Why should you pack your lunch?

For me packing a lunch just makes psychological and financial sense. I know what I am eating, I don’t’ have to worry, and it is almost always cheaper in the long run. If you do it right, packing a lunch can save you up to (and maybe over) 1200$ a year over eating out. 

Here’s the math:

Say you work 46 weeks a year (accounting for vacations, sick days, etc.) and your average lunch spending is about 6 dollars after tax and tip (and kudos to you if you can eat on that budget in downtown Toronto). That adds up to:

46 weeks x 5 days x $6= $1,380$

This does not include snacks or coffee. If we add a daily coffee and a pastry (4$) the number jumps to:

46 weeks x 5 days x $10= $2,300$.

I’ll use myself as a counterpoint example. This week (which was unusually decadent) my lunches and snacks cost me (including my coffee contribution on my paycheque) approximately 4.2$ per meal (I had to estimate on things like butter, sugar and oil). Usually I eat a bean soup or a curry that would cost me about half of this. Here is what my lunch menu this week included:

Snacks: 1 apple, 1 cup carrots and celery, 4 TBS lemon dill veggie dip, 1 cup of homemade apple crisp, and coffee / tea

Lunch: Butternut squash and goat cheese pasta with caramelized onions.

This was all delicious food that I enjoyed eating. Similar quality and quantity from a restaurant would easily run me at least $12 for the pasta and $6 for the apple crisp.

The difference between my homemade decadent lunch and eating out is:

46 weeks x 5 days x 4.2=$966

This is a difference of $414 a year ($1,334 if we use the higher snack number).

It may not seem like much, but I threw it in a compound interest calculator (5% quarterly compounding for 10 years) and it returned $5,375.30. If you and your spouse managed to do this together, it would be $10,750.59.

If we use the number that includes coffee and snacks, same return would be $17,320.40 ($34,640.79 if you and a partner can manage it). Also remember, all these numbers are using very conservative estimates. Imagine how helpful this money would be in your retirement, or to help sending your kids to school.

How to pack your lunch.

Savings alone may not be enough to motivate you. We lead busy lives and between doctors’ appointments, play dates, work, school, friends it can be hard to fit in food prep. Not only that, sometimes we just run out of ideas about what to make and motivation to do it.

Here are a few tips I have found that help make it easier for me to get lunches ready for the week. I also talked to some of my friends with kids to see how they managed to balance the busyness that children always create:

·       Set Aside Time: Set aside a sufficient chunk of time (mine is Wednesday and Sunday evenings) when you do your food prep for the week. I chop all my veggies, make a big pot of whatever it is I am bringing this week (chili, soup, curry, pasta) while I also make something for supper.

o   My friends with a two year old have a similar arrangement. The husband (who does most of the cooking) preps on Saturday afternoon while Mom and toddler go to swimming lessons.

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    Portion everything out in advance: That way no matter how rushed you are in the morning you can grab a Tupperware and go. This also can save you a little on energy bills. It’s easier for your fridge to cool smaller portions.

o   Here  and here are some pre-portioned meal and snack ideas for inspiration. You can do way less fancy versions with trail mix, yogurt, apple slices etc.

o   If you are worried about food safety, freeze two or three portions for later in the week. Pull them out the night before (you can also do it the morning of, it just means a longer time in the microwave).

·       Double up: Whenever I make something labour intensive (like enchiladas or lasagna) I make a double portion and freeze the other pan. Either I save it for the week I really don’t feel like cooking, or use it when someone in the community could use an easy meal (new baby, death in the family, a big move etc.).

o   Get together with friends family and co-workers and have a food day. I have done pie days,  jam days, tomato canning days, chili sauce days, tomato sauce days and lasagna days. Combining finances and effort makes everything more affordable and more fun. 

·       Love the “one pot”: Soups, stews, pastas, pasta bakes, curries, casseroles, quiches, strata, and rice n’ bean dishes are all great lunch options. They are usually inexpensive and travel and freeze well. (Each link here is to one of my favourite recipes, note the last one is extremely spicy).

·       Love your salads: Think beyond lettuce, there is so much more to salad.

o   I find you can pack three days of salad and still have it be good, day four gets to my limit of pre-assembled salads.

o    If you have a Tupperware hook-up, these are the best salad dressing carriers. Ever.

·       Make what you love: If you pack a sad desk lunch Saint Lawrence Market is going to seem like a great alternative. The internet is crawling with inspirational lunch ideas (e.g. see here, here, here, here, and here to start). Remember, even if you spoil yourself with a home-made fancy lunch, it is probably still cheaper than a Tim Horton’s Sandwich.

o   Involve kids in the planning and assembly of lunch. They will learn a valuable life skill, are more likely to eat something they have chosen, and you will thank yourself when your 12-year-old can make their own lunch and help out with younger siblings. Here is an excellent guide to what kids of different ages can help with in the kitchen.

o   One of my favourite things to do is use ingredient inspiration. I get an organic food bag from Fresh City Farms every Wednesday. Working with the vegetables they give me takes away some of my decision fatigue. For example, I have two favourite eggplant recipes (here and here) I tend to go between. It’s much easier to plan when you have fewer decisions to make.

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           Find the Joy in Cooking: I throw on a podcast, and really try to enjoy the creative process of cooking and baking.  My friends with kids and spouses who do this often use cooking time either as alone time or together time (depending on what they need). Listen to music, have a favourite show in the background, and if you can afford it, invest in good kitchen tools. Learning to enjoy cooking will always pay back over time. Remember, food is more than fuel. It is comfort, culture, memories, creativity, social connection and sustenance.