Bringing lunch to work...

I take left overs from previous dinners (stir fry and pasta's mostly) or make big batches of sandwich filling (egg salad, rosemary chicken salad) that I add to sandwiches, wraps or salads.

I usually bring a ziplock bag with some cerial mixed with a handful of nuts & seeds. I munch on that throughout the morning. I bring a lean cuisine (or similar meal) for lunch. I spend my lunch hour jogging/power walking, and eat my lunch while I'm working at my desk. After work I usually do another jog/power walk before dinner.

Hope this helps.

I bought some nice pyrex containers to pack my lunch. I love packing a lunch.. you can eat tasty stuff and keep right on track. I have a big round container where i make a salad with cucumber, tomato, green pepper, radish, and feta. Then i have another square large container..in which I will transfer a lean cuisine and add frozen vegetables on the side to microwave (no plastic container) I have a small container where I put my face yogurt with cinnamon..and then i pack about 2 ounces of chicken breast. And all that keeps me fed throughout my day and as I head to the gym after work.

I have a few different variances. I try to keep one or two Amy's frozen meals in the freezer (that's the only brand of frozen meals I actually enjoy eating, between 380 and 480 cal's). Each week I try to buy two pre-made salads from the grocery store. They come complete with a fork even and they're all between 240 and 350 cal's, also they're delicious. Or I bring leftovers.

We also get food brought in most Wednesdays and on the odd occasion I'll eat out or get Jimmy John's delivered to the office.

I have always brought lunch because it's more convenient. Presently, I've been bringing wraps (small fajita sized tortillas) with a salad (chicken, egg, tuna, ham) or lunch meat (chicken, turkey) or, when I'm in the mood for it, peanut butter along with some sort of trail mix. I rarely reheat meals because the microwave we have here is prickly. As Raptor2763 said - insulated lunch box and ice pack to keep everything chilled.

I also pack a couple of light snacks to eat during the day when I need a pick me up. I only have a half hour for lunch and usually spend twenty minutes of it briskly walking on the Plaza. I also walk on my two fifteens.

A lot of my co-workers bring lunch (usually frozen dinners that they heat and eat) because we have a large refrigerator in the office. As you have found, we don't have a lunch area. We have a central area where the refrigerator and coffee pot are beside a large table. We don't use the table except for office parties though.

Most everyone eats at their desk. I don't because I'm the secretary and if I tried to eat at my desk, I'd never eat for the work I'm given. I have to leave for my breaks (I actually really think it's good for your mental health to differentiate work time and alone time, take a physical break away from your work sapce).

I take yogurt, cottage cheese, fresh fruit & vegetables and a healthy sandwich along with a bottled green tea. With a slightly larger cooler/lunch bag, I can take 'cool packs' and don't even need to use the (nasty!) work refrigerator.

I use these boxes
https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Portables-Container-Configurable-Compartments/dp/B017AJS63G/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1472220868&sr=8-5&keywords=plastic+lunch+box
to pack my lunch after dinner each night. I put salad in the big portion and the smaller portions hold 100 gms of chicken, cottage cheese etc and fruit.
My husband and I also cook together and have some quick basic recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less for the hectic nights. Tasty and delicious and keeps us from ordering out.

k8mcminn wrote: »

I use these boxes
https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Portables-Container-Configurable-Compartments/dp/B017AJS63G/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1472220868&sr=8-5&keywords=plastic+lunch+box
to pack my lunch after dinner each night. I put salad in the big portion and the smaller portions hold 100 gms of chicken, cottage cheese etc and fruit.
My husband and I also cook together and have some quick basic recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less for the hectic nights. Tasty and delicious and keeps us from ordering out.

Ya, I don't feel like putting much effort into cooking tonight and am going to have spaghetti with frozen meatballs with jarred sauce. Going back and forth between broccoli and swiss chard for the green.

I cook maybe 2 times a week. I choose whatever few meals I am hungry for that week, and cook them in bulk. Then I measure and portion everything out into Tupperware containers. I love cooking this way, my meals are always ready to just grab and go. This prevents me from making poor food choices and keeps me on track all week, even at work and on the go.

I also take leftovers, but I tend to batch cook my proteins so that I have leftovers. Like, why make 1 NY strip on the grill when I can make 3 and eat strip all week. I just season with only salt and pepper so I can add seasonings right before I eat it to make it work. So far this week I've had steak on salad with arugula, blue cheese, and cucumbers, steak fajitas, steak sandwich, and steak and egg burrito. lol. Cooking chicken tonight cause I am now tired of steak.

I don't like to pre cook whole meals and eat the same meal over and over since I get bored and end up going out for lunch, but I like to pre cook staples. So meats, eggs, grains....then I'll just keep using them in different preparations. I don't do like a huge batch of cooking on Sundays either. I just make a ton when cooking regularly. So, if we are having quinoa with dinner I'll make enough we can eat it for dinner and I can add it to at least 3 meals during the week.

I do dinner leftovers. I also try to whip up a batch of egg salad, chicken salad, baked tofu, etc., so if I don't have leftovers it's fairly easy to create a sandwich or salad on the fly.

I'm not sure where you live, but I keep a few Bistro Bowl salads in the fridge to grab and go in case I don't have time to make something. I pair them with a yogurt and a piece of fruit and it makes a great quickie lunch. If I have time, I take leftovers from the night before or cook a big batch of something on Sunday. I also like tuna salad served on lettuce.

http://www.readypac.com/our-brands/bistro/

.... and then I will get invaded by 'possums or something. We live out in the country now.

My wife and I often make double of whatever we're making for dinner so that we can take it for lunch. We also batch cook things like quinoa, pinto beans, sweet potatoes, etc on Sunday so that we have those things for the week.

If we don't do that, I usually take a salad or a sandwich. Lately things have been a little nutty and I've been grabbing lunch out more often than usual..usually either Wendy's or Subway...at Wendy's I usually the the Mediterranean Chicken Salad and a sour cream and chive baked potato...Subway I just get whatever sandwich I feel like.

My morning routine is to start the coffee; start sauteeing some mushrooms and onions for an omelette, and then pull out a cutting board and unload the veggie/produce drawer in the fridge.

I keep plenty of lettuce, spinach, shredded cabbage, and shredded broccoli on hand at all times--plus usually tomatoes, cukes, radishes, and peppers. This makes the base of a big lunch salad, to which I'll add leftover protein from dinner the night before or tunafish.

About the time the coffee pot has finished brewing, lunch is packed and breakfast is ready!