Meal prep and packed lunches

Buying lunch every day adds up fast, and campus food is not always halal or healthy. An hour or two of prep at the weekend can give you lunches and quick dinners for most of the week. The Kitchen Skills module covers batch cooking and leftovers; this lesson is about planning a prep session and carrying food safely.

Why it is worth it

• Staffordshire University says making a sandwich instead of buying a ready-made one could save you a pound or more a day.
• Over a 10-week term with 5 lunches a week, saving 1.50 a day is 1.50 x 5 x 10 = 75 in your local currency, before counting coffees and snacks.
• You also know exactly what is in your food, which helps if you eat halal or have an allergy.
• Prep does not mean eating the same meal 10 times: prepare components and mix them.

A 90-minute prep session (illustrative)

• 0 to 10 minutes: preheat the oven, put rice or bulgur on, and chop onions, peppers and carrots.
• 10 to 50 minutes: roast a tray of chicken thighs or chickpeas with vegetables. At the same time, simmer a pot of red lentil soup.
• 50 to 70 minutes: hard-boil 4 eggs, wash salad leaves, mix a jar of simple dressing (oil, lemon, salt, pepper).
• 70 to 90 minutes: cool everything quickly, portion it into containers, label with the date, fridge what you will eat in 2 days and freeze the rest.
• Result: about 7 portions of soup, rice bowls and wrap filling from one session. Fridge only what you will eat in the next day or two (cooked rice for the next day only) and freeze the rest.

Keep prepped food safe

• Cool cooked food and put it in the fridge within one to two hours, then eat leftovers within 48 hours or freeze them (FSA).
• Rice needs extra care: the FSA's home food fact checker says to chill it as quickly as possible, ideally within one hour, keep it in the fridge for no more than one day, and reheat it only once.
• Do not leave rice to cool in the pan or rice cooker; spread it out or divide it into small portions.
• If you freeze cooked food, the FSA says you can only reheat it once after that; heat it until steaming hot all the way through.
• Plan your prep so day 3, 4 and 5 meals come from the freezer, not the fridge.

Packing a lunch that stays safe

• The USDA advises using an insulated, soft-sided lunch bag and packing at least two cold sources, such as a frozen gel pack plus a frozen bottle of water, above and below the food.
• Perishable food should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when it is above 32°C (90°F) (USDA). In a GCC summer, or a hot car, assume the 1-hour rule.
• If there is a fridge at university or work, put your lunch in it when you arrive.
• The USDA advises throwing away perishable leftovers after lunch rather than carrying them home to eat later.
• Foods that need no chilling: whole fruit, nuts, crackers, wholemeal pitta, and a small tin of tuna or beans opened at lunchtime. Pair them with one chilled item in your cool bag.

Reheating at university or work

• Microwave until the food is steaming hot all the way through, stirring halfway so it heats evenly. The USDA gives 73.9°C (165°F) as the target if you have a food thermometer.
• Bring a microwave-safe container with a vented lid; reheat only the portion you will eat.
• Shared microwaves have queues at 1pm, so a soup in a flask kept hot from home, or a cold salad bowl, can save time.
• Five lunch ideas that rotate: lentil soup and bread; rice bowl with roast vegetables, chickpeas and yoghurt; chicken and salad wrap; pasta salad with tuna and sweetcorn; egg and salad sandwich.