The Lunch Bunch

As someone who enjoyed school quite a bit when I was younger, lunch was never my favorite subject, but as a working stiff, lunch is most definitely one of the highlights of my day!  Mid-day breaks away from a computer screen and soul-sucking fluorescent lights are really important to maintain sanity in my opinion, and the chance to eat something is icing on the cake.

Working at City Hall downtown near a plethora of tasty restaurants makes it tempting to eat out regularly, but neither my wallet nor my waistline can afford to do so these days.  I pack my lunch almost everyday, a habit I got into many years ago when my mother told me if I wanted to take lunch to school, I had better get used to packing it myself.  Back then I had an Elmo lunch box, all through high school and for the first semester of grad school I used a simple blue insulated bag, but today I use the one pictured below, a gift from my mom--so stylish!

My lunches generally fit into one of three categories: leftovers, sandwiches, or salads.  If you want more descriptive lunchbox inspiration, I highly recommend the "Lunch in Box" post on Kath Eats Real Food.  I also aim for a variety of ingredients and textures in my packed meals; I usually have something crunchy and something sweet to round out the meal.

My tried and true lunch packing tips:

• Wide mouth salsa jars (Tostitos brand work well) are awesome leftover containers, especially if you plan on microwaving your meal.
• The key to non-soggy sandwiches is in the layering; I use lettuce, cheese and avocado as buffers between really juicy things like tomatoes and the bread.  The square tupperware prevents smooshing as well.
• I find that if I really pack in the greens, add a bunch of toppings and then pour on the dressing my salads usually hold up until lunch time.
• While I feel some mild eco-guilt about all of the little plastic containers and extra packaging, nothing beats the convenience of single serve yogurts and snacks like granola bars.