So I asked myself, what was keeping me from bringing in my own food and saving myself a pile of cash? The answer was part laziness, part ‘fear of the brown bag’. I had become weary of opening that crumpled sack to find a soggy, flat sandwich, bruised apple, and whatever crumbly cookies, crackers or random dessert I’d managed to cram into a zip-lock.
Luckily, changing my frame of mind was easier than I thought, and I discovered that all it really took was the tinniest bit of effort to make myself three things I actually did want to eat for lunch.
Packin’ Smart –
After a little thought, I quickly realized it wasn’t sandwiches I had grown tired with, just the way they were made. It was time to become the architect of a better sandwich.
It was apparent that the ingredients I was using needed a revamp. First on the list – better cold cuts. Instead of the already packaged-in-plastic bolognas and salamis of the world, I’d suggest switching whenever possible to freshly sliced meats bought from the butcher or deli counter. Not only are you getting a better variety, but you’re also getting better quality. Not to mention there’s something unquestionably satisfying about pile of cold cuts that have been sliced paper-thin.
No more Wonderbread. Not only is a nice multigrain a flavorful step up for your taste buds, but it also means you’re using a better foundation that will equal a sturdier, less damp sandwich.
Keep it from getting sloppy. Iceberg lettuce is great if you’re going to be eating it right away, but packed that morning or even the night before, you’ll find that by the time you’re ready to chow down, it’ll have lost a lot of it’s charm. Chances are the leaves may have started to brown a bit at the edges and this could make the sandwich soggy. Instead, opt for romain or arugula.
Also, not spreading condiments on the bread, but rather the meat or the cheese will help keep everything dry and appetizing. For the final bit of zest switch out your cheese and condiments for ones you wouldn’t normally use in a sandwich. A little ranch dressing once in a while also adds a nice kick. Here’s a great list of gourmet sandwich recipes from Epicurious to help you pick and choose the ones that are right for you.
Packin’ Heat –
A hot lunch is always a nice change of pace from the usual brown-bag fare, but if like me you’re not always a fan of re-heating and eating last nights leftovers for lunch the next day, chili, soups and stews are great options. Plus, they’re all perfect for easy thermos transportation.
The trick is just to choose a recipe that’s easy enough that you can prepare it while making dinner the night before. That way it takes basically the same amount of time as it would to make supper anyways, but you’re also setting yourself up to not be eating the same thing two meals in a row. A quick trip to the office microwave the next day and you’ll be enjoying a piping-hot bowl of homemade goodness while everyone else is wishing they thought of the same thing. Want to eliminate cooking it the night before altogether? Try this.
Packin’ Light –
Change up the format of your lunch by choosing not to bring a clearly definable “meal”. Meaning sometimes, it’s really more enjoyable to bring all the things that would normally constitute a sandwich…without actually making them into a sandwich. Individually, all these ingredients become the equivalent of a giant snack, of which you can eat as much of as you want and save the rest for later.
A baguette, a nice spreadable cheese, or a chunk of harder cheese that you can slice up, sausages, cold-cuts, pickles, sliced vegetables with a little salad-dressing as dip. It’s all up to you in the end, and it requires virtually no preparation whatsoever apart from opening a bag, putting stuff into that bag, and then closing the bag.
So while the guy at the corner deli may be sad that your daily lunch bill is no longer putting his kids through college, remember – it’s your hard earned money and you should try to hang onto it. Just don’t forget to send him a postcard from Fiji.