Did you know that around 90% of American employees buy lunch out at least once a week?
While there's nothing wrong with the occasional pre-made sandwich or cheeky burger on the go, it's likely that a lot of that 90% are buying their work lunch almost every day. Sure, it's convenient, but is it really the best option?
Packing your lunch for work could actually be much better for you for a whole heap of reasons! It doesn't even take very long to put together a sandwich or a little salad, and the benefits are huge.
Find out more about why you should bring a packed lunch in a stylish lunch bag in this guide.
Save Lots of Money
Did you know that the average lunchtime meal bought out costs around $11? That's quite expensive, and if you're buying your lunch frequently, it will quickly add up! In fact, 5 lunches a week at $11 for just one year will cost you $2,860 in total, which could buy you a weekend getaway instead.
In contrast, you can make a packed lunch for just a few dollars. Because your ingredients will make more than one lunch, that initial $10 on some veggies, bread, and cheese is going to go a lot further! You can even make more extravagant meals, like vegan and plant-based meals, and still, save money compared to when you eat out.
So, why not invest in cool lunch bags, and bring your own food to work?
Eat Healthier
There's no doubt that eating out makes it harder to stay healthy. Most food-on-the-move spots aren't focusing on making your lunches super healthy, but instead making them super tasty so that you keep wanting more. For example, did you know that a 6 inch Italian BMT from subway contains 55% of your daily recommended intake of salt?
They're not the only ones, either. So much easy lunch food is full of hidden fat and salt; even some of the things that look healthy! You can buy a salad from a store that looks great, but the dressing they've added to make it super delicious is actually incredibly bad for you.
When you make food at home, you're in charge of what you put in. If you make a salad, you can make a healthy vinegarette to liven it up or create sandwiches that ditch the fatty mayonnaise and focus more on vegetables. The food you make at home is likely to be much less salty, fatty, and sugary than what you can buy out, making it a no-brainer if you want to live a long and happy life.
Reduce Waste to Save the Planet
When you buy lunch out, you're usually given food in a lot of paper and plastic, with disposable cutlery and straws. This creates a huge amount of waste, especially if you're buying your lunch every day! It instantly increases your carbon footprint, means you're contributing more to landfills and is generally not great for our planet.
Bringing a packed lunch is a much more eco-friendly option. You can wrap your food in less wasteful things, like beeswax wraps, or put salads in reusable glass and food containers. You should also take a look at our eco lunch box options for a super sustainable way of having healthier, cheaper lunches!
Our women's lunch totes are made of food-safe linings than regular lunch bags for adults or kids, produced in small batches for less of an impact on the planet, and working with locals in Brazil to make sure every stage of our production is doing something good. We'll even plant a tree when you buy your new cute lunch bag, helping reclaim the Amazon rainforest and reduce carbon dioxide in the air.
Help us save the planet and start bringing your lunch from home.
Better Portion Control
If you're trying to lose weight, a packed lunch is a must. You'll have better control over your portion sizes than you would buy out, where often bigger is better (and it's definitely not!). Instead of buying a massive salad heaped with dressing and croutons, you can make one that's more reasonable or a sandwich with fewer calories, helping you cut down on the amount you're eating and reach your weight loss goals.
Save Time at Work
Can you imagine how much time you'll have at lunch if you don't have to go out and buy what you need to eat every day? By bringing a packed lunch in insulated lunch bags, you can instead head to a park, the beach, or another beautiful spot outdoors and enjoy your lunch in a calm space. That sounds a lot better than rushing into your local store to beat the crowds and pick up a day-old sandwich, right?
Start Packing Your Lunch
If you've reached the end of this article, you should see by now that packing your lunch for work has far more benefits than buying out! Not only can you invest in cute lunch bags and eco-friendly beeswax wraps, but you're also going to save money, eat better, and have more time to enjoy your lunch break. Start brainstorming the different lunches you could make and get excited about your new way of eating!
If you're a packed lunch convert, be sure to check out our sustainable, eco-friendly lunch bags. If you want to learn more about our mission and the values that you'll be supporting, head over to our about page.
