Packing Lunch and Sometimes Dinner- Help!

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svanhoecke
svanhoecke Posts: 266
in Food and Nutrition
Okay so I have gotten pretty good at packing my lunches. But once the school year starts, I will have to somehow pack lunch and sometimes dinner, too! (I have rehearsals and things at night sometimes) Does anyone have an idea of either how to keep the food cold for like 10-12 hrs or what kind of meals I can pack that won't require being cold? :frown:

Thanks! :flowerforyou:

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  • svanhoecke
    svanhoecke Posts: 266
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    Nobody? :frown:
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    My best suggestion would be frozen water bottles and an insulated cooler. The bonus is you can drink the water, too. I just don't know that it would last as long as 12 hours. You may have to play with it a bit and see what works.

    What kinds of meals are you looking for? In other words, do you have restrictions on what you're eating?
  • svanhoecke
    svanhoecke Posts: 266
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    I usually try and keep my lunches around 400 calories, my dinner around 350 calories, and an afternoon snack of about 150 calories. Thanks for the advice on the water bottle!
  • imcsqrd
    imcsqrd Posts: 32
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    My thoughts - for days that you may have to pack both, I'd look into dehydrated fruits, jerky, granola/fruit bars, fruits with skin you peel (orange, banana, grapefruit, etc.) for the dinner option as that will all keep well. Now that you have a Trader Joe's, you can get very healthy versions of the dehydrated/dried foods there. Another option is a frozen meal (healthy one) with the frozen water bottles already suggested. By the time you are ready for dinner, the meal should be partially thawed to where it will cook up a little faster and if you have a time crunch, that would help. Would be worth getting a high quality insulated cooler for the food and only open when necessary. Lunch should be whatever you normally do as you will eat that early enough to avoid any issues. Big thing - don't use any mayonnaise in anything on those days to make sure you aren't risking food poisoning from it getting warm.
  • TXPOPE95
    TXPOPE95 Posts: 7
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    I would also say an insulated lunch bag but you could add ice by purchasing these little squares that look like square ice cubes but you can freeze and reuse them. I always use these in an insulated bag if I am going somewhere and have food that needs to stay cold.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    You might look at a meal replacement bar every once in awhile and pair it with some fresh fruit. Neither of those needs refrigeration.

    Jerky is a good idea. Trader Joe's was mentioned. Check out theirs. I don't have one very close to me but the last time I bought some I remember being surprised that it was pretty low in sodium (for jerky), so it's a good option to add some protein into a meal.

    Some other things that don't require refrigeration: almonds or other nuts. Dried fruit. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Granola bars. Those tuna salad pouches, with or without the crackers, those pudding or jello cups you find near the Jello boxes (Hunt's?), rice cakes

    Cheese should be okay if lightly chilled. Laughing cow or other wrapped cheese and bring crackers.

    Good luck!
  • svanhoecke
    svanhoecke Posts: 266
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    Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

    Anyone else have any thoughts??
  • mgaither
    mgaither Posts: 115
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    When I'm packing lunches/dinners, I often go for a wheat tortilla wrapped with some turkey and cheese. If you're into mayo, you can still eat it even if it hasn't been kept super chilled. Homemade mayo with raw eggs would spoil, but typical grocery store mayo has enough preservatives to keep it safe.

    I also pack wheat pasta and tomato sauce a lot. It's better warm, but I can still handle it if there's not microwave around.
    Try "pasta salad" recipes (with ingredients such as cherry tomatoes, grilled chicken, italian dressing, etc.) too. If they warm up a little in your lunch bag, no biggie.

    Good luck!
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
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    If you have a Trader Joes..... I buy the FiberFul veggie and fruit leathers. They are in the dehydrated fruit aisle. They are about 60 caloires and all fruit. They give me a pick me up during the day as I am a diabetic. I always keep some in my purse or gym bag.

    My husband works sometimes a day where he needs to pack a lunch and dinner. We are big on leftovers so some days he'll have leftover grilled chicken, quinoa (a little) and grilled zucchini or broccoli. We use tupperware containers and I pack it in an insulated bag with an ice pack and it seems to keep it cold. I pack one ice pack on the bottom some cold water bottles and an ice pack on top. Yes, he has a monster lunch bag or sometimes uses 2 small lunch bags.

    I might also suggest almonds, J lo fat cheese sticks, I make homemade granola, or a PB & J sandwich. I sometimes make quesadillas with grilled chicken, veggies and lo fat mozz cheese and cut them with a pizza cutter into wedges. He could re-heat them but likes them cold.

    Hope that helps!!
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
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    Do you have access to a microwave...I usually just pack leftovers in a lock-n-lock container (generally meat & veggies). I also often bring egg salad and hard boiled eggs. They should be fine for the day unless it's really, really hot. Is your school/workplace air conditioned?

    I also keep a supply of granola bars, jello cups (most don't require refrigeration), baby food, and meat sticks (generic slim jims) in my desk drawer for quick afternoon snacks or if I don't have time for lunch. (I also keep a supply of meat sticks and granola bars in my hiking pack).

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