In these times, it makes sense to make money by saving money. One solid way to do that is to muster up your own brown bag lunch ideas. For those on a weight loss program, brown bagging it can also provide more control over calories, salt content, sugar, and white flour. Not to mention displacing the high cost of pre-packaged diet foods like protein shakes, meal bars, and microwaveable entrees.
Most fast food establishments do offer some diet choices, but these, too, are as expensive as any other meal there. If you spend the average $7.50 for a basic lunch (twice that in some cities) and you do it five days a week, 50 weeks of the year (here it comes...) that's $1,840.00. That's a lot of dough just to be chic with the office crowd. Here are some healthy and delicious brown bag lunch ideas that won't empty your wallet or pad your hips.
1) Plan and prepare the core elements of your lunch the night before. Traditionally, a sack lunch includes a sandwich, a piece of fruit, something crunchy, and something sweet. Not rocket science, but worthy of careful consideration of each component if you're calculating both cost and calories.
2) Add a healthy afternoon snack while you're at it. Why give your $1.25 to the snack machine and get poor calories back in the bargain?
3) Select a drink. Although mostly relegated to the kiddie crowd, juice boxes and fruity pouch drinks do fit the bill. They tolerate being unrefrigerated and travel well. To lower cost and calories the most, however, consider taking a tea kit to the office.
4) When lunchtime comes, don't eat at your desk if you don't need to. Make the time your own by changing the scenery along with your posture. Sit outside with a friend. Listen to music in your car. Share your sweet with a brown bag confederate.
5) Take all the money you saved with these brown bag lunch ideas and go buy a new wardrobe. You may need one after cutting a year's worth of lunch-fat from your waist!
