Ever experienced packed lunch envy? Here at healthy HQ, it happens to us all the time: it’s that sinking feeling you get when you blow your hard-earned salary on a corner shop egg mayo sandwich, only to see your colleague digging into a tupperware full of delicious-looking chicken salad or a hearty butternut squash soup.
Packed lunch doesn’t just benefit your purse strings and your tastebuds – it’s also better for your health. Eating home-cooked food could slash your diabetes risk by 9 per cent, according to a recent study from PLOS Medicine. However, as anyone who’s ever fallen victim to leaking tupperware or wilted salad leaves will know, packing the perfect lunch is easier said than done. Factor in rushed mornings, bare cupboards and a general lack of inspiration, and it all starts to seem a bit hopeless.
That’s why we’ve teamed up with Madeleine Shaw, nutritional health coach and author, to pick her brains on the best ways to eat lunch-on-the-go, including healthy lunch ideas for work. With her six savvy tips, you’ll be the envy of the office is no time:
Madeleine Shaw’s top 6 packed lunch tips
1 A perfect salad dressing consists of 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp mustard (dijon or wholegrain) and a pinch of salt. All ingredients that you probably already have in the cupboard! Now… how to transport it? Grab a hand-sized square of tin foil, touch your thumb and index finger together at the end and push the foil through the middle with your other thumb to make a little ‘well’ then pour in your dressing. The perfect preventer of soggy leaves!
2 One of my food philosophies is cooking once, eating twice and it’s amazing how much time it can save you when prepping your packed lunch. I simply cook an extra portion of whatever I’m making to toss into some tupperware before popping into the fridge for the next day. A big hearty salad is always great to do this with, especially my Shredded Turkey Salad recipe. I love using British Turkey in my salads – it’s high in protein and vitamin B6 which reduces tiredness and fatigue, and turkey is good value too!
READ MORE: How to upgrade your lunchbox
3 Tupperware can be tricky. You’ve probably got a cupboard full of mismatched lids and pots. Spring clean your cupboards when you have a moment and work out which lids match, then recycle the odd ones. One type of tupperware I’ve recently discovered is ones with a glass bottom and plastic lid. Besides the fact that glass is better for the environment, you can also cook your food in it, wait for it to cool then pop the lid on straight away – no extra effort required!
4 If you don’t fancy investing in more tupperware, I find that using an old jar is perfect. Generally speaking, jars tend to be watertight and they hold quite a lot. They can easily by popped into a dishwasher and why chuck away a perfectly good container?! Just give the jar a thorough clean out before using it for your grab and go lunch.
READ MORE: Get more Madeleine Shaw recipes
5 Have a bulk cook up! I like to do food prep on a Sunday and on a Wednesday. This is because you can’t cook a whole week’s worth of meals on Sunday as they just won’t keep until Friday. Cook up things like chickpeas, beans and quinoa in bulk, along with your meat for the next few days. You can also bulk roast some veg to last you for a few days, however if you’re making a salad, it’s best to chuck in raw veg at the last minute. There’s nothing worse than tucking into a dried out or soggy salad. Fresh is best!
6 Lastly, you might be in a rush, but make sure you savour your lunch. Try to eat mindfully – look away from your computer screen and feast your eyes on the meal in front of you as you think about each chew. You’ll feel fuller quicker, rested from work and because you’ve focussed on chewing it’s easier on your gut.