My previous article discussed ways to reduce waste in one’s lunchbox, but lunch time can be either really dull, or something to look forward to. You don’t have to be the next celebrity chef to put two pieces of bread together, but there’s so much more you can put in your lunchbox that is still healthy, inexpensive and environmentally safe.
Making your own lunch will cost less than the cheapest food available in the cafeteria; a single soup that might cost $2.00 a bowl, is often twice the price of all the ingredients it takes to make two liters of that same soup. You are likely paying for labour and the cost of Styrofoam.
Leftovers in Tupperware: The Old Stand-by
While some people don’t mind eating the same thing they had for supper the night before, it can get pretty dull. Turkey may have been fabulous the night before, but it will start to lose its novelty after a while.
If leftovers aren’t the culinary adventure you were hoping for, try mixing up a few elements of the sandwich: It’s usually a three-part combination of bread (or starch), filler and some vegetables.
Three Ideas to Rejuvenate Your Lunchbox
- Try a new type of bread, like a flatbread, cracker or pita.
- Mash a slice of bread into a greased muffin cup and toast it in the oven; the resulting cup-shaped toast is ideal for holding stews or loose salad fillers, like tabouli. Just pack the filler and the toast-cups separately.
- Turn the sandwich inside out: put the filling on the outside, and the starchy bread on the inside. If that’s physically impossible, try replacing the bread with a lettuce leaf, and turn it into a green “wrap”, instead.
Bento Boxes as a Lunchtime Alternative
One option is to transform those turkey leftovers into a stir-fry contained in a bento-box, a Japanese-styled lunchbox that compartmentalizes each part of the meal into main and side dishes. By buying a bento box from an Asian food supply shop, you can make your lunch more appealing, while keep the warm food warm, and the cold food cool.
Using the Web For Lunch Box Ideas
One favourite website for bento lunch ideas is a site called Justbento.com, where the preparation time and caloric count of each meal is listed. Another website to check out for lunch time inspiration is Sandwichrecipes.org. If you’re trying to incorporate more seasonal fruits and vegetables into your diet, try looking for vegan recipes that involve fruit and vegetables.
If you’re ever in a jam, and don’t know what to do with your leftovers, or lunch the next day, try Googling your fridge’s contents finds along with the words, “recipes” or “sandwich”. Epicurious.com also has a recipe search-by-ingredient tool on its website.
Books To Inspire The Lunch Box Chef
A quick trip to your local library to look up lunch box or brown bagging habits will yield a treasure trove of ideas. You might not have the ingredients ready in your pantry or fridge, but if you find a recipe that appeals to you, it might be worth taking note of the recipe and trying it out for yourself!
- Lunch Boxes and Snacks: Over 120 healthy recipes from delicious sandwiches and salads to hot soups and sweet treats by Annabel Karmel
- The Best 50 Brown Bag Lunches by Rick Renaud and Beth Renaud
Try to think outside the lunchbox, and get yourself out of the lunchtime rut. If nothing else works, try setting up a once-a-week potluck within the office, or a random lunch bag swap!
