Easy work “fridge” lunches?

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tamber93
tamber93 Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I never have time in the mornings to make my lunch before work. What are some ideas for easy plan-ahead healthy lunches that I can stick in the fridge at work? Thanks for any tips!

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  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
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    My lunches are easy, I have almond milk w/2 scoops of whey and 2 sandwiches of peanut butter with banana. The other lunch recipe I make for work is mixing tuna with Mayo, I put a Kraft slice cheese on it, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds (enough to slightly melt the cheese) and then put in in my 2 sandwiches. I drink with that a cup of orange juice and on the side I have raisins with peanuts.

    I am bulking, so these are high caloric meals, but you can cut your portions or just find creative ways like making something out of greek yogurt for example or cottage cheese.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    I put a couple bags of lettuce in there, my hot sauce, and bring a protein or put a frozen lean cuisine over the lettuce.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
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    An apple, an ounce of cheese, cherry tomatoes and sliced cucumbers, a container of yogurt, boiled eggs, slices of turkey or ham, leftovers in a Tupperware container, all in a lunch bag you fill up the night before. Next to the refrigerator, have a protein or granola bar, or a little plastic bag of crackers, to add to your sack before you head out the door for work. (Be sure to put your name on your bag. I am not kidding, one of my bosses at work would actually steal his employees' most tasty items from lunch bags in the fridge.)
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
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    I usually just pack my lunch up the night before. I know if I have food sitting around at work I would be more likely to eat more than I should.

    If I was going to bring food for the week to work I would probable bring mostly things I can keep in a desk drawer, maybe a few items for the fridge/freezer:
    -yogurt
    -some frozen dinners (maybe lean pockets?)
    -canned soup/canned chili
    -tasty bite madras lentils
    -oatmeal packets (the ones you just add hot water)
    -protein bars
    -applesauce cups or fruit cups
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    i take leftovers from dinner, most often.
  • BigRed2525
    BigRed2525 Posts: 45 Member
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    I usually do weekend meal prep so that I can have a hot, tasty meal that keeps me away from the snack bar. Fajitas bowls, Greek chicken pita bowls, turkey pesto meatballs, sheet pan chicken and veg roasts, etc. Pinterest has a ton of ideas.

    Then some weeks I say eff it and get a bagged salad and some frozen grilled chicken and eat off that.
  • ellefox70
    ellefox70 Posts: 58 Member
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    Big batch of soup done at the weekend works well for me in the cold weather.
  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
    edited January 2018
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    I like several Amy's frozen dinners, and I have one of those several times per week. Easy to grab as I'm running out the door. Sometimes on the weekend I'll prep a batch of soup or stew and bring that through the week. If I cook dinner the night before and there are leftovers I'll go ahead and portion out some for lunch so I can grab it in the morning. There is a Whole Foods right by my office, so occasionally I'll pick up some of their beef meatballs in tomato sauce from the hot bar and salad from the salad bar (dressing on the side), and I can make that last for a few days as well.

    I don't personally do this, but there are at least 2 people at my office that bring a bag of lettuce and other "fixings" for salad and eat that throughout the week.

    ETA: Canned soup, if you have any that you like, is also easy. You can keep a few cans at work and no need to worry about refrigeration. I'm a fan of several by Amy's, like the black bean chili and mushroom bisque.
  • mandawear84
    mandawear84 Posts: 7 Member
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    Ive been taking fruit and yogurt with granola on the side and mix it when i eat it. I know granola has a lot of calories but I measure it out and it's been my tasty daily treat. I also slice up a handful of veggies and lettuce and throw it in a container and the next day add it to a pita pocket. I'm not usually home for a regular dinner with my family so I don't have many leftovers - and I hate them.

    I also will take dry cereal and add milk later, lean cuisines, and sometimes the muscle milk drinks. I don't like meal prepping so everything I do needs to take me just a few minutes a day or I won't do it. If I had hard boiled eggs around i'd probably take those all the time. I also keep tuna packets at my desk and if I need mayo or a piece of bread I can just grab it here for a quick sandwich.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,250 Member
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    I pack my lunch the night before as I am cleaning up the kitchen from dinner. I also sometimes will do a weekend prep so that I have everything just ready to go and can grab it from the fridge. Both make it super easy to just grab my lunch in the morning and go, allowing me a little more sleep.
  • jamespatten3576
    jamespatten3576 Posts: 71 Member
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    On Sundays we'll boil up some eggs and cut veggies. Mostly celery and carrots and just put a handful in a sandwich bag. We keep the eggs bagged up in two's. Then in just just grab and go, bag of eggs, bag of vegs, and maybe an apple or banana. Sometimes I do a cup of cottage cheese instead of the eggs. If we didn't do it ahead of time I'd probably eat like crap during the week. I don't like to do anything during the work week.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    i made a batch of chilli, and a batch of chicken and spinach lentil soup yesterday afternoon that went into Tupperware in the freezer ready for lunches.

    that or i make a salad or sandwich the night before, then i just grab it and go on a morning.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,107 Member
    edited January 2018
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    My usual go to lunches are:
    • homemade soup (Spicy Carrot & Lentil, Broccoli & Blue Cheese, Roast Pepper & Courgette, Cauliflower & Cheddar) with a roll or mini naan bread
    • cold pasta - normally tuna & sweetcorn, feta & olive, devilled egg or chicken & pepper
    • Chicken, Quinoa & Lentils
    • Falafel Pittas
    • Mason Jar Salads (look up on Pinterest there are all sorts of combinations)
    • Occasionally I'll take in leftover curry/chilli from my other meal prep with an individual portion of microwave rice.

    I prep them on a Sunday ready for Mon-Fri so I can throw them in my thermos bag with a couple of pre-weighed snacks (popcorn, pickles, nuts, etc) some fruit for my weetabix (I keep a box at work) and a protein bar.

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