Quick (and cheap) lunch ideas, or make ahead lunch ideas

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SweetChilly
SweetChilly Posts: 51 Member
in Recipes
I'm realizing that the reason I am the way I am, is that I hardly pack any lunches (haven't since high school 10 years ago) to work. I just jump in the car and go pick something up most of the time, or I go home and eat leftovers (if I have any) or microwave something (most of the time not good for ya).

I'd like to get back into the habit of packing my own lunch, but since I'm a student and on a very tight budget, grocery shopping to me seems next to impossible (looking at over $100 per trip for food that only lasts about 3 days in my house). It adds up. Any suggestions on what I can make?

Oh also, any tips on how to make packing lunches easier?

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  • XiaoRuRu
    XiaoRuRu Posts: 83
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    bump

    Walmart does have great ready packed salads with dressing in them. Great part: Calories in big bold numbers right on the top and the count includes the dressing. Really good option for light eaters, but salad is never enough for me.
  • adrianneboyd
    adrianneboyd Posts: 88 Member
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    Try buying health choice frozen meals at the store and using those...they are really low in calories and fat and fill you up well for lunch time!

    Or you can always try making your lunch before you go to bed at night. That's what I do so that I keep myself from going out at lunch!
  • HoopFire5602
    HoopFire5602 Posts: 423 Member
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    Green giant valley fresh steamers (in the frozen veggie aisle) and flavored tuna or salmon pouches. Just aovid the ones that have extra crazy sauces and what not. (My fav is the rosemary roasted potatoes and green beans) I eat them every day for lunch and love them.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    How many people are you feeding in your house for $100 every 3 days? We have 4 and a dog and 3 of the humans are male and we don't spend that much. We also spend most of our money on food that is not pre-packaged (large bags of rice, chicken, beef, fish, fresh and frozen fruits and veggies). What do you buy?
  • natesmomma76
    natesmomma76 Posts: 1 Member
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    One thing that helps me is to make extra of whatever we have for dinner. When dinner is done, package it in serving size containers to grab and go. Also, prep your fruits and veggies in serving size bags for easy lunches. Measure out salad dressings and put them in small containers. Anything you do ahead of time is going to make it easier to get out the door with lunch and it is a heck of a lot cheaper and better for you than eating out or the microwave junk.
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
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    Chicken breast and tuna. I buy a big bag of chicken breasts and Foreman grill them up and freeze them for the week. A bag costs like $9 and you can probably get enough for 1-2 weeks out of it depending on how much you eat. Usually I'll eat that with a big salad. If I don't feel like that, I have cans of tuna on hand which I eat with whole grain crackers or Triscuits. I'll eat a frozen Healthy Choice if it's my last option (like today since I have no groceries at home).
  • SuperKatie
    SuperKatie Posts: 94 Member
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    Try thinking about how much money you are wasting eating out/week. I added it up and it was over $50 just for lunches! If you subtract that from your grocery bill you are spending only about $50/week on other food. . .

    My suggestion is to buy more frozen veggies or canned beans when they are on sale. You can also buy bread and freeze it.

    I like lunches with a bunch of different things in them. Apple. Carrots. Sliced bell pepper. Lunch meat that I wrap around a slice of avcocado and then wrap that with lettuce (I'm GF). You can also make sandwiches on the 100 calorie whole grain bread. It's really yummy! For dipping your veggies you can use hummus (you can make yourself if you're up for it) or like my wife, she dips things with fruit yogurt.

    Good luck! Packing lunches has saved me so much money.
  • chubbychristianchick
    chubbychristianchick Posts: 217 Member
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    Usually what I do is set aside 3-4hrs on Sat or Sun to cook... I work long hours... I have a two hour commute... I'm heavily involved in the church... and I'm a gym rat.... in other words I'm never home... So I make a list as to what I want to make, what ingredients I need, and how long it will take to cook... I go to the store make all of my purchases... Mostly whole foods, fresh or frozen veggies, bulk grains, chicken, fish, eggs, and occasionally beef. I come home and I start cooking... I make several meals and variation on meals... I let everything cool and I put it in large containers in the fridge.. I prepackage all my snacks for the week and most of my lunches... This makes my house grab and go... or heat and eat... so much easier! and you can save a lot of money if you plan out your meals.
  • beliefaction
    beliefaction Posts: 1
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    Campbell's V8 Squash Soup and a few crackers (+/- peanut butter) = very yummy.
  • Breckgirl
    Breckgirl Posts: 606 Member
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    Usually what I do is set aside 3-4hrs on Sat or Sun to cook... I work long hours... I have a two hour commute... I'm heavily involved in the church... and I'm a gym rat.... in other words I'm never home... So I make a list as to what I want to make, what ingredients I need, and how long it will take to cook... I go to the store make all of my purchases... Mostly whole foods, fresh or frozen veggies, bulk grains, chicken, fish, eggs, and occasionally beef. I come home and I start cooking... I make several meals and variation on meals... I let everything cool and I put it in large containers in the fridge.. I prepackage all my snacks for the week and most of my lunches... This makes my house grab and go... or heat and eat... so much easier! and you can save a lot of money if you plan out your meals.
    [/quote

    Going along with this I too am never home. I am a fulltime student and work full time. I cook for the week on my dayoff and pack things in single serving containers (freeze when called for). I also boil a dozen eggs and make deviled eggs. they are 77 cal per egg and a good source of protein. I just put two halves together, yokes together, and put two in a snack size plastic bag. This way I can grab a bag of eggs, add a 40 cal hot dog, some red pepper hummus and some Trader Joe's pretzel thins and I have a great lunch with no prep time to speak of!
  • Tampamichele
    Tampamichele Posts: 2
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    One of my favorite (and portable) lunches is a La Tortilla whole wheat original tortilla spread with some hummus or homemade guacamole. Add 2 oz Boarshead Blazing Buffalo Chicken Breast, 1 slice of sharp provolone cheese (thin), some shredded lettuce and any other veggies I like (shredded carrots, julienned raw red peppers, etc...) I just roll it up and wrap it in foil. I also like to have a cup of Progresso low sodium soup or a small tossed salad with balsamic vinegar and a touch of olive oil. The amount of protein and fiber you get from the tortilla, chicken, provolone and guacamole or hummus keeps me very satisfied until dinner. The tortilla made with 3 oz. blaze. buff chicken, provolone, shredded lettuce & homemade guacamole: 350 calories, 9 grams of fiber and 33 grams of protein. So, you can have a weeks worth of lunches for not too much $$ and without blowing your nutrition. Btw, if you're watching your sodium, you can get the low sodium provolone...the blazing buffalo chicken breast is not too bad.
  • SweetChilly
    SweetChilly Posts: 51 Member
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    Hey thanks for all of the advice!

    Maybe I was exaggerating... I send more like $100 weekly on food, but it never seems to last long. I'm starting to get used to buying in bulk.. I love the idea of buying a bunch of chicken breasts and frying them up/freezing them.. I'll give that a try!

    Plus I love hummus, avocado etc... the bf doesn't.

    It's also frustrating since my bf tends to eat lots (he's over 6 ft tall) and a big build kinda of guy, but I'm always the one who buys the groceries.... since he's more keen to eating out. And he works full time... I'm a student.. figure that one out lol

    I'm gonna make a big grocery list for sure... I get paid on friday so yay! Thanks everyone!
  • SweetChilly
    SweetChilly Posts: 51 Member
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    Most of the stuff we buy are packaged... Things tend to go bad in our fridge, as I forget it's even there sometimes.
  • Mynue_Jeens
    Mynue_Jeens Posts: 98 Member
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    I had this this morning. You can prepare everything ahead of time and then take it on the go in a sandwich or wrap. (I used a 100 cal wheat wrap)

    california-sandwich-8-570x372.jpg

    The recipe is here -> http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/16580?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ezrapoundcake+(Ezra+Pound+Cake)

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