I’m too busy to take a lunch break! Can you give me some ideas for fast and easy lunches?

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January 30, 2008

A young mother pulled a jar of peanut butter and half a loaf of bread out of her lunch bag, saying, "It was busy this morning." If you're busy - you're not alone!

Quick eating

• If you eat at your desk, stock a drawer or shelf with non-perishable foods. Try canned or dried fruit, milk puddings that don't need refrigeration, cold cereal, whole grain crackers, peanut butter, and juice boxes. Keep utensils, napkins, and a bowl handy.
• If you have a kettle, microwave or can opener nearby, you can make dried or canned soups, pre-made pasta or frozen dinners. Or you can heat up leftovers from last night's dinner.
• Pack a mega-salad. Start with lettuce or cooked pasta, add bits of cheese, vegetables, chopped cooked egg, chick peas, canned fish, etc.
• If there's a refrigerator at work, use it! Stock it with yogurt, fruit, milk, juice, cheese, raw vegetables, spreads or dips, sliced meat and hard-boiled eggs. To avoid "mysteries," label foods with your name and the date.
• If your place of work doesn't have a refrigerator, an ice pack or a frozen juice box can help your bag lunch keep its cool.
• If your sandwiches are soggy, a thin layer of butter or margarine will "seal" the bread and keep the filling from soaking through. Or you can bring the filling in a separate container and finish making your sandwich at work.

Quick Packing

• Pack your lunch the night before so it is ready in the fridge.
• Clean and cut raw vegetables and pack them in small plastic bags to grab and go.
• Consider buying food pre-packaged in small servings. The time you save and the food you don't waste can make up for the additional cost.

Good Tasting

• Add variety to your life by buying different foods each time you shop. If you like raisins, try dried apricots, cranberries or blueberries. There are different types of breads, bagels and rolls and many types of cold meats. These little changes will help to keep your lunch interesting.

Resources for Consumers

Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide – Health Canada

Simply Great Food  - Dietitians of Canada

Lunch to Go! Food Safety Tips – Canadian Food Inspection Agency

For more food safety information:
Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education - Fact Sheets
Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Fact Sheet

Last Updated: January 2008