If you are a brown-bagger (or stylish, reusable bagger), you know that sometimes packing your lunch can be a pain. It’s hard enough for me to make it out the door each morning fully dressed, let alone with a decent meal for later on. It’s easy to fall into a culinary rut that leaves you bored with the same old sandwich. How can you pack an eco-friendly, tasty lunch that is healthy and affordable? It’s easier than you would think. Here are some tips for lunches that will keep both kids and adults happy.

1. Avoid individually-packaged foods. You pay more for the convenience, create more packaging, and, unless you’re eating little packets of carrots or apple slices, are probably eating something processed. Invest in a variety of reusable containers in different sizes so you can buy in bulk, which eliminates packaging waste and saves you money. Do I have to tell you to avoid these?
2. I can’t stress this enough: farmers markets. Raw fruits and veggies, particularly locally-grown, in-season produce, is usually a zero-waste choice that’s completely healthy. Carrots and celery are old standbys, but what about sugar-snap peas, radishes, edamame, cucumber rounds, jicama, cherry potatoes, or bell pepper rings? Peaches, plums, kiwis, cherries, and berries are a sweet treat, and frozen grapes are an awesome twist. Add a dip, such as peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, salsa, hummus, or low-fat dressing, to keep things interesting. Kids love dipping things. Why, I do not know.
3. Put it on a pita. Or a tortilla. Or naan. Tortillas keep longer than regular bread, and can break up the monotony of a normal PB&J or ham and cheese. Wait, what about mini-bagels? Or flatbread? There’s a whole world of bread-like possibilities.
4. What about chips? There are low-fat, whole grain tortilla chips and pita chips, or you can make your own. Hummus, salsa, baba ghanoush, bean dip, or tapenade all work with chips in a lunch.
5. I love salads, but I hate how the dressing gets the lettuce soggy by lunch time. Check out this bad boy, that keeps the dressing separate from the salad in one container. Speaking of salad, translate your favorite salad into a wrap. Try chicken caesar, caprese, or spinach and walnuts.
6. For adults with access to a microwave, soup is a sometimes-forgotten lunchtime food that can provide an almost-endless variety of flavors. Trader Joe’s has a particularly wide selection, and I have yet to be disappointed by any of their concoctions (Roasted Red Pepper is my favorite). Add some crusty bread leftover from last night’s dinner and a piece of fruit, and you have a pretty tempting spread. Your local deli probably sells pints or quarts of soup to take home if you’ve got a local favorite.

Bottom line: lunch doesn’t have to be monotonous, unhealthy, or trash-producing. With little thought before your grocery shopping, you can have delicious, nutritious meals that leave a lighter footprint.

What do you think? What are your favorite packable lunches? Leave your comment below.