14 Tips You Need To Start Using When Packing Lunch

If you don't work or attend school from home, then you know what a pain it can be to make sure you have your lunch packed every day. Sure, it may be easier to stop for a meal somewhere, but if you want to save money and eat as healthily as possible, you're better off making something at home and bringing it with you. Though that may seem like an insurmountable task at times, it's really not — as long as you follow the right tips and tricks, of course.

We've compiled a list of some of the best tips you can use when you're packing your lunch, so you can get out the door without worrying about forgetting a sandwich, a drink, or a snack. Whether you're making a meal for yourself, or trying to throw together a lunch for your little ones, these tips will ensure that packing lunch is a breeze from here on out.

Meal prepping is a great way to make sure you always have something to eat for lunch, even on the busiest days of your week. But that doesn't mean you can just meal prep once a week and forget about cooking the rest of the time. According to Mayo Clinic, the cooked food in your fridge will go bad after about four days of sitting there, so you don't want to make a full week's worth of lunches on Sunday evening. Additionally, you may not know what you're going to be craving on a Friday when you make all of your lunches on Sunday.

That doesn't mean you should skip the meal prep entirely, though. It just means that you may want to prep more than once a week. Stick with the meal prep on Sunday, but make less food than you normally would for a whole week. Then, on Wednesday or Thursday, you can make a second batch of lunches that will keep you going until you're ready to cook again the next Sunday. Yes, this does mean you'll need to put in a bit more work on making lunches throughout the week, but it also ensures that you'll have the freshest, most flavorful lunches possible — we think that's worth the extra time.

When you're prepping your lunches for the week, you're probably trying to be pretty efficient. There's a good chance you don't want to spend hours in the kitchen just thinking about what you're going to eat for the week. But you shouldn't be in such a rush that you forget to include what actually makes a dish taste good: the seasonings and condiments. Of course, when you're preparing your lunch, you'll want to use plenty of seasonings. After all, the more flavorful the meal you pack is, the less likely you'll be to end up going out for lunch instead.

It's also important to remember to pack condiments. Do you always crave mustard on your sandwiches but don't want the bread to get soggy before lunchtime? Bring a small container of mustard with you. Or maybe you need some spice to really enjoy your meal. In that case, think about bringing a bottle of hot sauce along with you. Remember, just because you're trying to be efficient with the time and money you spend on lunch, doesn't mean you shouldn't do everything you can to ensure you'll actually enjoy your lunch. 

Whether you live with your immediate or extended family, a partner, or even a few roommates, it can pay to have everyone pitch in with lunch prep on a regular basis. After all, most tasks are easier to handle when you're working as a team. Making sandwiches for lunch? Instead of just making one for yourself, make a few so everyone in the house has something to bring to work or school for lunch the next day. Maybe you get the kids to pick out a snack they want to pack in their lunch boxes so they can play a role in the prep. Ask them to pick out snacks for the adults in the house as well if you want to give them a bit more responsibility.

By working together, your whole family can help make lunches on a daily basis, which cuts down on the amount of work any one person has to do. Plus, it ensures that everyone has a say in what they're going to eat for lunch the next day.

For some people, eating a packed lunch at work every day can be a bummer because it just doesn't look as appealing as the takeout your coworkers bring into the office. After all, eating your food out of plastic containers day after day doesn't always feel like a luxury experience. But you don't have to spend a ton of money to enjoy a more aesthetically pleasing lunch. Instead, just try packaging your homemade lunches in a different, more appealing way.

Mason jars are great for exactly that reason. They can be used to package your lunch in a way that actually makes you want to eat it. For example, bringing a jarred salad to work can actually make you excited to dig into a dish that may not look as good if it were packed in plastic Tupperware. Not a big fan of salads? No worries. You can also make soup in a mason jar. Just place uncooked rice noodles, tofu, and some veggies along with a cube of bouillon in a jar, then pour in some hot water when you're ready to eat. Who knew lunch could look this good?

Some days, you have the time and energy to pack a relatively extravagant lunch for yourself. On those days, maybe you'll bring some leftover pasta, a towering sandwich stacked with all of your favorite ingredients, or perhaps some homemade sushi. Other days of the week, though, the thought of putting a slice of bologna between two pieces of bread may seem like too much work. On those days, you might want to turn to tinned fish for lunch.

Tinned fish has become ultra popular over the last several years, probably at least partially because it's so easy to prepare: Just open the tin and enjoy with chips, crackers, or whatever else you have on hand. Not only is it easy, it's also usually relatively cheap. Since you don't have to cook or prepare anything, you can easily grab some tinned fish and crackers on your way out the door, and have a simple lunch that doesn't take any time at all. If you're new to tinned fish, try starting with some canned salmon.

Do you always wait to plan and pack your days' lunches until the morning of, when you're rushed and trying to get out the door? A lot of people do, but that may not be the best way of doing things if you want to have as stress-free a morning as possible. Instead of waiting until the day itself to think of what you're going to have for lunch, it makes more sense to make a lunch meal plan at the beginning of the week. That way, you always know what you're going to have for lunch and can plan accordingly.

Just because you're making a meal plan doesn't mean you actually have to prep everything ahead of time. Rather, it just means that you take some time out of your weekend to write down what you're going to eat for lunch in the upcoming week. That way, you'll always know what you have in the fridge and pantry, and won't end up deciding to grab takeout at the last minute.

If you're like most people, you have all the intentions to eat healthily. But when you open your lunch box and find a low-fat salad, you may be tempted to go grab some fast food instead. That's because you don't actually like the healthy food you brought with you. When you don't find your lunch appetizing, you're way more likely to go grab something else, which will probably cost more than what you packed for lunch.

Don't let all that food go to waste. Instead of packing the kind of lunch you think you should be eating, pack the stuff you know you're actually going to eat. That doesn't mean you shouldn't pack any healthy foods at all, but it does mean you should focus on healthy foods you actually know you enjoy. If you don't like salads, for example, don't try to force yourself to eat salads for lunch just because you know they're good for you. Instead, try to incorporate a bunch of veggies into another kind of dish, like a vegetable soup.

Be realistic with the kinds of lunches you bring to work or school. That way, you'll always have something to eat that you actually enjoy.