ideas for people who bring lunches to work

[ekguy]

Well since I work up to 3 or 4 job sites every day I usually end up bringing a lunch since I never know if there will be some place to buy lunch where I'll be working...

Sandwiches are getting old...Pita wraps are getting there...

Any suggestions for those of us who bring lunches to work???

That don't require being in a fridge and healthy.

[boarderfatty]

What kind of work vehicle do you have?

In my old work truck I had a 2500w inverter hooked up directly to my battery, it ran my equipment chargers, but also powered my electric cooler, microwave, kettle, coffee maker, toaster oven, and foreman grill in a custom built enclosure that too up the entire back of my quad cab truck.

On the my tailgate I had a portable propane grill for bbqing That way I could make whatever I want, always had chickenbreast, steak, burgers, hotdogs, fruit vegetables, microwave dinners etc. If you get a foreman grill in there it changes sandwiches completely when you turn them into pannini's, I can use the kettle or microwave to make ramen noodles etc.

I cooked more for myself at work then i do at home.

[ekguy]

I do office moving/construction downtown. I just take the train downtown. No way in hell I'm parking my car downtown each day.

So yeah basically I'm limited to things that will be fine without being refrigerated.

I was thinking salads but I'm not great at making healthy food hahaha.

[Jonel]

It might be too healthy for you. But right now what I bring to work are variations of salads. Pasta and barley mostly with some mixed veggies and assorted meats (ham, roast beef slices, KFC chicken :drool:). I keep the dressing separate until I'm ready to eat it. Hummus would be a good option for you as well. You can also do rice balls with pretty much anything that tastes good to you.

Sandwiches are always a great idea, perhaps you just need to add in new ones to your rotation. On lazy days I do chicken + ham with some sharp cheese on toasted brown + a shredded carrot, red cabbage slaw on the side (I eat it separately because sandwich gets too soggy if you put them together). And for dessert Nutella + Peanut Butter on toasted bread / crepe rolls. Prep and everything usually takes 10-15minutes.

[Pinner]

Thermos for hot soup, canned food like tuna/salmon with rice...They're always saying how important it is to have fish in our diets. I eat those canned Brunswick Herring fillets 5 times a week for lunch. Hot water is easy to find so cup of noddles should be easy. I wouldn't be too concerned about refrigerating rice until lunch time. Fruit. ?

[sputnik]

Originally posted by ekguy
So yeah basically I'm limited to things that will be fine without being refrigerated.

Why don't you just get a small cooler as a lunchbox?

[boarderfatty]

You could also use a thermos to keep some kind of stew, meat is sauce etc warm then put it over a tupperware full of cooked rice if you wanted.

[ekguy]

Thanks guys some of the ideas here have been nice. I'm going to try and bring soups to work. Also the pasta salad option isn't something i'd ever thought about and I will definitely be doing that for some lunches next week.

We're working in a building right now that has alot of food available to it's employees and we just eat there when we're in that building hehe.

[D'z Nutz]

When I make dinner, I deliberately make more than I need so I have leftovers to bring for lunch. So for me, it's not a matter of what I'm going to eat for lunch. Just what day I'm going to eat it.

[Guillermo]

I'm a big proponent of sandwiches, but I get tired of deli meats. For some reason it all just tastes the same, even if it's ham, chicken, turkey, whatever. i've found that a better alternative is to cook a ham, beef or pork roast, chicken, etc. on Sunday and use the meat for sandwiches all week. meatloaf and meatballs (sliced) work really good, too. you can either just use leftovers, or you can cook it specifically for your lunches. i like this way more than deli meat. toss on some good cheese and use good bread and you're ready to rock!

[Guillermo]

Originally posted by D'z Nutz
When I make dinner, I deliberately make more than I need so I have leftovers to bring for lunch. So for me, it's not a matter of what I'm going to eat for lunch. Just what day I'm going to eat it.

I do this a lot too! :thumbsup: although sometimes, it seems really unappealing during lunch time, so i end up throwing it out which sucks cause i'm cheap and hate wasting money LOL :banghead:

[msommers]

Whats wrong with taking a freezer pack? I'm gotten in the habit of making double of what I do for supper for lunches the next day. I ate sandwiches for YEARS. I'll never do that shit again when I could have BBQ chicken breast, salad and rice for lunch instead with less effort.

[nonofyobiz]

awesome sandwich...

I go to Sobey's and buy the whole sour dough loaf (uncut). Then go to the deli and get some havarti cheese, turkey, ham and salami. THere are different flavors of the meets so u can always change up the combinations. THen just add some moustard, mayo, onions, lettuce, maybe tomatoe and pickles....those last 3 i would keep seperate. Also try some cilantro ...mmmmmm

This is a really good sandwich ....

[gmoney82]

Originally posted by msommers
Whats wrong with taking a freezer pack? I'm gotten in the habit of making double of what I do for supper for lunches the next day. I ate sandwiches for YEARS. I'll never do that shit again when I could have BBQ chicken breast, salad and rice for lunch instead with less effort.

I do that too. I spend way more time/effort on cooking a good dinner so I'd rather have leftovers any day over a sandwich. By cooking an extra portion at dinner, I save the extra hassle/time needed to prepare lunch.

[Sentry]

Spaghetti with sauce. Make a batch and you've got lunches for a week, just put em in those resealable tupperware things.

Obviously being reheated would be ideal, but it's not too shabby at room temp either.

[Sentry]

Also yeah what these guys said about leftovers.

Kicks the ass of any sandwich.

[Guillermo]

^^I don't know, i've made plenty of sandwiches that are far superior to some of the leftover meals I reheat... and vice versa. real brown-paper-baggers learn to appreciate BOTH methods. :bigpimp:

[bignerd]

I use to make pizzas on various flat breads and pitas and foccacia...

Usually I use BBQ sauce or pesto in place of tomato sauce, then just put on a ton of veggies (and or meat) and would top with different cheeses, sometimes a little mozzarella or sometimes just chedder and bake in the oven or on a BBQ for a few minutes.

Is nice because it is a little different than regular pizza and a lot "freasher".

[KandabashiDevil]

Rice & pasta!

You can add so much to either of them ...

[Mskye]

Instead of making a sandwich with the meat, make a salad.

Put lettuce, small tomatoes, cheese (whichever you like), lunchmeat and dressing. I always keep the dressing separate in the little ziploc bags, so you can throw it out after.

[rinny]

Deli meats are ridiculous, and IMO should be avoided at all cost unless you have a lazy couple of days and need to slap something together. People don't realize they are paying $19.99 to $30.00 per Kg for shitty processed salty meat...you may as well bring lobster for lunch!

Do some wraps:
Cooked chicken breast or two
Fried Rice and Beans
Veggies (Rd Pepper for me)
Hot sauce salad dressing or Pesto, whatever you want...

Access to microwave?
Make burritos ahead of time, toss em in the freezer...
Seasoned ground beef
Pan fry seasoned refried beans
Rice
Cheese
Hot sauce

[calgary403]

Originally posted by D'z Nutz
When I make dinner, I deliberately make more than I need so I have leftovers to bring for lunch. So for me, it's not a matter of what I'm going to eat for lunch. Just what day I'm going to eat it.

:werd:

Pretty much what I eat everyday.

[Myrrinda]

Pasta salads are good, and so is potato salad, but make sure if you make something with mayo in it that you buy a freezer pack to put in your lunch bag. You can get really sick from not keeping these salads cold.
Another thing I really like is brie cheese with crackers instead of a sandwich once in awhile. Less carbs than bread, and cheese is protein, so I find I feel less tired.