If we don’t want to eat a ham sandwich every lunchtime, we need to plan and organize. These two key elements will help us eat well at lunchtime.
In brief
- Plan your lunch menus at the same time as your grocery list.
- Prepare vegetables, fruit, and double batches of meals in advance.
- Adopt a routine: thermos, sandwich, deconstructed lunch, leftovers, legume salad.
- Add two nutritious snacks.
- Prepare everything the night before and keep food cold.
1. Let’s plan our menus and organize a cupboard for lunches
In addition to saving time, planning allows us to eat healthier and reduces stress. Let’s prepare our menus at the same time as our grocery list. While we’re at it, let’s plan recipes using foods in the refrigerator that are starting to wilt: this helps reduce food waste.
Let’s store our lunch boxes, thermoses, airtight containers, and water bottles in the same place.
2. Let’s set aside time to prepare certain foods
- Cut a good quantity of vegetables and store them in an airtight container. We’ll always have a supply of raw vegetables for our lunches and snacks.
- Cut up large fruits: melons, pineapples, mangoes, and other fruits will be enjoyed rather than ending up in the trash.
- Cook double batches of our recipes: some people stock up, while others trade meals. One thing is certain: our leftovers make excellent quick lunches.
3. Let’s adopt a lunch-box routine
| Day | Lunch idea |
|---|---|
| Monday | Hot meal in a thermos using leftovers from the weekend |
| Tuesday | Sandwich (tuna, salmon, hummus, eggs, chicken, etc.) |
| Wednesday | Deconstructed lunch |
| Thursday | Hot meal with leftovers from the week in a thermos |
| Friday | Quick homemade salad with legumes |
4. Let’s add two snacks to the lunch box
Zenit snacks are ideal for the lunch box: they’re made just like at home, with simple ingredients. Nuts, yogurt, fresh fruit, raw vegetables, and cheese cubes also make excellent snacks.
5. Let’s keep food cold
Use an insulated bag with an ice pack for perishable foods, and a thermos preheated with boiling water for hot meals. It’s simple and helps prevent a lot of stomach aches!
Let’s stay ZEN when facing the demands of packing lunches and, above all, let’s not wait until morning to pack everything. Let’s do the longest tasks the night before after dinner, while we’re already handling food.
Frequently asked questions
How do you plan your lunches for the week?
Plan your menus at the same time as your grocery list, cook double batches on the weekend, and adopt a routine for each day of the week.
How do you keep a meal hot in a thermos?
Fill the thermos with boiling water for 5 minutes, empty it, and then add the piping-hot meal in the morning.
What snacks should you put in a lunch box?
Fruit, raw vegetables, yogurt, cheese, nuts, or a simple snack such as a square or energy balls.
Danielle Dubois, dietitian
Founder of Zenit Nutrition
References
- Health Canada. Canada’s Food Guide, 2019. guide-alimentaire.canada.ca
- Government of Canada. Food safety tips for lunch boxes. canada.ca