Did you tell yourself you'd pack your lunches this year and avoid dropping cash on stodgy muffins and over-priced sandwiches? And are you finding that promise hard to keep? The secret to sticking with the packed-lunch promise is planning ahead and bringing food that's truly enjoyable. From two ways with your left-over Sunday roast chicken to a homemade granola, Alice Taylor has you covered.
Saving money on food is difficult at the best of times; but nothing has tested me quite like the work lunch.
What do you mean I have to pre-think what I’m going to bring, pack it away, hope it doesn’t go soggy in the fridge overnight and then sit there at the desk pretending my lunch is exciting while everyone else heads out to buy something delicious?
I realised I needed to get a grip when I was working in a corporate office and found myself buying lunch four times a week. My salary absolutely did not allow the habit. And look, I don’t pretend to be a nutritionist, but I did know that my lunch choices were probably not as good for me as a homecooked meal.
Bringing lunch from home is quite simply one of the easiest ways to save money on food. But I didn’t want sad desk salads or the same container of leftovers on repeat until Friday. I wanted meals that could be made in bulk, use what I already had, and still feel like something to look forward to.
Eating should be enjoyable, even at work.
So I started with a classic; the humble roast chicken. I would cook one on Sunday, enjoy it properly for dinner, then transform it into different lunches throughout the week.
It couldn’t be simpler: Roast a whole chicken on top of chopped vegetables tossed with oil and seasoning, stuffing the cavity with lemon and herbs for extra flavour. Cook in a hot oven until golden and cooked through, then rest before carving. If you like, use the pan juices to quickly make a simple gravy on the stove.
Now, before you panic, you are not destined to eat plain roast chicken out of a plastic container for the rest of the week, unless you want to. Here is where it gets interesting.
Recipe: The next-day chicken sandwich
My favourite part of a roast chicken is the leftovers, especially tucked into a proper sandwich.
INGREDIENTS
2 slices of your favourite bread
100g shredded cooked chicken
1 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tsp mustard
Pinch of cumin and paprika
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt Lettuce leaf
1 to 2 slices tomato
1 pickle, sliced
METHOD
Spread mustard on the bread.
Mix the chicken with yoghurt, spices, olive oil and salt.
Layer lettuce, chicken mixture, tomato and pickle.
Toast in a sandwich press or pan until golden, or wrap and refrigerate for later.
Tip to avoid a soggy sandwich
- I make the filling the night before, and prepare my sandwich in minutes in the morning. You can either toast it in advance or toast it at work if you're lucky enough to have a toasted sandwich maker in your office kitchen (many do).
- If you're not toasting it, line the bread with lettuce leaves before adding the tomoato, chicken mixture etc. The lettuce acts as a sogginess buffer to the bread.
RECIPE: Chicken and courgette pasta salad
This is my go-to meal prep. It is delicious warm or cold and tastes even better the next day.
Serves: 2; Cost: Approximately $5; Time to make: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
250g pasta, penne or fusilli
1 large courgette, diced
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of chilli flakes, optional
2 tomatoes, diced
100g shredded roast chicken
Fresh herbs, optional
Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
METHOD
Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain.
Fry courgette in olive oil until lightly golden. Add garlic and chilli and cook briefly.
In a bowl, combine tomatoes, chicken, herbs and lemon.
Add pasta and courgette. Drizzle with oil, season and toss.
It is fresh, filling and makes brilliant use of whatever vegetables are lingering in the fridge.
Tackling the mid-morning danger zone
You arrive at work. Maybe breakfast did not happen. By 10am you are starving and eyeing up your lunch, or worse, the local café cabinet.
Enter homemade granola.
Granola, in my opinion, is wildly overpriced in supermarkets. Making it yourself costs a fraction, generally contains less sugar and tastes infinitely better.
It's perfect also for a take-to-work breakfast/morning tea.
RECIPE: HOMEMADE GRANOLA
Makes: 4 cups; Cost: Approx. $6.50; Time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
¼ cup nut butter or oil
2 cups oats
½ cup nuts
½ cup seeds
¼ cup plain or wholemeal flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon, optional
½ cup dried fruit or chocolate, added after baking
METHOD
Preheat oven to 160°C, 140°C fan. Line a tray.
Mix honey and nut butter until smooth.
Stir through oats, nuts, seeds, flour, salt and cinnamon.
Spread evenly on the tray.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway.
Cool completely before adding dried fruit or chocolate.
Chef Alice Taylor posts cooking videos as @alicetayloreats on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.
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