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They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but lunch is the one that can cause the greatest disruption.  

If you’re not prepared, you might find yourself eating a less than desirable lunch in a rush or spending more money eating at a restaurant. Whether you want to plan for better work lunches or set your kids up with a healthy school lunch, a little bit of planning can save you time and money each day. 

Eating fast food or at restaurants can be expensive over time. Spending $12 to $15 a day on lunch during the week could cost you $3,000 or more per year. Adopting some lunch meal prep ideas into your routine will make planning for school or work lunches a breeze, and you may save some money in the process.  

Follow these lunch packing tips to set yourself up for midday success.  

Lunch packing tips to save time

You’ve likely heard of meal prepping. The process involves planning your meals, shopping for groceries, dedicating time to putting the meals together, and safely storing the food for use in the coming week. Instead of packing a lunch each day, pick one day to devote a couple hours to completing your prep and packing. Once you complete the meal prepping tasks on your designated day, most likely Sunday, you don’t have to think about packing lunch for the rest of the week. 

Getting started with meal prep

Harvard University’s School of Public Health provides excellent advice for folks who want to start their meal prepping journey. The meal prep guide on their website provides tips on setting yourself up for success, types of foods to consider and storing your prepared meals. They suggest monthly calendars to track meal ideas and your favorite dishes, collecting healthy recipes online, and starting small with reasonable goals.  

Finding meal prep recipes

If you need a source for great recipes, check out My Indiana Home, a quarterly magazine sent to all Indiana Farm Bureau members. The My Indiana Home website has a curated section highlighting all kinds of recipes. For more meal prep specific ideas, visit the Food Network website for guidance on healthy meals that are easy to prep.  

These tips and suggestions are also helpful if you want to plan ahead for dinner in addition to lunch.  

Tips for packing a healthy lunch

According to Purdue University Extension, packing a healthy lunch is all about balance. Make sure you include fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins in your meals. Purdue University Extension’s online guide to healthy lunches provides several ideas and guidelines as you start your meal prep journey. If you’re packing a lunch for a child, remember to include them in the process and make it fun when you can!  

Finding healthier food options

The American Heart Association (AHA) shows just how easy it is to swap some foods for healthier options. The AHA suggests choosing no or low-salt options, selecting whole grains when shopping for bread and pasta and making your own salad dressings. In addition to those tips, you can make direct substitutions, such as choosing nuts over potato chips if you want to include a salty snack.  

Finding local produce can also help you pack healthier lunch options more often. Eating according to the season keeps things fresh and vibrant. Check out our guide to Indiana farmers markets for local food buying options in Indiana.  

Tips for packing and storing meals

You’ve found great recipes, shopped for food and put it all together...now what? The next step is safely packing and storing your meals. Ideal Nutrition’s guide to storing meal-prepped food is a valuable resource. Using the guide, you’ll learn the best types of containers to use for different types of food, how to label your containers, when to put food in the refrigerator or the freezer, and more.  

Additional supplies needed for meal prep

Like any job, meal prep becomes much easier when you have the correct tools. Taste of Home tested a lot of products available and created a list of tools that make cooking at home more enjoyable. The list includes information on everything from adjustable measuring cups to battery-operated can openers. Also consider items to use while actually packing your lunch like reusable ice packs and utensil sets.  

Keep track of your savings

For some people, it can be fun to see the immediate impact of their lunch packing efforts. The Institute for Savings hosts a lunch savings calculator on its website. You can plug in your food costs and the average cost of eating out to see what you’re saving each month, year or savings over multiple years. This handy tool can help you set goals and motivate you to accomplish them.  

No matter if time or money is the most precious commodity to you, prepping meals for your lunch each week allows you to save both. Remember to start small and equip yourself with the right tools for success.  

Happy planning and packing!  

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