Back to School Brown Bag Lunches

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but those quiet lazy summer mornings are about to come to an end. Pretty soon you'll be getting up early again, dragging yourself to your first class with little more than a cup of coffee in your stomach to get you through the day.

It's no secret that a healthy breakfast helps students of all ages learn more efficiently. We all know we should be eating better, but when you don't even have time to finish your calculus homework, eating right isn't exactly a priority.
The campus cafeteria and local fast food restaurants are often tempting places to grab a quick lunch between classes, but packing yourself a healthy brown bag lunch does not take much time or planning,and will often save you money in the long run-- not to mention some extra calories!

Here are ten easy (and healthy) back to school brown bag lunch tips:

1. That's a Wrap!

Make your sandwiches with whole wheat,low calorie, high fiber tortillas instead of white bread. This not only cuts calories, but adds nutritional value. (Make sure to check the nutritional content on the package to make sure you're buying low calorie ones! Some "healthy" wraps have just as many calories as sliced bread!)Wraps are easier to eat on the go then a sloppy sandwich. Think outside the box when it comes to your wrap combinations. To give your taste buds a little excitement, experiment with different spreads, mustards and dressings. And don't forget! A sandwich doesn't HAVE to be your typical mayo-lettuce-turkey-tomato combo. Try a PB and J wrap, or wrapping up sliced banana and peanut butter in a whole wheat tortilla.

2. Choosie Cheese

One of my favorite snacks is cheese and crackers, but many cheeses (while totally tasty) are high in fat. I suggest packing a zip lock baggy full of high fiber whole grain crackers and a couple wedges of spreadable Laughing Cow Cheese. These great wedges are only 35 calories each! and they taste AMAZING. 1 wedge is enough for about 10-12 crackers, depending on how thick you lay it.

3. Love the Leftovers!

Save a little of last nights dinner for tomorrows lunch. A chicken dinner can quickly be turned into a fresh chicken salad, with just a little light Mayo, a few cranberries and some walnuts. Got some leftover pasta? Toss it with some olive oil, Parmesan cheese, olives and steamed broccoli, and you have an easy pasta salad!

4. Pack Individual Portions

When you go to the supermarket, stock up on yogurt cups, 100 calorie packs of crackers,chips and pretzels and cereal cups. These will help you count calories, control your portion sizes and make packing lunches quicker and easier! Sugar free fruit cups and packages of dried fruit or trail mix are also easy ways of adding fruit to your diet, without being inconvenienced by a mess.

5. Think Outside the Lunch Box!

Lunch doesn't have to be... well, lunch! Breakfast items like cereal bars, and mini bagels with light cream cheese also make a delicious nutritious mid day meal. The idea is to pack healthy things that you LIKE to eat, that way you'll be more inclined to eat out of your brown bag than to stop at the hamburger stand. So if you really like cereal, pack cereal. Just make sure you pay attention to calories and portion size.