Quicker Cheaper Lunch

Are you looking for a quicker cheaper lunch? Do you often skip lunch because you need those precious extra minutes? Guess what - you're not alone.

In 2006 a USA Today poll revealed that the average lunch “hour” was not an hour at all, but 42 minutes. By 2008 the average lunch hour was only 25 minutes. In 2010 it was 29 minutes. Another, more recent poll showed that 76% of workers now say they take no break at all.

What? Is the Lunch Hour going extinct? Or do we need a quicker cheaper lunch to hang on to it?

Let's remind ourselves that skipping lunch all together can cause drastic dips in energy and sugar levels. That will affect our productivity. It is also likely that we'll start to eat whatever we get our hands on when hungry enough. Guess where that leads! Yes, obesity, ill health, and dieting. Do we really want to go there?

80 million Americans are dieting already. $Billions are spent on diet programs each year.

Here's more news. A number of these dieting programs are delivering pre-made food in controlled portions to busy people who don’t like to cook but want to eat healthy food and lose weight. (See? Someone spots a gap and jumps in). Though these programs take the guesswork out of meal planning, they cost around $600 per month, or around $7 per entrée. But they expect you have to add your own fresh fruits and vegetables to that menu plan.

Food Prepper Companies have spied a perfect place here for their products. Their gourmet freeze-dried foods packaged in sturdy buckets to help people survive disasters and food shortages, or times when it is simply impossible to cook in usual ways work - these are great too for that quicker cheaper lunch we are all looking for in our busy lives. And they are right! These mylar pouched meals are prepared by simply adding hot or cold water and stirring, they are specially designed to be healthy balanced meals, and they cost a bit more than $2 per meal, (or less than $10 a day for three meals if you get carried away).

How's that for a quicker cheaper lunch?

Here’s an example of three balanced meals from freeze-dried that come in around 500 calories each:

Breakfast - Crunchy granola (add 2% milk or low-fat yogurt)

Lunch - Tomato Basil Soup (add salad and low-fat dressing)

Dinner -Teriyaki & Rice (add roasted or steamed vegetables)

These same three meals would cost you nearly $30 per day if you order them from a diet program. But the three meals above cost under $10 a day, even adding in fresh vegetables and fruits. A variety of entrees, soups and breakfast choices are available so you won’t get bored and each packet costs a little more than $2, as already mentioned.

Hey, here's another thought; if you should ever get tired of these fine meals and want a break, or if someone invites you out for a full-hour lunch in a restaurant, not to worry - these meals are prepared to keep for years as long as they stay in their packaging. You can use them now, for a quicker cheaper lunch, or hold them in reserve for when a big natural disaster hits, and you are caught between a rock and the deep blue sea.

MORE?

How to Store Food for Survival - Would you like to know how to store food for survival in a time of disaster? There are people and companies which have worked through these questions and come up with some excellent solutions.

How to Store Food Left-overs - A little brainstorming and we have a handy list with ideas for how to store food left-overs in the fridge.

Dorm Room Pantry - Are you ready to turn your "dorm room pantry" into a little haven of nourishing, healthy meals at bargain rates, and all without having to turn into a trained chef?