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?

I was inspired by all the food prep photos and tried this. The food was decidedly ropey by Friday I've given up with that and just do extra portions of dinner and take leftovers every day :)

I usually make 3 days worth of lunches on a Sunday. I find that after 3 days the food is not so fresh and appealing.

To get to the crux of the problem OP, stick an A4 sheet of paper somewhere where you will see it in the kitchen in the evening to remind yourself if you need to, or the modern version - set a reminder on your phoen.

And then just prepare a lunch for the next day as part of your evening routine . It will soon become automatic.

Defrosted sandwiches makes me think of prison food

I freeze soup, chilli, curry etc in small portions or save leftovers. I’m not a fan of sarnies.

I’ve previously made lunches on a Sunday and it’s always been fine for the whole week.
Now, I typically just double whatever we eat for dinner and then eat that for the next couple of days lunches. So on Monday we had a chicken curry and that was then my lunch Tuesday and Wednesday.

I bulk cook chilli and bolognese for my husband to take to work!

I have sometimes roasted off 4 chicken breasts and then popped one a day sliced with salad that I have put in a big tub. You can obviously make this less boring with a few additions.
You can freeze nice rolls and get those out the night before and Chuck sliced chicken in for the Thursday.
Have plenty of cut meats in and salad and you can do pasta salad in a big bowl or rice salad.
I would probably go 3 days with the above and then rolls or buy one day.

I have done salads before and they last but it has be robust like thick rocket or crunchy romaine. They have to be sealed in containers preferably without light and no soggy dressing. But I would still add what I want on top on the day e.g prawns, chicken.

Mostly though I go for the deli approach - have enough bits I can throw together in 5 mins the night before.

I occasionally cook double of something I love but I then tend to have a large helping and then also a little bit more later in the evening etc. It has been known fir the ‘lunch’ to have been eaten before midnight.
Hmmm

@omgthepain

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

@omgthepain I find they take much longer than 5 mins- maybe I make more elaborate lunches 🤣. Even a sandwich by the time you've sliced cheese etc and tidied away is more than 5 mins and that's without anything else.

OP like a PP I often roast veg on a Sunday and this does 3 days with couscous, I just add a handful of salad in the morning so that bit isn't soggy.
I also make a sweet potato and chicken pea curry which I freeze and then take in a flask to work

I used to do a work food shop with a colleague in my lunch break every couple of weeks multipack snacks, apples, oranges, stuff like flavoured cous cous and nuts and dried fruit to mix in. I've been WFH since March 2020 and my lunch diet is worse than ever :-(

Keep drinks, crisps type snacks, cereal bars, tinned tuna or similar, crackers all in your car then you’ve always got the basics.

Key to lunches is basically remembering to take them. So, I always leave the non fridge bits by my coffee machine, in the box ready. Eg apple, crisps whatever.

Then you want things from fridge you can grab. Small tuna salad, cheese sandwiches pasta, sandwiches. Salad & pasta lasts a while, salad just leave a balsamic vinegar at work, as it'll go soggy otherwise. Other things cheese and crackers; wraps, Oliver's & cured meats

I always make two extra portions of dinner and then out them in a microwavable container for the next day.

Lately I have had;

• sausages with onion gravy and mash
• quiche with salad
• cold cornish pasties with salad

-meatball pasta heated up in the office microwave