5 Lunch Packing Tips for a Streamlined Morning

Woman using a fork to eat a colorful salad

Is lunch packing a regular habit as you get ready for work and/or school?

Do you want to streamline your lunch packing routine and save time in the process?

Packing a daily lunch can be a cost-effective and healthy meal option.

While lunch ideas are infinite (sandwich, soup, salad, or entree anyone?), you can can streamline your food packing with just a handful of finite and practical tips.

In this post, you’ll find five tips to help make lunch planning and packing a breeze.

Purchase the right containers for the job.

First things first, if you’ll be continually toting your lunch to work, school, or beyond, you’ll need the right tools for the job.

The last thing you want to do is inadvertently soil your favorite backpack, bag, or purse with vinaigrette salad dressing.

You probably don’t want to spend the morning removing a smashed peanut butter and jelly sandwich from your favorite notebook.

Rest assured, you can’t go wrong investing in specially-designed lunch boxes and containers.

Choose from store-bought insulated lunch boxes or bags, or use sturdy built food containers.

You can also use bento boxes, which are made of cloth, hard plastic, soft plastic, lacquered wood, or even metal.

As far as containers and supplies, be sure to stock up on food-safe, reusable, stain-proof, spill-proof, hand and/or dishwasher safe, unbreakable items.

You can start shopping or searching your home for the following items:

  • Small and medium sized containers for sandwiches, salads, and entrees
  • Small containers for dressings and sauces
  • Beverage containers & containers for soups, stews, broth, or hot foodstuffs
  • Wax paper, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, plastic baggies, or paper bags
  • Reusable forks, spoons, and knives
  • Disposable or cloth napkins

Test pack your lunch box.

You can prevent spills, smashed food, and other culinary disasters by taking a few minutes to test pack your lunch box.

This doesn’t have to be anything difficult or complicated.

You just want to familiarize yourself with your brand-new or existing lunch box or container.

You’re simply getting a feel for how containers should be packed and stowed.

You’ll want to double-check the following tasks: container lids can be properly and tightly sealed.

Beverage containers do not leak and containers fit snugly inside and don’t shift.

Lastly, you should be able to properly zip, snap, tighten, or close, outside lunchbox or container fasteners.

Create a lunch box cheat sheet.

Say farewell to that oft forgotten spoon or salad dressing packet.

Take a few minutes to create a list of supplies and foodstuffs that need to be packed along your lunch.

Simply brainstorm a couple of lunch ideas, like soup, salad, sandwich, and leftovers.

Then, then think about the type of items that go along with each.

When in doubt, create your list, set it aside for a few days, and then return to it with fresh eyes.

Here’s several add-on lunch box items to get you started:

  • Forks, spoons, and knives
  • Straws
  • Napkins
  • Hand wipes
  • Salad dressings, sauces, dips, and spreads
  • Pieces of whole or cut-up fruit
  • Healthy snacks for the day
  • Water bottle or beverage container

Plan a weekly lunch menu.

You regularly plan your weekly dinner menu, so why not create a lunch plan?

Planning a weekly lunch menu will help prevent last-minute lunch preparations and frazzled mornings.

Begin by looking for quick and easy meal and recipes online for inspiration.

The next time you draw up your grocery list, make a section for lunchtime ingredients so you have what you need to build those sandwiches and and simmer soups.

Don’t forget to keep those old lunch standbys on hand.

Sandwiches, salads, and soup, as well as dinner leftovers, are all convenient and quick lunch ideas.

Pack lunch the night before.

Packing lunch the night before always takes a bit of stress out of getting ready in the morning.

If you’ve never tried this tactic before, you really should.

The kitchen is a relatively quiet place right after dinner, as opposed to the busy morning rush.

You’ll have plenty of room and space to spread out and prepare a meal.

What’s more, if you’re not a morning person, the evening is a great time to prepare meals; you’ll still be awake!

And lastly, you can easily place dinner leftovers into your lunch containers before doing the dishes.

How about you? Which of these tips are you going to try out in the coming weeks? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!

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About the Author

Rashelle

Rashelle Isip is a New York City-based productivity consultant who helps successful entrepreneurs and business owners manage their time and energy so they can reduce stress, work less, and make more money in their businesses. She has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, NBC News, The Washington Post, NPR, and The Atlantic. Get her free guide, 5 Unexpected Things You Need to Organize a Work Notebook, by clicking here.

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