Tips on packing lunch when you are just too busy!

Options
Andi67
Andi67 Posts: 41 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi Everyone,

I need to get better about planning my meals away from home, like lunch and snacks for work. I get up every morning and make breakfast for the kids...do I eat...NO. I also make sure they have their lunches ready that they packed themselves the night before....but do I make something for myself...again NO. I always seem to be at a loss for time when it comes to myself, so I grab a protein bar and a piece of fruit...and its gets VERY boring. Any tips for me or ways that you have overcome this....
«1

Replies

  • beautifulnovember
    beautifulnovember Posts: 75
    Options
    Can you eat the same thing you pack for them?
  • j_g4ever
    j_g4ever Posts: 1,925 Member
    Options
    I have heard several people say that they make all their meals the weekend before and that way all they have to do is grab a meal on their way out the door.
  • determined2lose89
    determined2lose89 Posts: 342 Member
    Options
    Make your lunch while they're making theirs or make extra for dinner and take a smaller portion for lunch. I know you're busy and have kids etc, but there's time in there somewhere. Make yourself a lunch after the kids go to bed. For the days where there is absolutely no time...keep a few healthy <300 calorie frozen dinners in the fridge and take one of those to work.

    Also, consider making large batches of soups, stews, chilis, etc in your large cooking pot or crockpot and freeze lunch size containers. You can just take them out of the freezer and let them dethaw overnight :)
  • hamaker88
    hamaker88 Posts: 3
    Options
    I buy a bunch of stuff on the weekend that I can take to work on Monday and toss in the fridge, like salad fixings or soup-in-a-box; that way I've got a week of lunch "raw material" ready to go, and I don't have to think about it in the mornings.
  • CashierCantin
    CashierCantin Posts: 206 Member
    Options
    Why can't you make an extra sandwich and snack for you when you make your kids lunch?
    I make my lunch at night before I go to bed. I make a sandwich, bag up some baby carrots and put a soda near them on the shelf. Then the next morning I put them in my lunch tote with cold packs and I add a yogurt and a bag of baked chips or pretzels and a bottle of water and away I go.

    What do your kids eat? Can you eat what they do or vice versa? That way you just make an assembly line and do em all at the same time.
  • juliep1974
    juliep1974 Posts: 222 Member
    Options
    I usually cook extra at dinner time and when I'm cleaning up, portion out the extra for lunch. I also use my Sundays to cook something that I can eat for lunch all week (soup, chili, tuna salad, etc). I usually try to portion it out also so I just have to grab it in the morning when I pack my stuff for work.
  • Granny1227
    Granny1227 Posts: 136
    Options
    Keep a variety of low calorie items on hand and let your kids pack your lunch when they fix theirs --- a surprise each day!!
  • mderr90
    mderr90 Posts: 202 Member
    Options
    I make my lunch the night before! You should try doing that :)
  • kristilovescake
    kristilovescake Posts: 669 Member
    Options
    I pre-pack as much as possible on the weekends. I chop up salads or batch cook pastas, etc. Usually I just make sure when I have leftovers, I put them in single-serving tupperware so it's grab and go in the morning.

    I also will make it the night before, even if I have to stay up late doing it, so it saves me stress in the morning.

    You gotta make it a priority and it will eventually become habit :)
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,902 Member
    Options
    Pack your lunch the night before and set it out with the kids. Eat breakfast when the kids do. Make sure you have healthy snacks for you like you shop for the other members of the family. This practice will take maybe 2-3 minutes, so you really do have time. Making it a habit is the key!
  • batgirlmama
    batgirlmama Posts: 99 Member
    Options
    I try to do a few things.
    1. make sure I have some leftovers from the night before. I go ahead and pack it up even before I serve dinner.
    2. have some type of frozen entree. - trader joes is freakin awesome about having good meals to go. I eat their burritos and its about 1.25 for one.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Options
    Every Sunday (now that it's getting colder) I made some big batch of soup or chili for my husband and I to have for lunches at work. I also prepackege individual servings of baby carrots to take with the soup and usually an apple or banana and a yogurt for a snack. For breakfast I just heat up an instant oatmeal (my new favorites are by Better Oats) and I mix in a tablespoon of peanut butter to add some good protein. As far as having the time in the morning, get the kids lunches ready the night before and yours as well if you have to make sandwiches or salads (just don't put the dressing on). Then you'd have time to eat in the morning. What are you making for your kids for breakfast that you don't have time to eat? Why can't you eat what you are making for them? Another yummy breakfast is to take one of those bagel thins, lightly toast it, put on one ounce of fat free cream cheese, raspberries, deli turkey and baby spinach. Those you can technically make the night before if you don't toast it. Good luck!
  • mbmorse1011
    mbmorse1011 Posts: 492 Member
    Options
    I make mine on the weekends too. Sunday night I wash my fruits and veggies, make my breakfasts (usually granola fruit and yogurt) and prep some salads for lunch.
  • surfrgrl1
    surfrgrl1 Posts: 1,464 Member
    Options
    If you have access to a fridg at work, you could take in some yogurt, fruit, etc. at the beginning of the week, so you know its there when you need it.
    Now, keeping the idiots at work away from your food may be a new challenge.

    Someone on MFP posted one time a story that went a little like this: She would take fresh fruit and put it in a bowl in her drawer at work, but people would come eat it. She decided one day to put a plastic apple in the bowl. The next day, the plastic apple was still there, but it had teeth marks in it. Guess she got her message across!
  • SheRa1964
    SheRa1964 Posts: 155
    Options
    Great ideas!
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    Options
    I buy bags and containers of nuts. I find the serving sizes specific to my needs/goals and I measure and put them in baggies. I also love BLENDER bottles. I put my protein scoops in baggies (which is funny because it looks like DOPE) and then I take them with so I can blend my shakes anywhere. If I'm too busy to sit and eat breakfast, I prepare it and pack it up and take it to work to eat it there.

    This link has many recipes. The ones that make lunches "convenient" are the protein bars, TKY meatloaf and TKY muffins (and you can alternate with ground beef or chicken):

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-recipes-main-page.html

    You bake the bars and meatloaves on a 9 X 12 (pyrex) pan and cut it up into 24 bars. Servings can be as many as 1-4 squares depending on what your goals are for that day... So you bag em up and in the mornings throw them in your lunch bag! This makes life easier. Cook/bake on weekends and you got lunches throughout the week. Bon Apetit'
  • Andi67
    Andi67 Posts: 41 Member
    Options
    Can you eat the same thing you pack for them?

    They pack their own lunchs before I get home from work...if they packed it for me it would be PB&J everyday....but once in awhile they do make me one. :)
  • marasw
    marasw Posts: 75 Member
    Options
    I used to try to make my lunches ahead of time and take them to work but that wasn't working for me. I just kept getting lazy and not doing it, and then picking up fast food. Finally I caved and bought the overpriced packaged salads from the deli, some overpriced prepackaged presliced fruit, and some yogurt, and those are my lunches. I know I am wasting money and that it wouldn't take long to put that stuff together myself, but it's working! The extra expense is worth it for me. The way I see it, it's still cheaper than the fast food I would have got when I inevitably got lazy and didn't pack a lunch otherwise.
  • november03
    november03 Posts: 205 Member
    Options
    It took me some time to finally get in the habit of doing it the night before, but it is so worth it!!!! It only takes and extra couple min on top of the kids lunches. Good luck!!
  • piebird79
    piebird79 Posts: 201 Member
    Options
    About once a month on the weekends I make a bunch of wraps and freeze them. I use whole wheat tortillas (about 10" diameter) and cook a couple of dry cups of brown rice or quinoa. At the end of the rice cooking, I add a packet of hot taco seasoning and a bunch of cayenne pepper.. Then I add 4 cans of drained black beans, 2 cans of drained pinto beans, 1 can of drained corn, 1 can of drained diced tomatoes with chilis and 1 can drained chopped jalapenos to the cooked rice and mix it well with the rice. I put about 1/2 cup of the rice/bean/veggie mixture into each tortilla, roll them and then wrap them in aluminum foil. All of them go in the freezer. All I have to do in the morning is grab a frozen wrap to reheat in the microwave at lunch, a greek yogurt and some veggies or fruit. It takes me about 1 1/2 hours total to cook, mix and roll the wraps.

Categories