Packing Lunches for Work or School - HGIC@clemson.edu

Nov. 04, 2024

Packing Lunches for Work or School -

Reasons to Pack a Lunch

Every day millions of people across the country pack a lunch to take to work or school for three primary reasons: economics; nutrition and weight management.

You can find more information on our web, so please take a look.

Economics: According to the National Restaurant Association, the average American ages eight and up eats out at least four times a week. Half of those meals are eaten at lunch. Young adults under age 27, called &#;Generation Y,&#; eat out as many as 30 times a week! It&#;s become a lifestyle.

Taking a bag lunch from home can save both money and time compared to eating out in a restaurant or cafeteria. Here are some tips for planning and packing lunches from home that are thrifty, nutritious, tasty, and safe to eat.

Money: A bag lunch is usually cheaper than eating out. Let&#;s say that you eat out for lunch twice a week, and the average cost of your meal and beverage is $8. You can save $16 per week, or up to $800 a year, minus the cost of your homemade lunch. The savings will be greater if you eat more home-prepared meals every week.

Keep lunch costs low by following these practices.

Eat &#;planned over&#;s&#; from last night&#;s dinner (e.g. chili, soup, pizza, pasta casserole, spaghetti, and leftover meats for sandwiches).
Make enough lunches at one time for a whole week.
Cook large batches of soups and stews and freeze in portion-size containers.
Buy only the amount of food that can be used in a reasonable amount of time. Although buying large quantities may cost less, you won&#;t save money if the food goes to waste before it is eaten.
Check the unit price of lunch items to make sure a store &#;special&#; is really a bargain.
Buy items in bulk (e.g. fruits, vegetables, cheese, crackers, trail mix and baked chips) and package them yourself in snack-sized self-sealing bags. Pack enough for the entire week and store. Commercially-packaged single servings of these items can be expensive.

Remember that you must make wise choices. Otherwise, you could spend just as much on lunches made at home as you would to eat out.

Time: A bag lunch is a time saver. You don&#;t have to stand in line at the cafeteria, drive to the fast food place or sandwich shop, or wait for your food to be served in a restaurant. That gives you spare time to relax, run errands, take a walk, check or surf the web.

Mornings are rushed for most families. Here are some time-saving tips for easier lunch preparation.

Designate a spot in the refrigerator to store lunch items.
Stock your pantry with lunch-friendly ideas (e.g. unsweetened canned fruits, dried fruits, 100% fruit juice boxes, canned meats, granola bars and individual pudding cups).
Set aside a drawer or cabinet for storing lunch supplies (e.g. assorted plastic containers with tight fitting lids, sandwich bags, disposable forks and spoons, plastic wrap and aluminum foil).
Make several individual &#;grab and go&#; containers or plastic bags of cut up vegetables at the beginning of the week.
Make your sandwich the night before. It can be refrigerated or frozen. To keep it from getting soggy, pack lettuce, tomato and other moist foods in a separate container. Then add them to the sandwich just before eating it.
When storing dinner leftovers, pack a serving in a separate container for tomorrow&#;s lunch. Put that container in the &#;lunch&#; section of the refrigerator.
If you have coworkers who share your same tastes in food, consider participating in a lunch-pool with four of them. You only have to make lunch for everyone one day a week. Making five of the same lunches at once is quicker and easier than making five different lunches each day.

Nutrition: Lunch should provide you with one-third of the day&#;s nutritional needs. Avoid the temptation to skip lunch. The mid-day meal fuels the body throughout the afternoon just as breakfast gets you through the morning.

To control the foods and nutrients you eat, take a bag lunch to work or school. Lunch choices can make a big difference in the total calories, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sugar and sodium you consume daily and weekly.

Enjoy a variety of foods, and try to include a serving from all five food groups: fruits; vegetables; grains; protein and dairy. If that&#;s not possible, then get a serving from at least three of the food groups.

Whole grains are more nutritious and contain more fiber than white bread and highly processed grains. Deeply colored fruits and vegetables contain the most vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Fruits, vegetables and whole-grain breads are good sources of fiber. Meats and beans provide protein, while milk and milk products are excellent sources of calcium.

Eat only small amounts of high-fat foods (e.g. fatty meats, butter, margarine, mayonnaise and sour cream).

Avoid caloric beverages and save your calories for food. Sodas and other high-sugar, high-calorie drinks contain empty calories and no nutrients. Diet sodas, coffee and tea have few calories and nutrients.

Weight Management: Americans consume one-third of daily calories outside the home. In , the average American consumed 300 more calories daily than just 15 years earlier. In recent years more people also have become overweight or obese. Could eating out be contributing to this problem?

When you eat out, you typically don&#;t know exactly how much fat, sugar and calories are in foods. By packing your own lunch, you can control the content of your meal and portion sizes. Cutting back on the number of times you eat out may result in savings to your waistline as well as to your wallet!

In addition, eating a high quality protein can help stabilize your blood sugar level and keep you feeling fuller for longer. According to recent studies, liquid calories don&#;t contribute to feeling full as much as calories from solid foods do.

Parts of a Nutritious Lunch

Lunch should include a variety of nutritious foods from USDA&#;s MyPlate. Recommended amounts vary depending on gender, age, weight and activity level. Refer to ChooseMyPlate.gov for tips on making better food choices.

The four parts of a nutritious lunch are:

a source of protein (e.g. lean meat)
a source of grains (e.g. bread or cereal)
fruits and/or vegetables
a source of calcium (e.g. skim or 1% milk)

Include at least three MyPlate food groups. The beverage can count toward this amount. Dessert is an optional lunch item.

Protein: Good choices from the protein group include: lean turkey, ham or roast beef; tuna; dry beans; hard-cooked eggs; peanut butter; nuts; soups and chili.

Grains: This includes breads, cereals, pasta, crackers and rice. Make at least half your choices whole grains, because they contain more nutrition and fiber. Choose breads with &#;whole wheat&#; listed as the first ingredient.

Fruits & Vegetables: These are naturally low in fat and filled with nutrients and fiber. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables that are easy to carry and eat. Deeply colored fruits and vegetables contain the most vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

For variety, alternate raw and cooked vegetables. Delicious choices include: raw baby carrots; pepper sticks (especially red); cherry tomatoes; broccoli; cauliflower; sliced cucumbers and celery. Favorite cooked vegetables include: string beans; broccoli; sugar snap peas; and corn on the cob. Vegetable juices are excellent alternatives.

Popular fresh fruits include: apples; bananas; grapes; blueberries; peaches; plums; clementines and oranges. Fruits canned in juice rather than syrup also are good choices.

Calcium: If milk is not your beverage, try to pack calcium-rich foods like low-fat varieties of yogurt, cottage cheese or cheese in bite-size chunks.

Beverage: Drinks can contribute to the five food groups. Choose a beverage that contains nutrients such as protein, calcium, vitamin D (low-fat milk), vitamin C and folic acid (100% orange juice).

Good beverage choices are: low-fat milk in single serving bottles; vegetable juices; 100% fruit juices; drinkable yogurt, and smoothies made with low-fat yogurt. Vegetable juices supply important nutrients, but their sodium content may be very high and should be balanced with low-sodium foods.

Plain water also is a very refreshing, calorie-free beverage. Low-calorie flavored water is a good alternative to a high-calorie soda or juice drink.

Skip the sodas, energy drinks, fruit punch and fruit beverages, which may contain only 10% juice. Make your own punch by mixing several types of 100% fruit juices.

Twelve ounces of fruit drink, ade or punch often contain corn syrup and other sugars equal to about 12 teaspoons of table sugar. Twelve ounces of soda contain the equivalent of about 9 teaspoons of sugar.

To keep beverages cold, use an insulated thermos or put an ice pack in the lunch box. Or, you can freeze them the night before, and they will be thawed but still cold at lunchtime.

Daily Fluid Need: For regular hydration, active children and adults generally need 1 milliliter (ml) of water and other liquids for every calorie burned during the day. This means someone who maintains body weight on 2,000 calories a day also needs 2,000 mls of water and other liquids. Divide this by 240, which is about the number of mls in a cup (2,000 ÷ 240 = 8.33). So, this person should drink about 8&#; cups a day.

Total water intake includes drinking water, water in other beverages (e.g. milk, juices, tea, coffee and soda), and water in food (e.g. vegetables, fruits and soups). Food supplies about 20% of fluids.

Under typical circumstances you should replenish up to six or eight cups of fluid every day for regular hydration. However, this can vary due to the climate in which you live, physical activity, age, body size, and the state of your health.

Dessert: Dessert can be a nutritious part of your lunch. Choose desserts (and beverages) low in fats, added sugars and other caloric sweeteners. For example, eat fresh fruits (e.g. melon, grapes, apple slices) instead of candy bars or high-fat cookies. Graham crackers, vanilla wafers and oatmeal-raisin cookies also are good choices.

If you crave an occasional sweet &#;treat,&#; then have only a small portion. Eat a couple of chocolate kisses or a small handful of chocolate chip morsels. Limit treats to no more than 150 calories. It doesn&#;t take much to satisfy the sweet tooth!

Get Creative

Avoid boring, routine lunches by varying the texture, flavor, color and temperature of foods.

Texture: Offer crunchy and smooth foods in the same lunch. Nuts and sunflower seeds add crunch appeal to salads, soups and sandwiches.

Flavor: Contrast stronger flavors with mild ones. If your sandwiches have become boring, add one of these new condiments: sun-dried tomato spread, horseradish, Chinese mustard, spreadable goat cheese or Caesar salad dressing.

Color: Add a variety of interesting colors with foods like these fruits and vegetables: red and green peppers; black olives; tomato and grated cheese; red onion; oranges; cilantro, and fresh vegetable relish.

Temperature: Include foods of contrasting temperatures, but make sure hot foods are kept hot and cold foods are cold at mealtime for safety.

Packing Pointers

Here are some pointers for packing appetizing lunches.

Sandwiches can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. Take sandwiches out of the freezer in the morning and pack them. Non-perishable foods can be packed the night before.
Line pita pocket bread with Swiss cheese and stuff with vegetables just before eating. This makes a delicious sandwich.
Use whole wheat bread or bagels for making sandwiches, or stuff pita bread with your favorite filling.
Create a &#;wrap&#; with a slice of your favorite bread (softer breads work best). Put a slice of your favorite low-fat lunch meat and cheese on the bread and roll up tightly. Make sure the edges of the bread are pressed tightly to seal.
Try hummus (chickpeas) for a tasty sandwich spread alternative.
Combine peanut butter, honey, and banana slices on whole wheat bread, or use peanut butter with apple chunks on raisin bread.
Don&#;t limit lunch to just sandwiches. Use leftover casseroles, pizza, soups, chili and other dishes.
A popular children&#;s lunch treat includes pre-packaged crackers and lunch meat. You can make your own healthy alternative by packing low-fat crackers, low-fat lunch meat, a piece of fruit, and a box of 100% juice. You can even buy divided containers for them.
If you carry a salad, put the dressing in a separate container and add it just before lunch.
Gently toss steamed vegetables left from last night&#;s dinner in Italian dressing. Refrigerate them in a &#;toss away bowl.&#; Serve as a salad with whole wheat crackers and low-fat cheese, or use with turkey in a pita pocket.
Marinate some cut-up fruit in orange juice. Add dried mint to suit your taste. Pack into a melon half or other &#;edible bowl.&#; Top with a dollop of yogurt and serve with graham crackers.
Divide a large container of low-fat yogurt into smaller containers. For different flavors, add a variety of fruits, jelly, honey, nuts or granola.

Involve Family Members: Let family members help decide what to pack and help you prepare it. If they are involved, they are more likely to eat their lunch, including any new foods that are nutritious and healthy.

Pack Extra Snacks: A common mistake is not packing enough food. In addition to lunch, pack a few items for an afternoon snack or to eat as you head home. Good choices include: favorite vegetables with low-fat dressing for dip; an egg; yogurt; a handful of nuts; a few slices of lean lunch meat; string cheese; a granola bar or fruit. Snacking on one or more nutritious foods keeps you from being tempted to fill up on junk food from the vending machine or eat the entire contents of your refrigerator before dinner.

Visualize Each Food: Think of what each food will look, feel and taste like by lunchtime. If it&#;s messy, mushy or smelly, it&#;s headed for the trash can. Food thrown away wastes money and time spent preparing it.

Meal Ideas for Your Workday

Breakfast

Cinnamon Banana Overnight Oats

½ Cup Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
¼ &#; ½ Cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 Banana (½ mashed, ½ sliced)
Ground Cinnamon, to taste
2-4 Tbsp Water
Toppings: Chia seeds, Almond or Peanut Butter, Banana slices, Cinnamon

Instructions:

In your breakfast container, add yogurt, oats, ½ mashed banana, cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp water. Stir to combine. If needed, add additional water until you have a thinner consistency that is easier to mix. A thinner consistency is okay as mixture will thicken overnight.
Once combined, top with remaining banana slices, nut butter, chia seeds, and cinnamon if desired.
Cover with lid and let sit in the fridge overnight for a healthy breakfast to enjoy the next morning.

Lunch

Build-Your-Own Salad

Greens: Lettuce, Spinach, Kale

Veggies: Carrots, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Celery

Protein: Shredded Chicken, Salmon, Tuna, Chickpeas, Black beans

Grain: Rice, Whole grain tortilla chips, Whole grain crackers

Extras: Vinaigrette dressing, Salsa, Guacamole, or Hummus

Grab your lunch container and start with greens-lettuce, spinach, kale-or a mix of all three! Chop well and add to bottom of container.
Choose your veggies. Try adding a variety of veggies like carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes for extra color, texture, and nutrients.
Time for protein. Add a serving of baked salmon, tuna, chickpeas, or shredded chicken with taco seasoning for a taco inspired salad. For recommendations on portion sizes, check out this Factsheet: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/measuring-portions-how-much-am-i-really-eating/
Next up, grains. Top your salad with brown rice or pack whole grain tortilla chips or crackers to enjoy alongside your salad.
Last but not least, add flavor and some healthy fats with your choice of vinaigrette dressing, guacamole, or hummus.

Snacks

Don&#;t forget to pack snacks! Fruit like apples, bananas, and pears are easy to carry with you and paired with trail mix makes for a healthy and filling snack!

Food Safety Tips

Don&#;t risk food safety just to save money. When food is prepared ahead and eaten at a later time, food safety is always an issue.

Link to Tongqi

All perishable foods must be handled properly to prevent foodborne illness. First, wash your hands thoroughly using hot, soapy water. Clean all food preparation surfaces and utensils before and after use. Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables before packing into your lunchbox.

Be aware of food allergies, and avoid cross-contamination from items that may cause an allergic reaction. When preparing food for someone who has a peanut allergy, for example, don&#;t use the same utensils that are used with peanuts or peanut butter. This includes knives, containers, cutting boards and serving utensils.

Many foods are safe to pack without refrigeration. This includes foods such as: peanut butter; breads, bagels and English muffins; dried fruit; fresh fruits and vegetables; nuts and seeds; unopened cans of fruit and pudding; pretzels, popcorn and crackers; canned and bottled juices; and canned meat, poultry and fish that can be opened and eaten immediately.

Store lunches at the correct temperature. Keep foods out of the danger zone, which is between 40 °F and 140 °F. Bacteria grow and multiply quickly between these temperatures. Keep hot foods hot in an insulated bottle, and don&#;t open it until lunch. If no refrigeration is available, use an insulated lunch box or bag, freeze your beverage, or use a freezer gel pack to keep cold foods below 40 °F.

If using paper bags, refrigerate your lunch as soon as you arrive at work. Paper bags don&#;t maintain the temperature of perishable foods as well as insulated bags and boxes. Use only paper bags designed for lunches, and use them only one time.

Wash hands before eating, or pack a hand sanitizer or moist towelette.

After lunch throw away all perishable foods, unless you can keep them at a safe temperature. Wash your lunch box every day after use.

For More Information

Refer to HGIC , Packing Lunches for School-Age Kids for more bag lunch ideas for children and adults, as well as recipes to liven up the lunchbox. For more food safety tips, refer to HGIC , Bag Lunch Safety.

Sources:

Clemson University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. Nutrition Information Resource Center. Packing Lunches to Go. http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/NIRC/pdf/lunch.PDF
Texas Cooperative Extension. Healthy, Thrifty Lunches From Home. Nutri-Facts Issue #15, January . http://fcs.tamu.edu/food_and_nutrition/nutrifacts/issue15.pdf
Magee, Elaine. Wondering What to Pack for School Lunches? WebMD. . www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/wondering-what-to-pack-for-school-lunches
O&#;Neil, Carolyn. How Often Do You Eat Out? The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. June 9, .
Johnson, Mark and Marla Reicks. Fluids and Hydration. University of Minnesota Extension Service.

Document last updated on 5/22 by Emily Sweatt.

Originally published 08/08

Packed Lunch Ideas {Affordable, Easy, No Microwaving!}

Hello friends!

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve packed lunches. During harvest, my dad and brothers often worked the field all day and into the night to get the crops in before bad weather &#; and that meant they didn&#;t come in for meals. My sisters and I would help Mom pack brown paper lunch bags and thermoses of tea or water, then drive through the bumpy stubble of the cornfields toward the tractors. There was something so special about eating a hot dog on an old blanket by the side of the field with my family.

These days I pack my husband a lunch almost every workday for him to eat on the road. No microwave, refrigerator, or break room means I have to get creative. If you need cold packed lunches for work or school, this post is for you!

I usually pack five things for Sully&#;s lunch to make it balanced and filling. You don&#;t have to be that complicated, of course, but I like this combination:

Sandwich/protein
Chips/salty snack
Vegetable
Fruit
Dessert

I decided to break down the post by these categories and give you inexpensive ideas for each one.

p r o t e i n

cheese and crackers | apple halves | baby carrots with dip | peanuts | fudge

Ham and cheese sandwich // This is what I most often pack. The bread is usually sourdough or biscuits. You can add extra condiments or toppings like lettuce, tomato, onion, or pickles, but Sully likes it basic. &#;
Ham and cheese roll-up // To take out the carbs, skip the bread and roll up the ham and cheese.
Peanut butter, honey, and banana // Like PB&J but fancier.
PB&J // Or you could just be classic.
Tortilla wrap // I usually make these like ham and cheese sandwiches with tortillas instead of bread, but you can add in veggies like julienned carrots, cucumbers, etc.
BBQ chicken sandwich // I&#;ll make this after roasting a whole chicken for supper the night before. I save and shred the extra bits of meat to put on sourdough with some mayonnaise and barbeque sauce.
Biscuits and cheese // Sully loves both biscuits and cheese, so a couple times I&#;ve made him a biscuit, cheese, and mayo sandwich.
Hard boiled eggs // When eggs were cheap, this made a super inexpensive protein source&#; If you have chickens, it still does! I usually hardboil a batch of eggs when they&#;re about to get old. Slice each in half and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Egg salad // Dice hardboiled eggs and add other ingredients to taste: mayonnaise, relish, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and fresh parsley. I usually serve it on sourdough.
Cheese and crackers // We&#;ve found out it&#;s better to pack the crackers and cheese separately or the crackers will get soft real fast. :[]

Tips: The sliced cheese at Walmart is the same price as block cheese and way easier. I almost always use homemade bread instead of buying it because it&#;s healthier, tastier, and often cheaper. Sourdough bread in particular only needs flour, water and salt. My favorite breads are this sourdough and these biscuits. You can also make homemade tortillas!

S A L T Y S N A C K s

Chips // Walmart and Aldi both have cheap chips, but I think Walmart&#;s brand taste better. &#; We especially like Great Value brand Doritos.
Peanuts // A filling source of extra protein if you didn&#;t pack a sandwich.
Random snacks // You know &#; pretzels, cracker packs, the random stuff you have in your pantry&#;
Popcorn // Popcorn is super cheap and fun. You can pop it yourself or use the microwaveable kind.
Sourdough crackers // We both enjoy
this sourdough cracker recipe
I&#;ll make when I have lots of starter discard.

Tips: Chips and snacks can get really expensive. Shop around and you can find off-brand snacks you still like.

V E G E T A B L E s

ham and cheese on sourdough | cucumbers with dip | banana | chips | double chocolate cookie

Baby carrots // You can get a nice bag of baby carrots at Walmart for $0.98 in our town. So much easier than peeling and chopping whole carrots!
Cucumbers // I like to leave small stripes of the peel on because it feels fancier and also healthier. &#;
Broccoli // Fresh broccoli is also pretty cheap per serving and is delicious roasted for supper too.
Celery (with PB) // You can pack celery with dip or fill the sticks with peanut butter for extra protein and flavor.
Garden veggies // This is easy in summer if you have a garden. It&#;s a cheaper option for some veggies that are pricier in the store. Cherry tomatoes are really easy to grow and grant prolific harvests. Also try colorful bell peppers, radishes, and snap peas.

Tips: If you&#;re like Sully, you will be much less reluctant to eat vegetables if there is dip involved, haha. I&#;ve used leftover Ranch packets from fast food restaurants like CFA or just small containers. Another great idea is to pour some Ranch dressing into the bottom of a plastic cup and stick the veggies in so the bottom tips are covered in dip (see picture above). Wrap the top with tinfoil or plastic wrap.

FRUIT

ham and cheese roll | hardboiled eggs | baby carrots | watermelon | (plus extras in lunch bag)

Apples (with PB) // You can pack apples whole, sliced, halved, or filled with peanut butter.
Clementines // A bag of these will go a long way. Also great for breakfasts.
Bananas // These are probably the cheapest fruit per pound if you include the peel. I usually only buy a few at a time though because you can&#;t pack lunches for more than a few days in a row before the bunch gets too ripe.
Pears // This autumn I realized that pears were sometimes cheaper than apples &#; and I like them way better!
Peaches // Another thing to check for when they&#;re in season. Summer peaches are the best.
Watermelon // A big watermelon can be cut up into enough servings for many lunches.
Honeydew // Another melon that&#;s usually not too expensive.
Strawberries // If you check at the right time you can find super cheap strawberries. Especially at Aldi!
Homegrown fruit // I have a blackberry bush beside the patio I love to harvest from in early summer. You may be able to forage black raspberries or blackberries depending on where you live.

Tip: I try to buy fruit for around $2/lb. Search around and see what is cheapest in each season.

DESSERT

Cookies // Cookies are my favorite kind of dessert to bake for packed lunches since they&#;re not sticky or crumbly like bars or cake, and you can easily make a bunch of dough at a time.
Brownies // A kind of bar that packs easily.
Candy // Usually if we have candy from gifts or random sources, I&#;ll pack some pieces in Sully&#;s lunch for dessert.

Tips: I started by packing everything in Ziploc bags and putting them in this insulated lunch bag. Then Sully got a bento box for Christmas (here&#;s a similar one) and now I use that when I can instead of wasting so many bags. I still put the bento box in the lunchbag so it stays cool. {affiliate links above}

Well that was a fun post to make. Cooking and food preparation is a part of marriage I&#;ve quite enjoyed so far. I want to start sharing more &#;homemaking&#; type posts, and maybe more food ideas, so let me know if there&#;s any you&#;d like to see!

What is your favorite kind of packed lunch?

Thanks so much for reading, my friends, and have a lovely day!

***Allison***

P. S. Pin this graphic to save for later!

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Packing Lunches for Work or School - HGIC@clemson.edu