Healthy Lunches

Packing a lunch has never been my strongest suit.  I'm not a huge fan of sandwiches and leftovers get less appetizing the more often you eat them.  I'm working 3 days a week this summer and don't have much time for heating or assembling lunch.  Someone always makes a run to a fast food place, but I don't want to spend the money or consume the extra calories on food that is not nutritious or particularly tasty.

I invested in several Japanese style bento lunch boxes.  These boxes are compartmentalized.  One of the boxes has a freezer gel in the lid, so heat sensitive foods do not need refrigeration.  I pack lunch the night before and try to use things I have on hand.

Smoked salmon, hard-boiled egg, Laughing Cow cheese wedge, hummus, carrots, snap peas, pickles and olives.  I also packed a couple whole grain crackers.

Spinach, cherry tomatoes, leftover steak, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries.  I also packed a small container of vinaigrette.

Chicken and apple sausage, sharp cheddar, cauliflower snap peas, cherry tomatoes, strawberries and grapes.

It only takes a few minutes to put the meals together.  I usually pack them while putting dinners leftovers away, so I can incorporate the leftovers, without feeling like I'm eating the same meal the next day.  The variety also makes lunch more interesting and I seem to slow down and feel more satisfied, even though I'm not easting a huge meal.  

My daughter has watched me fix my lunches this week and has said she wants to pack the same kind of lunch for school in the fall.