What do you pack for lunch?

[disneysteve]

I hear so many people say they spend $6 or $8 a day or more eating lunch out at work every day. They say they don't have time to pack lunch or don't know what to pack. It really isn't that difficult so let's make a nice big list of what we all pack. I bring lunch every day - have for the past 15 years. Here are a few of mine to get us started.

Can of tuna, few slices of sharp cheddar cheese

Frozen veggie chicken pattie and whole wheat roll

Frozen veggie corn dogs, applesauce

Yogurt and granola

Homemade soup and whole grain roll

Deli turkey and sandwich fixings

Leftover homemade pizza

Leftover restaurant food from eating out

You'll notice one thing on my list. None of those items require any prep time in the morning. Just grab and go. That's why I just don't buy the argument that someone doesn't have time to pack lunch.

[Sallyr70]

Hi Steve,

Yes, I agree that it's not too hard to bring lunch. Your ideas were great- I usually bring leftovers. Today I have leftover casserole I made with chicken, cabbage, cheese, etc. that I put into a container last night. Also, I work in a cubicle and I tend to snack throughout the day, so I have things like string cheese, apple or pear, peanuts, instant oatmeal that I can have quick and keep me away from the vending machines!

I have worked at my company for 13 years and it's in a rural area, right off a highway but I would have to drive 6 miles or more to get to the nearest town. So I am also saving a lot of gas, in addition to $$$.

Great topic and I hope more people chime in, as I'm always looking for new ideas.


Sally

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I hardly ever am away from home at lunch time, but when I am I do like to bring lunch. Even if I am out shopping and doing errands I like to have my lunch along with me. A few things I like

Pasta salad..I make this in various ways, but always make a large amount from which I can get several meals. It is also good heated, if you have access to a microwave or hot pot. (add a bit of water to carry the heat through it if using a hot pot

Cheese sandwich with pickle relish on whole wheat bread. This is an idiosyncratic childhood favorite, so no explanations about why the pickle relish.

Any Italian leftovers So many Italian foods with a tomato based sauce taste so much better the next day. And many of them I like cold which works well when I have no way to heat it up. Cold lasagna? Mmmm!

Lightly cooked vegetables with sprinkle of bulghur Broccoli, cauliflower, squash, green beans, whatever. Drizzle with oil & vinegar or Italian dressing and again can be eaten cold or hot. I usually have on hand the bulghur already cooked, and the vegetables can be from supper the day before, or I might cook them before going out.

Winter squash Just cooked plain. Would prefer to warm it up, but provide healthy, filling meal energy even if cold.

Cucumber salad with carrot shavings And yes, this is another that I will sometimes heat, even at home. Don't heat too much though, you don't really want to cook the cukes. (Don't nuke a cuke!)

Fresh fruit I like to peel, cut, and deseed fresh fruit before I leave home so that is neater to handle in public.

[humandraydel]

99% of the time, I just take leftovers from the night before. I always make sure to make enough for 1-2 lunches. In a pinch, I'll take a can of chili and some "side" item like a roll or yogurt.

[Spud]

I make a sandwich & have a piece of fruit every day. The sandwich varies -- it is either smoked turkey or ham on whole grain bread with fresh spinach as lettuce. The piece of fruit also varies - apple, pear, orange, grapes, strawberries, nectarine -- depending on what is in season. But those two 'slots' are almost always the same.


Husband likes something different each day. He sometimes makes a sandwich, but I also bought some Lean Ole burritos and Lean Pockets at Costco for him to grab-n-go when he doesn't have time to make a sandwich. He also brings some combination of baby carrots & hummus, fruit (multiple pieces to snack on throughout the day), yogurt & cheerios, and string cheese in his lunch box.



Speaking of lunch boxes - does anybody have this lunch bag from LL Bean? I'm thinking of getting it for husband for Father's Day ... but i don't know if it's big enough.

[simpleyme]

we do left overs or sandwiches

[skydivingchic]

I usually bring leftovers. At home it is just DBF and myself so when I cook I make a full meal and then have enough for a few lunches. I put the leftovers in individual serving size containers, so all I have to do in the morning is grab a container out of the fridge. I generally supplement my leftovers with a piece of fruit as well.

My breakfast is usually either yogurt and granola or oatmeal. For the oatmeal I measure 3/4-cup of dry oatmeal into a ziploc, sprinkle in some cinnamon, throw in a little brown sugar, and add some chopped dried apples. When I get hungry I just throw the dry stuff in a bowl, pour in some water, and stick in the microwave for a minute.

Packing my food for the day at work takes all of a minute or two in the morning.

[sweeps]

Pb&j!

[M-squared]

Well today I was naughty and bought a huge plate of dahl and rice from the cafe downstairs for $3.50, but I usually pack my lunch. Generally I have whatever is left over in the fridge. I also bring a piece of fruit and a yogurt. We are in the habit of cooking double recipes for dinner so we can take the left overs. I pack everything up the night before.

[Pitman]

Breakfast:
2 Egg Rolls
Few slices of Turkey
Few slices of Cheddar Cheese



Lunch:
Depends on what I make the night before, I bring leftovers, plus two cans of Ensure + (Vanilla)



I only started doing this maybe three months ago, before that I was spending upwards of $8 - $10 daily on breakfast and lunch. Since the change, not only am I saving a boatload of money, but I feel much more healthier.

My co-workers on the other hand, don't care about what they eat or how much they spend, mostly they eat Chinese food every day for lunch, and from my perspective they pick the most greasiest meal on the menu.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by Pitman

not only am I saving a boatload of money, but I feel much more healthier.

Absolutely. It is much cheaper to eat healthy than to eat out, hit the vending machines, etc.

[Broken Arrow]

I usually cook enough for 2, and bring the leftovers to work the next day.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Leftovers. But if we go out to eat and no leftovers, say a burger, then I try to have a frozen tv dinner in the freezer. And that will suffice. Or we have packaged curry with rice that also suffices. We also have yogurt, fresh fruit (banana,orange, apple, etc) to pack along with a soda for my DH to take to work (1 can of coke zero).

Been packing lunch for years, who actually buys? Besides $$ do you know how much weight you gain from eating out? I gain a 1-2 lbs if I do it solely because the portions are too big and too rich.

[pearlieq]

Now that I work from home, I just hunt & peck through the fridge, but back in my office days it was a lot of leftovers, salads, and Lean Cuisines.

I really think Lean Cuisines are unsung heros. If one shops carefully, they can be had for $2 or less each. You do have to watch your sodium intake, but they're a quick, inexpensive, handy way to get a full hot meal at lunch. They have nearly 80 varieties, so it's easy to avoid boredom. Many have at least one serving of vegetables and their Spa Cuisine line has some nice flavors and whole grains. I love their peanut chicken!

What I would usually do is pack a Lean Cuisine, a yogurt cup, a piece of fruit, and a veggie. Those little 1/2 cup tupperware containers were perfect for carrying some frozen or fresh chopped veggies. When lunch time rolled around, I would open my Lean Cuisine, pour in the extra veggies, and heat it up as directed. That, with my yogurt and fruit, made a nice balanced lunch with lots of fiber and nutrients.

With that being said, I used to enjoy eating lunch out and would do it about twice a week. I found that to be a nice balance. I worked in downtown Chicago where there were lots of fun places to go. When I worked in the suburbs and your only choices were fast food or Chilis, it didn't have as much appeal.

[PrincessPerky]

DH packs leftovers, plus milk and yogurt, and chocolate, and has 'snacky stuff' in his drawers at work.

The snacky stuff prolly saves as much as the lunch since he eats a lot, trail mix from home is way cheaper than a vending machine candy bar.

Recently he has discovered he can make a lunch without having leftovers. For example one day he took some frozen chicken BBQ things put them in a container with some corn and peas.

For some reason even though I always cook veggies in the microwave, it has taken him years to realize he could pour some in a container himself to take to work not always needing leftover veggies!

Oh and his lunch is in a 6 pack cooler..and it still isn't really big enough.

[Caoineag]

I bring breakfast and lunch but fortunately we have a big frig w/ freezer and microwave at work. I just grab leftovers and fruit in about 2 minutes in the morning.

I have a drawer at work where I keep dry goods so if I forget something or need something more, they are already there. Cans of fruit are handy for sweet cravings and cans of soup are handy for days you don't feel so well. Usually keep popcorn on hand and frozen veggies in the freezer. So I don't even ever have the excuse that I forgot to bring something.

[FrugalFish]

DH takes whatever leftovers are on hand if he's going to be in the shop. On days when he's on the road, it's generally several people and they eat out somewhere. Most days when he's on the road, he's also working and earning OT, so I don't let the lunches out bother me much. I also encourage him to buy any lunch bag his heart desires- he more than saves that by taking lunch more often than not. His last one is just over 3 years old and starting to get to the point of no return.

[Caoineag]

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

...

Been packing lunch for years, who actually buys? Besides $$ do you know how much weight you gain from eating out? I gain a 1-2 lbs if I do it solely because the portions are too big and too rich.

Actually I had the opposite issue. When I started packing, I had to learn to pack more food to make up for the fact that sandwiches from restaurants are much higher calorie than what I make. Even just simple deli sandwiches would have 3 to 4 times the amount of meat I would put in.

[zetta]

Back in my office working days I took lunch at least 3 days a week. I did find that in my profession (software) that eating lunch out with coworkers and especially former coworkers was key to building a network, which enhances employment security -- I wouldn't have gotten my current contracting position if I hadn't made a point of periodically going to lunch with my old work buddies while I was a SAHM.

That said, I used to keep cans of soup, a can opener, and a microwave-safe bowl in my cube. Presto, easy lunch for those days when I didn't have time to make a sandwich or pack leftovers. If you don't have access to a microwave, you could take a thermos of hot water to make "cup of soup" or ramen noodle cups.

[NDArmyGrrl]

Originally Posted by pearlieq

I really think Lean Cuisines are unsung heros. If one shops carefully, they can be had for $2 or less each. You do have to watch your sodium intake, but they're a quick, inexpensive, handy way to get a full hot meal at lunch. They have nearly 80 varieties, so it's easy to avoid boredom. Many have at least one serving of vegetables and their Spa Cuisine line has some nice flavors and whole grains. I love their peanut chicken!

I also do not do the leftover thing, why because I have gotten really good at judging dinner size and my DH fights for the leftovers.... So I do the Lean cuisine, Healthy choice, Smartones, Southbeach Living, Delmonte Harvest selections entrees. Or a Can of soup, with coupons they are inexpensive and I always buy the ones with atleast 1 serving of vegtables the Delmonte Harvest selections have two!