10 Great Packed Lunch Ideas for School or Work

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck with no healthy lunch ideas, this collection of 10 packed lunch ideas will give you plenty of inspiration. There are 10 different lunches to try in this collection, each one appealing to the unique tastes and preferences of different individuals, so you’re sure to find something here that works for you! Whether you prefer to take your lunch to work or school, these 10 great packed lunch ideas will come in handy!

1) What to pack

Packing a healthy lunch is important to keep your energy levels up and stay full of nutrients. Some great lunch ideas include sandwiches, pasta salad, hummus wrap, oatmeal with fruit, yogurt parfait with fruit and granola, whole grain cereal bar with raisins, apple cinnamon oatmeal muffin.

2) Sandwiches and wraps

Sandwiches and wraps are easy to make and can pack a lot of nutrients into one meal. Just be careful of some sandwiches and wraps available on the high street. They are not always as healthy as they look!

3) Salads

Salads are a great option for lunchtime meals because they're quick, easy and healthy. Buying large bags of salad is much more cost effective than buying individually made up salads from the supermarkets.

4) Soups

Soups are the perfect packed lunch idea. They are easy to make and can last a few days in the fridge, meaning you only need to prepare them once, if you're making them from scratch! Plus, they're hearty enough that you won't feel hungry again until dinnertime. Here are some of our customers favorite soups:
Minestrone Soup
Oxtail Soup
Vegetable Soup
Chicken & Chicken Noodle Soup
and Tomato soups

5) Meaty dishes

Meaty dishes are great for high protein diets. Cooked and preserved meats are alway cheaper if you bulk buy.

6) Pasta or noodles

Noodles are a good, hearty lunch item that kids and adults will love. You can make pasta with meat sauce, vegetable sauce, or even a creamy vegan tomato sauce. Add cheese to the top and you have a complete meal in one dish!

7) Sides and snacks

Crisps and snacks are great tasting items that are perfect to pack in a lunch. There are many different kinds of crisps available today and there's many new types of snacks that have appeared recently claiming to be more healthy than the traditional potato crisps. Problem is, this small reduction in calories can often be at the expense of taste and texture. Whether it's a plain ready salted or a traditional thick cut crisp, we've all got our favourite. As far as snacks go, there are also many different options that can be packed in lunch boxes. Some examples include biscuits, crackers and cereal bars.

8) Drinks

It's important to stay hydrated, and a great way to do that is by packing a drink into your lunch. Any kind of drink will work: juice, milk, water, soda, iced tea. Fruit juices can be high in sugar though, so if you're watching your diet try diluting them with some water. Just be careful, as some schools have restricted high sugar drinks and even fruit juices, due to the perceived, negative effect on children's behaviour.

9) Cakes, muffins, and bakes

Cakes, muffins, and bakes are the perfect type of sweet snack to pack into lunches. They're also healthier than some other options like cookies and ice cream. We've always got great prices on the favourite cakes and bakes.

10) Snacks

One of the best parts about a packed lunch is that you can pack snacks, too. Here are some ideas:
Healthy granola bar
Fresh fruit in a sealed plastic container with a lid
Cheese sticks with crackers and dried fruit (and even peanut butter)
Popcorn in a resealable baggie (microwave popcorn bags work well)