It’s the time of year which most people dread – the end of summer – when temperatures slowly start to drop, the holiday you’ve been looking forward to all year has been and gone, and the numerous amount of BBQs you’ve attended have left the waistline of your jeans feeling just a little bit tighter. But there’s something fresh about September; we’re so conditioned from our school days, that the ‘back to school’ period seems to affect everyone, whether you have children or not. And best of all: it’s peak packed lunch season!
When it comes to the perfect packed lunch it’s all about balance; whether it’s for the kids or for you, standards are high – there’s nothing worse than a lacklustre lunch and the following bouts of food envy aimed at each and every one of your colleagues. The ideal lunch needs to satisfy all your midday cravings, boost your energy levels, and still be packed full of healthy, nutritious ingredients.
But it’s not all about lunch time. As hard as we try to avoid them, snacks are often a necessary (and healthy!) addition to the day. As long as you’re preparing the right kind of snacks – and ensure you steer clear of the office biscuit collection – then you can enjoy scrumptious snippets of plant-based food whenever you fancy. In fact, the British Nutrition Foundation stated that, when following a healthy 2,000-2,500 calorie diet, drinks and snacks can account for 20 per cent of your daily energy intake and are therefore a key part of a healthy diet.