It’s that time of year when parents across the country are trying to fall back into a routine that often includes packing a lunch for school-aged children. As time consuming as it might be to pack a healthy lunch for your child, it’s a better alternative than handing him or her cash to blow on an unhealthy drive-thru lunch, right? So if packing a healthy lunch for your school age children is worth the time, doesn’t it make sense to pack your own?
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Packing a healthy lunch for yourself not only saves you money, but it also allows you to be in complete control of the fuel you’re feeding your body. Preparing in advance keeps you from making impulse decisions that can undo all of your healthy efforts. It doesn’t have to be complicated either, because FitClub has three easy to follow tips for packing the perfect grown up lunch.
Prepare in advance. Weekday mornings are busy and if you don’t have the time in the mornings, you can spend a little extra time the evening before to prepare your lunch. By making a slightly larger meal for dinner, you can reward yourself with healthy leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. You don’t even have to be stuck eating the exact same meal, but take from what you already have and make it new again. For example, if you’re grilling or baking chicken for your family dinner, prepare one extra chicken breast to toss with a green salad in your lunch bag. Taking the time to wash and prepare extra produce the night before makes it far easier to load your bag with healthy salad toppings or snacks during a busy morning.
Bring your reusable water bottle with you. Avoiding dehydration is crucial and being prepared with plain water throughout the day will keep you from resorting to soft drinks or too much coffee during the course of your workday. A reusable water bottle that can be refilled throughout the day can be an easy reminder to drink more water and ward off thirst that can sometimes present as hunger pangs.
Stay motivated. What if you have a few evenings or mornings in a row when you just don’t have the time or ability to pack a healthy lunch? After a few days of eating out or eating on the run, you might start to lose the motivation you had when you started packing your lunch. Reaffirming the motivation to make healthier decisions is a lifelong process. Do you have a colleague that brings lunch every day? No one said the motivation can’t be shared! Leaving yourself a refrigerator of healthy staples might also encourage you to bring your lunch. Ultimately, motivation is a recurring muscle that you have to strengthen. The financial savings and calorie savings really do add up over time.
Share your healthy brown bag lunch tips in the comment section!
