Are you wondering what foods to keep on hand for preparing healthy lunches and snacks?
Foods to have on hand in the pantry:
Whole grain breads, English muffins, or bagels
Oatmeal (whole grain old-fashioned or steel cut oats)
Whole grain crackers (aim for at least 3 grams of fibre per serving)
Canned tuna and salmon
Canned legumes
Tomato sauce
Nut/seed butters
Olive or canola oil
Salt and pepper and your favourite herbs and spices
Foods to have on hand in the fridge:
Yogurt (aim for no sugar added greek or plain yogurt, add in the fruit yourself!)
Cheese (block cheese or individually packed pieces of cheese or strings or cottage cheese)
Milk or milk alternative (such as almond or soy)
Eggs
Fresh vegetables; washed, cut-up and stored in air-tight container (such as cucumbers or carrots)
Cooked vegetables (leftovers from the previous days dinner such as green peas, green or yellow wax beans, blanched broccoli, or snack peas)
Fresh fruits; if needed, washed, sliced, and stored in air-tight container (banana or avocado and apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, pineapple or watermelon)
Green leafy salads (such as spinach, romaine or kale)
Foods to have on hand in the freezer:
Whole grain tortillas and extra whole grain breads
Frozen fruits for smoothies, oats or home-made frozen yogurt
Frozen lean meat such as chicken, turkey, or fish
Individually frozen leftovers in labeled and dated single-serving containers:
Soup, chili, lasagna, stew, and cooked meats
Small ice packs/cylinders (for keeping lunchboxes cool)
Supplies to have on hand in the cupboard:
Cleaned and sanitized lunch boxes (attach a small bottle of hand sanitizer)
Reusable various sized containers and/or bento-styled lunchbox
