In this episode, it’s all about hints and tips for better lunches. If you’ve got access to a microwave, sandwich press or mini-oven at your work, or even at high school, then you have a lot more options and variety when it comes to lunch and snack choices. Don’t worry if you’re a tradie or work outdoors with no access to these heating devices, we also have some great tips for you. If you’re one to always buy your lunches through shortage of time or lack of inspiration, or perhaps you don’t eat lunch altogether, it’s time to mix up your routine for the better!

We really want to focus on long-term gains from the nourishing food you’re putting in your body, especially when you’re on a busy schedule. Making it through the day on coffee, Red Bulls or fast foods, might give you a short spike in energy, but along with poor snack choices or skipped lunches, you’ll know all about that sluggish feeling that seems to follow you around all day. Obesity is also an all too common effect of a poor diet, skipping out on lunch generally makes you eat anything in sight by the time you get home.

The good, the bad, the ugly on pre-packaged lunches

Having someone else cook or prepare your lunch, present it in a tidy package is great for all those days when you’re just too busy to make your own. However, there are just so many reasons why bought lunches should be left solely as a treat.

  • Even if the foods you purchase have been made fresh that morning, they’ve still been sitting around for at least six hours before being consumed.
  • They generally contain a lot more additives and preservative to keep their freshness longer.
  • Buying your lunch every day is really expensive! Even if you paid $15 per lunch x 3 lunchesa week x 48 week in a working year = $2,160. Multiple that times two if you have apartner, and you have plenty of money for a holiday getaway! Trust us, home-made lunches are not anywhere near this financial amount.

Leftovers

  • This is one of the simplest ways to ensure you have a big wholesome meal at lunchtime! Bulk cook a lasagne, salad or spag bol, with the intention of using all the leftovers for lunch. Portion out all of your leftovers, break out your plastic container collection and freeze for future use.
  • The following weekend you might make a completely different meal, which acts as a bit of a never-ending meal supply, but you’re still only cooking frozen batches once a week! You might even want to grab three different frozen portions for one big meal full of variety.
  • Think about meals that are big such as fried rice, burrito bowls, sushi and rice paper rolls. We also have great thermos bowls for taking hot foods on the go.

BYO toastie machine or smoothie machine

If your workspace doesn’t provide for convenient toastie machines or similar but does have a little kitchenette where you can bring your own, then don’t be shy! Your colleagues might title you the employee of the year because they’re likely to also take advantage of the toastie machine! A toastie machine doubles as a griller for heating up left-overs, wraps, rolls and other foods that taste that much better heated.

There’s nothing wrong with taking the smaller models of Nutri Bullets to work either! The fresher the better! If you want to prepare smoothie ingredients ahead of time, then pop your single serves of banana, spinach, kale, yoghurt or berries in snap lock bags to go in the freezer. It’s also a great idea to throw in some protein powder to keep you fuller for a lot longer. We have some great organic proteins powder available on our website.

Healthier snacks

These days, a lot of workplaces have snacks available on site but generally, they’re not overly healthy! You can very easily fall into the habit of buying packets of chips and chocolates, first as a treat then perhaps every day, since your body starts to crave that salted or sugary goodness, almost down to the exact same hour you consume them.

Rather than giving into the temptation of these snacks, try to keep little snacks in your drawer or in your bag, that includes all of your natural fats like nuts, granola and seeds. That way you’re more likely to graze on these but also saving your pennies!

Top secrets for tradies!

We know that most tradies absolutely love a good pie with sauce, so how about you invest in a pie making machine for around $20 at Kmart! Make up a huge batch of pies (cook up to four at a time) and freeze them for grab-and-go lunches. This way you know exactly what’s going into the pie, rather than all those preservatives in store-bought pies.

Tracey’s little trick is to buy top quality meat, cook up a huge bowl in the slow cooker, bulk it up with veggies, and then she adds non-MSG bone broth gravy powder (which you can grab on our website) for her pie filler.

If you’re on the road a lot, keep your eyes out for plug-in eskies/12v fridges, either for your car or powerpoint. If you’re after a warm meal, try your luck with a milk warming bottle for babies off eBay! No one will even know the difference!

Remember, when it comes to healthier lunches, you’re allowed to put yourself first! If you’re not healthy and full of energy, it can be hard to give full attention to your children, partner, work colleagues and employer. When you’re tired, moody and constantly feeling fatigue, then you can’t easily be of service to anyone else.

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