Need cooler ideas... Again
elphie754
Posts: 7,574 Member
I had asked this once before, but with the new forum layout on my phone I can't seem to find the old post.
Anyway- I work 12 hour shifts in a vehicle (no access to microwave most of the time). I typically bring Greek yogurt, diced chicken, soy milk, cut apples with cut cheese, and/or peanut-chocolate bars with me to work. I have a small cooler that I pack everything in. I mix and may h from the above to let my calorie goal for the day (I have decided to count from midnight to midnight even though I work overnights to match my fitbit burns).
I need some more ideas on what I could add to the mix to bring. Due to the nature of my job, it can not be a food I eat with my hands (this may sound odd, but working in an ambulance I hate touching my food. I even keep my bars in the wrappers as I eat them lol). The options also must be gluten, wheat, barley, oat and red dye free. I prefer stocking with things I make at home over store bought premade things. Someone a while a go suggested hummus, but I just haven't developed a taste for it.
Anyone have any ideas?
Anyway- I work 12 hour shifts in a vehicle (no access to microwave most of the time). I typically bring Greek yogurt, diced chicken, soy milk, cut apples with cut cheese, and/or peanut-chocolate bars with me to work. I have a small cooler that I pack everything in. I mix and may h from the above to let my calorie goal for the day (I have decided to count from midnight to midnight even though I work overnights to match my fitbit burns).
I need some more ideas on what I could add to the mix to bring. Due to the nature of my job, it can not be a food I eat with my hands (this may sound odd, but working in an ambulance I hate touching my food. I even keep my bars in the wrappers as I eat them lol). The options also must be gluten, wheat, barley, oat and red dye free. I prefer stocking with things I make at home over store bought premade things. Someone a while a go suggested hummus, but I just haven't developed a taste for it.
Anyone have any ideas?
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Replies
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There are so many things you can make at home a week before and prepare or freeze in small containers --quinoa with sliced almonds and raisins, chili, deviled eggs, meat loaf or meat balls, mac and cheese, eggplant lasagna, baked cauliflower,0
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I had asked this once before, but with the new forum layout on my phone I can't seem to find the old post.
Anyway- I work 12 hour shifts in a vehicle (no access to microwave most of the time). I typically bring Greek yogurt, diced chicken, soy milk, cut apples with cut cheese, and/or peanut-chocolate bars with me to work. I have a small cooler that I pack everything in. I mix and may h from the above to let my calorie goal for the day (I have decided to count from midnight to midnight even though I work overnights to match my fitbit burns).
I need some more ideas on what I could add to the mix to bring. Due to the nature of my job, it can not be a food I eat with my hands (this may sound odd, but working in an ambulance I hate touching my food. I even keep my bars in the wrappers as I eat them lol). The options also must be gluten, wheat, barley, oat and red dye free. I prefer stocking with things I make at home over store bought premade things. Someone a while a go suggested hummus, but I just haven't developed a taste for it.
Anyone have any ideas?
I dont understand the relevance of the microwave.2 -
There are so many things you can make at home a week before and prepare or freeze in small containers --quinoa with sliced almonds and raisins, chili, deviled eggs, meat loaf or meat balls, mac and cheese, eggplant lasagna, baked cauliflower,
Unfortunately many of those things need to be reheated or don't stay well for 12-24 hours. I need things that are more quick to eat (since I don't get a lunch break). Basically I need foods that I can eat rapidly on the go.
"I dont understand the relevance of the microwave"
I can't reheat things at work, therefore need foods that are best eaten cold.1 -
you can make a salad with letuce, onions, tomato...mixed with cannned tuna or other cooked fish with no bones. if you season it just before eating, its good to go on a cooler and keeps fresh for long hours...
hope I could help!1 -
you can make a salad with letuce, onions, tomato...mixed with cannned tuna or other cooked fish with no bones. if you season it just before eating, its good to go on a cooler and keeps fresh for long hours...
hope I could help!
Hi thank you for the idea. Not the biggest fan of fish but maybe I could do with with crab or chicken. I have been trying different types of fish to see if I can find one I like, but so far they all just taste weird to me lol. Which is weird because I LOVE squid, crab, lobster, scallops and other sea critters.
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you can make a salad with letuce, onions, tomato...mixed with cannned tuna or other cooked fish with no bones. if you season it just before eating, its good to go on a cooler and keeps fresh for long hours...
hope I could help!
Hi thank you for the idea. Not the biggest fan of fish but maybe I could do with with crab or chicken. I have been trying different types of fish to see if I can find one I like, but so far they all just taste weird to me lol. Which is weird because I LOVE squid, crab, lobster, scallops and other sea critters.
I guess it's ok, sometimes I even use a chopped hamburger (homemade) or chopped pork or beef to go with the salad... you can also use raw purple cabbage (idk if the name is right) or beet, they both have lots of iron, I cut it small, and I think it tastes really good:)
good luck!
Edit: chicken, or turkey would go well to!1 -
There are so many things you can make at home a week before and prepare or freeze in small containers --quinoa with sliced almonds and raisins, chili, deviled eggs, meat loaf or meat balls, mac and cheese, eggplant lasagna, baked cauliflower,
Unfortunately many of those things need to be reheated or don't stay well for 12-24 hours. I need things that are more quick to eat (since I don't get a lunch break). Basically I need foods that I can eat rapidly on the go.
"I dont understand the relevance of the microwave"
I can't reheat things at work, therefore need foods that are best eaten cold.
Where there is a will. . . .use the engine block to heat the foods. I am sure there is a You Tube video out there showing this. There are answers and there are obstacles. Cool thing is you can choose which to accept.
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Have you tried wraps?? Everything can go in them. Eggs, meat, cheese and veggies. You can do them for any meal and on the go is easier.1
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If you do want hot food you could possibly invest in one of those stoves that heats up food from your car lighter
http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-12-Volt-Portable-Stove-Black/dp/B00030DLEE
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Not sure what kind of calorie goals you're trying to achieve... You could add shrimp to the salad instead. Avocado halves--eat with a spoon out of their own little bowls. Trail mix--I have a friend who always use to eat it with a spoon. Bananas.0
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A decent thermos could keep soup hot until lunch time, no microwave needed.
A lot of greek food is served cold and can be eaten with a fork/in a wrap that you keep half wrapped so that you don't have to touch it. Think spanakopita, grape leaf wraps, tabbouleh, gyros, moussaka (can be eaten cold).
Pinterest has a lot of ideas as well. Search, "Cooler Lunch Ideas" or "Lunch Box Ideas" or "Cold lunch box ideas for adults."1 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Have you tried wraps?? Everything can go in them. Eggs, meat, cheese and veggies. You can do them for any meal and on the go is easier.
I have. The problem is the gluten free wraps tends to get really hard after a while which made me not want to eat it lol.If you do want hot food you could possibly invest in one of those stoves that heats up food from your car lighter
http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-12-Volt-Portable-Stove-Black/dp/B00030DLEE
Negative. Supervisor (as well as DOH) would kill me.Not sure what kind of calorie goals you're trying to achieve... You could add shrimp to the salad instead. Avocado halves--eat with a spoon out of their own little bowls. Trail mix--I have a friend who always use to eat it with a spoon. Bananas.
As far as calorie goals I try to hit 1300 a day. If my fitbit shows that I have burned quite a bit more (from stairs since buildings under 5 stories are not required to have elevators) I will go up to 1600. I try to keep a 750-1000 calorie deficit a day to lose 2lbs a week though (still have over 100 lbs to lose so this is still doable).
Not even going to entertain the engine warming statement.1 -
wow - tough job
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Rabbit- it is the nature of the job. I personally love my job and wouldn't trade it in for anything, but it makes eating difficult. There have been days where I didn't get to eat until 9 hours in, and even the. It was shoveling something in quickly on our way to the next call. That is why I bring soy milk and squeeze apple sauce packs with me. I can quickly eat or drink one in a few seconds.0
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I just realised you're a paramedic *kudos* - I thought you were a trucker to my shame
I'm quite partial to brocolli, cauliflower and feta cheese (or halloumi) fritters - they work well cold
something like (sorry I don't have weights here)
a head of brocolli pulsed fine
a red onion chopped fine
a head of cauliflower boiled and mashed
mix it all together with about 100g light feta cheese (or grated halloumi), an egg and the egg whites of 3 eggs until it comes together
tbsp of cornflour - but you could use gluten free flours
salt and pepper and give it a taste to make sure it's seasoned well
put it in a well greased baking tray (I use coconut or olive oil and count it)
put it in the oven until it browns on the top (about 45 minutes)
let it cool a little and cut into pieces - normally makes about 6 for under 200 calories
it's nice and filling and works well with salads (and you can eat it with a fork)
I use BBC Good food as a go to recipe site - anything here?
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/gluten-free-lunch
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No problem lol. We call the ambulance a bus, truck, rig, taxi etc so even in my day to day conversations people are like "what exactly do you do?" lol.
Oh wow. Those sound awesome. Will *try* making them on my next day off. I am a trial and error type baker lol.
Thank you for the site. There are a few recipes on there that I am going to try. The gf sundried tomato bread sounds amazing since I am a tomato fanatic.0 -
When you said 12 hour shifts I figured paramedic, police, or fire. My props to you hun. I am police so I feel you. My cooler has hard boiled eggs, which I usually boil a dozen at a time and just have them for the week. I grab two for my cooler. Granola bars are good. Since you are wheat, oat, and gluten free you may have to go to a healthfood store for the varieties made with rye or buckwheat. I also pack fruits and vegetables that I precut at home. I buy the packs of peanuts and trailmix that come in the small packs. That way I can just tear the tops off and pour them in my mouth without touching the mix with my hands. I like yogurt, and cottage cheese with fruit. I buy the diced chicken breasts already in the packs. I also try to keep one or two whey shakes in my cooler. There is a brand called Lean six that I purchase from gnc that has a good amount of protein and little sugar.1
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if you are baking GF breads try to get some Xanthan Gum - it's a stabiliser that replaces the gluten and makes it less crumbly if you just add a teaspoon to your bake - works with cakes too
it's quite widely available in supermarkets in the UK not sure about the US but you can get it on amazon if you can't find it locally
although that's a huge packet for the amount you use
http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Xanthan-8-Ounce/dp/B0013JJZWG
Re the fritters - you're supposed to fry them but I couldn't get them to work with minimum oils so I plumped on baking instead which isn't quite as good - if you have a higher calorie allowance you could go for frying them into patties1 -
"Granola bars are good. Since you are wheat, oat, and gluten free you may have to go to a healthfood store for the varieties made with rye or buckwheat."
Unfortunately I have had such issues with these since most are made on shared equipment with oat (my biggest allergy). That is why I stick to the glutino peanut and chocolate or nut and fruit bars.
I may look into shakes. While I prefer fresh food, its just not always realistic. There are certainly nights where I wish I could just tell dispatch "no! Food first, emergency later." It's like they know I am trying to plan food and lose weight and want to sabotage (I know that is not actually true, just needed to vent that lol).if you are baking GF breads try to get some Xanthan Gum - it's a stabiliser that replaces the gluten and makes it less crumbly if you just add a teaspoon to your bake - works with cakes too
it's quite widely available in supermarkets in the UK not sure about the US but you can get it on amazon if you can't find it locally
although that's a huge packet for the amount you use
http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Xanthan-8-Ounce/dp/B0013JJZWG
Re the fritters - you're supposed to fry them but I couldn't get them to work with minimum oils so I plumped on baking instead which isn't quite as good - if you have a higher calorie allowance you could go for frying them into patties
The gluten free flour I buy actually has xanthan gum in it. It is called cup4cup. They are a completely gluten free company which is why I love them. I use their pancake mix to make waffles about once a month or so.
I actually have a deep fryer that I haven't been using because I can't figure out how to count the oil. I used to use it to make homemade mozzarella sticks (and still do every so often when I need a bit of comfort food).0 -
Once again I am looking for snacks, meals etc to bring to work. I am starting to get bored with packing the same things every day. Any one have some good ideas?
If you are going go suggest something, be aware I can't eat anything with wheat, barley or oat (even gluten free oats causes symptoms). Type of snacks I'm looking for are things that can be packed in a cooler. I also prefer snacks/meals that I eat with fork/spoon since I don't like handling my food in my hands at work.
Thank you in advance.1 -
I spend a lot of hours in my car and am also completely grain free. My main items are eggs, nuts, and cheese. And it does get really boring. To tell the truth, I spend hours hungry sometimes. When you don't eat grains, such as bread, it's harder to take things on the go that cannot be heated. I enjoy lettuce wraps with chicken, steak, or eggs. Veggies dipped in dressing, hummus, pb, etc can be pretty easy.
I'll be watching this thread as I could use ideas as well.0 -
lulalacroix wrote: »I spend a lot of hours in my car and am also completely grain free. My main items are eggs, nuts, and cheese. And it does get really boring. To tell the truth, I spend hours hungry sometimes. When you don't eat grains, such as bread, it's harder to take things on the go that cannot be heated. I enjoy lettuce wraps with chicken, steak, or eggs. Veggies dipped in dressing, hummus, pb, etc can be pretty easy.
I'll be watching this thread as I could use ideas as well.
I do eat bread... Just gluten free bread.0 -
Make a large frittata in a square Pyrex dish then cut it into squares and portion it out. You can put any type of veg, cheese, meats, in. Or make an apple and cheese one, quiche Lorraine style( no pastry needed) Mexican beans and salsa.
The variations are endless and it is knife and fork friendly.
I find quiche/omelette type foods are as tasty cool as they are hot.
Make sandwiches as lettuce or seaweed wraps, wrap in grease proof paper to keep them from falling apart, and so you don't touch them.
Cold soups, oh sorry I can't think of the one I wanted to say, but there is one that is avocado and chicken stock based. Ah here we go gazpacho & vichyssoise, fruit soups are good too. You can just put them in a thermos or a ziplock container.
That is the best I can come up with for now.
Cheers, h.1 -
middlehaitch wrote: »Make a large frittata in a square Pyrex dish then cut it into squares and portion it out. You can put any type of veg, cheese, meats, in. Or make an apple and cheese one, quiche Lorraine style( no pastry needed) Mexican beans and salsa.
The variations are endless and it is knife and fork friendly.
I find quiche/omelette type foods are as tasty cool as they are hot.
Make sandwiches as lettuce or seaweed wraps, wrap in grease proof paper to keep them from falling apart, and so you don't touch them.
Cold soups, oh sorry I can't think of the one I wanted to say, but there is one that is avocado and chicken stock based. Ah here we go gazpacho & vichyssoise, fruit soups are good too. You can just put them in a thermos or a ziplock container.
That is the best I can come up with for now.
Cheers, h.
Thank you. I have never actually made a frittata before. Is it just egg and the fillings you chose to add? Also, are they able to be frozen? I find when ever I make large portions like that, a lot goes to waste, so being able to freeze them would cut down on that.
I am ashamed to say this, but I have never heard of fruit soup before. Is it like a fruit cup that gets blended into liquid?0 -
Hmm I rarely follow a recipe for a frittata, basically it is an omelette baked in the oven, or a quiche without cream and pastry.
If you just made one with 6 eggs and the etceteras in one of those 8x8 Pyrex dishes it would be 4 servings. That amount would be enough to eat from the fridge in 1 week. They do freeze but are a little soggy, not my preferred way to eat them, but I have.
Fruit soups, especially berry soups are very refreshing and tasty. They are basically mushed fruits with either cream, yogurt, creme fresh, or other liqudish dairy and herbs or spices added. Some are cooked and cooled others are made cold.
Oh do you like egg custard? You could bake them in individual pots and take them with you.
Time to go to my Zumba class. I will check back later if you have any other questions.
Cheers, h.
Oh just thought, have you ever tried pastry made with lentil flour? I have had it in Indian restaurants and it is quite good, never tried making it myself though.1 -
You could get a portable stove- plug it into the car so you can heat up stuff. I was thinking of getting this for my brother who drives trucks and has a hard time eating a healthy meal. It might help.
http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-12-Volt-Portable-Stove-Black/dp/B00030DLEE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1418949488&sr=8-2&keywords=portable+oven+12v0 -
middlehaitch wrote: »Hmm I rarely follow a recipe for a frittata, basically it is an omelette baked in the oven, or a quiche without cream and pastry.
If you just made one with 6 eggs and the etceteras in one of those 8x8 Pyrex dishes it would be 4 servings. That amount would be enough to eat from the fridge in 1 week. They do freeze but are a little soggy, not my preferred way to eat them, but I have.
Fruit soups, especially berry soups are very refreshing and tasty. They are basically mushed fruits with either cream, yogurt, creme fresh, or other liqudish dairy and herbs or spices added. Some are cooked and cooled others are made cold.
Oh do you like egg custard? You could bake them in individual pots and take them with you.
Time to go to my Zumba class. I will check back later if you have any other questions.
Cheers, h.
Oh just thought, have you ever tried pastry made with lentil flour? I have had it in Indian restaurants and it is quite good, never tried making it myself though.
The frittata sounds simple enough. Guess ill be burning down the kitchen.... Erm experiementing with cooking them tomorrow. As odd as it sounds, I almost never buy eggs, so old I am making something that calls for egg I have to go to the store. I'm just not a "plain egg" type of person.
The fruit soups sound really good, especially since I love yogurt. Ill start looking up some recipes.
I don't think I have ever tried egg custard. It was just something we never ate when I was growing up (my mom hated the taste).
Pastry as in crust for pies and stuff or as in baked deserts? If I bake, I typically make my own crust with rice flour. The brand cup4cup seems to be the best non-wheat flour so far (at least to me).
Thank for the suggestions and taking the time to answer my questions. Hope Zumba is fun. 0 -
I don't know how much time you have but if there's time to reheat meals: I have a thermos that keeps soup hot for about 7 hours. My husband didn't have access to a microwave at work for a period of time, so I put his hot lunches in the thermos. I would make a giant pot on Sunday so I'd just have to heat it up in the morning for a few minutes before packing it. I've also put other things in it like pasta or rice and veggies. As long as you heat it up enough before putting it in the thermos, you should be ok!0
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You could use a thermos-just add hot water to the thermos-microwave the food-then dump the water out of the thermos and add the hot food. I use thermoses with metal linings-not the old fashioned glass kind. If you want to eat out of thermos look for the wide mouth kind.
Then you can have soup, or hot meals ie chili, casseroles, meatballs or whatever you desire.0 -
looks like emmaline and I not only think alike but we were typing at the same time.0
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