aberfold
Assistant Cook
Do you have somebody at work, who would bring their lunch from home and there will always be some people surrounding them and say: “wooo….. what are you having today? You made this?? That looks good!!!!”
And if you ask them: “Where is your lunch?”
Then you would hear the same answer over and over again: “Oh, I didn’t do my grocery last night. Oh… I was too tired after work to cook anything. Oh I'm too lazy.” Sounds familiar, anyone?
Eventually you probably give up asking them, because it would be like playing a recorded tape.
For example. at my workplace all my colleagues in my department have the same job title, we work the same number of hours each day, we almost share the same travelling time to work (whether on a train, bus or car), we all have errands to run, we all have family priorities… however, there will always be those who manages to cook and come to work with lunches and those who spend first 15 minutes of their lunch break figuring out what to grab for lunch.
Here is 3-step process how you can pack your lunches every day and feel great about it:
#1 Step: Starch & protein & veggie combo
The night before you get to pick one item of each category. For veggie, it could be some leftover steamed vegetables or pre-washed salad mix. For protein, you can choose roasted chicken breast, baked tofu or some kind of bean salad. For starch, pack some rice, a slice of pita, rice crackers… or whatever available in the fridge.
#2 Step: Prep ahead & enjoy your buffet
The secret is that you don't have to cook 90% of those food that night! But everything else are already cooked ahead or bought ready to eat: roasted chicken breasts and baked tofu can be made every Sunday; Make your own salad dressing in a jar to be used for a week on salads and rice. Speaking of salad, you can make your own favorite salads like bean or leafy salads. For leafy, you cut and wash a head of lettuce, spin it to dry and keep the lettuce inside the spinner in the fridge. This is a key trick to keep greens lasts for a week to use. Everything else is grab and go: yogurt, pita bread, rice crackers….etc That’s you need for a buffet night, just mix and match your starch-protein-veggie combo for an office lunch.
#3 Step: Fall in love in leftovers
If the night before you made fried noodles, pasta, pizza, stew, chili…. Pack them to go for next day or maybe the day after, so its not too boring eating the same meal twice. Aside from prep ahead meals above, last night’s leftovers are super handy as a hot lunch idea for next day.
What's your biggest hurdle that stops you from packing lunch every day? What’s your favorite lunch idea?
And if you ask them: “Where is your lunch?”
Then you would hear the same answer over and over again: “Oh, I didn’t do my grocery last night. Oh… I was too tired after work to cook anything. Oh I'm too lazy.” Sounds familiar, anyone?
Eventually you probably give up asking them, because it would be like playing a recorded tape.
For example. at my workplace all my colleagues in my department have the same job title, we work the same number of hours each day, we almost share the same travelling time to work (whether on a train, bus or car), we all have errands to run, we all have family priorities… however, there will always be those who manages to cook and come to work with lunches and those who spend first 15 minutes of their lunch break figuring out what to grab for lunch.
Here is 3-step process how you can pack your lunches every day and feel great about it:
#1 Step: Starch & protein & veggie combo
The night before you get to pick one item of each category. For veggie, it could be some leftover steamed vegetables or pre-washed salad mix. For protein, you can choose roasted chicken breast, baked tofu or some kind of bean salad. For starch, pack some rice, a slice of pita, rice crackers… or whatever available in the fridge.
#2 Step: Prep ahead & enjoy your buffet
The secret is that you don't have to cook 90% of those food that night! But everything else are already cooked ahead or bought ready to eat: roasted chicken breasts and baked tofu can be made every Sunday; Make your own salad dressing in a jar to be used for a week on salads and rice. Speaking of salad, you can make your own favorite salads like bean or leafy salads. For leafy, you cut and wash a head of lettuce, spin it to dry and keep the lettuce inside the spinner in the fridge. This is a key trick to keep greens lasts for a week to use. Everything else is grab and go: yogurt, pita bread, rice crackers….etc That’s you need for a buffet night, just mix and match your starch-protein-veggie combo for an office lunch.
#3 Step: Fall in love in leftovers
If the night before you made fried noodles, pasta, pizza, stew, chili…. Pack them to go for next day or maybe the day after, so its not too boring eating the same meal twice. Aside from prep ahead meals above, last night’s leftovers are super handy as a hot lunch idea for next day.
What's your biggest hurdle that stops you from packing lunch every day? What’s your favorite lunch idea?
