Tips & Tricks for Healthy Lunches

Whether you're packing a lunch box for your grade schooler or brown bagging it to the office, it can be challenging to find that balance between a lunch you want to eat, and a lunch you feel good about eating. Fortunately, we have plenty of tips and tricks to help you pack healthy lunches for the whole family!

Preparation Is Key

We all know it's smart to eat nutritious foods, but the easiest way to have it stick is to make it a no-brainer! For me, this means prepping for the week in any way I can. For example:

• Pack up the Produce: It's simple to cut up fruits and vegetables and store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Not only is pre-cut produce easier to eat, but it's simple to pick and choose and throw in a lunch box. Tip: Toss cut fruit like apples with a little lemon juice to prevent browning, and cover carrot and celery sticks with a dampened paper towel to keep them crisp.
• Build a Bowl: Grain bowls are all the rage these days, and they are packed with nutrition if you use the right ingredients! Make sure to keep pre-cooked grains like quinoa, bulgur and millet and legumes like chickpeas, black beans and cranberry beans on hand. Other fantastic additions are leafy greens, blanched vegetables, hummus, olives, grated cheese and tahini sauce. Tip: Check out our grain bowl page here!
• Go Whole Grain: Take a look at your usual lunch choices: is there room for an upgrade? It's easy to make simple swaps such as whole wheat bread for white bread, or whole wheat pasta for traditional options. Tip: Take a look at our whole wheat recipes (click the "Recipes" tab).

Soup up Your Lunch

Soup is a fantastic lunch and easy to fill with nutritious ingredients like vegetables, beans and more. Tip: Use one of our convenient soup mixes, or browse our favorite recipes:

• Bean Free Quinoa Chili - This gluten free, soy free soup is vegan and filled with quinoa, tomatoes and vegetables.
• Tortilla Soup with Red Lentils - Tortilla soup is a perennial favorite, and ours features delicious red lentils and black beans. Just pack the tortilla chips separately!
• Monggo Bean Stew - This rich and flavorful stew is made with mung beans and enhanced with onion, garlic, ginger and coconut milk.
• Classic 13 Bean Soup - Delicious and so easy to make, this soup uses our 13 Bean Soup Mix and adds a ham hock, aromatics, tomatoes and spices.

Keep It Hot (or Cold)

Now that you've got the perfect lunch, you just need to keep everything at the proper temperature. This is especially important if you or your child doesn't have access to a refrigerator or microwave. No one likes lukewarm soup! Here's how to get started:

• Invest in a vaccuum-sealed container, aka a Thermos. These are so efficient at keeping soup and pasta warm! Tip: Fill with boiling water and let sit for 10-15 minutes before draining and filling, to keep things as hot as possible.
• Find an insulated bag. These sometimes come complete with cold packs, but if not, at least find a bag that will fit a cold pack with your other containers. Tip: Freeze a juice box or water bottle: instant (and consumable) cold pack!
• Consider partitioned lunch boxes. I love our plastic multi-compartment lunch containers. It's a great way to keep sandwiches and salads separate from fruit, yogurt and other items. Plus I don't need to use any plastic bags! Tip: Metal bento boxes are also quite popular.

Enlist Some Help

Many hands make light—and more enjoyable—work. This is where your prep really pays off, as even small children and select veggies, build a grain bowl and more. Plus, letting your kids (or heck, spouse) help decide what they eat will generally ensure that they eat more of it.

Vary Your Choices

Don't let convenience get you stuck in a rut! You can vary your grains, produce, recipes and more according to the season and your personal taste. Keep checking out new recipes (we're constantly adding to our selection here at Bob's Red Mill) to keep your tastebuds (and brain) engaged and interested in creating nutritious lunches all year round. Do you have any favorite healthy lunch recipes? Post them below!