Banish Brown Bag Boredom

Are you bored with your lunch routine? Why is it that we focus on packing a healthy lunch for our kids but we often neglect our own midday meal? The mantra “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” doesn’t imply that we should ignore lunch. 

As is the case with dinner, homemade lunches are often healthier than those from a restaurant, convenience store or sandwich shop. When you make your own lunches, you control calories, fat, sugar, and salt, and you save money. Drop $5 to $10 on a prepared lunch (sandwich and drink; soup and salad, etc.) every day and it adds up fast. Plus, you don’t have as much variety as you would if you loaded up your lunchbox with smaller portions of a bunch of your favorite foods. Here are some ideas to inspire you to get packin’. Oh, and these ideas are great for the little ones you’re packing for too…

Asian Soba Noodles: Toss cooked soba noodles with reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce and sesame oil; add frozen/thawed peas, scallions, shredded or diced carrots, and cilantro; season to taste with salt and pepper. Note: Add any vegetables you want to the dish.

Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad: Toss cooked brown rice with canned/drained black beans, prepared salsa, diced cheddar cheese, and cilantro.  

Turkey Wrap with Guacamole: Spread prepared guacamole on a soft tortilla; add deli sliced roasted or smoked turkey breast and thinly sliced tomato; roll up. If desired, add sharp cheddar cheese before rolling up.

Ham, Swiss and Apricot Preserves on Ciabatta: Spread apricot preserves or fig jam on a small ciabatta roll; top with deli sliced honey baked ham, Swiss cheese and baby spinach leaves.

Chicken Caesar Pita Pocket: Combine diced grilled or roasted chicken and light Caesar dressing; spoon the mixture into a whole grain pita pocket and add Romaine lettuce.

Pasta Caprese: Combine cooked pasta, sliced cherry tomatoes, cubed mozzarella, chopped fresh basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar; season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Tuna Salad: Jazz up light tuna in water with light mayo, diced red onion, chopped Greek olives, and capers; serve on whole grain crackers.

Hummus-Stuffed Pita with Vegetables: Spoon a generous amount of hummus inside a whole wheat pita; add grilled or roasted eggplant and/or zucchini slices and roasted red peppers.

Black Eyed Pea Salad: Combine canned/drained black eyed peas, frozen/thawed yellow or white corn, diced tomato, cubed avocado, diced white onion, fresh lime juice, and olive oil; season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Portobello-Pesto Pocket: Spread prepared basil pesto inside a whole wheat pita; add grilled or roasted portobello mushroom cap.  

Quinoa Salad: Combine cooked quinoa with diced cucumber, tomato, green and red bell peppers, fresh parsley, dried oregano, white wine vinegar, and olive oil; season to taste with salt and pepper.

French Bread Pizza: Top a whole grain hoagie roll with pasta sauce, sliced part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan cheese, and black olives; bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes; until cheese melts (can be eaten warm or cold).

Great Additions to Any Lunchbox

Baby carrots, celery sticks and zucchini sticks with a small container of hummus

Cubed cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon dunked in yogurt (pack wooden picks)

Red and green grapes

Fresh whole fruit (apples, pears, plums, nectarines, bananas, oranges, kiwi, starfruit)

Raisins and other dried fruit, such as cranberries, cherries, mango, pineapple, apricots, and blueberries

Dehydrated fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, peas, corn, and bananas

Almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts

Pretzel sticks with peanut butter or almond butter

Rice cakes with cottage cheese

Baked corn chips with salsa and/or bean dip

Olives – a variety

Sugar-free applesauce

Sugar-free pudding

Yogurt, regular and Greek

Whole grain, low-sugar cereal and granola

Pumpkin seeds and pepitas

Roasted soybeans