With the holiday season just disappeared around the corner, so with it goes those glorious weeks when it felt like you had an amazing meal every few hours, filled with extravagant treats and naughty indulgences. Those memories quickly start to fade, however, when it is time to go back to work and you are left with your same old packed lunch! Don’t fear though, just because Christmas is gone, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a fun time eating! Here are some suggestions for how to give your sad packed lunch a makeover.
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Pretty Container
They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but the cover can definitely make things seem more enticing! Treat yourself to a new shiny lunch container that looks pretty in the office fridge and makes you look forward to eating what is inside that little bit more. Sure, it won’t be a full Christmas dinner inside, but it’s still better than something in a sad old grey Tupperware.
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Garnish
You can make yourself some great healthy lunch food, but to stop it from tasting on the bland side, throw in a few little sachets of a garnish, dip or dressing that has a powerful kick. A little splash of something like sriracha doesn’t add too many calories, but succeeds in packing a massive flavour punch that will add to any meal.
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Go Fancy
Make the effort to stock your fridge with two or three different ‘fancy’ items per week that you can alternate in your lunches to add some excitement. Go for mozzarella, good olives, peeled roasted red peppers, things that are nice and simple but that taste like elevated versions of the more boring ingredients that you have been used to.
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Dollop
You know what can transform lots of different lunch dishes? A dollop of something like yogurt or crème fraiche, especially if you are heating up an old soup or some leftovers from an Indian or Moroccan meal that you cooked a few days ago. That dollop can add a tonne of flavour and freshness to make it feel brand new.
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Map Options
Take a look at the online maps of your work area and see if there are any cheap, cheerful places that you can venture out to on your lunch break once in a while. It’s probably not great to eat out every day of the week, but going with a pal for a nice Caesar salad or soup bowl on hump day can be really therapeutic!
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Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.
Seasoning
You would be amazed at how many people pack a lunch and then don’t do anything on the seasoning side. Without salt, pepper or a little sauce, even the tastiest ingredients can seem bland and boring. Stock your office desk with some shakers and you will never have to worry about eating plain unseasoned lunches.
