Friday, August 8, 2014

School Year Lunch Packing Tips & Ideas!



Hello everyone!!

A good friend asked me about lunch ideas for school counseling internship. I thought it would be a good idea to do a post on this! These tips are great for interns, professional school counselors, teachers, and more!

Leftovers: Packing leftovers can make your life so much easier on those busy mornings! When making dinner, I will sometimes make a little extra for lunch the next day :) Put some leftovers in a container, along with some other items, and you are good to go!

Pack an easy on-the-go breakfast: This is great if you don't have time to eat breakfast at home, and you can pack these easy (and somewhat healthier ideas). I love the on-the-go microwavable oatmeal cups, fruit, and greek yogurt! I place my fruit in a container or plastic snack bag so that its ready to take with me! Also, I like to get a good breakfast in, just in case things get busy and there is no time to each lunch! Other breakfast items that I enjoy are: toasted bagel with cream cheese, coffee, and boiled or scrambled eggs!

Meal Prepping: Many of my family members engage in meal prepping, and I think it is a fabulous idea! By preparing food for the week, it helps out in so many ways: You won't have to do much during the week, and easy lunch packing! Some of the things that are easy to prep are tuna salad, grilled chicken, cooked veggies, and chicken salad. When I am making my lunch for the next day, I can make a lunch using the food that is already prepared, which I love!

Water is essential: I don't know what I would do without my water bottle! I use the Contigo Auto Seal Water Bottle that you can order from amazon, comes in great colors! It is important to stay hydrated. Although soda and caffeine can help us throughout the day, they can sometimes dehydrate you. I try to drink more water in addition to drinking other beverages. To spice things up, I will add lemon or cucumber to flavor my water, great beverage to drink with lunch! You can easily refill your bottle at work :)

Balance things out: When I pack my lunches, I like to have balance. I usually pack some form of protein, fruit or veggie, and a snack! My protein usually consists of meat or greek yogurt, or both! My favorite fruits & veggies are: carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, grapes, and pineapple, and apples! Needless to say, I love fruits and veggies! I like to include at least one of my favorite snacks: wheat thins/ritz crackers, pretzels, chips, or rice cakes!

Variety is key: I sometimes get tired of the same thing, so I try to switch things up when I pack my lunch. I make sure to not pack the same thing too many days in a row! Also, when I pack different things that I like, it gives me a yummy lunch to look forward to! Pinterest is a great place to find new and exciting lunch ideas!

Quick Snacks: I briefly discussed different snacks, and my reasoning for that is so that I have something that I can grab quickly. Sometimes things get busy and a lunch break may be far out of reach. A quick snack is good to have for lunch bunches with students also :) Having a quick snack available in your office can be a good idea!


Packing lunches is one thing that I like to do, and finding fun new things to pack is exciting! What things do you pack for lunch? Feel free to comment below!!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!! :)


~Nicole






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