Released May 14, 2009
FARGO, N.D. -- Making your lunches helps you manage calories and overall nutrition and usually saves you money, too. According to national news reports, more workers are bringing their lunch to save money in these challenging economic times.
Lunch expenses vary depending on your choice of restaurant. You can get a $5 fast-food special or a $10 sit-down lunch.
For example, if you eat lunch at restaurants five days a week at an average cost of $7, your monthly expenditure would be $140. During a year’s time, that adds up to $1,680.
Instead, if you bring your own lunch, at an average cost of $2 to $4, your yearly lunch tab would be $520 to $1,040.
Even if you enjoy an occasional lunch at a restaurant, you still could save about $1,000 a year.
Any time you bring perishable food with you, however, there are safety considerations. According to the standard rule of thumb, perishable foods, such as meat-containing sandwiches and leftover casseroles, should spend no more than two hours at room temperature.
To keep your lunch safe, take note of the limitations on cooking and storage at your destination. If your lunch needs refrigeration but refrigeration is not available, use frozen gel packs and an insulated cooler to keep your food cold.
Many types of sandwiches freeze well, but will thaw by lunchtime if placed in a lunchbox early in the morning. You also can pack nonperishable items such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Here are some other lunch-packing tips:
- To save time, pack your lunch during the cleanup after your evening meal.
- Consider making a little extra food for dinner. Bring your “planned-overs” for lunch.
- Pack a fruit and a vegetable to help you meet your daily fruit and veggie recommendations. Add some strawberries and baby carrots to round out a sandwich and yogurt.
- Don’t reuse brown bags because bacteria can grow and contaminate tomorrow’s lunch.
- To transport hot foods, such as soup or chili, rinse a thermos with boiling water just before filling it with hot food.
Here’s a sandwich recipe courtesy of the Wheat Foods Council at http://www.wheatfoods.org. For more information about nutrition, including recipes, visit the NDSU Extension Service “Eat Smart. Play Hard.” Web site at http://www.ndsu.edu/eatsmart.
Chicken and Cashew Salad in a Pita
1/2 c. light or fat-free mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 c. cooked, chopped chicken
1/2 c. Chinese peapods cut in half
1/2 c. chopped red or yellow sweet peppers
1/4 c. roasted peanuts
3 whole-wheat pita breads, cut in half
Mix ingredients, except peanuts, and refrigerate at least one hour. Just before serving, stir in peanuts and spoon into pita pockets.
Makes six sandwiches, one-half sandwich per serving. Each serving has 219 calories, 8 grams (g) of fat, 25 grams of carbohydrate, 4 g of fiber and 615 milligrams of sodium.
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http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/news/columns/prairie-fare/prairie-fare-save-money-with-homemade-lunches
Contacts: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, julie.garden-robinson@ndsu.edu
Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.edu
