Sandwich Free Work Lunch Ideas

DellyC93
DellyC93 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 22 in Recipes
Hi!

I'm hoping I can get some inspiration from everyone on here. I am looking to get some nutritious lunch ideas that are not sandwiches as I'm not a big bread eater. I've been eating salads so far but they of course get boring real quick!

My workplace only has a kettle - no microwave *groan*. So I can't even re-heat last nights stir frys etc!

Does anyone have any ideas or tips they can share? :)

Much appreciated!!
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Replies

  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
    edited October 2017
    When I make dinner for me and my husband, I cook enough for 3 portions so we have dinner for that night and I have lunch for the next day :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I usually have leftovers...but I also have a microwave. When I was microwaveless, it was usually sandwiches or salads or soups/stews in a thermos in the winter.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    If you don't like bread you could do lettuce wraps (sandwich ingredients wrapped in lettuce). Bean based salads are a good alternative when you are tired of greens.

    I also agree with above suggestions for getting a good thermos for taking hot foods. If the food is nice and hot when it goes in, it should be plenty warm at lunch time.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Nussbary wrote: »
    you can pick up old microwaves for cheap. bring in your own and put it under your desk, then you've solved the bigger problem! in parallel, explore meal prepping this works for me.

    While I did suggest buying a microwave if allowed, I'm gonna suggest NOT doing this without asking first. Microwaves are huge power draws, and you could risk blowing a fuse/tripping a breaker (especially if any other employees are using electric heaters on the same breaker).
  • dklibert
    dklibert Posts: 1,196 Member
    dklibert wrote: »
    I don't own one but Hot Logic is a lunch bag you can plug in and warm a meal prep container.

    I found the video I saw about the Hot Logic. The Fit Couple Cooks does tons of meal prep and they recommend it.
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=6bfmefjupu4
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    dklibert wrote: »
    dklibert wrote: »
    I don't own one but Hot Logic is a lunch bag you can plug in and warm a meal prep container.

    I found the video I saw about the Hot Logic. The Fit Couple Cooks does tons of meal prep and they recommend it.
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=6bfmefjupu4
    I recently bought one for my last trip. They're absolutely amazing. If you like warm Foods, I highly recommend buying one or a portable slow cooker and just plug it in your office. The good thing about the hot logic is that your food doesn't smell
  • laurenmjenkin
    laurenmjenkin Posts: 27 Member
    Hi! I try to reduce bread in my day because I love it too much! So for lunches, I have to be a bit organised: rivita biscuits (wrapped seperate), with a mini container of cottage cheese for low fat, or mashed egg for protein that I put in a lunch container of things like lettuce, spinich leaves, sliced cucumber, tomato, grated carrot, beetroot, what ever you want. Another thing I do is low gi high protein salads or dahl made with canned chickpeas, bean mix, lentils (vege and salad vege) with maybe a spice or pepper or squeeze of lemon, maybe a little yoghurt where fitting. Orrrr nutrisoy spicy tofu and salad. Low carbs, low cal, low GI YUM
  • DellyC93
    DellyC93 Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you everyone! I didn't realise I already had so many replies to this thread haha.
    dklibert wrote: »
    dklibert wrote: »
    I don't own one but Hot Logic is a lunch bag you can plug in and warm a meal prep container.

    I found the video I saw about the Hot Logic. The Fit Couple Cooks does tons of meal prep and they recommend it.
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=6bfmefjupu4

    This looks amazing! I'll have to look bit further in to this!
    ritzvin wrote: »
    Nussbary wrote: »
    you can pick up old microwaves for cheap. bring in your own and put it under your desk, then you've solved the bigger problem! in parallel, explore meal prepping this works for me.

    While I did suggest buying a microwave if allowed, I'm gonna suggest NOT doing this without asking first. Microwaves are huge power draws, and you could risk blowing a fuse/tripping a breaker (especially if any other employees are using electric heaters on the same breaker).

    We've already tried to get a microwave in our office but apparently some people have complained it would make the office smell!! We have an open plan office so no separate kitchen room or anything. Such is my luck...
    Queenmunchy wrote: »
    I pack leftovers in a thermos for my child. Stays hot until lunch.

    I genuinely never considered using a thermos for anything other than tea or soup - this is a great tip!

    Thank you everyone :)
  • anniee1
    anniee1 Posts: 17 Member
    I make soups in bulk. Most freeze really well. Then heat a potion in the morning and use a flask. I don’t like eating bread in the middle of the day so avoid sandwiches and now in the UK it’s getting colder I want something more than a salad. Plus soups can be so diverse, always lots of flavors and you can hide extra veg in them :)
  • victorious55
    victorious55 Posts: 3,527 Member
    edited October 2017
    The portable slow cooker or Hot Logic is your answer. You may be limited by the size of the portable slow cooker. I find the size a little too limiting for some of my meal. I will be replacing it by the Hot Logic.
    I use the Thermos (may have to look for the right size) for my kids. Warm the food to a safe point and it is still a bit warm they are ready to eat.
  • aganey
    aganey Posts: 501 Member
    Make some shrimp wraps! Boil some shrimp in some water with spices you like and bring with you in a Tupperware along with whole wheat tortillas, spinach leaves, tomato slices, a little sprinkle cheese and a tiny bit of ranch. Shrimp is so good cold. Especially done up in a wrap!
  • aganey
    aganey Posts: 501 Member
    I like to keep ready made bacon handy to it n them too but they require a microwave :(
  • trcrane
    trcrane Posts: 5 Member
    check out Bento Box lunches - lot's of options.
  • LauraTzu
    LauraTzu Posts: 2 Member
    I have the hotlogic minis. They're wonderful. I've been doing the meal prep, so, I just put my lunch container in the morning when I'm leaving the house and the hot logic bag acts as a 'cooler' until I'm ready to heat my lunch. Just plug it in about an hour before I'm ready to eat, and the food is hot & yummy. I plug it in in my office - there is no smell with lidded containers. If you go to the hotlogicmini website, and use the code 'fitcouplecooks' at check out, you save 20%. To me, they're worth it - and cheaper than a microwave.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    where are you based? There are laws in the UK regarding workplaces and what they should be providing, which includes a means to heat food. The only time I notice smells from a microwave are when fish or curries are heated in there.

    heating leftovers in the morning and taking in a thermos is a good one - there are a number of wide-mouthed thermos flasks you can get hold of. Not all insulated flasks are equal, it's worth spending the money on a proper Thermos or Stanley flask (speaking as someone who has gone through many many varieties....)

    I'm not a sandwich fan myself, so leftovers, salads of myriad concoction, rice-based dishes etc are all good. I often make a 'base' of a vegetable rice or salad to last a week then mix and match with the protein element so as not to get bored. I tend to steer away from just the remains of yesterday's dinner, just because the same meal twice in a row can be dull.
  • Steff46
    Steff46 Posts: 516 Member
    I like to keep canned food at my desk. My favorite is mixing a can of chicken with a can of Rotel. Most canned items don't need heating up. I also keep peanut butter to eat with cut up veggies.
  • iwannagofast8231
    iwannagofast8231 Posts: 1 Member
    Try planning dinners that you can use leftovers for lunch. Hot dinner ingredients that make good cold salads.
  • myfitnesspalsophie
    myfitnesspalsophie Posts: 79 Member
    You can buy heated electric lunch boxes
  • Tried30UserNames
    Tried30UserNames Posts: 561 Member
    Like some others on here, I am a fan of the Thermos for keeping lunch hot. I often eat dinner leftovers for lunch the next day.

    Here are two links to some tasty lunch ideas and recipes. Don't discount the website - the recipes are tasty. The first link is cold lunches. The second is mason jars you add hot water to.

    https://goop.com/food/recipes/easy-packable-work-lunches-2/

    https://goop.com/food/recipes/ingenious-noodle-pot-lunch-recipes/
  • LPintheCity
    LPintheCity Posts: 26 Member
    My go-to work lunches are my signature squash-bowls. My coworkers are always surprised when I tell them the delicious aroma from my tupperware containers are just days-old leftovers. You can use this general recipe with any squash, vegetables, and protein and I guarantee it'll change the way you think about work lunches! Simply cook an entire squash for dinner one night and use the leftovers for lunch the next day. Personally, I think it tastes best the next day cold or room temp.

    Slice your preferred squash (acorn, butternut, or spaghetti) in half. Rub with olive oil, garlic cloves, and S&P
    Bake at about 375 for 45 minutes.
    Sauté your favorite greens (my favorite combo is green beans and peppers for butternut squash)
    Mix and smother with your favorite toppings: dried cranberries, nuts, vinaigrette, sun-dried tomatoes, whatever!

    Using squash as your base is great because they absorb such great flavors. They also compliment almost any cuisine. So whether you're in the mood for Asian, Mexican, or Italian, there are endless veggie/spice pairings you can use while avoiding high calorie starches like rice, tortillas, and pasta. I hope this helps!!!
  • shannonprovenzano2812
    shannonprovenzano2812 Posts: 60 Member
    edited January 2018
    I bring breakfast AND lunch everyday and don't microwave, but I do tend to eat "light" throughout the day and eat my biggest meal after work (for dinner). I have a lunch box and it keeps my stuff cold through the day as long as I use two ice packs. This is usually what I have in my lunchbox:

    Breakfast: A container filled with cereal (usually multigrain cheerios) and 2% milk in a different, smaller container so that the cereal doesn't get soggy. I also pack a banana.

    Lunch: Usually tuna or deli ham/turkey (not on bread, just out of the container) with a string cheese and apple. I've also done chicken in place of the tuna/ham/turkey. I don't mind chicken cold so as long as it's cooked I'll eat it right from the container the next day.

    Snack: A clementine and some cut up strawberries.

    I also bring coffee and green tea with me! Also, I used to love bringing apples and dipping them in peanut butter!
  • danrhess
    danrhess Posts: 7 Member
    The only thing I hate more than deciding what to eat for lunch at work is prepping it. Which is exactly why I prep it 2 weeks out in little baggies.

    1 cheese stick
    1 carrots serving
    1 banana
    1 peanuts serving
    1 granola bar
  • r3488
    r3488 Posts: 77 Member
    I love my Hot Logic Mini (as others have suggested). Down side, you have to remember to plug it in at least an hour before you want hot food. Up sides, you don't have to eat it right away when the hour is up (it will keep for several hours) and the food tastes better than microwaved (at least to me--maybe that's just a placebo effect). If you decide to get one, you MUST have containers with lids that seal well. Also, the foods need moisture. Sauce-based foods like sloppy joes and BBQ shredded chicken reheat well. When I use the Hot Logic to reheat non-sauce based foods like pan seared, oven roasted chicken tenderloins, I put the chicken in one side of a 2 compartment meal prep container with water in the other compartment. (It's still not as good as fresh made, but it's the best way to reheat chicken that I've found so far.)
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    DellyC93 wrote: »
    Hi!

    I'm hoping I can get some inspiration from everyone on here. I am looking to get some nutritious lunch ideas that are not sandwiches as I'm not a big bread eater. I've been eating salads so far but they of course get boring real quick!

    My workplace only has a kettle - no microwave *groan*. So I can't even re-heat last nights stir frys etc!

    Does anyone have any ideas or tips they can share? :)

    Much appreciated!!

    Look up bento boxes. They are generally meant to be eaten at room temperature.
    Expand your salad repertoire. Pasta, potato, beans, quinoa, rice, meats, egg, cottage cheese, fruit, nuts could all be different types or additions. https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10270725/things-to-go-in-salads/p1
    Oatmeal, muffins
    Hummus and veggies
    7 layer dip
    Lettuce wraps

    https://kalynskitchen.com/90-healthy-no-heat-lunches-for-work/
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