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This post on How to Pack the Perfect Work Lunch has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Campbell&#;s Well Yes!&#; Soup at Walmart. All opinions are mine alone. #WellYesMoment #CollectiveBias

There&#;s nothing worse than a boring desk lunch. That&#;s why I&#;ve teamed up with Campbell&#;s Well Yes!&#; Soup at Walmart to bring you 6 easy tips on how to pack the perfect work lunch, no matter how busy you are!

On days I forget to prepare my lunch and am forced to rush out thedoor with only a granola bar or underripe banana in tow, I am haunted by my impending lifeless lunch all day. A lunch break is something to look forward to, especially when you have a fun and wholesome one waiting for you.

There&#;s so many photos floating around Instagram of fun, creative lunches that parents pack for their kid&#;s lunchbox. Why not channel that creativity and pack an amazing grown-up lunchbox for yourself? I&#;m not saying we should cut our sandwiches into dinosaur shapes, and knowing how to pack the perfect work lunch is actually easy as pie.

A simple formula, a balanced meal, and preparing ahead of time can make a world of difference in your day, your productivity, and how you feel. Let&#;s create a balanced adult lunchbox!

How to Pack the Perfect Work Lunch

Mix It Up

No one wants to (or should have to!) eat the same lunch for weeks straight. Think outside the turkey sandwich box, and mix it up. Plan to take leftovers on Monday so your Sunday night can be spent relaxing instead of prepping. Then, change up your lunches throughout the week.

Here&#;s an example of a fun, versatile weekly menu: Monday: Leftovers. Tuesday: Your favorite protein-packed wrap. Wednesday: A seasonal and filling grain salad or simple, stacked mason jar salad. Thusday: An anything-but-boring sandwich. Friday: A fun bento-style snack box, such as a Mezze Tray with hummus, pita bread, olives, grilled eggplant, tabbouleh, and marinated artichokes.

Be Prepared (Even When You Can&#;t Prepare)

Way too busy to prep your lunch the night before, or simply just forget? Stay calm, and don&#;t go hungry! Keep easy, convenient, and nutritious lunch options stocked in the pantry. Keep individually-portioned bags of nuts, trail mix, or granola. Make sure the fridge is stocked with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. And for the main event, stock up on Campbell&#;s Well Yes!&#; Soup. I love these soups and they&#;re perfect for your lunch bag for several reasons. These two-serving soups include a convenient pop-top lid, no can-opener necessary. Campbell&#;s Well Yes!&#; Soup are made from nutritious ingredients, such as quinoa, farro, and kale, and contain no artificial flavors, ingredients, or colors. There&#;s plenty of fun and wholesome flavors, my favorites being Tomato Carrot Bisque, Italian Vegetable with Farro, and Sweet Potato Corn Chowder. All of which contain no preservatives, non-BPA lining, a generous serving of vegetables, and are vegetarian (Italian Vegetables with Farro is vegan). I love to pair this soup with a simple salad for a balanced and satisfying lunch! Now that&#;s a #WellYesMoment.

In Case of Emergency

Pack smart snacks to avoid getting #hangry. Having healthy snacks on hand will ensure you don&#;t go reaching for a not-so-healthy candy bar or vending machine fix when you need a pick-me-up. Packing protein-packed almonds, homemade energy bites, and limited-ingredient protein bars or trail mix are all great options.

Smart Additions

Think outside of the main event to create a balanced and nutritious meal. Pack fun and healthy snacks and sides, such as carrot and cucumber matchsticks, creamy hummus, fresh fruit, whole-grain pretzels, and a little piece of dark chocolate to end your lunch on a sweet note. (Bonus: dark chocolate is a powerful antioxidant that aids in concentration!)

Think Hydration!

Staying hydrated is important! Be sure to drink water throughout your day and pack some fun drink options with your lunch. Green tea, kombucha, and fruit-infused water are all refreshing options. Some of my favorite combinations for fruit-infused water are Citrus + Mint (lemon, orange, fresh mint) and Blackberry Cucumber Mojito (fresh blackberries, cucumber slices, fresh mint, and lime).

Step Away

If you can, step away from your desk or work space. Take the time to recharge, reflect, and enjoy some quiet. Any meal should be a celebration and a chance to replenish your body with nutritious foods. Take a moment, take a breath, and sit outside in nature if you can (and the weather is nice!). If not, reading a good book with your lunch or practicing some mindfulness or a little bit of meditation will instantly lift your mood.

Follow these tips on How to Pack the Perfect Work Lunch and you&#;re set for ultimate #LunchGoals!

Thank you to Campbell&#;s for sponsoring this post. Be sure to pick up the new Campbell&#;s Well Yes!&#; Soup at its convenient low price from Walmart. (Tip: also be on the lookout for even more savings with a Sunday paper coupon, available 2/12 & 3/12, and in-store demos 2/16-2/19). I hope that you&#;ve enjoyed this post on How to Pack the Perfect Work Lunch, and that you enjoy Campbell&#;s Well Yes!&#; Soup as much as I do!

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Last Updated on January 4, by Tiffany

1. Pack Food Your Kids Will Actually Eat

When it comes to school lunches, pack the food you know your kids will eat, not the food you would like them to eat. All it takes is one visit to a school cafeteria to realize how much perfectly good food gets thrown away. It can be very eye opening for parents.

With the goals of not wanting to waste food and wanting kids to get through the day without being hungry, the lunchbox is not where to fight food battles. While you might want your kids to eat kale, maybe a peach and some pretzels will stand a better chance in a kid&#;s lunch box.

2. Reduce the Packaging

In addition to how much food is wasted, it is shocking to notice how long kids take trying to get their food opened.

While the lunch aides do their best to get around and help kids open their lunch boxes, without question there are many kids who did not eat some of their food because they can&#;t get it open. This is one of the most important considerations while packing lunch, especially if you have younger children.

Use a Bento Box

The idea is to make it so kids only have to open an item or two. Once the lid is off of the box, they can start eating their lunch immediately.

A bento lunch box for kids can be as simple as a plastic storage container already in your cupboard. The clip lock style storage containers work well. The clip locks are easy to open and close, important for small hands.

Not only does a kid&#;s bento box make it easier for kids to eat their lunch, it also saves on waste and packaging. One added bonus: it makes it easy for uneaten food to return home.

3. Think Outside the (Cold Lunch) Box

Let&#;s face it, it is easy to run out of school lunch ideas. Many parents feel like they pack a turkey sandwich every other day. Mix it up by packing hot food.
Not only is it easy to do, it opens up almost unlimited easy lunch ideas! With a simple compact Thermos container, the lunch game changed forever.

Meatballs and sauce for lunch? Yes, please!  Leftovers? Absolutely!  Grilled cheese? You got it!

Sending a hot lunch is a game changer. It&#;s especially fantastic for kids who have sports or activities after school. A hot lunch makes it so easy to pack in the protein they need. And there is something comforting about a hot meal.

Use a Thermos to Pack Hot Food

Fill a Thermos with hot water for a few minutes while you prep or get ready in the morning. After sitting a few minutes, add hot food and close it up. Food stays hot&#; so hot that kids may need to let food cool off a bit before eating.

Note: The Thermos comes with instructions, which you want to make sure to read .

Easy Hot School Lunch Ideas

Keep a few bags of Farm Rich Homestyle Meatballs in the freezer to make packing hot lunch easy. The Meatballs are microwavable, have 11 grams of protein per serving, and are made with hearty ground beef and savory pork.

A quick pop in the microwave, and you have delicious, hot meatballs ready to pack. You can likely heat up these meatballs faster than you can make a sandwich.

Serve Farm Rich Meatballs plain or add marinara sauce or enchilada sauce and cheese. Warm the sauces in the microwave before adding them to the Thermos. A quick tip: only add hot items to the Thermos to keep the heat up and control the temperature. If you want to get more sophisticated, take a look at our meatball recipes.

Farm Rich Mozzarella Sticks are always a hot lunch hit as well! Need more ideas? Check out our product locator to find easy school lunch food in your area.

4. Prep Your Lunch Box Staples Ahead of Time

Prepping foods for lunch boxes in advance is a huge help. Sure, this takes some extra time on the weekend or after grocery shopping, but it makes putting lunches together super convenient.

If your kids eat fruits or vegetables in their school lunches, wash and prep those items in advance. Prepping may not be a super fun way to spend half an hour on a Sunday night, but you will make your mornings much less hectic.

It is a great early morning time saver to grab fruits or veggies from a large tray and pop them into the lunch boxes.

It&#;s not just the produce you can prepare ahead of time. Prep items like cheese sticks or yogurts in advance as well. While it doesn&#;t take much time to do these, the ease of having them already done is fantastic.

Preparing food ahead of time actually has two big added benefits:

1. Having items prepped and readily available makes it easy for kids (or spouses, babysitters, whoever) to pack lunches themselves.
2. Having healthy items such as fruits, veggies, cheeses and yogurts prepped to eat also makes that after school snack time much easier.

5. Have Your Kids Bring Home the Food They Don&#;t Eat

By having kids bring home their uneaten food, parents will see exactly what they ate (and how much of their food they actually finished).

This makes it possible to adjust what is being packed in their school lunch.

If a lot of food comes home, you are probably packing too much. If your kids eat every crumb, they might need a bit more to eat.  If a certain food always comes home, that might be worth rotating out.

When using a container or bento lunch box, this is so easy for kids. Kids close the container when they are done eating and put it back in their lunchbox.

If you have a child who stays after school for programs or activities, the can also snack on leftovers later in the day.

Additional Easy School Lunch Tips

Buy the Right Lunch Box

Make sure to buy a lunch box that can hold a bento or container and a Thermos. Having a lunchbox that functions well is important. If you are trying to shove things into an ill fitting lunch box, it will be frustrating every day.

Use Leftovers for School Lunch

If your kids love what you make for dinner, double the recipe and use it for lunch the next day. Here are a few that travel well: Savory Cheesy Meatball Mac & Cheese, Apple Butter Crockpot Meatballs, and Cheesy Pizza Casserole.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit 3-Compartment Lunch Box.