no microwave no fridge packed lunches

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OK I'm a truck driver who is trying to shed some pounds. like I stated need ideas for lunches. sandwiches are OK but they get old .help me out ! i have a soup thermos and a insulated bag will be packing fruit and some hard boiled eggs
now what????????????

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  • padams2359
    padams2359 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Couldn't you stop at a truck stop and nuke it?
  • ripemango
    ripemango Posts: 534 Member
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    w an insulated bag you can put one of those frozen slabs (there's a real word for this but it escapes me at the moment) that will keep whatever you put in there cold all day so...yogurt, cheese, rotisserie chicken is really good to eat cold, milk or soymilk, cut up veggies like carrots, squash, cucumber, etc. To carry with you I'd do oatmeal bars ( I make my own but the ones you purchase are yummy too) and nuts.
  • massivediet
    massivediet Posts: 54 Member
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    I use a fit & fresh container that has a large bin and two one-cup containers with an ice block in between. I alternate superfood salad with cole slaw or kale salad in the lower bin, and in the upper ones alternate cottage cheese, mushrooms, Greek yogurt, rotisserie chicken, deli lunch meat, nuts, granola. I keep this in a cooler bag with some protein bars pre-packed in it, and throw in some diet sodas or sometimes a small thermos of soup or stew. So far it has been a good amount of variety and I always feel full after lunch--also relatively cheap!
  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
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    Cold pasta salads, fish, graze boxes are supposed to be ok for snacking, olive salads, cous cous. I'd have a wander round the chilled isle at the supermarket. Lots of things you can replicate on a larger scale to make up for a few days worth.
  • buckwheat30us
    buckwheat30us Posts: 62 Member
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    Couldn't you stop at a truck stop and nuke it?
    no they are not really big on a person bringing in their food in .
    besides I stay out of out truck stops . Im a local driver home every night
  • Llamos4110
    Llamos4110 Posts: 10 Member
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    Soup thermoses are also great for keeping casserole leftovers hot until lunchtime.
  • Adylia16
    Adylia16 Posts: 31 Member
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    I feel your pain. I am a teacher and have to share one microwave and one fridge between 120 other staff so I prefer to avoid it.

    I take with me in a cool bag some of these:

    Fruit
    Low calorie muslei bars (110 calories or less)
    Rice thins with vegemite (great alternative to sandwiches)
    sultanas or salted peanuts
    carrot/celery sticks with peanut butter (yum!)
    snow peas
    Pasta salad

    I ensure I drink plenty of water (take with me a sugar free cordial bottle too) and this is all I need.

    Hope this helps :happy:
  • staplebug
    staplebug Posts: 189
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    w an insulated bag you can put one of those frozen slabs (there's a real word for this but it escapes me at the moment) that will keep whatever you put in there cold all day so...yogurt, cheese, rotisserie chicken is really good to eat cold, milk or soymilk, cut up veggies like carrots, squash, cucumber, etc. To carry with you I'd do oatmeal bars ( I make my own but the ones you purchase are yummy too) and nuts.

    Great suggestions here
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,006 Member
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    Trader joes has lots of ready made sandwiches, salads, wrap sandwiches and good lunches
    You could also do pita bread, chicken (make extra for dinner yhe night before) or fish, shrimp,
    Kabobs, hummus, grapes, cut up melon, bannanas, apples, string cheese, fiber one bars, yogurt covered pretzles,
    make some pasta or quinoa salad the night hefore or make big batches on the weekend
    tuna and crackers, peanut butter on apples or cracker
    homemade soups are awesome too and usually low cal
    look on my skinnytaste.com for some more ideas
  • phyllisbobbitt
    phyllisbobbitt Posts: 347 Member
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    :flowerforyou: i take fresh fruit, celery sticks with peanut butter, carrots sticks with low fat ranch dressing, large salads, fixins from home for roll ups with tomatoes & lettuce and cheese, left over meats, all on a tortilla! in your thermos you could juice before leaving the house with veggies & fruit with some yogurt! the possibilities are endless!
  • Ejourneys
    Ejourneys Posts: 1,603 Member
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    My typical travel lunch:
    7478505280.jpg
    3361700703.jpg
    along with fruit, usually a banana or an orange -- carried in
    130218-cooler-and-utensils.jpg
    My salads wait until I get home, but one alternative, especially with a cooler, is to carry V-8. I use the low-sodium version and add a little hot sauce to give it some kick.
  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
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    Also cold stir fry/noodles are pretty good, as is kedgeree.
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
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    OK I'm a truck driver who is trying to shed some pounds. like I stated need ideas for lunches. sandwiches are OK but they get old .help me out ! i have a soup thermos and a insulated bag will be packing fruit and some hard boiled eggs
    now what????????????

    I am in a similar spot to you but work outside away from any electricity. I always have a thermos for tea and coffee, for lunches I take cheese and vita-weat crackers, yoghurts, and fruit.
  • jello5500
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    A web search for "low carb lunches to pack" will come back with lots of hits.

    After a heart attack in April at age 57, I have been focusing on weight loss--and have lost 20 pounds (more or less) or about 10% of my original weight through attention to diet and exercise. (Both have been essential to the weight loss process.)

    I pack my lunch to take to work--fixing it the night before, usually. What has worked for me:

    Salads of all kinds that include protein of some kind (tuna, salmon, low fat cheeses, etc.)
    Greenfield pasta (with a very low carb absorption)
    Sandwiches made from whole grain breads (rye and pumpernickel, since I have problems with whole wheat)
    Skim milk with every lunch, since it gives calcium, protein, and fewer calories than other milks and is very filling

    If I have a salad that is primarily based on lettuce, I make my own dressing and carry it with me in a glass jar (olive oil, red wine or basalmic vinegar, and sometimes Dijon mustard). Commercial dressings tend to be much higher in sodium and unhealthy fats.

    I make a salad every week that I take along with me ((I usually meet my wife for lunch, and we both share this). The recipe makes 2-4 servings, and is relatively simple.

    1 small can of salmon (5-7 oz.)
    1/2 cup of Greenfield pasta (uncooked)
    1 cup of stir-fry vegetables, cooked (there are several frozen variants available)
    3 tablespoons of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
    3 tablespoons of mayo (regular or light)

    Cook the pasta and vegetables (separately). When they are done, immediately rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Mix together all ingredients, and portion out into containers. I take this to work without refrigeration, and have had no problems.

    Just some thoughts--I wish you the best
  • MuseofSong
    MuseofSong Posts: 322 Member
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    I bring my breakfast and lunch to work every day.

    I bring things like raw almonds, string cheese, sourdough bread, nature valley protein bars, green apple slices, fiber one 90 calorie brownies or lemon bars, quaker oat bars, sandwiches, fig bars, seaweed peanuts (I love seaweed), energy squares, dried fruit, greek yogurt, crackers, trail mix, and sometimes left overs. Salads get mushy if they have dressing on them and sit in a container though. :\ But those fresh pac grocery store salads are nice and you just mix 'em when you're ready to eat.

    For the microwave I'll bring burritos, burgers, soups, or stews. But, without a microwave, I'd choose combos of the above.

    You should check out nuts.com for nice, easy storage food options if you like nuts and dried fruits or interesting things like that. I often turn a selection of 'snack foods' into a meal. You'll find some of the same kind of stuff (except the energy squares) from local markets or whole food/trader joe type places, but a lot of the time, they cost more at the market.

    You can also get little peanut butter squeeze packets (like from peanut butter & co) or those little Jif peanut butter on the go containers.

    Your best friend is going to be a kitchen scale and baggies. Pre-weigh it and bag it, and that way you can log it before you eat it and you know exactly how much you're eating. And water, water, water!!! Especially if you eat high fiber, dry foods, which I do, you need more water to keep things moving along.

    Also, don't be afraid of fast food. Some people are like OMGS not fast foods! But, really, there are decent options out there, and you can plan around fast food meals without going over your daily calories.
  • NarneyK
    NarneyK Posts: 264 Member
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    You can freeze your water bottle over night, and use that to keep everything cool until lunch time.
  • buckwheat30us
    buckwheat30us Posts: 62 Member
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    lots of good recommendations :tongue: thanks
    lets keep them going Im sure that I'm not the only one in this boat
  • tiggerhammon
    tiggerhammon Posts: 2,211 Member
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    Well, I have lots of ideas on this one, learned from experience.
    First of all, do not keep high calorie foods anywhere near accessible while driving. I am one of those that love to eat while driving, constant snacking during that 7hr road trip keeps me alert. So, I keep vegetables in my front seat. In between meals these are my only snacks. (Well, was until morning sickness started and they got replaced with crackers.)
    If you can cook at home/prep meals ahead of time then your options are endless.
    Tortilla Wraps, Pita Pockets and FlatBread can help shake up the boring sandwich routine if you like the sandwiches but want variety.
    Pasta Salads, (so many different kinds) can be made ahead of time, refridgerated and placed in individual portion sized tupperware and put in a ice chest. (Chicken and salami can be used in such salads for added protein.)
    Desserts of all sorts can be prepared ahead of time, portioned appropriately and put in the ice chest. Keeping a jello salad on hand helped me fight the urge to buy anything at the truck stop that I shouldn't eat. Just knowing there was something sweet in the car meant I didn't need to purchase that candy bar.
    Canned juices also helped me with the sweet tooth and actually helped me to quit drinking soda completely. I drink guava, coconut or pineapple juices mostly now. I know many would argue with my liking for liquid calories but, I really do like em :)
    Rice keeps really well for days after cooked, sealed and in an ice chest. There is sooo much that can be done with chicken and rice. But, I suggest making whatever you like best.
    A good ice chest and small tupperware would be a good investment. Make whatever you want and control your eating by limiting yourself to only what you had proportioned yourself.
    Low calorie snacks (popcorn, vegetables with lowcal vinaigrette, small portions of fruit, pretzels, etc ...) can be good for in between meal snacks.
    Keep your calorie portions small and allow yourself to eat multiple times a day ( i.e. 300 cal portions 6x a day) this will help keep you sane during the long hauls on the road.
  • FixIngMe13
    FixIngMe13 Posts: 405 Member
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    Great ideas! Kudos for all the people that had those ideas!
  • tiggerhammon
    tiggerhammon Posts: 2,211 Member
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    Okay, my first response was before reading comments.
    Now, I see my suggestions were basically already mentioned.
    Also, I see now that you arent a long haul driver and can return home nightly, therefore your options really are endless. It is just in making the decision to pack what you should be eating and not what you think you want. With the winter months coming up, hot soups in a thermos would be really nice and can certainly be done if you are home nightly.
    I still suggest the ice chest and tupperware though.