Creative Brownbagging: Alternatives to Sandwiches

Several years ago, when I first started eating gluten-free, I kept encountering sandwiches everywhere.  In meetings, the lunches provided were always sandwiches.  In airports and other places, sometimes the only food to purchase were sandwiches.  I started getting creative about food to pack that was quick and healthy.  Although I am no longer eating strictly gluten free, I still do not prepare sandwiches, nor do I pack them for lunches to take with me.  I find that having alternatives to sandwiches is a good way to increase my fruit and vegetable intake.  The following options are great for lunches on the go for kids or adults who are bored with traditional brown bag offerings.  If you want a heartier lunch, you can add some whole grain crackers.

–Breakfast for lunch — so many people love breakfast for dinner, so why not breakfast for lunch.  I like to have a large container of cut up fruit (like berries or peaches), on top of that I add a layer of yogurt (I use plain to reduce my sugar consumption).  In a separate container, I bring granola and nuts and sprinkle them on just before eating to keep them crunchy.

–Eggs – I like deviled eggs where I stuff two egg halves and put the egg back together before packing. With this I might bring vegetables with a yogurt dip, and trail mix.

–Dips– dips are a great way to eat lots of vegetables.  I like to bring a container of hummus with vegetables and crackers to dip.  Sometimes I bring Mexican layered dip: in a container layer canned refried beans, tomatoes, onions, avocado (sprinkle with lime juice or bury into the other ingredients so it doesn’t brown.  Serve this with sturdy tortilla chips or vegetable dippers. Guacamole is also a great dip.

–Rice based lunch–I also like to bring rice salads where I combine rice with leftover cooked meat and vegetables tossed in a tangy vinegarette dressing.  If you like making homemade sushi, vegetable sushi are a fun lunchbox addition.  If rolling sushi is too time consuming, you might try rice balls where rice (combined with other tasty things like salmon) is rolled in your hands to form nice balls, known as onigiri in Japan.

–Chicken drumsticks — I prefer to buy pastured organic chicken to control the quality of the meat. This is more costly than conventional chicken, but drumsticks are often one of the lowest costs per pound of chicken (and about 1/3 that of breasts). I like making a big batch of oven roasted or oven fried drumsticks and having them available for lunches.

see other hints at Works for Me Wednesday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, and Real Food Wednesday