By Jeannie Rodriguez | Dr. Budgets

Last week, Daniel wrote a blog on how packed lunches can be good for your health and your wealth, and in the spirit of St. Valentine’s Day, I’d like to add that packing lunches for your loved ones can be a very loving gesture… you might even say it’s romantic!

Consider all the benefits of having a regularly packed lunch for your loved one:

Health: it’s likely that what you pack is much healthier than something bought at a fast food restaurant or cafeteria.

Energy: for many, enjoying packed lunches means skipping the crash that inevitably follows high-calorie carb-heavy lunches.

Time: having a packed lunch saves your loved one from having to leave the office and wait in lines.

Variety: helps your loved one break out of the turkey sandwich rut we can all get into.

Financial: preparing packed lunches saves your loved one money!

If that’s not enough to get you excited about packing more lunches for your loved one, consider adding these special touches:

Fruit Messages: “You’re the Apple of my Eye!” and “I’m Going Bananas Over You!” would be such sweet surprises on a healthy treat. Sadly, this webpage doesn’t have the free printable version anymore (and their Etsy shop is temporarily closed) but check them out for inspiration. Also, on some fruits (such as oranges and bananas) you can write directly on the skin.

Heart-Shaped Everything: cut heart shapes out of pepperoni, carrots, sandwiches, strawberries – the possibilities are endless! (source)

Sprinkles! Sprinkles kick up the fun factor for any meal (for kids and adults!) and they’re a delicious addition to yogurt and applesauce. (source)

Love Note: a simple handwritten note will brighten anyone’s day. Grab a post-it note (or even the back of an envelope) and just write a short note to say “I love you!” – and this is something anyone can do!

I hope you enjoyed these tips on making packed lunches romantic. If you have any other tips, please share them in the comments – I’d love to hear them! If you would like a quick video introduction to Dr. Budgets, click here.