Brown Bagging It for Lunch

Anyone who works away from home knows how much of a hassle it is to run out for lunch. You may have to get in your car and drive your destination, then wait in line and order your meal. You shell out your hard-earned dollars for a meal that may not be in your health’s best interest. Many restaurant meals are loaded with salt, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats. Then you scarf it down in minutes in order to make it back to work in time. By the time you return, you may be more frazzled than when you left…with indigestion to boot! Most school cafeteria lunches are notoriously unhealthy, and kids may have little time to eat after waiting in the lunch line.
There is a better way to do lunch that will leave you more refreshed, healthier, and with a few more dollars. By “brown bagging” your lunch, you can enjoy your lunch at a nearby park, an office lounge, or even escape to the solitude of your car. And you may even have time for a short walk, a power-nap,
or meditation when you are finished. Brown bagging it can be healthier for the planet because take out containers from restaurants end up in landfills.
Most people think of a deli meat sandwich when it comes to brown bagging it, but there are so many other possibilities. Here are just a few ideas both adults and kids may enjoy:
• Salads: Lettuce, vegetable, fruit, potato, pasta, bean, egg, shrimp, chicken or turkey, quinoa or rice salad
• Sandwiches: Turkey, ham, tuna, hummus, roasted red pepper/Portobello mushroom and mozzerella, hummus and cucumber, nut butters, avocado/tomato/lettuce, on whole grain bread
• Hard-boiled eggs with ham and cheese roll-ups
• Cottage cheese & fruit
• Cheese and whole grain crackers with veggies & dip
• Tabouli, hummus on a pita, stuffed grape leaves
• Cold leftovers from the night before: meatloaf, quiche, chicken
• Soups and stews can be kept hot in a good insulated container
A high carbohydrate meal can give you a quick burst of energy, but leave you feeling sluggish later in the afternoon. For sustained energy, combine complex carbs with healthy fats with protein, and eliminate simple carbs like sugars, refined flours, and processed foods. For an added boost, enjoy energizing hot or cold teas with your lunch. Try green tea, Tulsi, or peppermint teas.
Some necessary supplies for brown bagging it include: a reusable insulated bag, small reuseable ice packs, and reuseable food and beverage containers. Kids and adults both love the bento-style lunchboxes which have several containers of varying sizes inside a hard-sided box. Some, such as the “Laptop Lunch” system come with a recipe book, beverage container, and utensils.
What are your favorite brown bag lunches?