Seven ways to make your packed lunch happy, healthy and hassle-free

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Seven ways to make your packed lunch happy, healthy and hassle-free

Bringing a packed lunch into work is a brilliant way to save money and keep an eye on the quality of food you’re putting into your body. However, while most of us are aware of these benefits, many of us ignore them because we think we’re not cut out for the hassle that BYO lunches (apparently) involve.

Packed lunches get a bad rep for being time-consuming, boring and having a tendency to leak all over your bag. The reality, however, is that packed lunches can be just as delicious and joyous an affair as a restaurant meal; all they take is a bit of preparation and some good quality ingredients from Greene Farm.

Here we list seven ways that you can streamline your packed lunch process and make it an effortless and efficient part of your daily routine with minimal hassle and maximum benefits.

1. Food prep – batch cooking

Batch cooking has become all the rage amongst the health foodies. The trend involves cooking up a large quantity and splitting it into meals, and freezing the meals in individual portions so that you’ve got a supply of healthy lunch/ dinners for the rest of the week. This method is a great way to stay healthy and it’s a major time-saver. Grab your tupperware from the fridge in the morning, and pop it in the microwave at lunchtime – simples!

2. Arrange your bits the night before

Leaving any sort of organisation to first thing in the morning is not the best idea and may result in someone crying over spilt milk, literally. Make your morning routine a thoroughly effortless one by having your packed lunch organised the night before. This doesn’t mean cooking an entire roast dinner at 10pm, instead, go for easier options such as quick salads made up using quality sliced meats, tinned corn or hard-boiled eggs.

3. Make big dinners

Similar to batch cooking, but more short-term. By doubling your dinner portion the night before, you ensure that you’ve got a delicious lunch set up for yourself the next day. The main issue here is just resisting the temptation to eat the whole batch the night before…

4. Separate your dressings

If the thought of opening up a limp, soggy salad is what turns you off the idea of a BYO lunch at work, then consider the option of bringing the dressing/ sauce in a separate container. This will ensure that your croutons stay crunchy, and your lettuce stays fresh.

5. Bulk buy snacks

Having some “easy win” snacks around that require little-to-no preparation (whilst staying relatively healthy) are a great way to bump up your office lunch, and keep you from reaching into the office cookie jar should the sugar cravings hit. Big bags of individual popcorn packets are a handy addition to the supermarket shop, as are 4-packs of yoghurt pots, nut mixes and dark chocolate, which take zero preparation and are delicious.

6. Compartmental lunch boxes

Avoid unnecessary spillages, leaks and the unwelcome mixing of lunch items (yoghurt covered chicken sandwiches? No thank you) by investing in good Tupperware. This takes so much of the pain out of BYO lunch struggles, plus Tupperware reduces the need for clingfilm and tinfoil, so it’s good for the environment, too. IKEA has a particularly good range at the moment.

Image via ebpcooh.org

7. Treat yourself

If you dread the idea of opening a sad, cold lunch-box while your friends come back to the office with bags full of steaming chips and saucy takeaways, then try to imbue a “picnic” aspect to your meal. Add a little TLC to your money-saving spread (e.g. cute napkins, quirky jam jar containers, homemade lemonade or a punnet of berries) to make all the difference to your enjoyment of the meal. This could even double as an act of self-care!

If you want to get yourself an easy, healthy and nourishing quick lunch-fix, then take a look at the Greene Farm range. Their complete range of hand prepared chicken, turkey and beef is made from 100% natural ingredients and free from allergens. It provides a nourishing addition to any salad or sandwich combo to give you the perfect lunch every time.