3 Quick and Easy Ways To Make Your Work Lunches More Interesting

When you’re at work, buying your lunch everyday is a complete waste of money and means that you’re less likely to enjoy a well balanced and nutritious lunch. It’s said that buying your lunch or even just work snacks everyday can cost you around £1,300 per year. Making your lunch at home to bring in, instead of buying a £5 sandwich is a no brainer, but after a while, lunches made at home can soon get boring and repetitive. 

However, lunches can be really appealing, depending on your meal prep, and can take no time at all to prepare. Preparing lunches for work is all about the preparation and by spending just 30 minutes at the weekend making lunches for the week ahead means that you can enjoy homemade lunches with a difference. With that in mind, here are 3 ways you can make your work lunches more interesting. 

Pot Noodles With A Difference

Pot Noodles are a quick go-to lunch or snack for many office workers, but hold very little nutritional value. Making a pot noodle that you can prepare at home, but enjoy at work, is really quick and easy and means you get to enjoy a well balanced meal packed with goodness and that will keep you full until dinner. 

You need a jar with a secure lid to minimise spills and to keep your ingredients secure. Simply pop some ready-cooked udon noodles into the jar and layer with fresh vegetables, shredded roast chicken or tofu, chillies and spring onions, then top with some miso paste, stock powder and grated ginger and garlic. Then, at lunchtime, top with boiling water and stir together to create a hot, tasty lunch. For some added crunch, top with sesame seeds or nuts. 

Snack Wisely

When those mid-afternoon snack cravings strike, it’s all too easy to just nip out and grab a sweet treat or carb-loaded snack. Whilst this will make you feel good whilst eating, in the hours following, you’ll likely notice your mood dip and tiredness strike even more so. It’s important to snack wisely whilst at work so as to avoid sugar crashes and carb cravings, full of empty calories. 

There are plenty of snacks which you can make at home, including hummus and tzatziki that you can enjoy with rice cakes, crackers or crudites. You could also make a refreshing fruit salad, protein balls or your own roasted spiced nut and pulse mixes. It’s important not to avoid foods altogether, however, as some days you will need a sugary treat, such as tasty bakery products, with a cup of tea for a little pick me up, so try not to demonise any food groups. 

Leftovers Are Your Friends

If you have leftovers from the night before, then transforming these leftovers into lunches for the following days is a great way to reduce food waste and ensure you're getting good lunches, too. If you’ve had a roast and have some leftover meats and vegetables, then adding some fresh salad leaves and salad dressing means you're left with a lovely salad. Pasta dishes can be easily reheated and paired with fresh salad, whilst jacket potatoes can be turned into tasty loaded potato skins.