From new products that make it easier to transport lunches to tools for prepping ingredients, we know what it takes to pack a good lunch. We find that it’s healthier and saves money too, which pretty much sums up our New Year’s resolutions. But we understand the challenge. It takes preparation and creativity to have exciting lunches week after week, so we came up with a few good tips to bring better lunches to work this year.
1. Have freezer-friendly backups
Make extras of recipes and stash a portion (or two) in the freezer. Use durable glass containers(Opens in a new window) so reheating lunch is a breeze.
Good tip: Burritos freeze well, and we like to always keep a few in the freezer for days when we’re out of inspiration.
Smart Seal Containers
2. Go leakproof
Nothing is worse than finding your lunch spilled all over your bag, so we always choose leakproof containers(Opens in a new window) for easy transport. Bonus points for these squeeze bottles(Opens in a new window) that keep dressing safe on the go. Our Prep & Go collection is designed to keep your lunch safe from spills and fresh all day long.
3. Keep things separate
To keep crunchy parts of your lunch crunchy, we go to our Silicone Baking Cups(Opens in a new window) for help. Keep things like nuts, croutons and crackers in the cups and place them in your storage container. For other types of foods, try the Prep & Go 2-Cup Divided Container to keep the different parts of your meal separate and fresh. There's also a three-part container designed to pack a full meal in separate compartments.
4. Have the right tools on hand
If you’re used to a nice, filling chopped salad for lunch, making the switch to bringing your own can be tough. We get that salads that aren’t mixed well or overflowing in a container get frustrating, and that’s why we like to keep a few essential tools at work. A Salad Chopper and Bowl(Opens in a new window) helps to chop and toss your salad ingredients. Plus, the Prep & Go Salad Container has a shallow tray that nests on top to keeps special ingredients, like croutons of grilled chicken separate until you’re ready to eat.
5. Avoid redundancies
Think through what you want to eat for the week and how to repurpose some of the ingredients. For example, we’ll make meatballs on Sunday, use them in pasta on Monday and a sub on Tuesday. This way we don’t feel like we’re eating the same dish day after day. Plus, get more weekday lunch meal prep tips.
6. Add a sauce to it
We find sauces and dressings to be the key to making lunches more exciting. An easy tahini dressing that you can dress a salad with, but also eat with falafel or grilled chicken will turn your #saddesklunch(Opens in a new window) into something you’ll actually want to photograph. Extra points if you can repurpose the sauce throughout the week.
Plus, try our healthy on-the-go lunch ideas for more weekday meal inspiration.
