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5 Easy and Healthy Lunchbox Ideas for Grown Ups

5 Easy and Healthy Lunchbox Ideas for Grown Ups
Carly Jacobs
This post is sponsored by Woolworths

I wanted to throw together a few simple lunchbox ideas for adults because it can be a nightmare trying to pack a healthy lunch if you have no idea what the hell you’re doing. Each of the lunch boxes I’ve created are worth around 500 calories each and coupled with a balanced breakfast and dinner it’ll be perfect for most healthy eating plans. I also deliberately made the lunch boxes SUPER simple to prepare because when health bloggers are all ‘Just steam some brocolli, bake a whole sweet potato, boil up a cup of quinoa, BBQ a cob of corn and don’t forget to make your almond milk and protein bread from scratch…‘ I’m all, what do I look like? A bored person with way too much time on their hands? After 2 months of following the 12 Week Body Transformation program I developed a bank of my own, simpler, healthy recipes so I thought it would be helpful to come up with 5 easy and healthy lunchbox ideas for grown ups.  I found a few of Michelle’s recipes required ridiculous amounts of some ingredients like 3 olives and then I’m  left with a giant jar olives that’s going to take me a year to eat. I designed these lunch boxes so you won’t have too much left over food at the end of the week.

5 Easy and Healthy Lunch Box Ideas for Grown Ups

Roast Beef Wrap Box

5157b

What’s in the box?

2 x mountain bread wraps or low calorie pita breads (140ish calories) with 50gms of deli roast beef, spinach, capsicum and 1/4 cup of natural yoghurt with dill – 280 calories.

Carrot and celery sticks with a 2 tablespoons of skinny hommus – 120 calories (you don’t have to be too fussy counting veg calories… it’s really the hommus that counts!)

Apple – 105 calories

Total – 505 calories

Egg and Turkey Salad Box

5165b

What’s in the box?

1 Spinach, cherry tomato, spanish onion and cucumber salad topped with 50gms sliced deli turkey, a hard boiled egg and light dressing with crackers on the side – 266 calories

Capsicum and cucumber sticks with 2 tablespoons of skinny tzatziki – 80 calories

200gms low fat natural yogurt – 120 (I make my own yogurt with my EasiYo. Just call me Grandma Smags.)

Strawberries – 40

Total – 506 calories

Berry Ricotta Wraps Box

5160

What’s in the box?

2 mountain bread wraps, 100gms low fat ricotta cheese, 100gms frozen blueberries, sliced strawberries – 250 calories

Carrot and celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of low fat hommus – 120 calories

Macro Mini’s popcorn – 50 calories (these come in a multi-pack and the cheese flavour is TO DIE FOR!)

150gms natural yogurt – 90 calories

Total – 510 calories

Soup and Crackers Box

5163b

What’s in the box?

Macro Chicken and Leek Soup with 8 rice crackers – 300 calories (there’s typically 2 serves in these soup packets but at 220 calories for the whole lot I tend to just go with a double serve!)

Capsicum and celery with 2 tablespoons low fat hommus – 120

Kiwi fruit and strawberries – 80

Total – 500

Tuna Rice with Spinach Box

5169b

What’s in the box?

1 heat up cup of brown rice, 1 tin of tuna in spring water, a handful of spinach and a splash of soy sauce – 300 calories

Capsicum sticks – 20

200gms natural yogurt – 120

Nectarine – 65

Total – 505 calories

You can mix and match your snacks and change it up to use produce that’s in season. You can read my guide to buying seasonal fruit and vegetables here. You can also replace any meat with things like chickpeas and tofu for those cheeky vegetarians out there. If you need any swaps or have dietary requirements just let me know in the comments and I’ll do a swap for you.

Also, in case you were wondering, I got my rad lunchbox here. They’re all the rage in the schools I teach at and I got all jello and had to get one myself. It’s awesome for portion control – I make a rule that I’m not allowed to eat anything that doesn’t fit in the box. Stops me being a greedy guts with my crackers.

Make sure you follow Smaggle on Facebook for more lunchbox ideas!

Do you pack lunch for work? Or do you buy it? What’s your go-to daily lunch?

This post was co-ordinated by The Remarkables Group

37 Comments

  1. Dee 10 years ago

    I definitely pack lunch every day. Not only does it make sure I eat healthy in a sea of 2pm chips and chocolate, but it also saves me about $10-15 a day. People tend to laugh at me because I assemble my lunch at work and bring all my ingredients in lots of tiny containers, but maybe I should think about this lunch box option. 🙂

    Great ideas!

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      Totally – I HATE all the teeny tiny containers. I also lose them as well. It’s just easy having a plan of what pack in your lunchbox – it’s such a time saver.

  2. Bec 10 years ago

    These look AMAZING. The compartment lunchboxes! I always make my lunch as I am a massive stinge and don’t like wasting money and calories on boring crap found out the food outlets near my work.
    I’m with you on the obscure quantities in Michelle’s recipes. I once bought a bottle of buttermilk for 1 tablespoon! And don’t get me started on the cabbage I’ve thrown out…

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      Compartment lunch boxes are my most favourite thing. I have about 5 of them!

  3. Maddi 10 years ago

    Haha one of my friends had this lunchbox in year eight and everyone teased her for it’s slightly penis-shaped appearance… But I love your lunchbox ideas!

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      It’s totally penis shaped. But it’s grown up sized and you can fit so much into it. It’s also not ugly.

  4. Tahlia Meredith 10 years ago

    Awesome awesome awesome! I was just thinking the last couple of days about better lunches to bring instead of buying every day. How timely 🙂

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      Excellent! Do share any photos of your lunchbox!

  5. dovem33 10 years ago

    That Michelle Bridges has a lot to answer for! Is that the nudie food container ( or some such name?)

  6. JicyJac 10 years ago

    There are two supermarkets near our office and lots of staff team up in groups of 2-4 and take it in turns popping out to the supermarket to buy the lunch ingredients and building lunch for their “lunch team”.

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      That’s a brilliant idea! That way everything stays fresh!

  7. Liz @ I Spy Plum Pie 10 years ago

    I’m definitely in the bring-your-lunch camp too. I usually make a big, hearty salad on a Sunday night, carry the whole thing in on a Monday and portion it out over the next few days, keeping any dressing separate. Works a treat and saves me so much money!

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      That’s a great idea! I never work in the same place though so I always have to take my lunch from home. Maybe I could so some ‘store ingredients at work’ posts?

  8. Georgie 10 years ago

    Love your ideas, would love to see more! I am lazy and have no idea but this looks doable. We are saving for an overseas holiday and need to stop buying lunch so I can have more spending money!! Thanks.

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      It’s so doable, really easy and saves heaps of money from not buying lunches every day.

  9. I’ve actually considered making myself up a lunchbox when I make the kids something, as time gets away from me, you know busy and all, and lunch for me ends up something boring… this is a great list, thanks Carly!

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      You totally should even if you work from home. It makes such a difference. Thank you so much for sharing the post. I’m stoked!

  10. ooh I love these ideas Smags!

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      Thanks love, I had so much fun making them!

  11. Melissa 10 years ago

    What is the name of your lunchbox? I would love to find one like that. Thank you for the wonderful post

  12. VickiShoppeGirlsBlog 10 years ago

    I am loving all the lunch boxes you have put together.

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      Thank you! It was so much fun. I love organising things.

  13. Dianne 10 years ago

    Nikki @ Stylingyou directed me here… Love your lunchbox ideas & I too have lunchbox envy (might have to buy one of those!). My fav morning tea at the moment is cucumber slices (instead of crackers) topped with cottage cheese & a handful of cherry tomatoes on the side! Saves a few calories by not having crackers & it’s gluten free.

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      Oh I’ve been doing cucumber ‘crackers’ for years. They’re so refreshing and perfect vehicle for cheese! Did Nikki link to this post? I can’t seem to see it anywhere?

      • Dianne 10 years ago

        Nikki linked to your home page from her Everyday Style blog today:)

        • Author
          Smaggle 10 years ago

          Found it! Thank you love! Nikki’s readers are the best. x

  14. inaurate 10 years ago

    This is awesome! Thank you for the amazing ideas for effortless lunches. MY favorite is the egg and turkey salad box, I am so trying that this week. Yum 🙂

    http://inaurate.blogspot.com

    • Author
      Smaggle 10 years ago

      Excellent! Glad you liked it!

  15. JessB 10 years ago

    Not allowed to eat anything that doesn’t fit in the box?? That is a brilliant rule, especially for those struggling to understand portions and control snacking!!!
    As always Lady Smaggle, you have blown my mind with your awesome.

    • Lizzy 10 years ago

      Pretty sure I could fit a few bits of chocolate in there hehe..

  16. Emma Bovary 10 years ago

    I keep coming back to this post to re-read it, is that sad? I have bought that Macro popcorn (you are totally on point, the cheese flavour is the ish) and a similar Nude Food Mover lunch box as well – I got a salad box one with a fork and a smaller one with snack containers =)

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