Work-friendly lunch ideas

[lolopopo27]

I'd love to hear what everyone does for quick-prep & healthy lunches. I am 24, work a desk job and I'm really bad about setting aside time to meal prep or pack lunches ahead of time. What are some great ideas for grab and go in the morning that I won't regret once I eat it at noon. Also, stuff that is FILLING. I am always hungry again by 1 or 2 p.m., which makes the afternoon just drag on.

[shelly340]

betpchem,

There are a couple of websites that you can put your recipe in, put in the number of servings and the site will give you the nutritional values for the recipe.  I personally use caloriecount.com

[SunsetRunner]

There is a lunch crockpot that is fantastic for warming up any leftovers.  I bought extra pots so I can make soup or chili and have leftovers in a nice size portion.  I leave my pot at work.

I can vouch for the mason jar salads, make them on Sunday and they easily last until Friday.

[Mcore]

Hello @shelly340, that sounds awesome! @SunsetRunner Thank you for sharing this. I bet it's really useful when you are too busy and don't have time to cook. Very cool! 

Keep up the good work. 

[KarlaFitbit]

I really like this healthy lunch: salad with cucumbers, drained tomato and feta cheese! I encourage you to try it. 

[MaryN60]

We are fortunate enough to have a lot of land and a huge garden (main bed is 80 feet by 160 feet, we have a raised bed for my herbs and garlic, and two more beds in the side field 20 feet by 129, where we have our asparagas bed of 50 plants, rhubarb, and the rest of the space we rotate crops). So we grow all our own veggies for the entire year. Yes, we have two big chest freezers!

Not everyone has the space or time for doing this on such a large scale, BUT it is easy to grow salad greens and herbs in a small raised bed or even in pots or window boxes. Tomatoes are great container plants, too.There are huge numbers of greens and most are extremely easy to grow. And they love cool weather; the soil only has to be 45 degrees for many of the greens to germinate. Growing your own food is far preferable to buying the chemically fertilized, pesticide-laced stuff that is trucked in from 3000 miles away.Unless you live in the depths of a large city, you can almost certainly drive an hour or less and find a farm or stable or chicken house where the folks will be very happy to let you cart the stuff away. There are plenty of books available on gardening...I can't eat store bought veggies any more, they just don't taste right. We also have our own chickens, both for meat and eggs, and the difference is astounding. Try your local farmers market if you can't grow your own. Even if you can only do this part of the time, it is better than none of the time...every little bit helps!

[Mcore]

That is great @MaryN60! You are very lucky to have fresh vegetables and herbs right in your home. It most be a lot of work to grow them, but it seems like it's the best way to get what you need as fresh as you can get it.

Thank you for sharing!

[KarlaFitbit]

Great, @MaryN60! It's great that you have your own vegetables at home! And thanks for this great suggestion. 

[MaryTinsa]

I use a large wide mouth Mason jar for just about everything, including my lunch choices for work. A glass jar takes the mystery out of what it contains and is a better choice for the environment.

[MaryTinsa]

how do you keep them fresh tasting by Friday? Are you using lemon juice?

[HelenaFitbit]

Welcome to the forums @MaryTinsa! My salads usually remain fresh throughout the week by packing them using this method. 

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions

[SunsetRunner]

I am the same way.

Coffee on empty stomach and it's not pleasant at ALL! 

[CountryGymBunny]

I meal prep on a Sunday and freeze batches for lunch throughout the week. At the moment, some of my favorites are:

- Chilli Con Carne 

- Peanut Chicken Curry 

- Fried beansprouts with Chicken and Black Bean

- Casserole / Stew (cooked in the slow pot)

- Simply baked chicken and roasted vegetables with sweet potato 

- I also use leftover veg and whiz it into a soup or fry as vegetable fritters - pair this with some Greek yogurt for a protein packed, nutritious lunch 

If, like me occasionally, you can't be bothered to meal prep, I always have those micrwavable packs of cous-cous or rice lying about the house.