Hey guys!  This is a post I’ve wanted to do ever since I started my blog, and today I was inspired to write it when I made one of my favourite lunches of all time. Packing a healthy school lunch isn’t as hard as it seems, so long as you have the right resources, and no, ‘healthy’ does not necessarily mean salads. When I first started packing my own lunches, I literally had a salad every day, and that got really boring really quickly. There’s nothing worse than when you start excitedly counting down the minutes until lunch break, but then realize you have a container full of vegetables for lunch. Of course there are some pretty good salad recipe out there, but eating one everyday is a little extreme for me. So here is my ultimate guide to packing a delicious, healthy lunch that you’ll actually look forward to.

 

1. Start with a nutritious main

When putting my lunch together, I typically start with my main item, usually a sandwich,  wrap or thermos full of goodness;) In the picture above, I have a chickpea and avocado salad sandwich. It’s super easy to make; just roasted chickpeas (which you can find the recipe for in my Roasted Chickpea Salad post) mashed avocado, and some green onion on sprouted grain bread. If you’re going to make a sandwich, I definitely recommend this bread instead of white bread because grains inside go through a “sprouting process” that breaks down the carbs in it, which makes it easier for your body to digest. This means that more nutrients are absorbed into your body and not lost in the digestive process. Also when making your sandwich, try to stay away from processed meats. Canned tuna, chicken breast and chickpeas are all good substitutes.

 

2. Select your sides

Include LOTS of fruits and veggies in your lunch. Some of my favourites are cucumbers, snap peas, mandarins, apples, and berries. Try to pick most of your sides from the fridge, and only one thing from the pantry, as fridge items tend to be more nutritious and contain less preservatives then those stored on a shelf. I usually choose one fruit and one veggie to accompany my main. Make sure to pack stuff that you like, so you’ll eat it and stay satisfied through the day.

 

3. Prepare a snack

About halfway through the morning I like to fuel up on a good snack, which usually consists of a fruit or veggie and one pantry item. Up above I have an apple and some sweet potato crackers. I generally make sure that even my pantry item has no added sugar and ingredients that I can pronounce.

 

4. Take a water bottle- and put some fruit in it

If you don’t bring a water bottle to school or work, start doing it. It’s recommended that we drink at least 3 litres of water a day, and an extra litre for each hour of physical activity. Putting some fruit in your water bottle makes the water taste better, and if it tastes better you’ll want to drink it. Plus, you get some added vitamins in there too.

 

That’s it, that’s all! I’ll definitely post some healthy sandwich recipes in the next week or two, and who knows, maybe a few salad recipes will join them! To make packing a good lunch easier, try preparing it the night before, or waking up a bit earlier than usual to make sure it gets done. I hope you found this useful, and that it inspires you to create some works of lunch art!

Yours Truly, MyDayIsBooked;)