How to pack lunches for work or school

Summer festivities ending and many of us are heading back into the office and returning to school, which means back to packing lunches.  This may be a daunting prospect after working from home for the majority of 2020 so we have come up with practical tips to make the transition back to work and school easy.

Why should I pack lunches I hear you say…

There are many benefits to packing your own lunch:

• You are in control of what goes into the lunch and more likely to choose healthier foods like fruits and vegies.
• It’s cheaper compared to eating out at the local café or fast-food chain each day.
• It’s better for the environment compared to all wrappers, takeaway containers and disposable cutlery from a cafe.

Read on to see our top tips to get you back into the routine of packing lunches for work or school

Get inspired

Start off by getting a bank of go-to recipes that you and your family will like.  Check out our recipes for inspiration.  Recipes can be sorted by recipe type, dietary and allergies requirements and the time it takes to make.

Plan ahead

Planning a weekly menu will take the stress out of deciding what the family with eat each day and will save you time and money.  This will also help you come up with a shopping list for the supermarket and will help avoid unnecessary purchases and reduce your food waste. 

Get the kids involved

Involving your kids in planning will increase the chances they will eat the food you pack!  Our interactive lunch box builder is a great tool to inspire and also teach kids how to pack a healthy lunch box.

Pack leftovers

Using leftovers is a great way to save time in the morning.  Check out the new recipes we’ve put on the Healthy Lunch Box website such as our chicken and vegetable lasagne that is great for dinner and any leftovers can be used for lunch the next day.

Remember to pack some snacks

Replacing the morning biscuit or the 4pm chocolate with a healthy snack is a great way to get your recommended fruit and vegetable serves.  Try these snack ideas:

• banana pikelets
• vegetable sticks and hummus
• no bake cookies
• guacamole and pita bread.

Make it safe

Freeze a bottle of water to go into the lunch box the next day to keep the food cool on the commute to work or in the school bag until lunch.  You can also freeze items such as sandwich bread and home-made muffins and pop into the lunch box in the morning.  They will be thawed and ready to eat at lunch. 

For more information, check out our Back-to-School guide for all you need to know to get ready for the new school year!