Monique's Life #2 - Lunch Time in the Real World

I am currently doing my second internship (unpaid), and during both of my internships, I found that bringing lunch is way more affordable (and healthy). At my last internship, I worked 5 days a week, but at my current one, I only work 2 days a week (because it's unpaid). That's a lot of meals to plan. I usually make mine the Sunday before or the night before work, which lets me sleep in. I've found that buying groceries is so much cheaper than going out on my lunch break to pick up something. Going out to lunch averages around $10.00 each time, while packing lunch averages around $5.00 for me. You can buy from any supermarket or in bulk from CostCo or BJ's. Dinner leftovers are excellent to bring to work as well.

Here are a few of my favorite packed lunches!

• Turkey burger with avocado & lettuce on whole wheat bread
• Quinoa (which is sort of like rice but healthier) with cherry tomatoes, spinach, avocado & a pinch of salt
• Mixed greens salad with walnuts, apple chunks, dried cranberries, goat cheese or feta and balsamic vinaigrette on the side
• Grilled chicken can be added to any kind of salad to make it more filling

And can't forget about the snacks!

• Cashews
• Grapes
• Blackberries
• Cheezits (my personal favorite)
• Pretzel Goldfish

In need of different and easy food to make? I love YouTube for finding anything, and I love this channel, Sorted Food. They provide funny videos where they create an endless amount of recipes that anyone can make. I highly suggest browsing through their videos for some inspiration if you think making your lunches might be to hard or boring. And you can always tailor the recipe to satisfy your taste buds, wallet, or time crunch.

P.S. Always pack a super large bottle of water to keep hydrated!!

xx,

Monique