Packed lunch doesn't have to be a brown paper bag with a peanut butter sandwich and a bag of chips. Actually, lunch doesn't have to be in a brown bag at all. From disposable sandwich boxes to insulated bags, the variety of food storage containers offers more choices for packed lunches. Lighten up old favorites or create a new low-fat lunch menus.
Sandwiches
If a sandwich is your go-to meal, lighten it up with healthier ingredients. Fill light, whole-grain bread slices with lean protein such as roasted turkey or grilled chicken. Instead of potato chips, fill a sandwich bag with cucumber slices. Wrap your luncheon meat in lettuce leaves to eliminate the bread altogether. Portabella mushroom caps and sliced tomatoes are fat-free alternatives to meat. Substitute mayonnaise with low-fat mustard. Low-fat cream cheese serves double-duty when used as a spread as well as the cheese on your sandwich. Puree the low-fat cream cheese with your favorite vegetables to add flavor without adding many calories. Puree garbanzo beans with nonfat yogurt and lemon juice to create a low-fat hummus-style sandwich spread.
Soup
Some soups are hearty enough to stand on their own as a meal. A bowl of soup that contains filling ingredients can be enough to satisfy you until dinner. To cut the fat, avoid cream-based soup recipes. Foods that are high in fiber are more filling. Low-fat and high-fiber soup ingredients include vegetables and whole grains, such as barley and brown rice. Mix these foods with homemade or fat-free, low-sodium canned broth. To keep a stock of convenient soup lunches on hand, make a large batch, separate it into individual portions and freeze. Thaw and heat a serving on the mornings when you plan to have soup for lunch. Pour it into an insulated container designed for hot foods to keep it warm until lunchtime.
Salad
Tear and wash lettuce leaves in the evening to pack for the following day's lunch. Prepare a bed of lettuce in a plastic lunch container. Top the lettuce with grilled chicken, lean beef strips or turkey slices. Add chopped vegetables or fruit that complements the flavor of the protein. Instead of croutons, use diced carrots to add an element of crunch. Sprinkle the salad with low-fat shredded cheese. Take along a sliced lemon to squeeze on your salad or fill a small food storage container with low-fat salad dressing. Place the dressing container inside a zipper-sealed sandwich bag to protect against leaks.
Leftovers
If you have access to a microwave, treat yourself to a lunch-sized portion of last night's dinner. When preparing your supper, cook an extra serving and set it aside. Pack the leftovers in a divided take-along container for a fresh alternative to processed, frozen entrees. To change things up, turn your dinner meal into a one-dish lunch. Toss leftover meat, rice and vegetables together in a pan. Add a dash of sauce and spices to create a stir-fry lunch that is ready to heat and eat.
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