{"id":71400,"date":"2014-05-12T08:00:57","date_gmt":"2014-05-12T13:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=71400"},"modified":"2014-05-11T19:43:08","modified_gmt":"2014-05-12T00:43:08","slug":"no-sad-sandwiches-allowed-tips-for-better-workweek-lunches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=71400","title":{"rendered":"No Sad Sandwiches Allowed: Tips for Better Workweek Lunches"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Ashley Mancill, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ Alabama<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

No Sad Sandwiches Allowed: Tips for Better Workweek Lunches<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"ashleymancill\"<\/a>As information professionals, we dedicate a lot our time to organizing and managing\u00a0information and making it accessible to others. But when it comes to organizing our\u00a0lunch boxes and making sure we have access to healthy, satisfying meals at work,\u00a0we sometimes aren\u2019t quite so devoted, which sometimes leads to this<\/a>.<\/strong> Or this<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I work at night, so I try to plan my meals and prepare something ahead of time. I\u00a0don\u2019t always succeed\u2014recipes sometimes backfire or I start working on a project\u00a0and completely lose track of time. And occasionally, I get in a rut and can\u2019t decide on\u00a0anything, which usually results in me leaving the house with a bag of baby carrots\u00a0and a nearly empty container of hummus. But when I do plan ahead, I find meals\u00a0easier to prepare and a lot more satisfying than something put together at the\u00a0last minute. It\u2019s worth it then to invest a little time, energy, and forethought into\u00a0planning work lunches (or in my case, dinners), especially if it means not having to\u00a0resort to a medley of leftovers<\/a> (seriously, what is that?).<\/p>\n

Following are some suggestions to help you get ahead of the meal game and add to\u00a0your repertoire of workweek meals.<\/p>\n

Make several days\u2019 worth several days ahead<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s difficult to find the time or energy to cook once the workweek starts. Make it\u00a0easier on yourself by spending an hour or so cooking over the weekend or on your\u00a0next day off. Prepare enough so you can put meals together quickly in the evenings\u00a0or have lunches ready to go. For example, make enough chicken for dinner Sunday\u00a0night and wrap the rest in a few whole-wheat tortillas with your favorite add-ins.\u00a0Chop up the last bit to use in a chicken salad or chicken and rice dish, or toss with\u00a0teriyaki and add to a bowl of steamed vegetables. If you aren\u2019t a meat eater, set aside\u00a0some time on your next day off to make a large pot of beans. Add to green and grain\u00a0salads, mix into soups, or serve over rice or quinoa. I often cook a large pot early in\u00a0the week and make bean burger patties that I can freeze and re-heat later.<\/p>\n

Plenty of Pasta!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Pasta is another good make-ahead that\u2019s not only versatile but also quick and easy.\u00a0Buy some shaped pasta on your next grocery trip or use what you have in your\u00a0pantry to make several different pasta salads. Go classic with chopped celery, diced\u00a0pepper, and a creamy dressing, or mix it up by using walnuts and feta or olives,\u00a0onion, and chopped tomato. Don\u2019t hesitate to use thin noodles like vermicelli<\/a> or\u00a0linguini<\/a> as a substitute. Save any cooked long noodles you have leftover for favorites\u00a0like spaghetti or alfredo, or stir-fry them with mixed vegetables for a meal later in\u00a0the week.<\/p>\n

Assemble a quick fix!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If you do have time in the morning to make a lunch but are bored with the same old\u00a0turkey or roast beef sandwich and find the idea of a salad unappealing, try thinking\u00a0outside of the box. For a simple, quick, and stress-free lunch, make a cheese plate<\/strong>.\u00a0Pair a few types of cheeses (or whatever kind you have stored in the refrigerator)\u00a0with assorted crackers or mini toasts and a fruit like grapes or a sliced apple. Pack\u00a0some nuts for a little extra crunch and bring a vegetable spread, jam, or chutney to\u00a0add a bit of sweetness or tang. For those of you who need something a little more\u00a0substantial to get through the day, try putting together a ploughman\u2019s lunch<\/a><\/strong>. Pack\u00a0a thick cut of rustic bread, a chunk (or several slices) of cheese, an apple, a tangy\u00a0spread like tapenade or chutney, and deli-sliced meat or a hard-boiled egg into your\u00a0lunch box. Just be sure to save the beer for happy hour.<\/p>\n

The Mason Jar Method<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If meats and cheeses aren\u2019t your thing but the souped-up salads you put together\u00a0are turning into soggy, wilted, unappetizing heaps by break time, try the mason jar\u00a0method<\/strong>. Mason jars are a good alternative to using tupperware in that they keep\u00a0all the ingredients separate and fresh <\/a>for longer. Start by putting dressing in at the\u00a0bottom, add the vegetables (chopped broccoli, thinly cut carrot, radishes, chickpeas,\u00a0etc), and then top with salad greens. Leave a little space at the top of the jar for add-ons, such as nuts and seeds, dried fruit, or croutons. Pack in some cooked quinoa or\u00a0a grain like bulgur for texture.<\/p>\n

But in case of an emergency…<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even if you do plan ahead, there is always the chance that your might forget your\u00a0lunch. Be prepared by keeping some healthy items in your office kitchen or at your\u00a0desk that will keep you satiated and give you enough energy to get through the\u00a0afternoon. Stash some single-serve packets of dried fruit or nuts in a drawer to\u00a0munch on or bring in a large bag of homemade trail mix. Oatmeal is also a good,\u00a0filling shelf-stable item if you have access to a microwave. Keep a canister in the\u00a0break room or in the bottom drawer of your desk, or opt for single-serve pouches\u00a0if your desk storage is limited. Bring in a few cartons or cans of soup and box of\u00a0crackers for a more savory option (and read these <\/a>tips for ideas on how to liven up\u00a0your bowl). And if all else fails, there\u2019s always peanut butter. A guy I once worked\u00a0with always kept a jar and a loaf of bread in his cubicle in case he couldn\u2019t get away\u00a0for lunch. Just make sure no one in your office is allergic.<\/p>\n

Preparing and packing a lunch doesn\u2019t have to be hard work. It just takes a little\u00a0bit of planning and organizing. And librarians and information professionals are\u00a0nothing if not experts at planning and organizing.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s for lunch?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Ashley Mancill, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ Alabama No Sad Sandwiches Allowed: Tips for Better Workweek Lunches As information professionals, we dedicate a lot our time to organizing and managing\u00a0information and making it accessible to others. But when it comes to organizing our\u00a0lunch boxes and making sure we have access to healthy, satisfying meals at work,\u00a0we sometimes…<\/p>\n

Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":63294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[145],"tags":[69,5363,3592,4536,3624,6214,6215],"class_list":["post-71400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-article","tag-ashley-mancill","tag-blog","tag-food","tag-inalj-alabama","tag-lunch","tag-workweek-lunches"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/ashleymancill.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1WoMK-izC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=71400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71400\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/63294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=71400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=71400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=71400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}