Easy tips to transform your lunch on a budget can help you enjoy delicious, healthy meals without spending extra money every day A bit of planning goes a long way when it comes to packing lunch for work, school and college. Simple ingredients, leftovers, and homemade snacks make for a lot of filling meals and less food waste and money!
Whether they're savoury muffins, mini frittatas or avocado toast and funky leftovers with chicken, every lunch is better because of these cheap lunch ideas. These tips for buying lunch on a budget can help you if you're seeking some simple methods to improve your diet without adding to your grocery list.
Why Packing Your Own Lunch Saves Money?
Packing your own lunch helps reduce daily food expenses, minimizes food waste, and lets you enjoy healthy homemade meals at a fraction of the cost of buying food from restaurants or cafés.
Love your lunchbox
Does the thought of a 'packed lunch' trigger thoughts of soggy sandwiches and uninspiring school dinners? Well, we banish all of those thoughts from your mind, thanks to our tips and tricks to packing the best (and most cost-effective) lunchbox in the world.
From nutritional nuggets and money-saving hacks to time-saving tricks, we round up some really simple lunch ideas that will change the way you pack lunches, no matter whether you pack a lunchbox for the kids to take to school or pack yourself a lunch to eat at your desk.
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Swap crisps for kale
Forget pricey packets of fancy crisps! You can make kale crisps yourself at home surprisingly easily and super cost-effectively too. Rip the leaves off your kale bunch (and get rid of the stems), drizzle in a bit of olive oil, then add a light sprinkling of salt and brown sugar.
Pile the mixture onto a baking tray, then bung it in the oven for around 20 minutes at 150C/130C fan/300F/gas mark 2, or until crispy. Experiment with your flavours; I love to sprinkle on smoked paprika, cumin, ras el hanout, garlic granules, you get the idea!
Bake mini frittatas
Besides being super cheap and simple to prepare, these little frittatas taste delicious, are protein-rich, and are so convenient for on-the-go eating. Oil a muffin tin and fill each well with one beaten egg and a dash of milk, then sprinkle your favorite goodies inside - leftover cooked veggies, cheese, ham, bits of crispy bacon, or chicken work a treat. Bake the frittatas in an oven at 180C/160C fan/360F/gas mark 4 until set (about 10–15 minutes). Store any extra frittatas - turned out of the tin - in the freezer to defrost in the fridge overnight for the next day's lunch.
Pack a pizza pocket or two
Pizza dough ready to go is pretty much available in any supermarket nowadays so you've got no excuse for not making this for a quick lunchtime feast! Instead of making pizza, what about pizza pockets. Your dough should be sliced into rectangles and your pizza filling of choice should be put on one half of each rectangle, the edges should be brushed with egg, folded over, crimped together with a fork, stuck in the fridge for 15 minutes, then popped in the oven for 20 minutes at 200C/180C fan/400F/gas mark 6.
Make savoury muffins
Muffins don't need to be sweet - and savoury ones are a great way of using up eggs that might be lurking in the back of the fridge. Any standard muffin recipe that's designed without sugar can be adapted and creativity can be expressed with the flavors that are added; cheese, onion, grated courgette, grated carrot or sun-dried tomatoes can be tried, and your favourite herbs like chives or rosemary can be used. A batch can be made in advance and a muffin or two can be stuck in your lunchbox before the door is run out of.
Up your condiment game
Keeping a small cache of these must-have flavor-boosters on hand - at your desk - can take your midday meal (whether it's salad, a sandwich, soup, or a wrap) from blah to brilliant and is super cheap too. Stock up on good sea salt, black pepper, little bottles of soy and hot sauce, olive oil, balsamic, and some Japanese furikake.
Make a nacho bowl
If you want the ultimate, easily-transportable, snack-type lunch, just stash some tortilla chips, a can of kidney beans (black beans work too!), and a container of cheese at work. Then, when hunger calls, throw your chips in a microwaveable bowl, pile on the drained beans and cheese, and zap it until it bubbles. Top it off with a bit of sour cream and mashed avocado, if you're feeling adventurous and you're ready to feast.
Embrace 'al desko' avo toast
We know it, and you know it - Avocado Toast costs a lot for a weekend brunch or a lunch outing. Well, good news for you and your bank balance, you can actually make a cheaper 'al desko' option at home. All you have to do is boil an egg at home, and carry the avocado along with you.
Don't forget to carry the toast slices and half a lemon with you! On lunch break time - put your toast in the toaster, mash avocado along with the lemon, pepper, and salt. Top your toast and place your halved hard-boiled egg on top. Sprinkle with seeds/nuts, dot with hot sauce (from your condiment pouch), and you're good to go!
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Make good use of leftover chicken
Chicken leftover in the fridge can save your lunchtime. You can stuff it into wraps, salads or sandwiches, tear it up with Caesar dressing, pour hot sauce on it, toss it with wings and drumsticks, coat it with chilli oil, then toss it with noodles dressed in a hot bath of chilli oil, mixed sesame and lime and honey sauce or you can take poached chicken breast, tear it up with crunch veggies in a food-proof container, and use a dipping sauce of satay sauce (peanut butter with lime, soy and honey) for the occasion.
FAQs
1. What are some ways to revamp my lunch on the cheap?
Creative use of leftovers, advance meal preparation, homemade snacks, and budget-friendly foods such as eggs, vegetables, beans and whole grains can make a big difference in the look-and-taste of your lunch on a budget.
2. What is the most inexpensive healthy meal suggestions?
Savoury muffins, mini frittata, wraps, salads, leftovers from chicken dinners, pizza pockets and avocado toast are all healthy and affordable lunch options.
3. Where do I cut down on the costs of school lunches?
Make a weekly food plan, purchase seasonal fruit and vegetables, prepare large quantities, stock up the refrigerator/freezer, and do not buy expensive ready-to-eat lunches or snacks.
4. How to eat foods that make good pre-made lunches?
Foods that keep and are easy to store like eggs, rice, pasta, beans, chicken, vegetables, muffins, wraps and soups are great choices for meal prep.
5. Is homemade lunchtime food healthier for you than food you can get from a takeout?
Yes. Homemade lunches are typically healthier, lower in sodium, sugar and bad fats, and much cheaper than going out for lunch.
