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Cold lunches for work

24 replies

Thekormachameleon · 10/09/2021 19:04

Boring I know but please share your easy, cold packed lunches for work

Recently started a new job and there is no food available and nowhere close enough to buy from so it's a packed lunch or nothing

I don't want to eat sandwiches every day so please give me some inspiration

Veggie ideally , thanks in advance

OP posts:
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 10/09/2021 19:08

Cous cous

Oatcakes, cheese, celery etc.

Get a food flask and take soup/leftover chilli etc?

Spanish omelette

Houmous and things to dip in it

FlamesEmbersAshes · 10/09/2021 19:12

I like to take some olives, cheese and pitta bread.

DelphiniumBlue · 10/09/2021 19:12

I sometimes have a spanish-type omlette, with potatoes, onions and spinach in it. I make it the night before and cut it into slices, and eat with a few tomatoes.
Am also fond of chickpea curry ( although it depends if you have an eating space - you might not be popular having it at your desk.)
I don't like cold pasta, but you could take it hot in a thermos flask.
You could make a salad, but add extras like olives, eggs, avocado etc to make it more filling. Is there no toaster or microwave so that you could heat something up?

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Bloodybridget · 10/09/2021 19:13

Slice of quiche and a container of salad.
Potato salad and a piece of cold chicken.
Pan bagnat

PurplePizzaCake · 10/09/2021 19:16

Falafel and houmous
Roasted veg, quinoa and feta salad

Ricekrispie22 · 10/09/2021 19:16

Pesto pasta with mozzarella pearls and cherry tomatoes
Falafel wrap
Couscous and feta salad

PaddleBlue · 10/09/2021 19:17

Placemarking!

PyjamaFan · 10/09/2021 19:19

I make 'pasties' but with bread dough instead of pastry to reduce the calories.I fill them with all sorts; cheese, onion and potato; or spicy chickpeas with tomatoes; mixed veg and cheese; mushrooms; feta, tomatoes and basil; leftover curry or stew (drained) etc.

Or hummous with celery, cucumber and pepper sticks.

Pasta, potato or rice salad with whatever protein and salad veg I have. I take dressing separately in a little tub.

Soup or leftovers in a thermos.

Doomscrolling · 10/09/2021 19:24

I am a fan of soups in a thermos. Also varying the bread type - smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel, roast vegetable wrap, hummus with crudités and breadsticks. Mackerel pâté with crisp breads. Stuffed vine leaves and a cucumber salad.

If you eat meat, pork pies or scotch eggs. Salads with grilled chicken or salmon.

Mariell · 10/09/2021 19:28

Pasta with feta cheese, peppers and sun dried tomatoes etc.

Pasta, pesto, pine nuts and Parmesan.

Vegetarian/vegan sausage rolls. (Keep better than meat)

Toasted cheese sandwich with marmite gone cold.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 10/09/2021 20:12

The OP wants veggie stuff btw.

Sometimes I make a big tub of qiuinoa salad on a Sunday, which does a couple of lunches. I like the Merchant Gourmet sachets.

WelshMumof1 · 10/09/2021 20:22

I love cold pasta with pesto and vegetables and feta cheese, I'm also very partial to home made potato salad. Both are easy to make in batches and keep well. I also like nachos with chilli (easy to make a veggie chilli otherwise maybe just with spicy kidney beans), avocado and sour cream. Hummus and dips is also delicious and very healthy, if not filling enough, with cream crackers or breadsticks. You could also make savoury muffins like egg muffins or courgette muffins.

MinnieMountain · 10/09/2021 20:27

Get a Thermos food flask, then you can take all sorts of stews and curries.

Peckhampalace · 10/09/2021 20:41

Bean salad for a change - 1/2 tin mixed beans in dressing, chopped tomato, cucumber etc, pickled cucumber and ham if you like it.
Half a pouch of cooked rice, shredded kale, veg to taste, peanuts and soy sauce/lime sesame oil dressing.

Bloodybridget · 10/09/2021 20:43

Sorry OP, I'd missed that you wanted vegetarian meals.

Harp1977 · 10/09/2021 20:52

I am in the same boat, but I also need a second meal and snacks as it is a 13hr shift.
I make frittata, quiche, soups in a flask (I did invest in a thermos brand and it is good for up to 5hrs if a liquid) I make home made lunchable so crackers, cheese pickles fruit hummous, tuna and hard boiled eggs.
A graze box with nuts seeds and dried fruit, I pack on a Monday and pick on it through the week
I keep pot noodles, and knorr rice pots as back up Incase I forget or still feel hungry.
I bake every few weeks and freeze in slices, soda bread, scones, fruit cake, maderia or seed cake, honey cake (treats are always a nice midweek pick me up)

ItllBeOverByChristmas · 10/09/2021 20:54

www.nigella.com/recipes/sesame-peanut-noodles are nice.
Mini quiches made with ready made puff pastry in muffin tins are good

SilenceOfThePrams · 10/09/2021 21:15

Veggie Sushi rolls
Pasta salad
Cold frittata with salad
Bento style box with bean salad, coleslaw, regular salad, etc.
Definitely hot soup in a flask. But also, bung an uncool sweet corn cob in a flask with boiling water, and it will be fresh hot cooked sweet corn by lunchtime.
Cheese empanadas
Hard boiled eggs with whatever you fancy.
Pitta breads or wraps, bagels or baguettes as well as regular sandwich bread.
Baked beans will also keep hot in a flask.

BookFiend4Life · 10/09/2021 22:02

Sesame (tahini) cold noodles with whole wheat spaghetti, sauteed red bell pepper and carrots, roasted broccoli and green beans, snap peas and green onions

Spring rolls with roasted tofu and peanut sauce

Chickpea Salad sandwich (like tuna but with chickpeas)

Roasted golden beets with chickpeas, roasted carrots and onions in mustard dressing

A big salad topped with cut up veggie burger and veggies with pita to stuff it in

Fancy cheese sandwich with brie, apple, and jam

For snacky sides:
Yogurt
String cheese
Seasoned chef mix
Hard boiled egg
Fruit salad
Seasoned popcorn

PyjamaFan · 10/09/2021 22:05

What is seasoned chef mix?

RossIsTheBestFriend · 10/09/2021 22:20

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/bang-bang-chicken-vegetable-noodles

I often make this minus the chicken 😊

BookFiend4Life · 10/09/2021 23:32

@PyjamaFan

What is seasoned chef mix?
Whoops, chex mix!! Just basically different savory pretzels, crackers and nuts mix with a little olive oil and dried herbs and garlic power salt and pepper. And I like to heat mine in the crockpot and get everything toasty together.
SometimesRavenSometimesParrot · 10/09/2021 23:34

Have a look in your local supermarket at the veggie section. Mine has loads of quorn sausage rolls, cocktail sausages, steak bakes etc. Would make up lovely cold lunches

Thekormachameleon · 11/09/2021 14:55

Thanks for so many great ideas ! Really appreciate it, I'm looking forward to a change from sandwiches every day 😊

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