When I lived in New York City, lunch was a big social event. Almost everyone went out to eat, and the restaurants would be filled to the brim with corporate Americans indulging in delicious gourmet foods before returning to their desks. At the end of my first internship in law school, I found myself wishing I had brought my lunch to work from the start. While I enjoyed going out with my fellow interns, I regretted the money I spent on all of those lunches. From that point on, I made a switch. Instead of going out regularly, I brought my lunch to work almost every day. While I do miss how fun eating out can be, I have come to enjoy this practice. Today I want to share why I love bringing my lunch to work, and why I think you should, too!
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It Saves a Lot of Money
Of course, I think the biggest benefit to bringing your own lunch to work is that it saves a lot of money. While some restaurants do offer lunch specials, and you can get discounted meals through apps like MealPal and Ritual, lunch prices around where I work in Boston typically average around $10.00 per meal. If you eat out daily, that’s $50.00 per week spent on just lunch! To put that in perspective, I don’t even spend $50.00 on my entire grocery bill for the week. On average, I spend under $10.00 on the groceries I need to make four lunches. I do often buy lunch on Fridays, so my total lunch cost for the week is around $20.00. Thus, I am saving $30.00 per week just by bringing my own lunch to work!
It’s Better for the Environment
Bringing your own lunch to work can also be extremely beneficial for the environment. It makes me so sad to think of all the disposable plastic containers, utensils, bottles, and bags that are thrown away every single day when people buy their lunch and take it to go. When I bring my lunch to work, I am enjoying a zero waste meal every time! I purchased a set of reusable containers from the grocery store a few years ago that are freezer safe, microwave safe, and dishwasher safe. It makes meal prep extremely easy as well! The set I have was $2.00 for a pack of five containers. I found something similar on Amazon from the brand Ziploc, but definitely check out your local store. While I do use plastic containers (mainly so I don’t break anything), I’ve used the same set literally hundreds of times now! I also bring regular silverware to work and just pop it in the dishwasher when I get home.
My Meals Are Healthier
Another great benefit to bringing your own lunch is that you control what is on your plate. I know when I go out to eat, I am more apt to grab a veggie burger and fries, greasy Chinese food, or any number of dessert treats. However, when I make my own lunch, I often put together healthy meals such as salads, whole grain pasta dishes with veggies, burrito bowls, and more. Since I eat a vegan diet, I can also make sure my meals will have enough protein and other nutrients to get me through the day. Plus, eating healthier at lunch means I can enjoy a yummy dessert later that day!
It Saves Time
While preparing my own lunches does take some time on the weekend, my meal prep also saves me time and aggravation during the work week. If I go to any restaurant nearby my office, I am sure to wait in a long line and burn 10-20 minutes just waiting for my food. I would much rather spend an hour or so on Sundays making my own food than deal with the lunchtime crowd regularly. Of course, there are some apps that allow you to order your food in advance to avoid the lines, but that still requires you to leave the office to pick it up. I love to opt for a working lunch, as that allows me to use my allotted lunch break to go for a walk, run an errand, or even leave work early if needed. I also find that I am more productive when I don’t leave the office in the middle of the day to grab food.
As you can see, I am a big proponent of bringing your own lunch to work. If you usually buy your lunch, I highly recommend trying to bring lunch more often, even if it’s 2-3 days a week. You will probably be surprised at how much money you save! I really enjoy trying new recipes for lunch, and it means a lot to me that bringing my own lunch also reduces my impact on the environment. Please share your favorite lunch recipes in the comments!