Meal prep. It’s the single worst part of my weekend. Thinking about what we’re all going to eat…especially for lunch…for the next week.
I’m incredibly thankful for a job where I have summers off. When I can take a break from the meal-prep-lunch-grind. I truly dread Sunday evenings for the sole reason of lunch meal prep!
To be honest, lunches were pretty sad at the end of the 2018/2019 school year and I know I’m not the only one! I ate plenty of hot lunch, frozen meals, and plain old granola bars beside others with questionably old hot-pockets (mmhmmmm).
Let’s not even talk about my kids’ lunches…every prepackaged item from the pantry or freezer was dumped into their lunch box.
You want fruit snacks for breakfast? Okay. #survivalmode #fedisbest
I’m determined not to get to that place again and I’m feeling more motivated after writing this post to get started with these no prep, meal prep tips. After all, this is all about how to meal prep lunches the easy way. I.Can.Do.This.
#1 – Sandwiches
- Buy a large, delicious, fresh loaf of bread (Walmart has them for 99 cents) or any loaf of bread will do.
- Buy your favorite lunch meat and sandwich cheese.
- Slap your favorite meat and cheese and other toppings on the bread.
- Slice into 5 large sections.
- Place back in the bag and pull out a sandwich for each work day.
This easy lunch hack is great for construction workers or others who do not have a microwave for left overs. School kids, love this concept on rolls and they keep well for the week!
If gluten is an issue for you, try gluten-free bread or sprouted grain breads like Ezekiel bread.
This can be done with a dozen rolls or a pre-cut loaf of bread. The concept still applies.
#2 – Salad
- Purchase a couple of bag salad kits or large bowls of pre-made salad from the deli section.
- Divide into 3-5 wide mouth mason jars or other food prep containers.
- Enjoy!
This costs similar to purchasing all of the salad fixings and greens. And, it’s way easier!
#3 – Rotisserie Chicken
My love for rotisserie chicken runs deep! Costco seems to have the best deal around and, oh, how I wish Aldi had a deli! However, Meijer and Family Fare (West Michigan stores) have the best ingredients in their rotisserie chicken (Whole 30 compliant).
Here is a list of rotisserie chicken, real food meals that you might do with a rotisserie chicken for a week’s worth of lunches:
- Enjoy on a tortilla with some other toppings for a nice wrap.
- Toss with some pasta and a little sauce for an easy pasta meal or try my Healthy Chicken Pasta recipe from the blog.
- Make Chicken Salad to last a week and enjoy with a bag of crackers, chips, greens, veggies, or bread.
- Simply eat it beside some greens, with veggies, or a slice of cheese.
Having a good source of protein for the week is half of the hack of it! This is one of the most loved lunch hacks at our house (aside from leftovers).
#4 – Deli Food
I love walking through the deli section of Family Fare, Walmart, and even Costco and Sam’s. The possibilities are endless here. It could get pricey, but if you are just looking for a real food lunch hack for meal prep lunches, sometimes it’s worth paying for.
Here are some ideas:
- Buy a tray of wraps from Costco. Use one or two throughout the week. Freeze any that you predict will not be eaten in that week and use for another time.
- Purchase a large Mac ‘n Cheese or Chicken Alfredo from any deli and divide into serving containers to last a week.
- Buy a pre-made soup from the deli section and divide into serving sizes (I believe Costco sells soup in large amounts and I’m assuming your ingredients from the deli will be cleaner than canned or frozen).
- Purchase a pasta salad, or any salad, with protein in it and divide into appropriate servings to last a week.
Obviously, there are so many varieties in individual deli’s, but you get the idea. Find something you like, buy a large amount to last a week, and divide into daily servings.
I’m not saying all of these are your healthiest options. But, it is far healthier and less expensive than eating fast-food, eating out, or eating a processed frozen meal. And I consider that a win.
#5 – Yogurt Parfait
- Buy a tub of yogurt.
- Throw your favorite sliced fruit on the bottom of 3-5 mason jars.
- Divide yogurt into the mason jars.
- Bring a baggie of store bought granola or your own customized granola from my Homemade Granola Recipe Guide or Paleo Coconut Granola Without Nuts or Seeds.
To make this a healthier meal, I recommend buying plain yogurt. Specifically, whole plain yogurt, if you’re willing to do full-fat! It’s delicious and creamy and will sustain you! To keep this lower carb for my keto friends, you might make the Coconut Granola Without Nuts or Seeds and replace the honey with a low glycemic sweetener like Lakanto. For Dairy-free folks, try So Delicious brand’s plain coconut yogurt.
#6 – Leftovers
I realize this isn’t much of a “hack,” but it’s worth repeating/saying.
Make extra at each meal during the week so that you will have leftovers.
Honestly, I pack my husband a lunch about five times a year (I know, I’m terrible), but we almost always have leftovers for him to grab on his way out the door. This is a lifesaver for adult lunches.
I realize, however, we both work in buildings with kitchens and microwaves which makes eating leftovers at work possible.
Meal Prep Lunches the Easy Way
I’m motivated to do a better job this summer and next school year when it comes to meal prep the easy way at this house, no doubt!
This doesn’t have to be the dreaded task of Sunday nights that it often seems to be. It can be so much easier if I relax a little on the “healthy standards” and accept a few easy hacks for making lunches that are still far healthier than their alternatives (hot lunch, frozen entrees, and eating out).
Meal Prep on a Budget
You might feel like these meal prep lunch are too expensive or they lack the consideration for a tight budget. I agree that on a tight budget this could get pretty expensive. But, are you eating out on that budget? Are you running to the local market or restaurant as a last ditch resort because you’re starving?
Then, to that, I’d say you might consider spending a little more on lunch food on the front end so that you aren’t making last minute lunch purchases when you’re starving! Planning ahead pays dividends (and it’s healthier).
Have a company credit card that pays for all of your “lunch meetings?” Great. But could you save the company a little $, save yourself some time and calories, make your own lunches 2 or 3 times a week, and arrange those meetings for another time? Try it. You might find some time to go for a walk or enjoy a conversation with a coworker if you’re not driving around town to eat lunch out.
Let me know what your go-to, easy meal prep lunch hacks look like at your house. We all love new lunch ideas.
Now, for the children, I’ll save that for another post!