If You Bring Your Lunch To Work, What Do You Make?

[JSM]

I actually prefer to bring a lunch, I find that if I leave my lab to get food I have a hard time coming back.

I like bringing leftovers for lunch, and I also pack yogurt, a piece of fruit, and perhaps a hard boiled egg to eat throughout the day. My favorites for leftovers are lasagna, soups, rice and beans, mashed potatoes, or leftover meat on bread. I also keep hummus and crackers on hand just in case I forget to bring food - it fills me up and has a bit of protein in it.

 

[Octavia]

For the past few semesters, my class schedule has been such that I'm usually home at lunchtime. When I do have to bring lunch, it's usually leftovers. When I start my job in the fall, though, I'm going to have to pack lunches because it's in an office park with no place to go! I'd have to drive somewhere to get lunch, which is just a silly idea both time- and money-wise. I know there is a fridge and microwave there, which is good.

Previously, when I've packed lunches, I've mixed it up between leftovers and things I made specifically for lunches. In the summer, I make quinoa, bulgur, or pasta salads with lots of veggies and usually some sort of bean (black, kidney, navy). They're very filling and don't require much cooking. Green salads don't fill me up, though, so I don't bother with those. When the weather gets cold, I make soups and freeze them in individual portions. I've also been known to buy packages of pita bread, hummus, and sprouts to keep in the office fridge and assemble into sandwiches throughout the week. It gets boring to eat the same thing over and over, though. I also try to keep a bag of baby carrots or some other healthy snack in the office fridge so I have something to munch on if I get the urge.

ETA: getting everything ready the night before is KEY. I'm so lazy in the morning that if it's not ready to go, I just won't bother. I put everything that needs to stay in the fridge into my lunch bag and lay out the rest of the non-fridge stuff on the counter so I can just toss it in and go.

 

[sunnyd]

I try to eat out only once every 1-2 weeks, and it''s hard! Prepared food is so much better... LOL.

I usually bring leftovers if we have any, because DH won''t eat them and they end up sitting in the fridge until we throw them out.

Otherwise Lean Cuisines ($2.50-$3 each), string cheese, apple sauce (all the combos are good too! My fave is peach mango), the little 100 calorie packs of cookies or crackers, pretty much anything that can go in a baggie.

I''m not a cold sandwich fan and salad doesn''t fill me up, so those are out for me, though I know people who eat both every day!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

For money reasons, I NEVER buy lunch. My lunch is usually one of four things:
leftovers
Amy's pizza snacks
Chicken soup
Egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel

I am not big on homemade cold cut sandwiches, so the egg and cheese is my main thing. It is hot, really cheap, easy and uber healthy. I have a toaster that also steams the egg, so I just make it while I eat breakfast, put it in a bag and microwave it at lunch. I only take the soup or Amy's when I am running out the door.
I sometimes bring a 2 bite brownie or a small cookie,but usually I don't as I am trying to fight weight gain at the moment.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Google "bento box" and "laptop lunches" there are some really cool ideas. I think if you make a game out of it (like some of the people who post pictures) it will be easier and eating out will be less tempting.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Date: 4/20/2010 2:40:18 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Google ''bento box'' and ''laptop lunches'' there are some really cool ideas. I think if you make a game out of it (like some of the people who post pictures) it will be easier and eating out will be less tempting.

I pack the kids size bento box for DD on daycare days. She will eat stuff out of the laptop lunch box that she would throw at the dog if I asked her to eat at home.

When I go back to work, I might get one for myself (in a larger size, obviously...)

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 4/20/2010 2:56:41 PM
Author: Mrs Mitchell

Date: 4/20/2010 2:40:18 PM

Author: Tacori E-ring

Google ''bento box'' and ''laptop lunches'' there are some really cool ideas. I think if you make a game out of it (like some of the people who post pictures) it will be easier and eating out will be less tempting.

I pack the kids size bento box for DD on daycare days. She will eat stuff out of the laptop lunch box that she would throw at the dog if I asked her to eat at home.

When I go back to work, I might get one for myself (in a larger size, obviously...)

I want to get one for T too. Some of them are so cute and I like that there is no waste. I go to a blog that posts pics of her son''s bento box daily. She gets food coloring markers and gets pretty creative. It is fun to get ideas.

 

[vc10um]

This is what''s usually in my bag:

Either leftovers or a frozen dinner (I''m a fan of Trader Joe''s frozen black bean and corn or roasted vegetable enchilladas, as well as their reduced guilt fish dinner)
String Cheese
Fruit
Yogurt
Granola Bar.

I usually eat the Granola Bar around 10, the string cheese and entree around noon, and the fruit and yogurt between 2 and 4.

Sometimes I''ll also have veggies or pita and hummus, pudding cups, apple sauce...etc, on hand to throw in instead of some of those snacks.

 

[BeachRunner]

I never spend money on going out to lunch. My usual suspects include:

big salad (romaine, carrots, egg, peppers, mushroom)
bread and hummas
PB&J
leftovers (taco salad from leftover taco meat, stir-fry, pork tendorloin)
tuna
Also in my lunch bag(varies of course):
fuit
almonds
soy yogurt
Also bring breakfast:
oatmeal
cereal
banana

I also have a big glass bottle which I fill 2x/day which satisfies my water intake for that part of the day. (fill it in the sink)

Many of my co-workers bring:
Leftover pasta
Salads
Sanwiches
Bagels
Yogurt/pretzels/carrots
Lean Cuisine *Caveat; Frozen lunches are very high in sodium*

 

[iheartscience]

Wow, so many good ideas! Thanks everyone! I''m much more of a snacky type person so I think I''m going to have to try all of the snack ideas, like tuna and crackers, hummus, etc.

belle-yeah I''m hoping this will stick! We''ve never given it a shot before but I figure it''s time to try! Let me know how it goes for you and your husband, too!

Kitcha-okay that salad on toast sounds delicious!

fsu-it is totally a waste! I''m not in love with any of the food around my job so I figure I may as well try to make my own stuff.

swingirl-I''m definitely going to get the plates with dividers-that''s a great idea for leftovers!

elro-yeah a lot of the good frozen lunches (like Amy''s) are $4-5, so I may as well grab food at a cheaper lunch cart!

Mrs M-ha, good point on the food disappearing early! I love salads though so that would tempt me more than a sandwich or leftovers!

Dandi-your work sounds awesome! My sister gets unlimited sodas at her job which also makes me jealous.

Zoe-yeah most frozen meals are not that tasty. I think leftovers and snacky stuff is going to be my best bet.

missy-I definitely need good snacks, too, to keep me away from the disgusting/delicious fruit snacks in the vending machine!

Tuckins-good call on only health options. If I refrain from buying junky stuff at the store I always end up a few pounds lighter...it''s hard for me to resist sweets sometimes, though!

PinkTower-I do love soup...I''ll have to find some canned soup I like. Any recommendations?

megumic-mmmm the fajitas sound great and so does the quiche. I think I could actually make a quiche, too!

kama-SO JEALOUS. That is all.

smiles-that chicken and rice sounds tasty! I''m not much of a cook but my husband LOVES to make chicken so I know he could make that one for us!

Laila-the mini candy bars sound like a good idea!

Sarah-I know it''s un-American of me but I don''t like PB&J-never have!

mayerling-that seems to be the winner here!

NEL-I also don''t like cold cut sandwiches! Never really have. Something about deli meat kind of grosses me out. I definitely need to stock up on tuna and crackers-I love tuna fish!

CurlySue-the Sunday planning and portioning day is an awesome idea! That''s the only way I''ll actually do it, I bet. And I think the snacking will definitely work for me.

sctsbride-I wish I could cook like you! Learning how to cook more things is going to have to be part of my plan!

Maevie-I love buffet type eating-I am definitely doing that!

purselover-that sounds delicious! I might need more protein than that, though...I get hungry at work!

gaby-a Sunday cook day is a great idea. Definitely adding that to the list of things to do!

stephbolt-I am lazy so I think leftovers is going to work for me. My husband makes WAY too much food when he cooks so I think it''ll be pretty easy to have leftovers!

partgypsy-I do love Amy''s burritos! I definitely need to stock up on those. Ha, I would LOVE to know how to cook Thai! We go to a Thai restaurant that''s a block away from our house at least once or twice a week! NO MORE!

HH-Our grocery bill is basically nonexistent because we eat out SO MUCH. It''s kind of crazy! I gave us a budget of $100/week for groceries so hopefully that will be enough for now. If not, I can always add some more $ from the tons of $ we''ve been spending on eating out!

Callisto-yeah after a crazy busy day at work sometimes it''s all I can do to get home.

TP-tell them to get a fridge and a microwave! That sucks!

jsm-ha, yeah going out for lunch makes me draaaaaag my feet coming back!

Octavia-on the one hand I''m lucky because I''m surrounded by good places to eat, but it gives me a great excuse not to bring lunch! Sometimes I think an office park would be better!

sunnyd-ha, I don''t have that kind of discipline! I''m allowing us 2 lunches or breakfasts out a week and 1-2 dinners out a week still. Hey it''s better than lunch and dinner out almost every day!

b_i_h-good to see you around these days! The egg and cheese sounds tasty! I''m going to have to try that for sure!

Tacori-those are AWESOME! Not sure if I''m talented enough to make all of those different foods but I''m going to try!

vc10-I need to try the Trader Joe''s frozen stuff! I''ve heard really good things!

BeachRunner-mmmm big salad sounds tasty! I need to do that. Salad may be my favorite food.

 

[jewelerman]

Date: 4/20/2010 7:57:04 AM
Author: kama_s
At my current job, we have a fully stocked kitchen including breakfast, lunch and snacks (for free). There is a board where we can put down our meal requests for the week. It''s SO awesome to not have to worry about packing lunch the night before!!

When I used to work/study elsewhere, I''d pack a sandwich for lunch - smoked turkey or ham, slice of cheese, special mustard and lettuce on whole grain bread or sometimes ciabatta when I was feeling unhealthy. Plus, cut veggies and fruit. Alternatively, I would pack leftovers from the night before. In the winter, I''d bring a can of soup.

where you you work that they provide this great perk!

 

[jewelerman]

if i work the late shift
1-chicken breast,pasta and veggie
2-tuna salad and an apple
3-angel hair with meat sauce and veggie
if its the opening shift and i was too lazy to prepare...
1-frozen borritos,cheese slices,fruit
2- can of soup and crackers and candy
3-sandwich(pbj)and banana

 

[that_someone_special]

I pack fiances lunch- so it depends on how many hours he''s working that day.

2 small muffins (the kind you make yourself) (when he works a long day)
A sandwich, sometimes a really big one or two small ones using low cal bread (40 cals a slice)/ Or leftovers
a yogurt
a few cookies or granola bar or pudding cup
applesauce
baby carrots
mandarin oranges
rarely a small bag of chips


And if he''s working a really long day, I allow an energy drink in the morning.

Before I moved in he was spending $8-$12 a day on lunch, every single day.

 

[jaysonsmom]

I sit in an office and have access to a microwave, toaster oven etc, so I usually pack leftovers....but for my kids and hubby:

sliced cheddar (cut in squares) to fit crackers
Wheat thins
Pita sandwiches
Hot Pockets (they fit into thermoses and stay warm)
Corn Dogs (they also fit into thermoses and stay warm-remove stick though)
Soups
Grilled Cheese sandwiches (cut in strips so they fit in thermoses)

They also each get fruit, juice box, and some form of snack such as a chocolate pudding, or trail mix, or cookie.

 

[stepcutgirl]

I take a healthy choice frozen meal each day and a pre packaged cottage cheese/fruit thing for an afternoon snack.

 

[sillyberry]

I''ve been trying to bring my lunch more. I find that having many sizes of containers makes life much better, especially small ones. I buy 1.5oz plastic cups with lids and reuse them. Another great thing to have is a Salad Blaster. I never thought it would actually work well, but picked it up for about $6 and I''ve loved it. Since I have a food scale, I''ll portion out single servings of foods instead of buying individual servings.

Oh, and a cute lunchbox helps, too. I actually use an adorable makeup train case and get lots of compliments!

Anyway, here are things that often go in my lunch:

-yogurt parfaits (light vanilla yogurt layered with frozen berries with a side of granola)
-caprese salads (balsamic vinegar, quartered grape tomatoes, chopped fresh mozzarella ciliegine, fresh basil, S&P)
-leftover sliced grilled chicken (great added to salads)
-salads made from mixed greens, almonds, dried cranberries, and blush wine vinagrette with goat cheese on the side
-Caesar salads
-Cobb salads (easy if you have hardboiled eggs and sliced bacon in the fridge to throw on a salad)
-fun breads (mini wheat bagels, mini pitas, mini rolls - WalMart actually has yummy mini wheat rolls that I highly recommend)
-sandwiches filled out with shredded carrots and cabbage for extra crunch and veggies
-foil pouches of tuna (much less messy than tuna packed in water or oil)
-tortilla soup and avocado slices
-crackers, laughing cow cheese, and lunch meat
-snacks like string cheese, pita chips and hummus, pretzel slims
-yogurts or puddings (Kozy Shack SimplyWell dark chocolate pudding is a-mazing)
-baggies of baby carrots, sugar snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, grape tomatoes
-fruits like chopped pineapple, berries, apples, bananas, grapes
-desserts like dry sweet cereal, mini ''nilla wafers - it feels like you''re getting a lot to eat!
-granola bars (I love Cascadian Farms Almond Butter crunchy bars)

I rarely bring leftover because I hate leftovers, but ever so often I''ll bring something.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

YUM! I have to finish this semester before I can start, but I am actually getting excited about the prospect of packing my lunch

 

[pinkstars]

Somethings that seem to work well if I mix up when I eat them:
Taco meat heated up, then eaten with tortilla chips and salsa.
Tacos assembled like little burritos, all prepared to heat up and eat usually with tortilla chips.
Prepared meatballs(from Costco,) if I make those up then just make some rice it''s a nice lunch that isn''t too standard.
Deli meat and cheese on a bagel heated up. Mmm, it''s so much more exciting than a cold sandwich.
Some pasta with sausage(usually chicken and apple) mixed with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. The pasta usually adds a good amount of flavor.

Dinners that make for good leftover; tacos, curry(with some rice,) broccoli beef(just had some leftovers today, so good!)
Lasagna rolls, if I have the energy to prepare these, they make great individual portions.

That''s all I can remember right now. This past week I''ve been eating cold turkey sandwiches with salt and vinegar chips though.

 

[bee*]

Great ideas in this thread.
Normally I take:
leftovers (spaghetti, chilli etc)
a big salad with whatever is left in the fridge
crackers and cream cheese
yoghurt
carrot sticks
soup

 

[marcy]

We used to buy our lunch every day too and that was easily over $200 a month. Once I started eating less and healthier I decided I had to take my own food so what I do is make a big meal on the weekends and put the leftovers up for lunch then usually we have leftovers from our evening meals as well and take that in for lunch too.

We have take things like:
Leftover roast beef with rice or mashed potatoes
Leftover tacos will make great taco salads for lunch
I use leftover steak or roast or chicken for BBQ sandwiches with baked lays
Pasta, lasagna makes enough servings to get a few lunches (I bake the canned bread sticks with it and have enough left for lunch too)

If I am out of leftovers we will:
Have PJB''s and baked lays
I will make a box of mac and cheese
DH likes Italian sausage and dirty rice so I''ll make him a batch of that and take in a lean cuisine for me

Sometimes we will buy a Subway on Friday but it''s only about twice a month - I bought some this week and it was $17 without drinks. Ouch!

 

[babygirl]

I almost ALWAYS make way too much for myself for dinner so that I can have leftovers for lunch during the week. I like to roast a chicken on Sunday night and then use that meat for several lunches'' worth of sandwiches/wraps/salads. I love lettuce(spinach)-heavy and greek salad wraps on lavash bread. A lunch I LOVE is tabouleh (easy to prepare, tastes uber-fresh, and doesn''t feel heavy in the middle of the day). I usually try to include a fruit, yogurt or string cheese, and a small piece of chocolate

 

[charbie]

i usually just pack some leftovers or a salad.

my husband eats the same exact thing every day.
-cheese sandwich (a few pieces of deli american cheese on white bread)
-hard sourdough pretzels
-jello cup
-diet pepsi
-if he''s feeling daring, mini carrots.

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 4/26/2010 1:47:08 PM
Author: charbie
i usually just pack some leftovers or a salad.

my husband eats the same exact thing every day.
-cheese sandwich (a few pieces of deli american cheese on white bread)
-hard sourdough pretzels
-jello cup
-diet pepsi
-if he''s feeling daring, mini carrots.

You must pull the reins in on him, Charbie! Trouble!

 

[that_someone_special]

Fiances lunch was stolen friday!!!!!


I made his lunch and his work has 3 fridges that you can put them in. He went to look for it and it wasn''t where he remembered putting it. So he checked the other two fridges and nope! gone. He checked again and still missing. That''s when he noticed someone left the BAGGIES on the table for him. They ate his entire lunch but couldn''t bother throwing away the garbage!!!

People that steal lunches are nuts.

And, ok, let''s say they had a good reason-- why do they have to take ALL of it? Why not a piece from 5 different people? (sandwich, drink, fruit, cookies, chips, or whatever). That way one person doesn''t lose their entire lunch.

Poor guy.

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 4/26/2010 2:31:02 PM
Author: swedish bean
Fiances lunch was stolen friday!!!!!


I made his lunch and his work has 3 fridges that you can put them in. He went to look for it and it wasn''t where he remembered putting it. So he checked the other two fridges and nope! gone. He checked again and still missing. That''s when he noticed someone left the BAGGIES on the table for him. They ate his entire lunch but couldn''t bother throwing away the garbage!!!

People that steal lunches are nuts.

And, ok, let''s say they had a good reason-- why do they have to take ALL of it? Why not a piece from 5 different people? (sandwich, drink, fruit, cookies, chips, or whatever). That way one person doesn''t lose their entire lunch.

Poor guy.

We have a lunch thief at our office! They''ve been stealing lunches for years!

 

[that_someone_special]

I told him to put a sign on the fridge that said,

"HAHA! I haven''t been able to poo, so I put some mild laxatives in my lunch!! HAVE A GREAT NIGHT!"

he wouldn''t do it though (it''s not true btw)

 

[April20]

I''m super late to this thread because I procrastinated posting.

I don''t work in a formal office with my current job, but when I did, here were my standby''s:

*Leftovers
*Lean Cuisine type meals for days when I just needed to be able to grab something
*Rice/protein/fresh pico mix. Like 1/2 c rice, 2 oz protein (chicken or ground turkey/beef) nuked till hot and then dump a truck load of fresh pico on top. Might sound weird, but it''s actually pretty darn filling.
* English muffin, garden burger (either regular or those "chicken" ones Boca makes). Toast the muffin, throw a little condiment on, nuke the burger for 1 minute and you''ve got lunch. Usually had some mini rice cakes or fruit with it.

 

[Yimmers]

Date: 4/26/2010 2:31:02 PM
Author: swedish bean
Fiances lunch was stolen friday!!!!!



I made his lunch and his work has 3 fridges that you can put them in. He went to look for it and it wasn't where he remembered putting it. So he checked the other two fridges and nope! gone. He checked again and still missing. That's when he noticed someone left the BAGGIES on the table for him. They ate his entire lunch but couldn't bother throwing away the garbage!!!


People that steal lunches are nuts.


And, ok, let's say they had a good reason-- why do they have to take ALL of it? Why not a piece from 5 different people? (sandwich, drink, fruit, cookies, chips, or whatever). That way one person doesn't lose their entire lunch.


Poor guy.

Here are some classic notes your hubby can use to guilt trip that lunch thief

Lunch Thieves and more...

Seriously, though, getting your lunch stolen sucks...
edit: not all on that page involve lunch thieves, but that is just the tip of the iceberg...

 

[Yimmers]

Ha, found a few more

Link

 

[oobiecoo]

We''ve spent way too much eating out lately so I''ve been packing DH''s lunches. He gets a main dish... PB&J sandwich or a baked potato or hotdog along with a piece of fruit and yogurt. Sometimes we''ll have leftovers for him to take or he''ll grab a frozen meal.