Stop spending a fortune at lunchtime

It’s easy to ignore the cost of buying a quick lunchtime sandwich when you’re out and about or at work - but if you do it regularly, the cost can quickly add up.

So if you know you’re going to be out of the house, why not just prepare in advance and make your own lunch instead?

It’s quick, lets you use up food you already have in and helps you avoid those last-minute, more expensive choices.

Cheap meal prep ideas

Ideally, a packed lunch should be filling, contain a bit of protein and have some veg or fruit.

That’s a really wide brief, with loads of tasty ingredients fitting the bill.

So if you’ve got this far thinking we want you live off a boring chicken and salad sandwich every day, think again.

1. Pasta pots

Cook a big batch of pasta and mix with your favourite fillings, such as:

• tomato sauce and cheese
• a big spoonful of pesto
• roasted vegetables
• a tin of tuna and sweetcorn

You can then split it into containers - one for each day of the week - and they’re ready to be eaten hot or cold.

2. Rice bowls

Cook a batch of rice and add toppings such as:

• leftover or frozen veg that’s been cooked up
• a fried or boiled egg
• a bit of soy sauce

Mix it in with the rice and split it into different lunchboxes, so you have your lunches for the week ready to go.

3. Soup in a flask

Homemade soup is one of the cheapest lunches you can make and can use up ingredients that are either past their best or about to be thrown away.

Just make a big pot, portion it up and put in the freezer.

And then when you need it, heat it up in the morning and pour it into a flask to keep it warm until lunchtime. 

Check out our recipe for a cheap and cheerful carrot and coriander soup for one tasty and affordable lunchtime idea.

4. Jacket potatoes

Bake a few potatoes at once and store them in the fridge. Then just reheat and add toppings like:

• baked beans
• cheese
• leftover chilli or curry

It’s a simple, filling and cheap way to fuel up at lunchtime.

5. Wraps and sandwiches

Instead of buying a wrap or sandwich in your local shop, make your own the night before.

There are loads of quick options that take no time at all, like:

• cheese and pickle
• egg mayonnaise
• leftover chicken

Making them yourself is usually much cheaper, and again, lets you use up loads of ingredients you already have in.

6. Leftovers from last night’s tea

If you’re cooking tonight’s tea, it’s worth making a bit extra and putting a portion aside.

You’ve then got lunch sorted for the next day.

Pasta dishes work really well like this, along with meals like:

• curry
• chilli
• stir fry
• stew

Just put the spare portion in a box and keep it in the fridge overnight, and you can then reheat it at work.

Since you’re cooking the meal anyway, it means you’re not spending any extra time making lunch, and lets you essentially get two meals out of one.

Start small to build the habit

The idea of meal prep can seem a bit overwhelming if you’re used to grabbing a meal deal or nipping to your local coffee shop for a quick sandwich.

So just take baby steps to get you into the habit, perhaps by prepping lunches for two or three days instead of a whole week.

Just bringing in lunch for a couple of days a week can make a big difference and potentially save you hundreds of pounds a year.

Imagine what difference that could make at a time when we’re all keeping a close eye on our budgets.