Many people struggle with lunches when they are trying to eat more healthfully. Seems to be easier to eat well when you’re at home, but your workplace may have temptations such as co-workers who dine out frequently, a vending machine, and the dreaded “treats in the break room” from someone’s birthday.

Here are my top 5 tips for healthful, easier, lower-toxicity Paleo lunch practices:

  1. Cook more food. Make extra dinner portions and pack the leftovers up for your lunches for the next couple of days.
  2. Cook even more food! “Meal prep” is a huge trend that helps people in general with eating more healthfully, for both lunches and dinners. You can prep once a week, such as on Sundays, and have many meals ready to go that meet your new healthy standards. Search online for “meal prep” or #mealprep and you’ll see a lot of great resources. Here is a blog article with 10 Paleo meal prep recipes (always watch for recipes online to see if they are truly Paleo– some of these have beans, for example.)
  3. Try your best to avoid cooking in a microwave. You may have no other choice, but I prefer not to use a microwave on my incredible, fresh, organic, life-giving food. Pack more salads and items that can be eaten cold or room temperature.
  4. Give plastic the boot. Replace your plastic food containers with glass ones like these! They have a plastic leak-proof lid, but the glass compartments hold the food. Amazon has these two-part divided containers here, 3-compartment version is here, and an open, undivided container version here.
  5. Make a Rotation Menu. Choose five lunches that fit the bill for you for taste and health, and make Monday “Salad Day,” Tuesday “Soup Day,” and so on, then repeat the next week! Five fewer decisions to make, and plenty of variety.

 

glass meal prep containers

 

BONUS TIP: Bring your own snacks! Don’t give in to the vending machine’s siren song!

What are your favorite Paleo lunches? Share in the comments!