Save Money on Save Time and Money on National Pack Your Lunch Day

Photo 156354241 © David Burke – Dreamstime.com

March 10 is the National Pack Your Lunch Day, and if you have been wondering what to throw into the lunch box to commemorate the day, these recipes will give you loads of ideas. Often when we haven’t carried something to eat during the day, we are tempted to ‘grab something’ on the go, and in most cases, it’s not a healthy meal. National Pack Your Lunch Day is set to encourage healthy eating habits among the people who work away from home. Try it, and who knows, this day might be the beginning of a healthy lifestyle.

Benefits of Packing Your Lunch

If you have never bought into the idea, you may be wondering, so what are the benefits of packing my lunch to work? Here are a few reasons to convert you:

Packing your lunch can save you the money you’d otherwise use to buy food from a restaurant or fast-food joint.
It helps in healthy eating while at work.
It saves your lunch hour, giving you time to relax instead of running around looking for food.

Packed Lunch Recipes

You don’t want to spend too much time making your packed lunch, or it will beat the reason for trying to save time. Make a meal plan and shop in advance.

Try these fantastic recipes for easy-to-carry foods and snacks for your pack your lunch day. Don’t forget to post #packyourlunchday and #motherearthproducts on social media.

Banana Pancakes

It’s not without reason that pancakes are almost everybody’s favorite. They are delicious, filling, and pretty easy to make. This banana pancake will be perfect even for people who don’t consider themselves excellent in the kitchen.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups freeze-dried Banana
3 large Eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
7 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups milk
3/4 cups oil or melted butter

Method

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl – sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients – milk, oil, and eggs.
Pour the wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix moderately. Set aside and let the batter sit for about 5 minutes.
Preheat a non-stick pan on low to medium-low heat and put some oil or butter.
Pour a scoop of the pancake batter on the pan
Place one layer of freeze dried banana on the pancake batter and pour a little more batter over the banana piece. Spread lightly with a spatula.
Let the pancakes cook on one side for 2 minutes until lots of bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook the other side for another 2 minutes or until pancakes spring back when touched in the center. Remove from the pan and allow them to cool.
Pack them in your favorite lunchbox and enjoy.

Fruit Smoothie

A smoothie is one of the quickest and healthiest filling drinks, perfect for the days you don’t want to do a heavy meal, but you still need to feel full. Make this smoothie for breakfast and go on the pack your lunch day.

Ingredients

2 cups freeze-dried mango
500 ml (2 cups) unsweetened orange juice
1 cup semi-skimmed milk

Method

Put the freeze dried mango chunks in a bowl. Pour the unsweetened orange juice over the sliced fruit pieces and cover the bowl overnight.
When ready, put the fruit in a blender and drain any remaining soaking liquid.
Pour the milk in and blitz for 1 min or until there are no lumps
Pour the smoothie in a smoothie bottle or a to-go mug.
Chill it at the workplace if you have access to a fridge

Fruits and Nuts Balls

This recipe is excellent for the day when you’re looking for high-energy and high-protein foods to take to work and those that will take you the least time to make.

Ingredients

½ cup freeze dried apples
½ cup freeze dried mango
⅔ cup of your preferred nuts – Almonds, walnuts, or Cashews
¼ teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Method

Put the dried fruits and the nuts in a food processor and cover. Blitz for 2 minutes or until all the fruit is ground.
Scoop the mixture out of the food processor and put it in a bowl.
Add a pinch of salt and scoop a little with a spoon, and put it on your palms. Roll on the palms until it forms a ball.
Roll the ball on the sesame seeds and put them aside
Pack the balls and enjoy with a glass of juice.

Garlic and Butter Veggies

Freeze dried vegetables are lovely because you can have them even when they are not in season! They are also easy to cook since you have already done the more intensive part of the preparation that involves sorting, washing, and, in some cases, steaming.

Ingredients

½ cup freeze dried corn
2 cups dried mixed vegetables (peas, green bell peppers, carrots, and green beans)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1½ tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 fresh minced flat-leaf parsley

Method

Pour the chicken broth into a cooking pan and let it simmer.
Thrown in the vegetable mix and cook for 5-10 minutes. Stirring frequently until they are heated through.
Drain the vegetables and return them to the pan.
Add the butter and the garlic to the pan and cook over medium heat for several 5 minutes. Keep stirring until the butter is completely melted and all the vegetables are coated. Remove from the heat.
Sprinkle salt and black pepper.
Sprinkle on some fresh minced parsley and Parmesan cheese
Pack in a food warmer to keep them warm.

Pack Your Lunch Day is a one-day celebration, but its purpose is to create awareness about healthy eating and saving. Learn from it and make it a habit to carry your lunch from home on more days than one.