To say lunch is not my favorite meal of the day would be an understatement. For some reason, I seriously struggle with food inspiration when it comes to lunch. I really love cooking and don’t have this issue with breakfast or dinner. Because of the regular mental block I experience with lunch, I have to work a lot harder at planning lunches for the week.
When I was working full-time, both my husband and I had to bring lunch with us to work. This summer, our schedule has been a little up in the air. In mid-July, we welcomed an adorable baby boy into our lives and promptly moved halfway across the country to relocate to Philadelphia. We took a few weeks to adjust to our new home and then it was back to school for my husband as he started his PhD program. Now that school is back in session, we are back in the thick of packing lunches. Packing your lunch was so much easier when you were a kid (and your mom or dad did it), am I right?!
Here are a few things that we consider when packing lunch:
- Do you have the ability to refrigerate and heat up food?
- What sort of lunch break do you have? (Time, location)
- What do you eat during the other meals of the day and are you able to snack?
Depending on your answers to the above questions, you can begin planning your lunches. You will want to integrate lunch planning into your weekly meal planning process. There are a lot of things you can cook for lunch ahead of time as you prep for the rest of the week. Some of my favorite foods to prepare in advance–with lunch in mind–are grains (rice or quinoa), raw vegetables (carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, etc.), fruit, beans or lentils, and sandwich fillings. We also make a large salad to last all week (see How to Build a Salad).
If you need a little help to get started with lunch planning, check out these Finite Foodie recipes:
Chicken Mango Salad
Egg Salad
Lentil Salad
Roasted Chipotle Sweet Potato Salad
We also double many recipes so there’s extra to heat up later for another dinner or lunch. Our favorite recipes for warm leftovers (that can also be frozen and thawed) include a variety of soups that you can find on the Finite Foodie website, Green Chili Enchiladas, Crustless Quiche, and Polenta and Vegetables. We will also put any leftover roasted vegetables with some rice and beans for a scrumptious burrito bowl. You can add some of our guacamole and salsa to make it extra delicious!
Hopefully your lunch planning can turn into a success with these recipes and tips. Good luck!
~ Rebecca
