Make your own lunches and snacks.
Welcome to Week 31 of 50 Ways to Reduce Your Waste Line. Last week, we challenged you to extend your understanding of the Zero Waste Bins beyond just yourself to help educate and correct others in their use. This week, we encourage you to make your own lunches and snacks.
One Thing You Can Do:
Skip the lunch line, and bring your own. Did you know that buying lunch every day can cost you up to $2500 a year? That’s almost $50 per week just on lunch! Bringing your own lunch can save you half of that amount, equalling out to about $6.30 per meal, compared up to $11 when going out. Fast food has a high price tag, with pizza and a drink costing over $5 and the average burger costing around $8. However, making a sandwich to go can cost as little as $2!
Not only that, but bringing your own lunch and snacks has seen significant health benefits. Packing your food can increase portion control, which can help with calorie intake and weight loss/gain. Homemade meals also tend to be less processed, and have less fat, sodium and added sugars. In addition, these meals allow you to add healthier substitutions, more natural ingredients and vegetables into your diet to ensure optimum health. Surprisingly, making a lunch can be good for your mental health as well. Saving time by no longer waiting in lunch lines or traffic can significantly reduce stress.
Additional Information:
There are many useful tips to help people get started with making their own snacks and lunches. Here are a few:
- Pack snacks and lunch the night before
- Prepare for your week by planning lunch menus on Sundays
- Consider foods that don’t require additional work at the office
A fun idea is to trade off “make it” days with a colleague. Take turns making lunches with friends for an interesting meal every time.
For more healthy meal tips, click here.
Looking for lunch ideas other than sandwiches? Click here.
