Looking to cut costs and calories? Brown bag it at lunchtime!
After surviving the holiday shopping frenzy, one of your New Year’s
resolutions might be to tighten up when it comes to spending. If so, one
of the easiest ways to stick to that resolution is to pack your own lunch
each day.
“The average person goes out to eat for lunch twice a week,” said
Dr. Jenna Anding, interim program leader and associate professor and extension
nutrition specialist with Texas Cooperative Extension’s Foods and
Nutrition Unit. “A lunch typically costs at least $5, so you’re
looking at $10 a week, or over $500 a year.”
Anding provided a few tips for packing a well-thought-out sack lunch that
can not only save you money, but also provide nutritional benefits.
Saving money
- Because single servings of items (for example, dried fruit, chips,
baby carrots) can get expensive when purchased at the store, make your
own by purchasing these items in bulk and packaging them yourself in
snack-sized, self-sealing bags. Pack enough for a whole week to save
money and time.
- Make large batches of soups and stews and freeze in portion-size containers
for future lunches.
- At the grocery store, look at the unit price to make sure a “special” is
really a bargain.
- Buy only the amount of food that can be used in a reasonable amount
of time. Wholesale clubs and bulk items are a good way to save money
provided the food doesn’t go to waste before it is eaten.
Keeping your lunch nutritious
A nutritious lunch should contain:
- Bread or cereal (bread, tortillas, bagels, cornbread, pita bread, crackers,
pasta, rice, pretzels and popcorn).
- Fruits and/or vegetables (fresh fruit that is easy to carry, sliced
fruit such as melon and cantaloupe, raw vegetables with low-fat dressing,
and vegetables on sandwiches).
- Protein (lean meats, fish, chicken, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, low-fat
cheese, yogurt, legumes, and hard cooked eggs).
- Beverage (milk, juice or water).
When it comes to proteins, Anding recommends thinking outside the run-of-the-mill
sandwich. You can find lots of protein in leftover casseroles, pizza, soups,
chili and other meat dishes, especially if you have the means to store
them safely and are able to reheat them to an internal temperature of 165
degrees (or until steaming hot or boiling).
Also, dessert is not a necessary component, but most people find it a
nice way to finish lunch. If you want something sweet at lunchtime, try
fresh fruit, graham crackers, vanilla wafers or oatmeal-raisin cookies.
Don’t skimp on safety
- Wash hands and preparation surfaces before and after food preparation.
- Keep lunch boxes clean by washing them after each use.
- Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Frozen gel packs and insulated
lunch boxes and thermoses can help.
- Wash all fruits and vegetables before they are packed.
- Discard all perishable foods after lunch unless you have a way to keep
them at a safe temperature.
- Lunches that require refrigeration should be refrigerated as soon as
you arrive at work so foods are not kept at unsafe temperatures for more
than two hours.
- If lunches are carried in paper bags, use only bags designed for lunches.
Use the bag only once.
- Before filling a thermos with hot foods, rinse with boiling water.
If you don’t have an insulated lunch box or the means to refrigerate
your lunch, here is a list of foods that can be packed safely without refrigeration:
- Peanut butter
- Pretzels, popcorn, crackers
- Nuts and seeds
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
- Dried fruit
- Canned and bottled juices
- Jam, jelly and honey
- Unopened cans of fruit and pudding
- Breads, bagels and English muffins
- Canned meat, poultry and fish than can be opened and eaten right away
Time-saving strategies
- Have a designated spot in the refrigerator to store lunches.
- Prepare sandwiches the night before. Pack lettuce and tomato in a separate
container and put them on the sandwich just before eating. This will
keep the sandwich from getting soggy.
- Cut up vegetables and place them in individual containers or plastic
bags at the start of the week. That way, all you have to do is grab and
go.
- When storing leftovers after dinner, pack a portion in a separate container
for lunch the next day. Put that container in the "lunch" section
of the refrigerator.
This information is provided as a service by the Texas Cooperative
Extension. If you have questions or would like more information, talk
to your physician.
H.E.A.D.s Up is a monthly column that features articles on a wide array
of Health, Exercise And Diet issues. Information for these articles is
provided by health and wellness professionals from throughout the A&M
System. If you have questions or story ideas for this column, email Ruth McMullan.
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