{"id":141639,"date":"2020-03-08T12:00:33","date_gmt":"2020-03-08T16:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/?post_type=podcasts&#038;p=141639"},"modified":"2024-08-12T01:38:44","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T06:38:44","slug":"healthy-teacher-lunch-ideas","status":"publish","type":"podcasts","link":"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/truth-for-teachers-podcast\/healthy-teacher-lunch-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make teacher lunches quick to prep and decision-free"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>This week on the Truth for Teachers podcast: teacher lunch ideas that are simple, easy, and quick to prepare.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>While seemingly a pleasant break from the day, lunch can actually be a big stressor for teachers: figuring out what to pack, having your lunch break scheduled at an oddly early or late, not getting a lunch break at all, and having to scarf down a whole meal in 15 minutes due to all the other tasks that cut into your time.<\/p>\n<p>So, by numerous requests, I&#8217;ve created a Truth for Teachers podcast episode about ways to simplify and streamline.<\/p>\n<p>I do want to give a quick warning up front that this episode could be triggering for those with a history of eating disorders or other unhealthy relationships with food. I will not talk about weight loss or restricting your nutritional intake in any way, and this is a body-neutral episode, but the topic could bring up some issues for you around your relationship with food, particularly near the end when I\u2019m talking about intermittent fasting and simplifying how many food choices you have for the purpose of making meal prep easier and faster. Please be kind to yourself as you\u2019re listening and focus on just the ideas that resonate with you and your body.<\/p>\n<p>Also as a disclaimer, I\u2019m not a doctor or nutritionist. I\u2019m a former teacher who helps teachers simplify their lives, so I&#8217;m weighing in on this topic solely from that perspective. I am not an expert on what works for your body and lifestyle, I\u2019m just going to offer different mindset shifts and ideas to try \u2014 you pick what works for you and get further guidance, if needed, from your doctor or nutritionist.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-141861\" src=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-tall-333x500.jpg\" alt=\"Healthy teacher lunch ideas that are quick prep and decision-free\" width=\"333\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-tall-333x500.jpg 333w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-tall-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-tall-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-tall-300x450.jpg 300w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-tall.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Listen to episode 190 below,<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>or subscribe in your podcast app<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none;\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/13189253\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/backward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/672c5b\/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Sponsored by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.breatheforchange.com\/truth\">Breathe for Change<\/a><\/h5>\n<h3><b>Make convenient containers easily accessible<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Mason jars are often $1 or less. Metal and glass bento boxes are fantastic if you like to have small portions of lots of different items.\u00a0 A thermos or insulated soup mug with a lid can be great for hot and cold foods. Dig these things out of the back of your cabinets or invest in a couple of new items so that it\u2019s easier and faster to pack your lunches.<\/p>\n<p>You might also want to consider a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Pp7AEQ\">Crock-Pot Lunch Crock Food Warmer<\/a><em>. <\/em>It&#8217;s a small, portable crockpot with a handle, designed to let you store leftovers in it at night and carry it to school the next day. One teacher I know swears by this! She plugs it in about a half-hour before lunch, then has a hot meal ready for her. Afterward, she brings the lunch crock food warmer home with her and washes it out, to be filled again that evening with the dinner leftovers.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Pp7AEQ\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-141835 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crock-pot-lunch-crock-food-warmer-teacher-lunches-396x500.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"298\" height=\"376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crock-pot-lunch-crock-food-warmer-teacher-lunches-396x500.png 396w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crock-pot-lunch-crock-food-warmer-teacher-lunches-300x379.png 300w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crock-pot-lunch-crock-food-warmer-teacher-lunches.png 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 298px) 100vw, 298px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>Keep a variety of snack choices to mix and match for lunch<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Some folks don\u2019t like to sit down to eat a big meal mid-day, especially at school. Having a choice of healthy snacks gives you options and allows you to eat when you\u2019re most hungry. You can grab one thing during your prep time, another at lunch, and another after dismissal.<\/p>\n<p>This approach works especially if your lunch break is scheduled at 10:30 in the morning and you\u2019re not yet hungry, or if you have a late lunch and need to grab something to hold you over during your prep time.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some ideas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Yogurt: Save money (and the planet) by purchasing a large container of yogurt and portion it into smaller, reusable single-serve containers; mix in flax seeds, fruit, or any other topping you like<\/li>\n<li>Oatmeal: Make a big pot and portion it out so you can heat each one up as you need it, or make \u201covernight oats,&#8221; which are eaten cold, and stir in toppings like nuts, coconut, and dried fruit<\/li>\n<li>Trail mix, nuts, and nut butter to spread on fruit or crackers: Make sure there\u2019s no one allergic in the vicinity of where the snack is kept or consumed \u2014 check with the school nurse to be sure, as nut allergies can be life-threatening<\/li>\n<li>Hard-boiled eggs<\/li>\n<li>Soup<\/li>\n<li>Fruit<\/li>\n<li>Granola bars or protein bars<\/li>\n<li>Cheese, such as string cheese<\/li>\n<li>Pepperoni (which doesn\u2019t have to be refrigerated)<\/li>\n<li>Fruit leather<\/li>\n<li>Cereal (with or without milk of your choice)<\/li>\n<li>Dark chocolate<\/li>\n<li>Hummus and baby carrots or other veggies or pita chips<\/li>\n<li>Tuna kits<\/li>\n<li>Edamame<\/li>\n<li>Meat sticks<\/li>\n<li>Madras Lentils pouches (microwaves in just a few minutes)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Make green smoothies or protein shakes<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>I make a big pitcher of a green smoothie every 3-4 days. You can pour this in a thermos or metal or glass travel mug, and use that as an energy boost mid-morning (particularly if you\u2019re not a breakfast eater), or as your drink at lunchtime, or to stave off the afternoon slump.<\/p>\n<p>Right now I\u2019m liking kale spinach, celery, carrots, beets, blueberries, chia seeds, ginger, and turmeric, but I switch it up frequently when I get bored of the taste. I also like almond milk, dates, bananas, chia seeds, and either nuts or nut butter when I need more calories to keep going, or I\u2019ll add avocado to a green smoothie.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s really no limit to the number of combinations you can make with smoothies so it never gets boring. I feel better knowing I\u2019ve had a couple of servings of fresh fruits and veggies early in my day.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Prep veggies when you bring them home so it&#8217;s faster to use them throughout the week\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>I typically make the smoothie when I\u2019m putting away my groceries. In fact, I do just about everything related to produce-prep at that time. I find it annoying to drag everything home and stuff it in the fridge, then pull it all back out every time I want to use it. If I\u2019m tired, I\u2019ll end up choosing something that is easier to make and the veggies just sit in the fridge going bad.<\/p>\n<p>So for me, it\u2019s more efficient to prep the veggies as soon as I bring them home. I put away everything non-produce so the counter is clear. Then I wash and chop them and store as many as possible in one giant Pyrex bowl (celery one side, onions next to that, broccoli next to that, etc.) That way when I\u2019m cooking dinner, I can just take out one bowl and grab a handful of however many different veggies I want. I make things like stir-fries and roasted veggies a lot, so having the variety on hand is good and it doesn\u2019t matter if I get a couple of pieces of a stray veggie mixed in.<\/p>\n<p>While I\u2019m washing and chopping all the veggies, I will also prepare a bunch of salads. I\u2019ll portion them out into a couple of containers, and then add some pre-packaged stuff I can just toss in there, like shredded carrots, those cabbage mixes that are intended for coleslaw, cherry tomatoes, etc. I don\u2019t like eating the same salad every day so I\u2019ll mix up the ingredients, putting walnuts and blueberries and feta on one salad to make it different, or some other variation like that.<\/p>\n<p>This does require a time investment, of course, but I feel so good when all the groceries are put away because I also know I have grab-and-go healthy meals prepared and a huge headstart on meal prep so I won\u2019t be spending much more time in the kitchen for a while.<\/p>\n<p>If you make salads for your lunches ahead of time like this, you can keep a bottle or two of dressing in your classroom, or use spinach or shredded cabbage or something else that doesn\u2019t wilt and pour the dressing in a corner of the salad when you\u2019re preparing it.<\/p>\n<p>You can also use mason jars and layer the salad ingredients, which keeps everything surprisingly fresh and crisp for the entire week. Starting with the dressing on the bottom, followed by tomatoes or other mushier things, then layer on cucumber, peppers, onions, carrots, and then any protein like eggs or chicken.<\/p>\n<p>If you like this idea but can\u2019t eat salad five days a week, make three salads (for M\/W\/F) and eat something different on Tuesday and Thursday.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Batch your lunch prep<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>There are lots of other ways to batch your lunch prep so you do all the work once a week and then don\u2019t have to think about it again. Food prepping can make it so much easier to make sure you\u2019re eating healthy and takes a lot of the stress out of the workweek. I strongly encourage you to invest the time upfront into figuring out a system that works for you, rather than standing in front of the fridge every night and every morning trying to figure out what to do. That\u2019s really draining and takes a big toll on you over time.<\/p>\n<p>I know one teacher who picks what she wants for lunch that week, makes a lot of it, then portions it out into five containers. For example, one week, she has brown rice, red beans, and tofu\/squash\/zucchini stir fry. She puts the beans on the left side of each container, rice in the middle, stir fry on the right. If that sounds boring, remember, it\u2019s one meal out of probably 3 you\u2019ll have that day, and you can spice things up with different snacks. Or, do like I do with the salads, and make a couple of them with slightly different seasonings and toppings so they don\u2019t all taste the same.<\/p>\n<p>Other teachers cook ahead of time and freeze foods. You can do this with bean burritos and breakfast burritos, for example&#8211;both freeze and thaw\/reheat well. A breakfast-type casserole is another option: add eggs, veggies, maybe potatoes or meat, and bake or cook on the stovetop. Then portion out and freeze. Take a portion out of the freezer for breakfast or lunch, add cheese, and microwave for less than a minute.<\/p>\n<p>You can also cook all your meat at one time, divided into meal-sized portions, and freeze it. This works with ground beef or turkey, chicken, roasts, all kinds of things.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t eat a lot of meat and I hate cooking it because of the grease, so one thing that helps is to prepare a whole pack of something and then portion it out throughout the week. So maybe I&#8217;ll make some turkey bacon, and then I can add a bit to salads, pasta, eggs, etc. throughout the week instead of having to make it every time. This also let me put more in my husband&#8217;s portion than mine. I\u2019ll do the same with ground turkey: some goes in the soup, some in a rice dish, some in a pasta dish.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Make (almost) every dinner give you two days\u2019 worth of lunches<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s rare that I make dinners that won\u2019t result in at least two full meals of leftovers because I pick foods that taste better the next day.\u00a0 For example, I like to make a huge pot of vegetarian chili for dinner, and then eat the leftovers over salad (like a taco salad) or over a baked potato.<\/p>\n<p>I often cook two similar dinners at once to make four separate meals. So, I\u2019ll make a big pot of soup, for example (maybe with spicy sausage, sweet potato, and kale) and also make pasta with the spicy sausage and kale stirred in and fresh parmesan on top. These two meals have very different flavors, so it doesn&#8217;t feel like I\u2019m eating the same thing over and over, but the meals use a lot of the same ingredients as cooking them both at the same time is pretty easy.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll have the pasta that night while the soup flavors simmer a bit more in the soup, have the soup the next night, the leftover pasta the third night, and then the soup leftovers the fourth night. You could do the same things with lunches.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Create a set of go-to meals for dinner to be used as leftovers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>In the June materials of the <a href=\"https:\/\/join.40htw.com\/full-year\/\">40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club<\/a>, we talk a lot about simplifying meal prep and other tasks at home. And one of the things that I highly recommend to teachers is to create a meal rotation that you repeat, instead of continually trying to find new things to make. The idea is to stop reinventing the wheel every day. Find a few ideas that you like and feel easy for you, and stick with that, and make enough for dinner to repurpose as leftovers for lunch so you\u2019re getting full hot meals without having to cook so often.<\/p>\n<p>Some people like to follow the same plan every week. For example, one member of the club shared that in her household, Monday is a stir fry with rice or noodles, Taco Tuesday, Wednesday Soup\/sandwich, Thursday Breakfast for supper, Friday Salad bar and pizza, Saturday Grill, Sunday Brunch and Crockpot meal. She also rotates in black bean tacos, tamales, and hot dogs. These are all favorites in her family, so she\u2019s not always trying to find stuff that everyone likes. Shopping and cooking, as well as mealtime, became super easy when she switched to this plan.<\/p>\n<p>If the same meals every week feels too repetitive, make a plan for the month, so you\u2019re not repeating meals until after 30 days have passed. You can also create seasonal menus, where certain dishes are in rotation on a weekly basis every week until the seasons change. So maybe a simple gazpacho makes an appearance regularly in the summer and is replaced with roasted veggies in the fall.<\/p>\n<p>This might sound daunting, but don&#8217;t overcomplicate it: pick 3-4 meals everyone in your household likes and write them on a list next to week 1. Choose a few more, write that next to week 2. You\u2019ll have 4 weeks of meal ideas in no time, especially if you&#8217;re using Pinterest or an online recipe site to help give you ideas.<\/p>\n<p>As you get good at this, you\u2019ll recognize which meals should come in the same week to repurpose ingredients and save money. For example, if you know you\u2019re buying a roast chicken, you can grill it and serve with barbeque sauce, portion out some to make chicken salad for lunch the next day, or chicken tacos.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-141869\" src=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-quote-500x500.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-quote-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-quote-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-quote-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-quote-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/teacher-lunch-ideas-quote.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>Eat the same lunch daily or eliminate it altogether<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Part of what we\u2019re trying to do here is to reduce the load on your executive function with unnecessary making. In\u00a0the evenings when you are already exhausted and mentally depleted, you are not going to do your best creative thinking and problem-solving. You want to do the majority of decision making at a different time \u2014 maybe on the weekend when you have a bit more mental bandwidth \u2014 so that you\u2019re not having to think about this very much on a day to day basis.<\/p>\n<p>Often we overcomplicate meal prep because we live in a society with so much abundance and choice that our bodies get accustomed to a lot of variety. In many parts of the world, this is not the case. When I went to Costa Rica, for example, I ate some variation of rice and beans three meals a day, seven days a week. That might sound boring to American ears, but there\u2019s a simplicity there that I think we can learn from. You can eat the same thing every morning for breakfast or every afternoon for lunch and your body will grow used to that and adapt to it.<\/p>\n<p>I personally function better and feel better with no breakfast, and consuming all my food between the hours of 11 am and 7 pm. This started when I created a cut-off time for food at 7 pm, because I noticed that I tend to eat healthy and make good choices all day, then stuff myself full of junk food after dinner while watching TV. When I stopped eating after seven, I realized that not only did I not need more food in the evening in order to feel comfortable and sleep well \u2014 which was something I was worried about \u2014 but I would also not wake up hungry. I could easily go until 10, 11, or 12 o&#8217;clock without eating anything, which was a huge confirmation that all that late-night snacking had nothing to do with what my body actually needed and was actually just a habit.<\/p>\n<p>I wasn\u2019t sure if this was healthy because I\u2019ve always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you should eat small frequent meals. But this system worked for me. I felt much more in control of my eating, was consuming a healthy amount of food, and my cravings were reduced. I discovered after some online research that this is basically intermittent fasting, where you eat all your food within an 8-hour period and are fasting the other 16 (half of which you\u2019re asleep during). There are a lot of nutritionists and doctors who highly recommend this approach to eating.<\/p>\n<p>I share all of that here because this approach to eating greatly simplified my meal prep and grocery shopping. I spend so little time thinking about and preparing my food now.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t have to figure out breakfast at all, and for lunch, I eat the same basic thing every day \u2014 either a veggie burger with avocado or an egg and avocado sandwich. I keep a handful of healthy snacks and a few not-so-healthy ones around at all times, and purposefully don\u2019t give myself too many choices because the variety makes it tempting to eat more than I need to.<\/p>\n<p>So, it\u2019s only dinner that I ever really need to think about planning, and that\u2019s where I tend to get more creative and do more interesting things. I typically make enough to have leftovers, and since I don\u2019t eat breakfast and have the same lunch daily, that means those dinner leftovers won\u2019t get eaten until the next night, and therefore I\u2019m only having to think about and plan out one meal every other day.<\/p>\n<p>Granted, I am not in a school every day, I do not have kids, and my husband doesn&#8217;t keep any consistent meal schedule because his work hours are all over the place, so I\u2019m mostly fending for myself and that simplifies it. However, something like this could work for you, too \u2014 not eating breakfast if that\u2019s something you don\u2019t like to do, or having a green smoothie or protein bar \u2014 something simple and easy that\u2019s the same every day, and then choosing one or two lunches which you never really get tired of and have those every day. That would leave you with only dinner that you have to think about.<\/p>\n<p>I do know teachers who find that intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating works for them. One does an 18\/6: she eats from about 3 to 9 pm. And guess what \u2014 that means she doesn\u2019t have to worry about making or packing a lunch! She was really surprised how easy it was \u2014 she never really had time to eat or enjoy her food at school anyway, so this works better for her.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Try to reduce the additional lunch prep that you handle for family members<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>If you have a partner whom you always pack a lunch for, make sure they\u2019re okay with having the same lunch as you so that you\u2019re not always doing the emotional labor of finding out what they want and preparing something completely separate for them. You can also take turns packing lunches (maybe switching off every other week), have your partner pack their own lunch, or ask your partner to take over a different task with the kids that can be done while you\u2019re packing lunches so there&#8217;s one less thing to do and you\u2019re undistracted when lunch prepping.<\/p>\n<p>Children can also be responsible for packing their own lunches, often as young as age five. Kids can make their sandwiches which can be made at the beginning of the week so all five are ready to go. Designate a special low shelf for kids that are full of approved snack choices, and they can just pick two \u201csides\u201d and a juice to go with their sandwich. That\u2019s it \u2014 lunch is done.<\/p>\n<p>So, if you feel like you\u2019re having to pack lunches for a bunch of other people who each have their own dietary preferences and that requires a lot of mental bandwidth to figure out, I encourage you to find ways to share that load so not everything falls on you.<\/p>\n<p>Invest time in making lunch decision-free. Lunch is a little thing that can consume a lot of time and energy on a daily basis if there is no plan, schedule, or routine. Taking a half-hour on the weekend to figure out a better way and prep some lunches in advance can make your workweek remarkably less stressful.<\/p>\n<p>Head over to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/truthforteachers\/\">Truth for Teachers Podcast Community on Facebook<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 I have a post set up there about this topic, where you can see photos of what other teachers do and get more ideas. I\u2019d also love to hear what is working for you, and how you handle lunch prep.<\/p>\n<p><i>This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something, at no additional cost to you.<\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #111111;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #213673;\" href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers\/id954139712#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18483 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TFT-Podcast-Icon-500x500.png\" alt=\"Truth for Teachers podcast: a weekly 10 minute talk radio show you can download and take with you wherever you go! A new episode is released each Sunday to get you energized and motivated for the week ahead.\" width=\"158\" height=\"157\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #111111;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #213673;\" href=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/category\/truth-for-teachers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See blog posts\/transcripts for all episodes<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #111111;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #213673;\" href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers\/id954139712#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/1KICZW01ohDN9jlkclrQew\"><strong>Subscribe to the podcast in Spotify<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #111111;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #213673;\" href=\"https:\/\/playmusic.app.goo.gl\/?ibi=com.google.PlayMusic&amp;isi=691797987&amp;ius=googleplaymusic&amp;apn=com.google.android.music&amp;link=https:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/m\/Ibzn2is6hrmbguhlj5ovfsxe7ea?t%3DAngela_Watson%27s_Truth_for_Teachers%26pcampaignid%3DMKT-na-all-co-pr-mu-pod-16\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Subscribe to the podcast in Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week on the Truth for Teachers podcast: teacher lunch ideas that are simple, easy, and quick to prepare. While seemingly a pleasant break from the day, lunch can actually be a big stressor for teachers: figuring out what to pack, having your lunch break scheduled at an oddly early or late, not getting a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/truth-for-teachers-podcast\/healthy-teacher-lunch-ideas\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":141860,"menu_order":58,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[7,5,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-141639","podcasts","type-podcasts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-productivity-strategies","category-teaching-tips","category-truth-for-teachers-podcast"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Truth For Teachers | How to make teacher lunches quick to prep and decision-free<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/truth-for-teachers-podcast\/healthy-teacher-lunch-ideas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to make teacher lunches quick to prep and decision-free\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"While seemingly a pleasant break from the day, lunch can actually be a big stressor for teachers.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/truth-for-teachers-podcast\/healthy-teacher-lunch-ideas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Truth For Teachers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TruthForTeachers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-12T06:38:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" 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