For the past few weeks, I’ve been in the habit of packing the same lunch every day: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit, yogurt, granola bar. Don’t get me wrong. I love peanut butter and jelly, but I think I need a change and maybe you do too.
So this morning, I got out a frying pan and caramelized half an onion in olive oil, added sliced green pepper after a few minutes, and tossed my veggies with hummus on toasted pita bread. I added a few slices of cucumber with ground pepper and sea salt and suddenly fruit and yogurt seemed a lot less boring on the side.
I’ve collected a ton of other great tips for packing a sack lunch over the past few weeks. The folks over at Lifehacker have some recommendations:
- Try alternative seed or nut spreads like tahini or cashew butter with jam.
- Pair creamy smoked Gouda with sliced apples on pecan raisin bread.
- Layer garlic hummus with ripe tomatoes and sharp cheddar cheese on spelt bread.
- Try roasted yellow peppers, ripe tomatoes and a spread of cream cheese on a French baguette.
- Stuff pita bread with sliced chicken breast, lightly dressed spinach salad and purple onions.
- Spread ham salad on rye bread with dill pickles.
- Sandwich deli-roasted veggies and pepper jack cheese between slices of olive bread.
- Arrange cream cheese and apple or cucumber slices on sourdough raisin bread.
The possibilities really are endless. One of my favorite sandwiches is thinly sliced tomato, sharp cheddar cheese and lettuce on wheat bread with spicy mustard. At The Kitchn they recommend a similar sandwich with sliced apples.
Are you tired of opening up your lunch and finding a sandwich that’s so soggy you might as well be eating Gillyweed? These tips might help.
If you’re tired of sandwiches, I’ve found that a great way to prepare lunch is to make an extra serving of dinner and save it for the next day. This is especially easy if, like me, you tend to cook for one. Doubling a recipe that has already been halved or quartered requires almost no extra work.
Finally, if you work in a sad, dingy place with little fresh air, you can bring the summer inside with you. Just put together a picnic-in-a-briefcase (via Serious Eats).
