Brown bag lunches are probably the most cost effective way to save money on lunch. Brown bag lunches are just as diverse as the students that eat them at Salt Lake Community College.
Ingredients:
- One or more Flour Tortillas
- Chive and Onion flavored Cream Cheese
- Fresh Spinach
- Fresh Red Sweet Pepper (sliced into thin strips)
- *optional Turkey (cooked and sliced)
Instructions
- Spread cream cheese on tortilla to desired thickness barely away from edge.
- Cover cream cheese with spinach. Lay out strips of sweet pepper across spinach.
- Place a thin layer of turkey over sweet pepper.
- Roll tortilla tightly without crushing.
- Slice into even pieces to resemble sushi or wrap with plastic wrap without slicing.
- Place a cold non-carbonated beverage in the freezer ahead of time and pack with lunch to keep everything cold.
“I bring an apple, two string cheese and every once in a while, a protein drink,” says Jessica Fowler, SLCC student body president.
Students bring a variety of healthy foods in their brown bag lunch including small carrots, apples and string cheese. On the unhealthy side, students pack chips, soda, cookies and candy bars.
“I like to bring homemade food to lunch. The reason why I bring it is because I love cooking myself. I love cooking organic food, so I usually like to bring leftovers. It’s fresh, it’s refreshing, and it’s the best way to save money,” says Doctor Abio Ayeliya, SLCC coordinator of Leadership and Diversity.
Ayeliya is from Ghana, and brings food from his culture for lunch occasionally.
“There are days when I buy my own lunch, but when I do [bring one from home], it consists of rice or soup–or noodles–or some type of stir fry–so it is easier on finances of sorts, but then again, I also might stop at the grocery store and buy something,” says Virginia Nguyen.
There are a few microwaves around each campus for student use. Usually microwaves can be found in the common areas where students eat.
Leftover food from the previous night can make a delicious lunch the following day; however, students should be aware of food safety.
Protein rich foods like meat, eggs and mayonnaise can be harmful after a few hours between temperatures of 40 and 140 degrees. It is wise to keep protein rich foods either below 40 degrees or above 140 degrees to avoid getting sick.
There are many creative ways to keep a lunch cold; like freezing Gogurt, Otter Pops, a water bottle or a Capri Sun and putting them in the sack with the other foods.
Before microwaves were invented, Thermos containers were used to keep food hot. Today, students could do the same by investing a few dollars on an insulated container, which is an environmentally friendly way to keep things warm.
