Maybe it's because I always got hot lunch in the cafeteria at school, but I'm a disaster when it comes to packing my own. I know I should do it; I even routinely pledge to turn over a new leaf — and inevitably fail. And while many of my Refinery29 colleagues suffer from a similar affliction, I began realising that there are those who have achieved a higher level of being. They are the ones who pack their lunch every day.
After staring at them blankly in the office kitchen as they plated their lovely leftovers or homemade salads, I had to know their secrets. Thankfully, since I write about food, I could interrogate everyone with the excuse of writing an article about it. And, as it turns out, they had lots of good tricks that made even a Pret addict like myself hopeful that I, too, could become a Tupperware ninja.
Ahead, 11 secrets from people who actually remember to bring their lunch every damn day — and save serious money doing it.
I double whatever I make and portion it out before I start eating, so I'm not tempted to just eat it all. That way I get dinner and lunch the next day! — Alex Marino, designer
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
I've been packing a salad every morning, using meat leftovers from dinner the night before as my protein. It's pretty easy and really nice on the wallet. I bought some containers from Amazon, and it's been a lunchtime game changer. They're dishwasher safe, inexpensive, and come in a variety of sizes. They're great for salads, have separate containers for dressing, and are cheap enough that if I forget them somewhere, I'm not sad if they get thrown away! — Maia Knudsen-Schule, Associate Director, Brand Experiences
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
I meal prep twice a week to make it more manageable. On Sunday, I pack salads for three days, then make two more meals on Wednesday night, usually salads again. I'll grill chicken breasts and then have a bunch of veggies that I'll mix in — chickpeas, tomatoes, carrots. —Hallie Johnston, SVP, Client Services and Strategy
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
I definitely get bored of eating the same thing over and over. My trick is I make only four for the week and treat myself to an outside lunch one of the days. If the lunch can last an extra day before going bad, I usually play it by ear and see when the mood strikes. It's typically on the days I'm craving some sushi, or it's too nice outside to sit at my desk. — Nicole Pikulin, Senior UX Designer
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
It definitely comes down to eating the same thing every day. I do a big shopping trip on Saturday or Sunday, and I have a few go-to meals. I'll either make a big pot of soup and divide it into at least five containers, or I'll make chicken or ground turkey, brown rice, and a bag of steamed vegetables and divide that.
The key to not getting sick of the meal is to have it be really flavourful and keep it fresh. For example, I’ll only season my protein and veggie meal with salt and pepper, then each day have a different condiment, like BBQ sauce, hot sauce, or Thai peanut sauce, etc. I’ll also switch out what soup I make week to week. — Caitie Thornton, Motion Graphics Designer
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
I do a big shop on Sunday and cook for the week, then bring everything to work on Monday so I don't have to worry about forgetting anything the rest of the week. If I don't have time to shop on Sunday, I'll even shop before work on Monday and get stuff that doesn't need to be cooked — a bag of salad, rotisserie chicken, etc., and bring it straight to the office. — Sydney Hass, Associate Art Director
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
I cook and pack everything on Sunday night. I’ll stick half in the fridge for the next few days, and the rest goes in the freezer for later in the week. Here's what it looks like.
I'll typically do two types of meals, but if I don't have time to do that much cooking, I'll do one meal and just end up eating the same thing every day. I don't mind it though! — Steven Dickinson, Associate Director, Video Audience Development
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
The only reason I bring lunch at all is because I use a food delivery service, such as Ocado. I have a 4-month-old, and I can honestly say that one of the biggest changes in my life since pre-parenthood is my intolerance for grocery shopping/meal planning/even having to really think about what to eat at all. — Amelia Edelman, Content Editor
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
The secret to bringing your own lunch every day for real is making a lunch you actually like eating — something that's healthy and makes you feel full and satisfied and happy —but it also has to be easy to make. I usually go with a salad with plenty of protein and a “surprise” ingredient, which is mandatory.
Sometimes I top my salad with sweet potato fries; sometimes it's the chicken I didn't finish at dinner the night before. Sometimes I add salsa and also pack chips, or it's even weirder, like a scoop of leftover Indian food. I also build in other treats: cheese sticks, chips, Oreos, whatever you want. Lunch dessert is important. — Amelia Harnish, Senior Health Editor
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
I’ve been commuting into the city for eight+ years, and bring lunch almost every single day. I always eat salad, but every day it’s a different meat, topping, lettuce, etc.
I also toss in leftover chicken or steak for protein, but if I don’t have any lying around, I keep cans of tuna or cold cuts on hand to add quick protein to any salad —it literally takes less than a minute to open a can of tuna and throw it in a salad (and it's healthy too). —Cathy Ratto, Account Director
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.
I get groceries over the weekend and prep cook on Sunday! You don't have to eat the EXACT same thing every day, but a similar base with varying mix-ins is KEY for prepping in bulk. Here is my formula for weekday lunch:
1. Greens (rocket, kale, or spinach — pick your poison?)
2. Grains (lentils, barley, quinoa, or rice)
3. Roasted or raw vegetables (sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, aubergine, etc.)
4. Hard-boiled egg or grilled chicken breast (for your protein, peeps)
5. Nuts (walnuts, almonds, pine nuts)
6. Dried fruit (cranberries, raisins)
7. Cheese (seriously, go wild)
Prep ingredients 1 through 4 on Sunday evening and store them in large separate containers. When the weekday mornings roll around is when the variation comes in! Take your top-two bases and place them in your lunchtime Tupperware, then follow with ingredients 3 through 7.
Feeling like a sweeter salad on Monday? Go with roasted sweet potatoes, walnuts, dried cranberries, and goat cheese on your greens and grains. Tuesday craving savory? Try the roasted aubergine and tomatoes with pine nuts and some shaved parm atop the bases! Hard-boiled eggs and grilled chicken to be added at your discretion.
The possibilities are endless, and once you get the bases down, you can really go wild with the mix-ins — stress and time-consumption free! — Elizabeth Buxton, Editorial Assistant, Food
Illustrated by Paola Delucca.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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