Frugal and Healthy Lunchbox Options

I previously blogged about ideas for brown bag lunches, in particular alternatives to sandwiches, including serving breakfast or perhaps making deviled eggs or sushi.  By exploring a range of alternatives, lots of fruits and vegetables can be incorporated into lunch, and lots of creative ideas can be explored.  Just today, I had yogurt, fresh organic strawberries, and granola for lunch.  And yesterday, I was reminded of why planning ahead and packing a nice healthy lunch is a good thing. I was in an offsite business meeting and everyone agreed to stop at a nice Italian deli to pickup sandwiches for lunch.  The sandwiches looked quite tasty, but at $7.99 for a cold sandwich, or $8.99 for a hot sandwich, they were quite expensive.  Add chips or dessert (which most people did) and a drink from the deli and one simple meal exceeded ten dollars.  In addition, most of the offerings were some form of meat/cheese combination  on Italian bread, the offerings were scanty on the fresh fruits and vegetables. While okay every once in a while, certainly not what I want for lunch on a regular basis.

For tomorrow, I am planning to be prepared and I’m whipping up a batch of chipotle hummus tonight. To dip into the hummus, I’ll bring baby carrots, broccoli and red pepper strips.  To go with this, I’ll probably add a boiled egg, and some cut up fruit (peaches are still in season).  You could certainly add pita bread or pita chips for the hummus and a small container of yogurt for dessert.  Even with the assortment of fresh vegetables and fruit, the cost is dramatically lower than the price tag at the deli.

I first tried chipotle hummus at a restaurant and was impressed by the deep, smoky flavor and not too hot spiciness.  I find this to be a great alternative to traditional hummus and usually have this with a platter of fresh vegetables to dip when guests come over.

Chipotle Hummus
1 can (16 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic
2 T tahini (or in a pinch peanut butter will work)
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T olive oil
1/2 t cumin
2 chipotle chilis, from can
1 t adobo sauce, from the canned chili
salt to taste

Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor, blend until large chunks are gone. If necessary add 1-2 T water. Pour into a bowl and stir to combine.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

posted at Frugal Friday,  Food Renegade, Grocery Cart Challenge and Ultimate Recipe Swap