BYOL: Bring Your Own Lunch
by Kathleen Reale
We all know the drill; lunch time rolls around, you go to the local deli and stare at the menu board at a loss since there are no gluten or allergen-free options for you to eat. Another scenario that is all too familiar are those frantic week-day mornings when the kids are running late for school, and you are running out of ideas to make their brown-bag lunches a gift-bag of welcomed mid-day fare.
Bringing a lunch to the office or school, has become a fad for millions who are trying to cut-back on spending, eat more healthy or lose weight. But those with celiac disease, on a gluten-free diet, or with food allergies know that a brown-bag lunch is a necessity, not a craze that will diminish once the economy gets beefier, or the waist-line gets trimmer.
And while most can settle for the stand-by peanut-butter sandwiches for a lunch-on-the-go option, those on a gluten-free and allergen-free diet are forced to think more creatively.
Any seasoned brown-bagger has discovered that the trick to BYOL it is to make the necessity for brown-bagging a positive experience, rather than a negative chore. The following tips, motivations and ideas will assist you in finding the enthusiasm and tools to make your brown-bag contents the hippest at the lunchroom table:
Think ahead! Planning to bring lunches to work or school takes a bit of thinking and preparation. Use these tips to make brown-bagging effortless:
- Grocery shopping. When doing your weekly grocery shopping make a list of the items you will need for the weekly lunches. Also, make sure you purchase the essentials, like zip-lock bags!
- Leftover and over… and over! Make the preparation of dinner become double-duty! Grill an extra chicken breast while making dinner; add an extra cup of rice or vegetables for the fixings of a cold salad plate for the next day’s lunch.
- Work the night shift. At 6:30 AM most of us do not have the creative juices flowing fast enough to determine what gluten or allergen free lunch options are hidden in our refrigerator or cupboards. That is why preparing and packaging lunches the night before make mornings simple, and stress-free.
Made-To-Order Meals. The best part about bringing a lunch to school or work is that you can control exactly what you are eating, when you want to eat it. Often times, supplying your own meals is the only way to guarantee food is free of gluten and / or allergens, something that can not be left to chance for those with severe allergic reactions.
As well as making sure the meal is gluten and allergen free, you are also able to control the amount of calories (for those watching their middles), as well as the nutritional value of the lunches you are providing. A healthy nutritious meal full of protein, vegetables and fruit create a super-fueled body, ready to tackle afternoon classes or afternoon power-meetings.
Savings galore. Being on a gluten free or allergen free diet can be expensive, but so can eating out for lunch every day! To see the amount of money you can save by making your own lunch instead of eating out, check out this Brown Bag Savings Calculator. You’ll be surprised how quickly money adds up!
Mix it Up. Brown bag lunches can be more than just boring sandwiches, especially for those on a gluten-free or allergen-free diet. Think outside of the bread! Try packing up a soup and salad, heat and serve leftovers, or tapas-style offerings such as olives, hummus, gluten-free crackers, cheese sticks and fruit.
Pack-a-Snack for a hunger attacks! Don’t forget to pack snacks either! Those mid-afternoon trips to the vending machine can yield no gluten or allergen free offerings, and can also ending up costing a bundle!
The environment thanks you! Not only is packing lunches beneficial to you and your family, it is also beneficial to the environment! Think of all the disposable plastic and Styrofoam containers that you’ll be saving by avoiding take-out lunches.
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