Good cheap lunch’s I can bring to work?
MiloAlborn
Posts: 3 Member
in Recipes
I kinda live paycheck to paycheck so I need cheap options for food if anyone could help me out
0
Best Answers
-
MiloAlborn wrote: »I kinda live paycheck to paycheck so I need cheap options for food if anyone could help me out
Do you live near a Dollar Tree in US? Some good options there. But below I'll put together some cheap 1 pot meals.1 -
My cheapest lunch strategy? Tupperware containers. Store leftover dinner, eat again within a week as lunch.
- No money needed, as the food would've just gone to waste in the trash can anyway.
- Plus, if I measure out a portion of dinner as a lunch, sometimes it means I eat less at dinnertime unconsciously, which depending on your goals may be a good thing.
- I can pair leftover lunches with planned dinners. Will dinner be high-calorie? Choose a low-calorie leftover for lunch. Will dinner be low-protein? Choose a high-protein leftover for lunch.
5 -
Dry pinto beans are cheaper than canned. Can be eaten alone or put in other recipes. $1.98 for 2 pounds. Or 1 pound for a $1.
Stand alone.
Rinse 1 pound of beans. Remove rocks.
Soak in warm water over night.
Rinse again.
Put in crock pot
1pd beans
Fill with water. Cover beansxwith water. Leave about 1.5 inch of warm water over the
beans.
Add 1.5 teaspoon of salt
Add 1 tablespoon of bacon fat or. Lard.
0.25 teaspoon black pepper
Cook 8 hours on low or 5 hours on high. In the last hour...smash a few beans againt side of pot. It will make soup richer.
Get a $1 biscuit pack...Dry mix from Dollar tree. Mix with water. Bake.
Makes 5 cups of beans and about 15 biscuits. It can make multiple meals.
You can serve with just biscuits.
You can serve with rice as well.
For less than $5...you can eat about 5 to 6 meals.
Get bored? Add some diced jalapeño to the beans.
Get an 80 cent box of jiffy corn bread.
,........
Eggs at Aldis is under 2 dollars.
Get cheaper white bread loaf. Eggs and toast...low cost for 6 to 8 meals.
,.......
Instant mashed potatoes
Add black pepper and salt.
Get gravy dry pack.
About $2 50 total. Mashed potato and gravy.
For a dollar more Add biscuit mix.
........
If you have a Dollar Tree...you can get canned chicken or tuna. Get a box of crackers.
Less than $ 3.
Pick up pickles and mayo. Make chicken salad. Canned chicken. Chopped pickles. Add mayo. Mixed. Eat with crackers.
Low cost protein.7 -
Pbj, grilled cheese are good cold. Tuna. Deviled eggs.
If you have a microwave, soup.
Cheap and good. Chicken or any leftover meat in a tortilla. Fold it over like a taco with just enough cheese inside to glue it together. Make a bunch. Fry them just until pretty brown. Freeze them. Grab 2 or 3 on the way out the door. Should be thawed and ready for a quick nuke by lunch time.6 -
IF you don't want to use the leftovers or make any of the meals I listed, here are some grab and go cheap stuff from Dollar Tree.
DOLLAR TREE
If you go to the store, you can buy the individual packs for $1.25 each. Online it makes you buy a case--which no one wants. I hope you have a Dollar Tree near by.
Ramen Noodles $1.25 for 1 pack of 5.
Pink Salmon Packs--$1.25
Premade Chicken Salad with Crackers ready to go--$1.25
Nissin Teriyaki Beef-Flavored Original Chow Mein Meals, 4 oz. $1.25
Lemon Pepper Tuna Salad
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Microwavable Pot Pie $1.25 Each
WALMART
BIG BURRITO Beef or Chicken $1.27 EACH
Deli Express Smoked Ham & Cheese Sandwich Wedge $2.69 contains 2 halves a sandwich. YOu could squeeze 2 meals out of it.
Tyson Fully Cooked and Breaded Spicy Chicken Patties, 1.62 lb Bag (Frozen)
10 SPICY PATTIES. You could pre-cook and take it to work with a side of something. $6.97 a bag.
Banquet Chicken Pot Pie $1.18 Each
Michelina's Frozen dinners are $1.34 Each but honestly they aren't that good.
Banquet Spaghetti and Meatballs frozen meal-- $1.68.
KROGER
KROGER FROZEN FRENCH BREAD PIZZA $1.50 EACH
Kroger® Skillet Meals Beef Pasta $1.39. Make night before. Take in Tupperware.
Micheline's Frozen Dinners.
Canned chopped chicken $1.69
Kroger Eggs $1.39 to $1.69 1 dozen
2
Answers
-
I pretty much do leftovers from the previous evening or two or sandwiches.1
-
Cheap vs. Easy vs. Delicious--- best to have all 3 in one go so that you never have to buy a lunch.
I'm going to resound what everyone else has said --- leftovers are #1.
If you don't want leftovers, we often have yoghurt (buy a big tub & put into re-usable containers for every day of the week in the fridge) and add granola at time of eating.
Looking forward to reading more of other people's suggestions.1 -
I note that the portion cost goes way down when you buy raw ingredients in bulk and freeze extra portions. It's even cheaper than the Dollar Store suggestions above. But, this assumes you have access to cooking equipment, which isn't always the case. I pray that you do!5
-
Let's assume you do not have access to a microwave or a refrigerator at work, but do at home, and what you really want are cheap, easy, and convenient lunches -- but also healthy.
*Peanut butter and (anything, in moderation) sandwich and an apple.
*Thermos of hot soup, especially if it's homemade and has vegetables in it. Five saltine crackers, or six Triscuits.
*Single-serving Greek yogurt and some baby carrots. Greek yogurt has high protein bang for the buck, and if you get the sugar-free kind it will probably be under 100 calories. Also, it's satiating. Add a pack of sandwich crackers (cheaper by the big pack at a grocery store). Please, if you're on a budget, buy groceries, not vending machine food.
*A cheese stick, half a package of the cheap lunchmeat (like Buddig's 2.5 ounce packs, but only if you're not worried about sodium), and two slices of bread. Maybe add a York peppermint patty for delight.
*A huge healthy tossed salad, but leave off the croutons and minimize cheese. If you must add dressing, then have a separate tiny container of it, and dip your bites individually. Single serving of crackers of your choice. By all means, add 2-4 ounces of a lean protein if you have it.
*At home, sauté some boneless chicken slices or other lean meat, season to your liking, and draw from it for sandwiches or salads through the week. I like pork tenderloin, too. Limit the fat and salt.
*Also, make soup with lot of vegetables at home.
*At home, microwave some sweet potatoes to grab and go. They are okay at room temperature, but better hot, and so good you really don't absolutely have to add butter or, well, anything. I eat them hot for breakfast, out of hand, as car food.
*Two boiled eggs, four ounces of something veggie, four ounces of something fruity. And a tiny piece of cake or something that makes you feel happy.
*Nature Valley protein bars make me happy. I watch for coupons and sales, and buy them in bulk at my warehouse store, where I can still, with a coupon, get them for about fifty cents each. I'm not saying go out and buy the ones that cost over a dollar each. A protein bar and some yogurt get me through.
Things like yogurt and salad will be okay in a lunch pack at room temperature for a few hours, really, but you could throw in an icepack if you are nervous.
**If it happens that you do have a refrigerator/freezer and microwave at work, buy some frozen vegetables. You can eat a whole 12-ounce bag of most broccoli mixes for about a hundred calories. I eat half a bag and that much microwaves perfectly in three minutes. Add protein if you have it, a side of yogurt if you don't have meat. You've had lunch for less than two dollars if you bought store brands.
4 -
Homemade burritos. Meat is usually the most expensive ingredient of any meal. Delish Knowledge websites has a vegan lentil taco. I'm far from vegan but the way that recipe makes lentils is delicious and makes a cheap burrito filling.
Burritos with dry beans you cooked are also filling, affordable, and portable.
Potatoes are very economical. Make a big pot of chili, heavy on beans, light on meat with a baked potato (I like mine with salsa) is very affordable. But might require you to have a microwave to reheat.
Unfortunately eating economical often means eating the same thing all week.0 -
I used to make Hummus, and a cucumber, cherry tomato and red onion salad w Greek style dressing and feta on a pita. Can add a little romaine if you have it, but not necessary. Keeps well in the fridge and much cheaper to make a big batch of your own hummus with chickpeas for the week. I don’t want the veggies to get soggy so I mostly chop/add them with the dressing while packing my lunch container for the day.
It’s also light enough that I don’t feel foggy from a heavy lunch. Feta can be expensive, but I’ve gotten it at Costco so it’s not so bad there. Maybe switch to a regular cheese stick
If you prefer.
0 -
Homemade guac- avocado, tomato, chopped onion, jalapeno, squeeze of lime or lemon (whichever is handy), salt, tajin seasoning, garlic (powder or minced works) *Keep refrigerated/with cold pack in sealed container with plastic wrap pressed against the top of the guac to minimize browning*
Tuna salad- canned tuna, mayo, squeeze of lemon, chopped onion, chopped pickle, splash of pickle juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper *Eat as sandwich, with crackers, or over bed of baby spinach*
Pasta salad- pasta, mayo, squeeze of lemon, tomato, spinach, chopped onion, chopped broccoli, garlic, salt, pepper, italian seasoning
Protein "snack plate"- hummus, broccoli, crackers, boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, cheap lunch meat, string cheese
Overnight oats with Greek yogurt- oats, greek yogurt, milk, fruit of choice, cinnamon, touch of brown sugar
Greek yogurt mixed with ranch seasoning and served with veggies for dipping
Pita stuffed with hummus, sliced lunchmeat, lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, cheese, and Italian dressing (cheap works just fine)
My guess is that you're seeking HEALTHY options that are also tasty, so these are what I came up with 🙂
0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.2K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 421 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions