Hey guys! So in my first post of the health and fitness reboot (are you with me?) I wanted to share with you what has previously been a major downfall for me when it comes to eating healthy – lunchtimes at work.
For years I have always wanted to be disciplined about taking my lunch, but other than the odd leftovers I have just never had the time to get organised, and have always been stuck with the 11am ‘What shall I have for lunch’ conundrum. This, inevitably meant that I not only ate badly, but I spent an absolute tonne of money on the privilege. But a little while ago friends of mine launched a cool new lunchbox called Prepd, and so since the beginning of the year when I’ve been in the studio I’ve been experimenting with an amazing new concept… packing myself heathy lunches! *self high five*
My Approach – The Fresh Lunchbox
You may recognise Prepd because it went pretty much viral on Kickstarter last year – it’s an intuitively designed lunch box, with a range of accessories and recipes and shopping app with recipes so you’re inspired to actually be healthy. The online response to the concept is a sign that I’m not the only person who struggles in the lunch planning department!
In the last few months I’ve been using a few of the recipes and also creating my own. But, if I’m completely honest, carving out time to cook in advance can sometimes be tricky, and so if I’m busy my approach is to instead focus on stocking the fridge with fresh produce so I can easily create fresh salad boxes everyday, without any need for cooking! Don’t get me wrong I love a Sunday cooking prep when I’m not too busy (coconut dahl and cauliflower rice pilaf are two fave recipes), but if, on the other hand, I’m time poor, I’ve finally worked out it doesn’t mean you have to eat badly. If I don’t have much time for cooking prep, I instead devote the time I have on Sundays to grocery shopping, filling the fridge with healthy produce so that I can easily throw together a salad in the morning without too much thought. We’ve done a cheatsheet below to show you how easy it is to put together a salad box that’s super yummy and also really healthy!
Let’s talk about Shopping
So, the focus therefore to eating healthy lunches all week doesn’t (necessarily) have to be about cooking lots of dishes in advance. It can be just about making sure you have the right produce in the fridge – something that shouldn’t take you more than an hour on a Sunday afternoon… Or even less time if you order your groceries online.
My Shopping List
- Greens like baby spinach or kale.
- Grains/beans like lentils, quinoa or brown rice. You can also buy these ready cooked if you’re too time poor to cook yourself.
- Proteins like chickpeas, smoked salmon or chicken.
- Vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, fresh herbs and carrots. Also cauliflower, sweet potato and beetroot.
- Special toppings like fetta cheese, avocado, hummus and yogurt.
- Lemons, seeds and nuts.
Prepping
If I have a little extra time, I prep a few things in advance, cutting carrots, washing lettuce or making some quinoa. When it comes to any cooked foods (like meat or veggies), I like to integrate that with any cooking I plan on doing during the week. This shopping list is specifically for my lunch, but usually I’ll buy most of my produce so it can be used across lunch and dinner.
Building the Perfect Lunchbox
We’ve put together the above image so you can see how easy it is to build a salad lunch box – I think the toppings and sauces really make such a big different when it comes to the actual flavour of what you are eating. Which is great because this lunchbox comes with a little screw in sauce pot so that your salad doesn’t go soggy… Genius!
You can either make a bunch of lunch boxes a few days in advance, or make them on the day. Sometimes I make a few in advance and other times I just throw one together as I’m making breakfast. For anything that needs cooking like meat, vegetables or grains, I will just cook a little more at dinner and throw it into the lunch box the next day. Ie anything left over gets added to the lunch box! This is a great way to use all the leftovers in your fridge. In the event there aren’t leftovers, I simply go for a raw lunchbox with things like chickpeas and fresh vegetables.
Get Prepd
In case you’re wondering what makes Prepd so popular, I think there are a few things. Obviously the design with its bamboo case, screw in sauce pots and leak proof containers, and the app which makes it easy to be inspired and plan your meals. Another thing I also noticed when using it was the layout and size of the containers which were great for giving you the right portion sizes (I generally eat healthy but usually eat wayyyy too much) and also encouraging you to have a healthy snack. I usually add greek yogurt and my granola, or some apricot or chocolate protein balls. In case you’re interest in trying it for yourself, you can get 15% off your purchase over at Prepd using the code ‘ASpare15‘.
I’d love to hear if you have any tips for me in terms of how you approach eating healthy during work lunches, I know it an be such a challenge! I have been trying to take my lunchbox outside to eat so I can get some fresh air, and get my steps up :).
This post is in collaboration with Prepd.
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That sounds absolutely amazing! I always like to make a salad for my lunch but get quickly bored with the same combination that I make and I can never take any sauce as I don’t have a container for it. Your pics of food prep look so delicious as well!!
Lii
https://byliil.wordpress.com/
I know what you mean, salads are all about variety and flavours, so it’s good to have a framework for doing something different!
This looks absolutely brilliant! I’ve been really focused on looking after myself the past few months and consistently find lunch to be a black hole of trouble!! I have Breakfast and Dinner nailed, but when I’m flying around the place day-to-day, lunch will often get forgotten – so this, along with the app sounds like it’d be right up my street!
Rebecca
xx
http://www.peppermintdolly.com
I couldn’t agree more, the app is so great! Super inspiring for enabling you to do the prep 🙂
These lunch boxes look delicious! I’ve found that I eat so much healthier (and save so much more money) when I bring my own lunch to uni. Thanks for sharing this!
Im so happy this was helpful for you 🙂
This is sooo good! Will be following the formula from now on – so simple. I almost want to stick it on my fridge! xx
https://thecornishlife.co.uk
Oh your totally should! 🙂
I love this post, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for! Thank you!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
Yay! I am so happy to hear that!
I love that you make your own granola! I rarely eat it because I don’t like all the additives in the pre-made ones. I’m going to try your recipe.
– Greta
http://www.mintyfrosting.com
You definitely should, I love it x
As I’ve been catching up on the last 3-4 posts I’ve been giggling to myself. I feel like you’ve been speaking straight to me. I’m revamping my blog, trying to get my health back in order (first order of business was my lunches!) and I’ve been dying for you to make a jumpsuit! Anyway, this is exactly what I needed exactly when I needed it so thank you! This is brilliant.
Hahahaha we are so in sync! I absolutely love hearing that, so funny. I hope it continues like this!
😀
This is such a great post! I bring lunch to the office about 2 – 3 times a week, depending on my workload, but I find that eating leftovers from the night before (especially pasta and rice) always makes me feel extra lethargic after the meal. These healthy lunches look like they’ll be good enough to keep me full but not sleepy, and at the same time, they’re jam-packed with nutrients! <3 Thank you so much for sharing! 😀
XO, Elizabeth
https://clothestoyouuu.com/
I know what you mean, I try to avoid too many simple carbs at lunch because I get super sleepy too if I have them , I think things like quinoa and lentils are better in that respect!
Love it! Please share your recipe for cauliflower rice pilaf sometime 🙂
Yes definitely, it’s so so yummy!
I feel so lucky that my bf does all of my lunches for me 🙂
OMG I am so so so jealous!!!!
This looks so handy! I have a gluten allergy so I often have to bring lunch with me to make life easier. Love it!
xx Esra
EsraSevgi.com
I can imagine that you have to be really prepped when you have an allergy like that. What’s your fave lunch?
This is great. I just recently started prepping for work and what a saver. A big issue for me is the fact that I’m gluten free and theres literally no options around me to eat.
Alexis||https://lidsandtricks.com/
Oh I can imagine it must be super hard. Good to be prepped!
Yep, this is something I need to save! The guide is really comes in handy. I always struggle with what I need to put something like this together. So thank you so much for this! x
http://www.labrunette.be
Thanks so much! glad you like it x
Thanks a lot honey!
I just ordered a box, thanks for the great tip!
Yay so happy you like xxx
This looks great! I definitely need to incorporate more veggies in my diet.
Its so easy when you prepare a little in advance xx
Great post! Definitely inspired me to do more meal prep, and make healthier choices when doing so.
Katie x
https://livelovelifekatie.blogspot.co.uk/
I love meal prepping! These tips are great in inject a bit more healthiness and variety into my diet. Thanks!
Charlotte
http://www.decontrut.com