Feeling the financial pinch? Deciding to pack your lunch ever day will save you a ton of money, keep your weight down, and it’s pretty yummy too!!

Don’t bore yourself by packing the same thing every day. You will hate your packed lunch and go buy something instead. Change it up and switch from salads to soups to sandwiches and my favourite – “snackables”.

My first suggestion is the easiest one of all. When you make dinner, make extra and take it for lunch. I love leftovers and we often fight over it in my house if there is only a little leftover. If it was good enough for dinner, it will be yummy for lunch too.

Failing that, find ways to use up the leftovers to create something new. Leftover chicken? How about a chicken salad sandwich, a chicken quesadilla, or a wrap? Lots of rice leftover and not much else? How about adding some black beans, chili powder, chopped peppers and onions. Warm it up in the microwave at work and it’s a Mexican fiesta!

Use your imagination and use lots of things with flavour. Why do a ham and cheese when you can do ham with smoked gouda, grainy mustard and tomatoes (packed separately so you don’t get a squishy sandwich). And make your sandwich on a yummy seedy bun or a whole wheat wrap. Think of the things you like and put them together. How about chicken, cream cheese and avocado? Or turkey, brie and cranberry sauce?

Snackables is one of my favourite lunches and it’s quick. Get one of those divided containers or use a series of small containers and baggies. It’s really just a bunch of snacky stuff for lunch. Choose what you like from the list and mix it up:

Hummus
Olives
Pepperoni chopped into bite sized pieces
Cheese cubes
Crackers
Pita wedges
Pickles
Almonds
Celery and carrot sticks
Apple wedges
Cherry tomatoes

Don’t even get me started on salads!! There is so much you can do with a salad. Just pick out a few new dressings and go crazy from there. Raspberry vinaigrette – spinach, pecans, goat cheese, pears. Balsamic vinaigrette – romaine, sunflower seeds, chicken, pea pods, cherry tomatoes and feta. Asian dressing – packaged coleslaw, sesame seeds, pea pods and salmon. You get the idea.

Now go shopping and think about what is for dinner and lunch this week. Have fun with it and remember what you don’t eat for dinner is lunch!!