Most often, we are too busy at work to take a lunch break to get some nutritious foods. So our usual options would be to take a short, quick lunch from a fast-food or a food cart, or to bring food from home so you can eat on your desk while working.

I have been there, and done that. My heart has a quota on the greasy food it can take. Besides, in the long run, buying lunch can come out expensive. The best option then is to bring lunch from home. But then again, who has time to actually cook meals? I may have some tips to share with you on easy-to-make lunches which you can prepare the night before thus making it also an easy-to-make dinner.

I want lunch that is delicious, more to my taste and preference and will not break my budget. This article will give you a recipe that is easy to make and quite affordable. It will give you storage tips and even re-heating tips.

The Recipe: Chicken Fried Rice

I love this recipe because it has chicken, vegetables and rice so it’s a full meal in itself.

This serves 4, and costs as low as $1/serving.

Estimated preparation time: 7 minutes.

Estimated cooking time: 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

Chicken breast, chopped	¾ lbs
Soy sauce	1 oz
Vegetable oil	2 oz
Sesame oil	¼ oz
Onion, chopped	100 grams
Frozen mixed vegetables, thawed	½ lbs
White rice, cooked	32 oz
Eggs	3 pcs
Black pepper
Kosher salt

Preparation:

Best Way To Store The Cooked Food With Food Storage Container

Before removing the food from the skillet, prepare your containers for single serve. Put the food into each of them, and the remaining food in the skillet should only be enough for your dinner. It is wise to refrigerate the food, but only do so when it is has cooled down. Do not refrigerate hot food; it will damage your refrigerator.

I prefer to use RUBBERMAID FOOD STORAGE CONTAINER. I bought a set with 42 pieces, actually 21 storage containers and their lids. I have tried other brands, but I like this one best for these reasons:

You should see my freezer and refrigerator. It looks so organized, clean and beautiful with my uniform Rubbermaid Food Storage Containers. I store even left-over raw food, like half of an onion, so nothing is wasted.

To be safe, I always freeze the food, and not just refrigerate it. Always leave about half an inch from the top of the container because food, when frozen, expands. I have made it a point to cook for more than just one serving so I can store the other servings. Sometimes, what I cook on a Monday becomes lunch on Thursday. To keep track of what I have in the freezer, I have an inventory list outside, also with the date it was cooked.

In the long run, I would want to be able to buy a foodsaver vacuum sealer so I can also vacuum seal the food before storage. This way, food can stay for months. This is a great idea to store seasonal vegetables and fruits.

From The Freezer To The Office

Every night, after cleaning up, I go through my inventory list of foods inside the freezer, and already choose which one to bring to the office for lunch. I look for it, and put it at the very top of the stack, easy to reach during morning rush. The next day, I put it inside my lunch bag, preferably insulated so it stays frozen or at least cold until lunch time.

Here are a few re-heating tips using the microwave:

The Delicious Life

Now I eat delicious meals during lunch, and I save so much time and money from it. I can just eat my $1 chicken fried rice while working on my table. I like it, too, that there are no left-over’s wasted in my kitchen. Now, when I eat in my parent’s house, my Mom wraps the remaining food for my future use. Of course, the minute I get home, I transfer it to my RUBBERMAID CONTAINER for proper storage.