Healthy, Low Cost Lunches

Eating lunch out daily can eat up your hard earned cash and pack on the pounds. I know what your thinking, "Who has time to make a lunch every morning?" By planning ahead you can have your lunch ready to go in less then 5 mins.

I'm a very big fan of stocking up and buying items 'On Sale' Did you know that canned and boxed items go on sale in cycles. Take full advantage of those sales, like the 10 4 $10 (one major store gives the added bonus of #11 item free). You can find things like canned fruit, tuna(in Water) and lunch meats.

You know those Fruit Cups you can find over with the Fresh Fruits? They go for around $1.80 each. Did you know you can make your own for around 50 cents or less each? It's easy. Remember those cans of fruit (pineapples, grapefruit, fruit cocktail etc.) you have from the 10 4 $10 sale? Divide them into small container (I use the small Gladware so if it gets tossed by mistake it's easy it replace and I can put them in the dishwasher). I get about 2 1/2 containers per can. Remember I only paid $1 for the whole can so the cost is around 40 cents. Get Fresh fruit if you plan on eating it right away and get what's 'In Season' and on Sale.

Watching calories and fat? Well if you like Tuna make up a container of tuna and your favorite Mayo to keep in the frig (making sandwiches the night before can leave them a bit soggy). Try using the packages of thinly sliced lunch meats (like Budding). Did you know that a whole package ranges from 90 to 110 calories? And Mustard and some Pickles have NO calories?

Like salads? You'll have to shop a bit more in order for the greens to stay fresh but if your eating them daily you can usually get the greens on Sun and they stay good til Fri. It'll take about 10 minutes to divide them into those handy containers I so love. DO NOT add the dressing! Dressing can go in little containers to be added when you eat them.

All that's left for in the morning is to make a quick sandwich (if your eating one) and bag it all up. That's it. You get a healthy, low cost lunch and more time to enjoy it since you won't be wasting time traveling, standing in line and waiting for your lunch. If you like hot sandwiches and have a microwave to use, don't put the meat on your sandwich. You can heat it up quickly at lunchtime and add it then.

And don't forget that those fruit cups make really good after school snacks for the kids too.