Did you know that the month ‘January’ gets its name from ‘Janus’, the Roman two-faced god who was said to look backwards into the old year and forwards into the new? It was during the Roman period BC that the idea of New Year’s resolutions first began; the Romans made resolutions that were altruistic in nature, mostly to be kind to others. Fast forward a few hundred years and we’re still enamoured with starting afresh and making resolutions at the beginning of a new year – and if any of your intentions are to be healthier, both physically and financially, then you’ve come to the right place. A simple change such as taking healthy packed lunches to work can have a far-reaching effect on both your physical well-being and your pocket.

Let’s begin with the financial aspect of work-day lunches. Many of us buy ready-made sandwiches for lunch – store-bought (not restaurant-bought as that would be even more expensive) are typically between R23 and R33 each. Assuming an average of R28 per sandwich per week day, you will have spent R616 by month end and a grand total of R7,392 by year end – not to mention the cost of the accompanying coffee or soda with each lunch. Incentive enough to stop buying take-out lunches and to start bringing your own don’t you think?

By preparing your own lunch, not only will your bank balance be better off, but so will you. When you prepare your own food you know exactly what you’re getting – no hidden additives, preservatives or bad fats – you’ll be optimising your health and your pocket.

So what are the two golden rules when it comes to packing your own lunch?

The first is preparedness – it really does pay to be organised. Be sure to make time the night before work to put your lunch together – too often in the mad rush of the morning we simply don’t have enough time to get everything done so we forego our lunch which leaves us paying for it later, both financially and physically. One of the simplest ways to prepare is to simply cook a little extra food for dinner and take the left overs in for lunch the next day. Alternatively, in an earlier blog we featured ‘salads in a jar’ - if prepared correctly these can last four to five days in the fridge so if you were super-organised you could spend some time on a Sunday evening preparing all your lunches for the week. Boiled eggs – the perfect high-quality protein snack loaded with vitamins, minerals, good fats and various trace nutrients – will also keep for four to five days in the fridge.

The second golden rule is balance – ensure that your lunch includes some lean or low-fat protein, N1 offer a delicious range of cold meats ideal for packed lunches, from pastrami and smoked chicken to rare roast beef and Parma ham; along with a serving of healthy carbohydrates such as whole-grain breads, pitas or wraps. And as an extra snack, be sure to include fresh vegetables or fruit – these are delicious when paired with a dipping sauce such as hummus or even cubed cheese.

And because next week is the start of the ‘back to school’ routine, we’ll be looking at healthy school lunches to prepare for our young ones. Until then, and as you ease back into a new year, be happy and healthy.