How to Make a Healthy Lunch

Many people believe that in order to pack a “delicious” lunch for school or work, they have to pack junk food. However, this doesn’t have to be the case! Here’s how to make a fresh lunch that is both enjoyable and good for your health!

- an insulated lunchbox or lunchbag
- food containers (such as plastic tupperware and sandwich bags)
- a fridge to store your food
- different foods from at least four food groups (will be explained below)
- an ice pack
- a freezer to store your ice pack in
- washable or disposable utensils (optional)

Instructions on how to buy your supplies and what foods you can buy from each food group will be further described below.

When you are selecting the ingredients you want to stick up on for your lunch, consider the 5 food groups that you will want to balance.

Try to choose a food item from at least 4 different groups. For example, I chose sandwich bread as my grain, celery as my vegetable, yogurt as my dairy, and an orange as my fruit. Think ahead to what foods you will be excited to have in your lunch!

Also remember that it is possible for one lunch item to have multiple food groups. For instance, I am going to be making a Nutella and peanut butter sandwich, so the peanut butter will have protein and the bread will be a grain.

Get an insulated lunchbox or lunchbag to carry your lunch in and keep it cold throughout the day. Choose a lunchbox that is easy to wash and clean, such as a durable fabric one.

Next, find reusable containers for any unpackaged food that you want to include in your lunch. Make sure that the containers are made of durable materials (plastic or rubber) and easily washable. I bought a few silicone sandwich bags and a small “bento box,” which is a plastic container with different food compartments inside.

Find a place to store your lunch ingredients until you are ready to make your lunch. Figure out which foods should be stored at room temperature (such as bananas and peanut butter) and which foods should go into the fridge (such as yogurt and hummus).

Get out all of the ingredients that you want to include in your lunch, along with your lunchbox and any food containers you will need.

Prepare any lunch items that need to be put together, such as the Nutella-peanut butter sandwich I am making. Make sure that you are remembering at least four of the five food groups as you make your lunch, and make sure that you are packing an appropriate amount of food, according to how hungry you normally are by lunchtime.

Any unpackaged food should go into the containers you bought. I put my sandwich in my sandwich bag and my celery in the bento box. Make sure each container is securely closed so that your food won’t spill inside your lunchbox!

Place all your food inside your lunchbox. In addition to my celery and Nutella-peanut butter sandwich, I packed a yogurt, hummus to dip my celery in, a protein bar, and an orange.

Find your ice pack and put it inside your lunch to keep it cold and fresh through the day.

Once you are finished making your lunch, put it inside your fridge until you are ready to leave the house for the day. This will ensure that your food doesn’t spoil before lunchtime!

Finally, enjoy eating your nutritious but delicious lunch!