Back to work lunchbox ideas!

[newtothismarriagething]

Not entirely sure if I will have a microwave handy , but will presumably have a fridge.
Don't know if eating at desks is a thing in this office or not but would prefer not to.
Have no allergies and love fruit and veg !
Fire away!!

Bumping

Bumping!!

Cheese and biscuits.
Carrot/cucumber sticks and hummus/dips
If microwave, soup (personal favourite courgette with a bit of grated cheese).

Leftovers is mostly wha5 I take. In the winter make a lot of soup. Roast veg with lentils and goats cheese.

I make a big oven dish of roasted veg on a Sunday evening. Courgette, peppers, aubergine, onions, tomatoes etc. Sprinkle over oil and whatever spices and herbs. Once cooled I pop it in tubs with a layer of fresh spinach. Some days I’ll add some tuna or mackerel, maybe some cooked chicken. Delicious warm or cold.

Spanish tortilla.

It's all about leftovers. Cheap as chips

Layer of bulgur wheat (mix in some chopped parsley if there is any lying about) / layer of hummus / layer of shredded carrot with chilli, orange and ginger, plus more chick peas if the hummus isn't enough.

This makes lunch for several days and costs very little.

Also if there is no microwave, thermos flasks still exist!

I buy bags of chopped salad toms cucumber and olives in a container and take in a tin of tuna in sunflower oil. Mixed it all up at lunch time. Sometimes I boil and egg and take that in. I work 3 days a week and never tire of this. Sometimes a home made tuna salad sandwich or cheese salad - all on brown bread.

In summer leftovers - but cooking with leftovers in mind. So tea last night I made a large portion of griddled chicken and spiced (cumin, turmeric) rice to have as rice salad tomorrow.

Sometimes the meal can be just fride contents but with a style dictated by the - so ginger and miso for asian style salad, add chipotle and lime to mayo for mexican, tahini with lemon juice and yoghurt for middle eastern etc.

It can be helpful then to thing of building blocks - dressing, carb (cous cous, bulghur, freekeh, pasta, rice etc) then veg and protein.

I am a big soup fan in winter. We have a microwave so I just take in a Sistema microwaveable mug.

1. Frittata and Salad
2. Any protein with roast veg ( broccoli, plum toms,asparagus,red onion, peppers, covered in garlic and a bit of olive oil) 3)Shredded chicken salad sandwiches
3. Chicken breasts/thighs topped with salsa and baked, with some rice/ sweetcorn/ black beans.

I commute 4 hours a day - cheese and biscuits does not constitute "lunch".

I've just made a luuuurvley soba noodle salad which will do quite a few lunches this week.

I think the idea is Ottolenghi, but I make it up as I go along...

Cook do a noodles rinse in cold water and drain. I promise it's not weird to eat them cold.

Add any veg you like - this time I have roast aubergine, mange touts and mushrooms.

Make a dressing of rice one vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil.

Add something crunchy, usually seeds of some sort.

Mix, box, eat.

Ceasar Salad with chicken & Bacon
Tuna Pasta Salad
If Microwave Jacket Pots with Beans & cheese or Tuna Mayo
Stir-fry - meat, veg chilli sauce and either noodles or rice
Leftover dinners - spag bol chilli curry etc always taste good heated again the next day lasagna also
Soup in a flask

Homemade soup - I make a double batch every couples of weeks and freeze portions. This one in particular is a favourite as it's super simple to make (hardly any chopping!), cheap, tasty and filling.

This smoked chicken and mango salad is really lovely in summer time - I pre-portion it into Tupperware containers and it easily does several lunches: nadialim.com/recipe/mango-avocado-smoked-chicken-salad/

Sliced turkey and salad sandwiches with dijionnaise.

Pita bread with hummus and salad.

Pasta salad - can make several days worth at once.

Oops, forgot the link to the soup recipe. Here it is: www.taste.com.au/recipes/curried-red-lentil-soup/e8c35c50-fbbf-446e-81fa-3b13a1be8544