Brown Bag (or Thermal Lunchbox) It!

Trying to save money? Trying to eat healthier? Want to know what's really in the food you are eating? Well.... make it yourself. Eating out for lunch a couple times a week can really add up (not only money, but extra calories too). Bringing your lunch can be less work than you may think and take less time than waiting in line at a drive-thru somewhere. Follow these easy tips and meal ideas to get you started...

   

 

Tips:

• Set a day to prepare meals (Sunday works well for a lot of people). This way you can make them all at once and have them ready to grab when you are leaving for work. If you make a big casserole or pasta dish, you can separate into different small containers and freeze some for later in the week. Big batches of fruit and vegetable salad make it really easy to eat healthy on the go.
• Pack ice packs if no fridge is available during the day or if you have a long commute.
• Try to have at least 1 fruit and a vegetable each meal.
• Mix it up, don't get caught in the exact same thing everyday or you might get bored.

Meal Ideas:

• Sandwich (4 slices of meat or meat alternative and mustard on 100% whole grain bread), Salad (with dressing on the side), and a Piece of Fruit
• 1 cup Whole Grain Pasta with Tomato Sauce, and 2 servings of  Dried Fruit
• Crackers to dip in Hummus or Peanut Butter, and favorite veggies to heat up (frozen works great)
• Your Favorite Soup to microwave with a piece of 100% Whole Grain Bread to dip into it, and a Piece of Fruit
• A Sweet Potato to microwave, a Boiled Egg, and a Salad (with dressing on the side)
• Veggie Burger to microwave, Fruit Salad, and 1/2 PB&J Sandwich
• Tuna or Chickpea Salad over a big bed of Romaine Lettuce, handful of Nuts, and a small Piece of Fruit