When putting together lunches, I like to ensure there are carbs, protein and at least two portions of fruit or veg included.
Some ideas for carbs:
- crackers
- potato salad
- bread or rolls
- breadsticks
- rice cakes
- cereal
- potato chips
- corn chips
- pretzels
- croutons
- bagels
- pasta
- rice
- pita bread
- tortilla wraps
- baked goodies
- rice
- couscous
- popcorn
- egg
- lentils
- quinoa
- prawns / shrimp
- tuna and other fish
- nuts
- cottage cheese
- beans
- yoghurt
- sausages
- cheese
- ham and other lunch meats
- chicken, pork or beef
- meatballs
I usually put Grant's lunches together during the day and pop them in the fridge. When he comes home I empty his lunch bag and put the fresh lunch into it, then put the whole bag into the fridge for him to grab in the morning.
I include a main meal, a snack, and a dessert every day. Right now Grant is avoiding sugar so sadly I can't bake yummy treats but instead the desserts are generally fruit or yoghurt.
Here are a few examples of recent lunches - Grant has access to a microwave at work, so he can take leftovers and reheat them:
Main: salad with roasted winter veg, balsamic dressing, tuna wrap
Snack: seedless green grapes
Dessert: chocolate (before he went sugar-free)
Main: leftover butter chicken and rice, homemade kiwi fruit chutney (that container leaked)
Snack: crackers and Camembert cheese
Dessert: seedless black grapes
Main: deviled eggs, coleslaw, corn chips
Snack: peanuts and almonds
Dessert: a fresh pear
Main: curried chicken and salad sandwich on wholewheat (this was very popular with Grant - it was leftover roast chicken mixed with a little mayonnaise, chutney and a pinch of curry powder, with mixed salad leaves)
Snack: carrot sticks and dip (low-fat cream cheese mixed with onion soup powder)
Dessert: seedless black grapes
Main: hot dog (the bun had ketchup and mustard in, the sausage was wrapped separately so he could warm it in the microwave
Snack: celery sticks and a boiled egg with salt (blue container)
Dessert: mandarin and two kiwi fruit
Main: salad with roasted winter veg and feta cheese, Spur salad dressing, corn chips
Snack: carrot sticks in a container of dip
Dessert: mandarin and two kiwi fruit
Main: tuna pasta salad with extra jalapeno
Snack: boiled egg and black seedless grapes
Dessert: fruit yoghurt
Main: leftover lasagna
Snack: cashew nuts, seedless black grapes, mandarin
Dessert: fruit yoghurt
Some more that I don't have photographs of:
Main: leftover beef curry with rice and homemade kiwi fruit chutney
Snack: salted peanuts
Dessert: yoghurt
Main: salad with roasted winter veg, aioli, a roll with silverside beef
Snack: cashews
Dessert: a few blocks of chocolate
Main: vegetable soup, crackers and Camembert cheese
Snack: cashews
Dessert: yoghurt
Main: French bread, cheese, ham, coleslaw, potato salad
Snack: salted peanuts
Dessert: a few blocks of chocolate
Main: pumpkin soup, salad with feta and balsamic dressing
Snack: cashews
Dessert: grapes
Packed Lunches, part 1
Packed Lunches, part 2
Packed Lunches, part 3
