Unless it’s Monday, 11:35 A.M. signals every students’ favorite time of the day: lunch. While many students opt to walk over to Town and Country Village to purchase a lunch, others choose to stay on campus and delve into their homemade lunches. There are many different options for packed lunches, including hot, cold, homemade, store-bought, healthy and not so healthy. If you’re trying to save a couple extra bucks, the packed lunch is definitely something to look into. But what are the components of a “perfect packed lunch?”
The “perfect packed lunch” should be balanced, with not too many carbs, not too many sugars and not too many salts. It should be neither too heavy or too light. Obviously, the “perfect packed lunch” varies from person to person, depending on their own personal likes and dislikes. Maybe you’re not even searching for the “perfect packed lunch” but rather the best snacks to munch on throughout the day to keep up your energy. Here are some ideas which you can try out to get to your own personal perfect balance of food.
The Best Packed Lunch
Wendy Copley/ Creative Commons
By Pauline Na
The Best Snacks
- Greek yogurt (Chobani, Fage, Oikos, etc.)—For those who lose track of how much they’re eating while snacking, greek yogurt is a perfect option because you can eat as much as you want without having to worry about saturated fats and cholesterol which can put your heart at risk.
- String cheese—Because it’s perfectly portioned so you won’t be tempted to eat more than is good for you, plus it is fun to eat.
- Smoothies—When you make them yourself you have complete control of what you are putting into your body.
- Nutrition bars—Look for bars that contain nuts or other sources of fiber and are made out of ingredients that you can actually pronounce. If you can’t say it, it’s probably not good to be putting it into your body.
- Fresh fruit (grapefruit, mango, etc.)—They are an excellent alternative to anything containing artificial sugars.
Tips for a Balanced Meal
- Replace fruit cups with fresh fruit.
- Replace potato chips with potato wedges for the same satisfaction but more health benefits.
- If you don’t like vegetables, eat them with some sort of dip such as hummus or ranch dressing.
- Make sure to portion the food to ensure you’re not eating too much of one item.
Alternatives to a Sandwich
- Hummus with pita and a variety of vegetables.
- Pasta because it is so versatile and you can customize it however you like.
- Leftovers! Just pack up last night’s dinner into a ziplock and you are good to go.
- Homemade salad because it is also customizable.
- Wraps (tortilla, lettuce) because they have significantly less carbs than a sandwich while not losing their flavor.
