Packing A Lunch

[SpAmRaY]

Just curious if anyone has any good ideas for things that are easy to pack and easy to eat at a desk.

Work has decided to stop providing food in the kitchen, which I kind of saw coming and have been bringing my own lunch for a while but I'm running out of ideas.

I do have access to a kitchen (refrigerator, microwave, stove, sink) in the office but don't want to spend a lot of time preparing/cleaning up during the work day.

I'm not overly picky with my food choices but I'm trying to avoid the >1000mg of sodium noodle bowls.

Going out to eat is not an option, even if I wanted to or had time the closest fast food is at least 10 miles.

[IvanIvanovich]

Just make extra of whatever making for dinner. Pack into tupperwares and put them in the fridge/freezer... wait a few days so you don't have to eat what you just had yesterday.

[exitfire401]

Just make extra of whatever making for dinner. Pack into tupperwares and put them in the fridge/freezer... wait a few days so you don't have to eat what you just had yesterday.

This is what we do at home. Make double, and we both take it for lunch on different days. Saves us the time of having to wake up early and make something to take with.

[JPG]

What Ivan said mostly. Also, sardines and tuna and other canned fish can be good if you try to find some with less salt and don't abuse them. The fish itself is really good for health.


Also, salad (all kinds, not only lettuce ones). Sandwiches (not too often with sliced meat with lot of salt).


But leftovers made on purpose is the best. It takes no more time to make a bigger dinner and have leftovers and if you cook good food, then you can eat quite healthy since you control what you use when cooking.

[inanis]

I take a loaf of bread and some peanut butter. Delicious and easy! To mix it up you can toast the bread, or add some jam.

I also like to take in some milk at the beginning of the week and some cereal. Milk goes in the fridge (well labeled, because I work with a bunch of heathens who steal anything that isn't claimed, and sometimes stuff that is) and the cereal stays at my desk. Take in a couple boxes for variety and enjoy!

[slip84]

Watch it with the canned fish, though. I ate so much tuna over the course of one summer that I swear I started having some weird short-term memory problems.

http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.asp

I mostly do canned salmon now, but sparingly at best. I find that some oatmeal at lunch, while atypical of a lunch meal, is filling and not too horrible for you. Stick with the lower-sugar options and pair it with veggies or fruit. Easy, quick, and cheap.

[rowdy]

First of all see if you can get someone else to prepare the meal for you, perhaps from a short list of favourites.  That way you get a surprise at lunch time (a pleasant surprise, hopefully), and you will not have desensitised yourself to the meal.

Second try to take something that does not require utensils - if you need a fork then take in some plastic forks so you can just wrap all the detritus up after the meal and bin it.

[Findecanor]

Also, sardines and tuna and other canned fish can be good if you try to find some with less salt and don't abuse them.

If I was a co-worker sitting next to you, there is no way in hell I would let you get away with eating fish anywhere near my desk.

1. The smell. Also, no vinegar (ketchup) or other smelly food.
2. Don't risk spilling food at your precious keyboard. (or mine)
3. Clean hands only for keyboard and mouse.

[iri]

rule #1: NO FISH

[sethk_]

Different types of sandwiches work so you never get bored, pb&j, nutella, or lunch meat sandwiches.

[iri]

meat sandwich -> microwave -> smell -> colleagues strangling you

[C5Allroad]

meat sandwich -> microwave -> smell -> colleagues strangling you

Cold ham and cheese sandwich like mom used to make for me. Some pudding, banana and some more fruits?

[SpAmRaY]

Sandwiches get really old after a couple of days though. Thanks for all the ideas, keep them coming.

Today I had tuna salad with green olives and saltine crackers.

[intelli78]

Get a slow cooker, you can cook 3-4 days of food with like 30 minutes of work. You can make a lot of different stuff, and go the tupperware route.

[SpAmRaY]

Get a slow cooker, you can cook 3-4 days of food with like 30 minutes of work. You can make a lot of different stuff, and go the tupperware route.

We've got two of those actually, we use them occasionally.

[rowdy]

Sandwiches get really old after a couple of days though.

That's why you make fresh ones each day

[iri]

meat sandwich -> microwave -> smell -> colleagues strangling you

Cold ham and cheese sandwich like mom used to make for me. Some pudding, banana and some more fruits?

all day at work without hot food?

[rowdy]

meat sandwich -> microwave -> smell -> colleagues strangling you

Cold ham and cheese sandwich like mom used to make for me. Some pudding, banana and some more fruits?

all day at work without hot food?

Me, every day!

Especially now, in summer.

[iri]

to each his own. from -35 to +35, my diet doesn't change a lot. i just eat what wife cooked

[C5Allroad]

meat sandwich -> microwave -> smell -> colleagues strangling you

Cold ham and cheese sandwich like mom used to make for me. Some pudding, banana and some more fruits?

all day at work without hot food?

Well, I was in the 8th grade a few years ago.

[SpAmRaY]

Eating leftovers for lunch and this stuff is excellent!



Loaded Broccoli

Ingredients:

4-5 small bunches of fresh broccoli cut into bite size pieces
( Approx: 4-6 cups)
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Sour Cream
6-8 Slices bacon cooked and cut into bite size pieces
1 Bag Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese (two cups) or cheese of your choice.
3-4 Tbs chopped fresh chives

Directions:
Steam or Boil Broccoli Pieces
Drain and Let cool
Mix together Mayonnaise, Sour Cream, 1 cup of the Shredded Cheese and half of cut up Bacon, and placed in baking dish that was lightly sprayed with non stick spray,
Top with remaining cheese and bacon pieces.
Cook in oven 400° for 10- 15 minutes until cheese is melted
Top with chopped Chives and serve!

[Lain1911]

1. Learn how to make Japanese bento.
2. Awe your co workers and charge then for your unique food ideas.
3. More money for keyboards and lunch is made.

[Badwrench]

As said before, leftovers is the way to go.  We do a lot of healthy crockpot meals and I try to mix it up every now and then with sandwiches and soups.  I also keep a box of those 100 calorie bags of popcorn in my locker if I just need a snack to tide me over. 

[SpAmRaY]

As said before, leftovers is the way to go.  We do a lot of healthy crockpot meals and I try to mix it up every now and then with sandwiches and soups.  I also keep a box of those 100 calorie bags of popcorn in my locker if I just need a snack to tide me over. 

I've been having good success with leftovers plus the occasional salad and/or tuna and crackers.

[Cheese!]

the occasional salad and/or tuna and crackers.

I love crackers more than life but they always find their way into my HHKB ):

[tp4tissue]

the occasional salad and/or tuna and crackers.

I love crackers more than life but they always find their way into my HHKB ):

Ah hum... Yet another advantage of the Egdx..  One eats dead center,  the Egdx is split such that any prospective cookie crumble will fall between the two halves, yet not on them..

Egdx > HHKB

OH Ho !!

[sethk_]

the occasional salad and/or tuna and crackers.

I love crackers more than life but they always find their way into my HHKB ):

Ah hum... Yet another advantage of the Egdx..  One eats dead center,  the Egdx is split such that any prospective cookie crumble will fall between the two halves, yet not on them..

Egdx > HHKB

OH Ho !!

Show Image

Thats what I enjoyed about mine, spread it apart a bit if I was eating ramen or something, and almost no chance of keyboard collateral unless you somehow knocked it over, or decided to move your face over the right or left side of the board. But HHKB is also very small and light, so worse case scenario push it back some, or temporarily take it off of my desk.

[Psybin]

Watch it with the canned fish, though. I ate so much tuna over the course of one summer that I swear I started having some weird short-term memory problems.

http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.asp

I mostly do canned salmon now, but sparingly at best. I find that some oatmeal at lunch, while atypical of a lunch meal, is filling and not too horrible for you. Stick with the lower-sugar options and pair it with veggies or fruit. Easy, quick, and cheap.

Great. I've been eating four cans a week for well over a year now..
Guess I should find a new source of protein for lunch. Typically just eat a can of tuna mixed with rice and heated to 2 min and a salad on the side.

You've ruined everything for me!


but in a good way I guess.

[Jokrik]

Cold sandwich with good cured meat in it, banana, cold juice, a big bag of crisp and end it with coffee

I can live with that all year long at lunch

I tend to be sleepy after having hot food for lunch

[Puddsy]

in japan we just made enough dinner to last us days to save money

it was annoying and frustrating eating cold noodles 3 days in a row but damn was it easy and delicious

now i gotta go buy some cold noodles

[SpAmRaY]

today's lunch easy cabbbage, sausage and carrot crock pot meal

[drewba]

That looks pretty good!

[SpAmRaY]

That looks pretty good!

It was good so long as you like cabbage!

Here are some more pictures from when I made it.







recipe i got from here http://www.food.com/recipe/sausage-and-cabbage-soup-for-the-crock-pot-339062

[drewba]

That looks pretty good!

It was good so long as you like cabbage!

Here are some more pictures from when I made it.

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recipe i got from here http://www.food.com/recipe/sausage-and-cabbage-soup-for-the-crock-pot-339062

Thanks for sharing the recipe. This could probably get cross posted to the healthy food thread going on today

[MythicalWagyu]

I've somehow got a huge collection of tupperware pieces that don't fit each other (wtf do all these lids go to if not any of the containers here!? ) so for me, mason jars > tupperware. They are pretty cheap @ Costco or Smart & Final, you can microwave stuff in 'em and they won't melt if you throw hot food in either. Soups, salads, mac & cheese, noodles, eggs, chicken & rice, pulled pork, crockpot leftovers - all sorts of stuff you can cram in them! wide-mouth ftw 

[SpAmRaY]

I've somehow got a huge collection of tupperware pieces that don't fit each other (wtf do all these lids go to if not any of the containers here!? ) so for me, mason jars > tupperware. They are pretty cheap @ Costco or Smart & Final, you can microwave stuff in 'em and they won't melt if you throw hot food in either. Soups, salads, mac & cheese, noodles, eggs, chicken & rice, pulled pork, crockpot leftovers - all sorts of stuff you can cram in them! wide-mouth ftw 

That's a great idea. I've been using pyrex glass bowels of varying sizes, but occasional they will all be dirty or used in another capacity, having a few mason jars would be handy. Thanks for the tip.

[smknjoe]

Watch it with the canned fish, though. I ate so much tuna over the course of one summer that I swear I started having some weird short-term memory problems.

http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/tuna.asp

I mostly do canned salmon now, but sparingly at best. I find that some oatmeal at lunch, while atypical of a lunch meal, is filling and not too horrible for you. Stick with the lower-sugar options and pair it with veggies or fruit. Easy, quick, and cheap.

Great. I've been eating four cans a week for well over a year now..
Guess I should find a new source of protein for lunch. Typically just eat a can of tuna mixed with rice and heated to 2 min and a salad on the side.

You've ruined everything for me!


but in a good way I guess.

The "light" tuna has less mercury than the albacore usually. Sardines and salmon are good substitutes. I love sardines!

[smknjoe]

What about some hard boiled eggs for lunch every once in a while?

[SpAmRaY]

What about some hard boiled eggs for lunch every once in a while?

I like one with a salad or as a snack but I prefer them on the softer boiled side.

[iri]

eggs for lunch? eww. i'd prefer L'œuf poché, but only for breakfast.