Make ahead packed lunch ideas

[Monr0e]

I'm trying to get organised and eat better and the one area I seem to fall down on is lunch times.

I'm either on placement or in uni and end up grabbing something cheap and unhealthy.

So I'm looking for ideas for healthy packed lunches that I can prepare ahead or throw together easily. I don't eat red meat but eat pretty much everything else. Thank you

[lastqueenofscotland]

Do you have a microwave you can use? I just make an extra portion of my dinner

[Monr0e]

There is a microwave at work so I do sometimes do that but not when I'm in uni.

I want to start planning better and having things in to prepare a nice lunch I can look forward to. I usually end up with a really basic salad of lettuce tomato and cucumber or buying chips in the restaurant because they're cheap!

[lastqueenofscotland]

Some easy stuff to do would
Be to fry up a load of hallumi one day and have hallumi and felafel wraps

Pasta can be eaten cold
Pita and hummous

[Monr0e]

Thanks gabbiemom but the packed lunches are for me rather th a a toddler!

[Weedsnseeds1]

If you eat chicken, try roasting a whole one. Use straight away for evening meal.
Then use Leftovers for chicken salad, mixed with pasta, lentils, rice, in a wrap etc.
Noodles are nice cold with Asian style additions - soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, corriander, crushed peanuts, chilli etc.
Make a batch of frittata, rice slices, quiche etc. and freeze inpprtiins. Can add straight to your box in the morning and defrosted by lunch.
I use a bento style box with compartments sometimes so you can have a portion of fruit/ veg, meat/ fish/protein and a carb of some sort. You can also pack in tiny portions of leftovers and it looks pretty!
Kinipira - julienned crispy veg like carrot, broccoli stalk, parsnip etc. cooked with a bit if soy sauce, sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Furikake is Japanese rice seasoning to pep up cold rice - lots of recipes to make your own
Mini chicken wings in sauce.
Make little kebabs with veg and protein with a dipping sauce.

[Weedsnseeds1]

Indian style stuffed paratha bread and portion of Dal. Both easy to make ahead and freeze.
Hummus with veg sticks / crackers / bread sticks.
Soup in a flask with portion of bread.
You can put wet hot food in a wide neck flask too - chilli, curry, baked beans, stew etc.
Make a very thin omelette, cool, the roll up with cream cheese, ham whatever you fancy, slice into pin wheels and fridge overnight.

[Monr0e]

Some great ideas, Thank you

[Weedsnseeds1]

This is a Halloween lunch I made for OH.
He commented that he liked the "pointy things" but failed to recognise the theme.

[Weedsnseeds1]

It was curried pumpkin and coconut fritters, roasted pumpkin hummus, sesame noodles, carrot dippers and a cheese slice and seaweed haunted house. They aren't normally this elaborate and based on the Luke warm comment, probably won't be again!

[BeachyUmbrella]

Make up cous cous and make your salad box a bit bulkier....
We used to do half a pack of the ready flavoured cous cous, lettuce, cucumber, spring onion, chopped ham or chicken, raw red pepper and sometimes cold new potatoes.... in a box, dressing on and shake the box, remember to take a fork!

[Fluffycloudland77]

If you make the kidney bean burgers on jack monroes website, add smoked paprika for extra taste and shove it in half a pitta bread with salad. It travels well and is really filling.

You can cook dried kidney beans really cheaply in a slow cooker and freeze in small portions. It works out a bit cheaper than canned.

[gabbiemom]

Omg! I am laughing real hard now. Guess packing lunches for my toddler has taken such a toll on me that I see it and read about it everywhere :D
Anyway, sorry for sharing the wrong info! BTW, a salad box with a fruit by the side is something I often take as lunch! Salads like Kale and Spinach with a topping of egg and a fruit by the side can be a great, wholesome lunch idea! You can prepare these in advance and refrigerate over the weekend.

[Monr0e]

It's ok, I appreciated the response!

[foodiemama26]

Roasted veg pasta is good and lasts a few days in the fridge so you can cook once but have a few lunches done. Baked omelette is good with and spare meat/veggies thrown in and again lasts a couple of days. Couscous/bulghar wheat salads are really inexpensive and filling.