Packed Lunch Ideas

Tired of thinking what to pack for lunch everyday? Here are some packed lunch ideas that might interest you. Packed lunches for adults and kids are quite a headache, aren’t they? We’ve tried simplifying them for you. Check them out!

A lunch break lasts for a maximum of 20 minutes for children and a maximum of 45 minutes for adults. Although it may seem simple, packing a lunch everyday is not a simple task and I completely sympathize with all those mothers and wives who have to think of some new lunch ideas everyday. No one likes to have a boring meal and along with the taste, a lot of other things like quantity, nutritional value and variety have to be kept in mind everyday. Here are some ideas for packed lunches you can go through.

Packed Lunch Ideas for Adults

With work hours that make reaching on time very important, investing time looking for ideas for packed lunch doesn’t sound a good option. Time is money, isn’t it? How much should one think and plan for a lunch that lasts a maximum of 45 minutes everyday? It’s a very monotonous thing to do everyday, I agree, but then who has a choice? Everyone wants those packed lunches for work where they don’t have to waste time everyday in thinking, what tomorrow? Here are some ideas that will make you plan that everyday lunch more efficiently and with spending as less as you can on your everyday diet.

• Unlike children, adults like to have their lunch once they have finished whatever work they have lined up till lunch. In such circumstances, always pack something that will remain fresh throughout the day like sandwiches, fruits and healthy snacks that are not affected by normal temperatures.
• Make sure the quantity of the meal is adequate and is enough for an adult. Adults require more quantity and the lunch should be filling. The person shouldn’t be left with a partially empty stomach. This will only lead to spending more money for another quick bite somewhere.
• If you have leftovers from the dinner last night, you can add them to your lunch. This will save your time in preparing something and nothing will be wasted. If the food can be stored for some days, store it and use it whenever you want.
• Try to avoid foods that make you fat and cut down on junk food as much as possible. Office hours don’t let us move around much or exercise and thus all the foods that add to body weight should be completely avoided.
• Pack foods in foils to keep it warm and also fresh. Freeze juices and drinks so that they remain cool till you consume them. Use only those ingredients that don’t spoil till lunch and remains fresh for a longer time.

With these ideas, you can also experiment more with the recipes. Keep on trying something new everyday. By this I don’t mean cook something new every single day but make the meal a bit different. Don’t forget those extra tissues. Ideas for packed lunch are plenty but you also have to keep in mind your nature of work and your lifestyle.

Packed Lunch Ideas for Kids

Unlike adults, children usually have only 15 to 20 minutes to finish their lunch and since this time is very less, pack the lunch easily so that the kids don’t waste time unpacking the lunch. There are a lot of lunch ideas but the most important thing to consider in these is variety and nutrition. Though nutrition is very important for adults too, for kids it’s the most important for their growth.

• Pack a lunch that is different everyday but don’t make it entirely different. Which means, pack different sandwiches for your kid everyday but don’t shift from sandwiches to pizzas to pastas. Children usually don’t like constant change.
• As mentioned before, pack the lunch very neatly and easily so that children don’t waste time unpacking it. One more thing to be thought about here is that kids are very messy most of the time and while unpacking something that takes time they might waste a lot of food by dropping it or might lose complete interest.
• If possible, pack 2-3 different snacks for lunch. Children like small quantities and eat faster if the lunch is packed in such a manner. This also makes them save a little for later if needed as they tend to feel hungry more frequently than adults do. Pack a different fruit everyday to avoid confusion.
• Make a list of all the foods that are high in protein and carbohydrates and include these in the lunches. This will complete the daily requirement of the essential nutrients and you’ll have something new to offer everyday without much thinking. This planning will surely save you from all the confusion later.
• Don’t pack anything that is very dry in nature. Kids find it difficult to eat something that is dry and takes a lot of time to chew. Try to avoid all the foods in these two categories. Pack something that can be eaten easily in the time allotted for their lunch break. If you want to keep it even more simple, just give the kids whatever they ask for so you don’t have to think much but keep them away from those unhealthy school lunches.

If you are a working mother and don’t have much time to invest in the lunch, planning it is very important so that you don’t ignore your kid’s health. Plan the entire month and get rid of those everyday questions of what to pack for lunch and what to pack for whom. Along with these ideas, also don’t forget to include a liquid in the form of juice, milk or buttermilk even. This will help in increasing the quantity of the lunch and also make a substitute for that boring water.

Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas

In today’s world, we usually tend to avoid the health factor during meal planning and go more for the taste. Take out some time and think about all the foods you can include in your lunch that will make it healthy and your daily requirement of nutrition is met. Here are some healthy lunch ideas that might help you pack that healthy lunch everyday.

• Pack small meals together so that you can have them throughout the day if your nature of work allows you those kind of breaks. This will keep you filled throughout the day and will make you gain less weight since there is no exercise in office hours.
• Search for the essential nutrient requirements of your body and make sure your lunch covers those. This again, can be done only will prior planning. Include different foods in your lunch that provide these nutrients so that the lunch doesn’t look boring.
• Packing an energy drink is also very important as offices and schools both drain us out mentally. An energy drink can be anything from a simple lime juice to all the fancy energy drinks available in the market. These also quench your thirst by something more tasty than water.
• Include different types of salads in your lunch. Salads are not only healthy but filling and tasty too. They don’t require much learning too as you can experiment a lot with the already existing recipes. Add some sauces to these salads so that they don’t taste dry during the lunch.
• An apple a day keeps the doctor away so try to take an apple with yourself to work or any fruit that you like. Fruits are the best source of nutrients and you are sure to consume all the necessary nutrients you need.

These healthy lunch ideas are not only for adults but also for kids. Everyone needs a healthy life and a healthy meal is the first step towards it. The packed lunch ideas mentioned above, will help you with the everyday headache for packing a different lunch and will also make sure that you don’t waste much time in the process. Hope these ideas for packed lunch helped you and that you are more relaxed about the everyday deal.

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