Why I pack a lunch
- By Lora
- 23 January, 2013
- 20 Comments
When C and I first moved to NYC, we realized that we had a different habit than many New Yorkers: we brought our lunch to work. Everyday. Most New Yorkers opt to jump out of the office for 15-20 minutes to pick something up at a nearby deli. It is very rare to find a NYCer who is dedicated to bringing their lunch to work each day…
So, why do I do it? A 15-20 minute GUARANTEED break from the office every day? Doesn’t that sound awesome. Not quite.
Here are my top 5 reasons why I pack my lunch every day:
1. You save a lot of calories… duh! It is so much healthier to bring my own lunch, especially living in New York City. Now don’t get me wrong… there are times where I will treat myself (or like yesterday, forget my lunch). One of the great things about NYC is that they include calorie counts on their menus. (This can be a bad thing for the person in denial.)
It is so revealing to see how many calories a simple deli sandwich has in it! Yesterday my best option — you won’t believe this — was a tuna sandwich. You know how much mayo is packed into said tuna sandwich? It was 500 calories at at least 180 calories less than any other option available. 500 calories is nearly 1-1/2 times what I should eat for lunch. And this is just a sandwich. Many people grab some chips and a drink to go with it. Or add a cup of soup. Before long, you have a 1,000+ calorie meal.
2. You save money. I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times, but it’s so true. Said sandwich was $8. For $8, I could buy a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter and make myself 20 sandwiches.
add some candy corn, and you have a little slice of heaven.
OK, maybe not that many… but you get the point.
It’s so much easier to say… plan to cook a bigger meal the night before (that’s where the crock pot comes in 
) or to just make sure you have a few staples on hand — I have been obsessed with making ham sandwiches (butter, ham, cheese) with animal crackers on the side (thank you Target for the jumbo container)
3. You give yourself options. Yes, there are a million and one restaurants in NYC. But often they are several blocks away from you are… and during the lunch rush, the lines can be L-O-N-G. You may not have time for that, so you end up at the little deli (or the little place near your work if you aren’t in the city) and it’s just really not that good. And you just bought a pricey and unhealthy lunch that you really don’t like…
As lame as it sounds, I look forward to my lunches some day because I know exactly what to expect. Yes, I may just be boring but those animal crackers are pretty tempting…
4. You don’t put yourself in a bind… There’s nothing worse than being like, “oh hey, I’m going to go grab lunch because I have time today…” to only be SLAMMED at work and suddenly its 3 p.m. and your blood sugar is low and you have a throbbing headache… just me?
Anyways, no matter your industry, something weird is bound to come up one day and if you aren’t prepared with a nice lunch, you may put yourself in a situation that isn’t that fun… especially if you get said headache four hours before the end of your workday.
5. Remember the whole saving calories part? You can save them for whatever you want… As if the other four reasons weren’t enough! The fifth and possibly best reason why you should bring your own lunch to work is because those calories you saved at work? Well, you can use them for something you want! Sometimes after a really rough day, a little bowl of ice cream sounds really good. Or you really want to grab a latte on your way home because it’s really cold. Bringing your own lunch gives you the opportunity to do just that and not worry about breaking the daily calorie bank.
Are you a lunch packer? Why or why not?
Copyright © 2013
I always bring my lunch too!! For me, I just never had the time to even go out and get it but even if I did, I’d rather control my portions and food. I also am bad at making decisions so if I pack something I know I’ll like, its one less decision!
I totally agree for all of those reasons! I think part of it for me is the control aspect.
A couple of years ago my coworker and I wanted to motivate each other to bring our lunches more often. We devised a lunch swap where one day a week she’d bring lunch for both of us and another day I’d bring lunch. Sadly we fell out of routine but we did the swap for about a year. I’m hoping to get back on the packed lunch bandwagon more this year as it would be a great way to save pennies and calories!
That is such a cool idea! And a fun way to stay motivated to do it… plus you get to treat yourself to different meals
I have packed my own lunch religiously for over 2 years for all of the reasons you listed above. It saves me a ton of $$$$ and I can pack something healthy.
Yeahh! Hi fellow lunch packer
It's the best, really!
Great post! I always bring my lunch too, for all of the reasons you mentioned. I even bring my lunch to lunch meetings because I know what I bring will taste better and be healthier.
I'm glad I'm not the only one re: lunch meetings! I always want to bring mine.
I pack my lunch and snacks everyday. Your 5 reasons are spot on!
I could definitely do better at packing my snacks… very smart to do those daily too!
I usually always pack my lunch, which is usually leftovers. But it sure saves me time, money and calories instead of grabbing a fast food whatever!
And sometimes leftovers tastes best the second time around!!
I ALWAYS pack my lunch or FOOD IN GENERAL! I am known to whip out burgers from my purse… Eggs, turkey, ANYTHING – lol! If you don’t pack your lunch or something to nosh on, guaranteed you will get hungry and wind up at the drive through! I always prepare my food in advance too because I know my appetite! I know far too many people who say, “ugh I have no other option but to go to McDonalds” – UGH! NOOOOOO! You can even buy sliced meat or something at the grocery store, ANYTHING is better than fast food – LOL!
That is awesome re: always having food with you. And I totally agree that people just use that as an excuse to eat unhealthily. A lot of grocery stores now have some great grab and go options that are low calorie!
i pack my lunch almost everyday too! mostly for the saving money, aspect but it’s also so true how many extra calories you eat while eating out!! i miss the social aspect of meeting friends for lunch but would rather eat a quick, packed lunch. Plus, it makes meeting for lunch that much more special!
That's true! I've met with friends in a public location like a park before and brought our lunches… it was much more fun than having to wait in line in a packed restaurant.
I try to pack my lunch! There are so many benefits, the problem is getting to the grocery store in order to have food to actually pack in your lunch!!
That's true! I love trying to use leftovers as much as possible… kills two birds with one stone
I pack my lunch… for reasons #1 and #5. Until a week ago, my school always allowed teachers to eat the same food as the kids and eat lunch with the kids (which gave me the time to eat and saved $$!) However, every teacher knew how unhealthy the lunch was! Even if I filled my plate with only the veggies, it was healthier, but not filling to get my through the next 6 hours of the day!
That's a bummer that they changed the rules so you can't eat it anymore! I do think the healthiness of school lunches needs to be addressed… that's a whole different conversation, ha!