d much rather know that I have a healthy lunch packed while I’m out than have to rely on a restaurant to make something vegetarian.
love the colorful breakfast!
I am a lunch bringer but I also partake of the staff lunch salads at work. I bring leftovers, a wrap or veggie burgers and couscous.
Definitely a whole(grain)-hearted bringer. And the funny thing is, I used to be so jealous of coworkers buying their lunch every day (I work in Union Sq. NYC so there are great eats around), but once I equipped myself with some proper lunch gear and a tote, I was totally invigorated! I got more creative with what I brought, knew exactly what was in it, and enjoy every bite knowing I’m doing something good for myself. It rarely crosses my mind to get take-out, and when I do every couple months or so, it’s a big deal! And I make it count.
Bringer, my fav is smoked salmon sandwich with laughing cow lite cheese wedges and spinach on toasted whole wheat sprouted bread, yumm! I also love annies terriyaki bowl with added tofu (not enought protien otherwise).
When I ate meat my fav is turkey sandy with hummus, avocado, sprouts and cheese on whole wheat toast.
I am definitely a bringer! Today is a salad of leftovers with hummus, roasted sweet potatos with some goddess dressing…..Another good options for the person in a rush is the frozen Amy’s meals. I love the veggie meatloaf and have one of the indian meals in my freezer ready to try!
I wrote about your Yoga challenge today:) I am so a lunch bringer! I love the list thanks!
I LOVE to bring my lunch! My favorite things to bring are leftovers.
Quiche, grilled chicken, and soup are my faves.
i love when my fridge gets empty like that too for the same reason (nothing went to waste) and it also means i can overload the cart next shop. i work from home but i kinda miss having a packed lunch waiting for me.
Bringer! If I’ve packed a great lunch, I look forward to it all morning… it’s actually a highlight of the day.
I bring lunch almost every day – it’s totally worth it. I save so much $$ and eat much healthier.
Wish I had time to do your contest
I love your ideas/tips for bringing a lunch. I’m totally a lunch bringer. I was raised that way. My mom or dad would always make me a tasty lunch to bring to school and now that’s what I do as an adult. Plus, I’m cheap. I’d rather save money and bring my own food than go out and spend money. I could buy clothes with that money instead!
My favorite lunches are fruit/yogurt, pb&j or turkey sammies.
Bringer! Today I had a flatout wrap with turkey, cheese, bbq and veggies. So much better than the cafeteria options!
I’m out of everything too! So I didn’t bring a lunch today and now I feel guilty, but in a good, motivating
. I usually bring a giant salad in a big container and whatever other extras I have on hand. Now, I’m off to read the rest of the comments!
Bringer and my husband is too. I know I always will enjoy a lunch I bring, but I don’t always enjoy what I end up getting when I eat out.
I love packing my own lunch, especially because growing up my parents packed my lunch every day. But, there are days when I am not able to do it, so I would say that I buy my lunch out no more than once a week.
I’m jealous of how clean your refrigerator is. Try as I might to widdle it’s contents down mine is always too full.
I am a lunch BRINGER for sure! I always bring …
-Yogurt with Fruit
-Cottage Cheese mixed with Veggies
-The Simply Bar
-The remainder of my morning smoothie
-A piece of Fruit (either a banana or an apple usually)
I eat all of these like little snacks throughout the day. I rearly sit down and eat the full lunch at once. I start the snacking process at around 11:00 and finish around 4:00.
-Diana (Strawberry Shortstuff)
BRINGER for sure!
In fact – I often get jealous looks and comments on my lunches from co-workers who just spent $9 on a greasy sandwich.
Favorite lunch to bring:
- THE BIG SALAD: Mixed veggie salad with everything in it: cheese, protein (chicken, turkey or avocado), nuts, raisins or craisins. I’ve never been a big fan of salad dressing so I often eat my salads dry, but with so much in them, they usually don’t need dressing!
I definitely am a lunch bringer. I’m a big fan of leftovers, and gigantic salads to use up some produce.
I bring lunch almost every day! My favorite packed lunch is probably soup (I’m really into V8 soups at the moment) and a small/half wrap or sandwich. I recently got a reusable sandwich holder than unwraps into a place mat. Its so convenient and green! Check them out: http://www.wrapnmat.com
I’ve always brought my own lunch, it’s just way better than the gross stuff they sell at school. Thanks for all the ideas! My favorite is to take any leftovers, slap it between bread, and eat! YUM.
P.S.
Love that bowl!!!
I’m definitely a bringer!
My lunch of choice is…
Turkey
Laughing cow light
Hummus
Sliced peppers
I eat lunch at home about 95% of the time
Great lunch ideas!!!
I usually try to bring lunch than buy..
I am definitely a lunch bringer. I hate buying food when I know that I have healthier and cheaper food at home. I normally like to pack foods that are easy to eat and don’t require cooking or could be eaten cold. Lots of my leftovers from the night before are frequent in my day too.
i always bring my own lunch … especially now that i’m in grad school with a full-time unpaid internship! i usually make enough food on sunday to keep me going through the week, and now my coworkers have started to pick up on my budget-consciousness and actually bring lunch FOR me whenever they have extra, haha.
Definitely a bringer! A turkey sandwich on lite wheat bread, a low-sodium v8, and a yogurt are in my bag everyday, along with a couple pieces of fruit and some carrots for snacking. It’s inexpensive and keeps me on a good routine.
A bringer! I like to buy in bulk different kinds of healthy soups at Costco Wholesale. Right now, I’m really liking the Amy’s Lentil and Minestrone soups which I pair with toast and a laughing cow cheese wedge. This seems to be the most filling lunch I can find and by buying in bulk I’m saving money. I let myself buy lunch out once during the work week, which is usually a veggie sandwich or salad bar.
What a great post! I am a bringer and while I don’t always love making my lunch, I am getting more creative and loving lunchtime!Its generally more environmentally friendly too, less packaging!
I’m a lunch bringer : ) I try and packed leftovers or try to cover all the food groups that I need for the day. your fridge is soooooo clean. Come over and clean mine Please !
I’m a lunch bringer. One of my attorneys today commented on how yummy my food smelled and then asked me if I do dinner leftovers – yep I do! Dinner leftovers are my favorite to bring to lunch! I need something filling at lunch to power me through my evening workouts.
I’m a total lunch bringer. It’s just too expensive to eat out for lunch every day, and generally speaking, I make better food. Plus I live alone, so it’s the only way to make sure my food doesn’t go bad.
I can’t say I have a fave lunch to bring. I like everything!
I’ve tried that lentil soup before–much cheaper than the Amy’s variety!
I am def a lunch bringer–I love getting to pack my lunch! I really like to pack good ol’ hummus and veggies.
That’s what my fridge looked like yesterday, too! I always find that it forces me to be creative (or just go out–yikes). Such cute photos of you and Mal in the above post!
@Dori: Sadly, I do that quite often. I hate to be lazy, but schleping containers back in forth in my bag on the subway drives me nuts because they take up my whole bag.
But I love the ideas!
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