Okay, so, lunch boxes. I’ve been trying to get better at packing my own lunch lately, both to save some money and eat a bit healthier. I started this journey a week ago. I wanted to find some recipes that were quick and easy, because who has time to spend hours in the kitchen, right?
I started by making a list of what I wanted in a lunch. Something I could make in under 20 minutes, with stuff I usually have at home. I don’t want to buy special ingredients for every meal. And I want something I can eat at my desk without making a mess, you know?
Then I looked around on the internet for some ideas, and wow, there are a lot of lunch box recipes out there. I picked out a few that looked promising and I got to work and tried a few of them out.
Monday: The Classic Snack Box
I put together a simple snack box with some cheddar cheese, whole-wheat crackers, and some baby carrots, and a handful of grapes. I gotta say, it was pretty satisfying. And it took me, like, five minutes to put it together.
Tuesday: Speedy Salad
I made a quick salad. I used a base of pre-washed spinach, threw in some chopped cucumber, a sliced hard-boiled egg (which I prepped on Sunday, life hack!), and a simple vinaigrette dressing that I had in the fridge. It was fresh, tasty, and took about 10 minutes to assemble.
Wednesday: Leftover Remix
We had some leftover grilled chicken from dinner, so I sliced that up and put it in a whole-wheat wrap with some lettuce and a bit of mayo. I also packed a small apple. Super easy, and it felt good to use up leftovers instead of letting them go to waste.
Thursday: Pasta Salad Power
I cooked some pasta in the morning while I was getting ready, it only takes about 10 minutes. Then I tossed it with some cherry tomatoes, a bit of feta cheese, and a store-bought pesto sauce. It was a bit more substantial than the other lunches, which was good because I had a busy afternoon. Took about 15 minutes, mostly waiting for the pasta to cook.
Friday: Hummus and Veggie Wrap
This one was a winner. I spread some hummus on a whole-wheat tortilla, added some sliced bell peppers, some spinach, and rolled it up. I also packed a small banana. It was flavorful and filling, and only took about 7 minutes to make.
So, that’s my week of quick and easy lunch boxes. I think I did pretty well. It’s definitely cheaper than buying lunch every day, and I feel like I’m eating better. I’m going to keep experimenting with different recipes, but so far, so good. This whole lunch box thing is totally doable, even for someone like me who’s not a natural in the kitchen. My colleagues are also very impressed with my lunch box, it looks great! I will continue my lunch box journey next week.