Time-Saving Lunch Packing Tips & Ideas

I consider myself a bit of an expert on the subject of packing lunches: Five days a week for nine and a half months a year, I plan and assemble two school lunches for our children. Multiple times a month, I plan lunch for my husband to take to work in a building where there is no cafeteria or full kitchen. The remaining months of lunch planning include summer vacation, trips to the beach, parks and more.

When I pack for the summer time excursions, I prefer to use storage containers and packaging items that I do not need to lug around when we are done eating or that I am concerned about losing. I also want items that themselves are relatively light, such as the Glad Entrees containers, as I am often the one who carries just about everything when out and about with the kids.

Now, seeing that I already passed myself off as an all things lunch expert, I want to share some lunch packing tips with you:

*Set aside time one day a week for food prep: from making individual portions of healthy snacks (carrots & hummus, almonds & raisins, salads with dressing (I use the Glad To Go containers as they keep the dressing off the salad yet in the same container), as it sets you up for a less stressful lunch packing during the week.

*Some yummy & healthy ideas to have ready to go include: Whole grain crackers, low sodium and nitrate-free lunch meats, sugar snap peas or carrots & hummus, frozen yogurt sticks, hard-boiled eggs, apples, frozen grapes, no sugar added fruit or applesauce cups, edamame, granola bars and small cartons of organic milk.

*Fill water bottles the night before. Then you know they are fresh, cold and there is no time wasted searching for caps in the morning.

*When packing lunch for kids, make it fun and let the kids choose from the pre-portioned healthy choices you have already prepared and portioned.

*When home from shopping, do all the fruit and vegetables cleaning and chopping right away

By the way, if you adore healthy lunch ideas & Pinterest, visit the Inspire your lunch with Glad board (http://goo.gl/xgrRd) between now and April 28th, and create your own Pinterest board for a chance to win weekly prizes. To enter the contest: Step 1: Click the Glad photo in the gallery (http://goo.gl/xgrRd) that most inspires you to get started pinning. Step 2: Choose “create new board” in the dropdown menu of the Pinterest pop up screen. Title your new board “Inspired Lunches” Step 3: Find at least 4 photos anywhere on the web that fits the theme of “Inspired Lunches” and pin them to your new board. Include #gladinspiredlunches in your photo description. Step 4: Once you’ve pinned 5 photos (including one from the Glad Pinterest Gallery) come back to (http://goo.gl/xgrRd) submit your board. Good luck and healthy lunches!

If you make a pinboard in the Glad contest, share your pinboard URL in the comments—I’d love to see what you’ve done! In addition, I’m always looking for inspiration so tell me how you make your inspired lunches.

Visit Glad’s page on BlogHer for more ideas!