Prepping all lunches for the week at the weekend…?

[Knobblybobbly]

Hiya!

I work full time and I’m phenomenally bad at remembering to take a packed lunch to work. I always end up using the vending machine which is ridiculous as I’m trying to save money.

So many internet articles saying to simply prepare all your lunches on a Sunday. However, most fresh food tends to only stay fresh for 3 days in the fridge. So how is this actually possible?? Do you just have to re-prep on a weds eve for Thursday and Friday?

How do you prep lunches for the week?

Depends what you're making surely, but you can always freeze things and defrost for the end of the week rather than just refrigerating the lot. It's generally a good idea to freeze some anyway if you're doing regular batch cooking, that way after a while you can mix it up a bit and you're not having to eat the same meal all week!

I suppose if you keep forgetting to take it with you it doesn’t matter when you’ve prepared it.

Oh I’d remember to take a prepared packed lunch I think. It’s more that I forget to prepare one in the first place.

Yes I can see thing lasting three days but not beyond.
So either re prep on a weds night or take something really simple requiring no effort for Thursday Friday. Cheese and crackers springs to mind. I’ve heard of people freezing sandwiches for the week but it’s never appealed. Probably because I don’t particularly like sandwiches and if I do have them I like them with lots of salady fillings.
If it’s a money saving thing, even chucking a bag of apples, multipack of crisps, cereal bars etc and 6 pack of water in your car boot would reduce down your spends. Same with tins of soup.

I used to prep my lunches (before WFH) and would usually prepare sandwiches and/or some sort of salad on a Sunday evening to cover Monday to Wednesday (kept okay in the fridge) and then take in a flask of soup (minimal prep, would leave flask and soup tin sitting out on the kitchen counter the night before so I didn't forget in the morning) for lunch on Thursdays and Fridays. Would that work for you?

Do you have facilities at work to heat food up? If you do you could freeze and then microwave/ heat up

You can freeze sandwiches...
Just saying!

My mum used to freeze sandwiches and they were gross. Don't do it.

I agree with a pp - if you’re spending loads then even a bag of apples and pack of cereal bars in the car will make a difference. Can you do something other than sandwiches, if that’s the stumbling block? Or pre-make sandwiches for Mon and Tues, have something like pasta and sauce on Weds and Thurs, and crackers with cheese on Friday?

I make up salad jars in bulk and they stay fresh for 5 days. Put your dressing at the bottom of the jar and then your firmer veg and then salad leaves at the very top. When you go to eat them just shake the jar well and the dressing will disperse. If you add things like meat, fish, tofu, lentils etc then do this at the bottom just after your dressing, then pop all your veg on top

I usually do a prep for Monday-Thursday, from Sunday evening it’s only three and a half days in the fridge to Thursday lunchtime so it’s fine.
Then it’s fat friday, and you get a chippy

I used to keep cans of healthy soup and packaged crackers at work or in my car to eat on the days when I was either too lazy or forgot my lunch. If you have access to a fridge, then babybell or other cheese is good also.

Keeping a can of tina at work to mix with a salad from home was another idea.

Do you have fridge space at work? If so just take a couple of sandwich fillers & some bread in on a Monday and make your lunch at work. Alternatively a block of cheese & some crackers is a quick no-prep lunch

My work is ad hoc, so I often get a phone call at 8am. I often don't know what catering facilities will be available. I keep a box in the car with oat cakes, cereal bars, crisps, emergency chocolate, pouches of microwavable rice, cup a soups, tins of soup and bottled water. At least if I break down, I won't go hungry or thirsty!
In the fridge i always have those small tubs of philadelphia and mini portions of cheese. Sometimes I hard boil 2 or 3 eggs and leave them in their shell in the fridge. When I get a last minute call, I can put fruit, yoghurt and a 'topping' for my oatcakes in a lunch box and dance out the door.
I make DC packed lunches for school every day, but I hate sandwiches and making my own packed lunch!

I would make something on Sunday like roast veg with couscous/ pasta. That would easily last 3 days in fridge. Eat cold or warm up at work. Add anything like salad or cheese quickly that morning.

I used to prep lunch for the next day whilst making dinner. So in a salad if I was chopping red onion to go in my dinner I would scatter a little in to my salad. It feels less of a chore doing it this way. I tended to make two days lunches at a time or take left overs.

Great q op and something I’ve always struggled to picture (frozen sandwiches don’t appeal.
Oatcakes which come in packs of 4 or 6 with sliced cheese and an apple etc
Also some kind of felafel/corn and chilli cakes/cheese or veg muffins etc wouldn’t take long could be made in bulk and frozen.
When I had more time (and perhaps love😂) I used to make dp potato cheese and brocollinpasties and freeze them) by lunch time they were room temp and adored apparently. Had a morning every month or so when I’d make loads (used ready made pastry) and freeze.
You’ve got me thinking and you may just have got me doing this again !

Do you have a microwave at work? I buy aldi rice packets and a tin of corn for lunch. A quid a day.

You can freeze sandwiches - smoked salmon and cream cheese, tuna Mayo etc, then just add some salad to a little box to augment the sandwich. Pasta salad is good too, just cook a bit more when you’re having it for supper, wraps are quick. Or heated up leftovers in a thermos. There are lots of options that don’t need massive preparation time, but you do need to be organised either the night before, at the weekend or first thing in the morning.

daysandcogs is there a type of bread which survives the freezing (and filling) better? I’m assuming something robust ? I freeze bread all the time but never a filled sandwich.

To do a packed lunch is a quick 5 minute job why mess about

I sometimes take a tin of baked beans and sausages to microwave at work

Dp takes leftovers, I deliberately cook extra of suitable meals

I actually often have an instant oatmeal with maybe fruit added or at least cinnamon. My old work desk had so many condiments and spices and a lime squeezer and serated knife for various things and small bottle of olive oil etc etc etc.

@HeronLanyon

daysandcogs is there a type of bread which survives the freezing (and filling) better? I’m assuming something robust ? I freeze bread all the time but never a filled sandwich.

I buy sliced bread, thick worked better, but I prefer a filled bread roll!