What We're Packing: The Nature Made® Team Shares Their Bag Lunch Go-To’s

A good lunch on-the-go can be key to a productive day. Whether you’re packing lunch for work or giving your kid the nutrition they need for a good day at school, Team Nature Made® has tips to pack your bag right. We’ve asked our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists to reveal their go-to items to help your (or your kids’) bagged lunch pack a nutritious punch!

Lynn Laboranti (Program Manager, Medical & Scientific Communications)

My go-to bag lunch: Sandwich, sliced cucumbers, baby carrots, hummus, and an apple.

Why I like it: Making school lunches is a daily task in our household, but with 3 different schools they need to be three things: quick, easy and, of course, healthy! Our go-to bag lunch? It comes down to variety, mainly with snacks since a sandwich is usually a staple, along with some easy-to-pack veggies such as: sliced cucumbers and baby carrots for dipping (hummus or ranch are favs!), or baked chips and a quick-n-easy single serve guacamole. Toss in a Probiotic yogurt with granola squares, and maybe a whole apple for some crisp, refreshing sweetness--with or without a single serve caramel dip. Yum! And you’ve got a brown bag lunch in a snap! It can be hard to make sure every kid gets everything they need every day, so Nature Made® has Kids First® Multivitamin + Omega-3 Gummies to help shore up possible nutrient gaps.†

Kalyn Williams (Senior Manager, Science and Health Educator, Medical & Scientific Communications)

My go-to bag lunch: Butternut squash bone broth soup, kale salad, whole grain crackers, and an orange.

Why I like it: I’m a remote-hybrid worker, meaning I primarily work from home, but I do travel to the Nature Made® office to collaborate with my team on a regular basis. Since I’m away from home, I stay at a hotel and must be strategic when it comes to packing my lunch because I don’t have access to a full kitchen, and I have limited storage in my mini fridge.

I love to have soup because it’s easy to pack but feels more comforting and substantial than grab-and-go foods. I look for soups with a bone broth base, as these typically contain more Protein than other broths (about 10 grams per cup) and less saturated fat than cream-based soups. I’m a big snacker, but I find when I focus on adding sources of Fiber to my meals – from things like fruits, vegetables, or whole grains – I don’t need to reach for that afternoon snack, so I’m always sure to include easy-to-pack fruits like oranges, whole grain crackers, and either a prepared salad (kale is great, as it doesn’t wilt as easily) or raw vegetables, like baby carrots, that I will pick up from a local grocery store.

Sandra Zagorin (Science & Health Educator, Medical & Scientific Communications) 

What’s in there: Tuna salad with raisins, whole wheat crackers, blueberries, yellow and red pepper pinwheels, cut-up Persian cucumber.

Why it’s my go-to: I love bento boxes (like the one above) to pack my 3-year old’s lunch because I get an opportunity to be creative and I think it also makes lunch a little more fun for him. Like most preschools, his school is nut-free, which limits my options a bit, but I always try to include some protein, whole grains, and fruits and veggies. I’m lucky in that my kiddo likes fish, which I try to incorporate as much as possible into his diet for the heart-healthy Omega-3s EPA and DHA. Tuna salad is also high in protein, and the combination of protein and fiber from the crackers will help him stay full through playtime.†

The Bottom Line

Whether you pack the same lunch everyday for dependable consistency, or you change it up for the spice of variety, it’s important to know you’re putting nutritious food into your or your kids’ lunch! Team Nature Made® has your back, with a selection of multivitamins for you, and Kids First® Gummies specially formulated for your kids’ specific nutrient needs.†

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.