Low carb packed lunches.. no fridge, no microwave.

[miimblemomble]

Hi all

I need some ideas for low carb packed lunches.

2 days a week I eat at work. With Covid, I'd rather not brave the school dinner hall. My office doesn't have a microwave or a fridge. I cycle to work, so it needs to be portable. I happily eat large salads from a plate but I confess I am not a fan of messy, room temp salads. I've been eating overnight oats as lunch, but I want to go back to low carb.

Any suggestions? What salads can I make in bulk at the start of the week and just serve myself over a few days, which will transport easily without leaking and still be appetising by lunchtime? Or should I be looking at something else?

Thanks in advance

A soup in a flask?
Roasted veggies, such as leeks or cauliflower are nice at room temperature

Roast butternut squash, cooked beetroot (not pickled, you can buy pre-cooked unpacked packs or can buy raw) with cubes of hard goats cheese and walnuts if you aren't being very restrictive on calories is a fab combination and tastes just right at room temperature - doesn't work so well if things are straight from the fridge.

I make a ultra low carb deep filled quiche and have a large chunk for lunches. I have a fridge but it would easily keep in a zippy cool lunch bag until you eat.

I use Ground almonds in a cake liner in a cake tin with about a tablespoon oil poured over, just enough to bring it together. Pat out to flatten it. Into moderate 180oC oven for 10 mins.
As many eggs as you like, I use 8, slow cooked onions, good cheddar cheese and I fry off bacon pieces too. Salt and pepper.
Put into the cake liner on top of the almond base and slow bake it at 150oC for about 45 mins. Check centre is set, it may need 10 mins longer.

Cool and slice.

Mine lasts three days. It's substantial and very low carb.

Hovis do a lower carb loaf that is 7 carbs a slice, so a sandwich using this isn't too bad.
Nuts are good, hard boiled eggs are good, celery sticks with cream cheese, chicken or ham slices spread with cream cheese and rolled up are nice.

Hummus and veg?

I had packed lunches last week and took cold cheeseburger pie (from the recipe thread) with a bit of salad and coleslaw in the same tub. I took it in an insulated lunch box with a freezer pack and it stayed cold in the car until lunchtime. If you want a snack as well, those individual sachets of olives are great. They don't have any liquid in so they're not messy to eat from the pack.

I used to take a few Energy balls, an Apple and a couple of oranges plus some cheese sticks and some mini sausages.

Spanish omlette, oven baked in a silicon cake tin.

Some cold sausages or chicken drumsticks. Some celery sticks, boiled egg and nuts?

Get an insulated bag and put a frozen bottle of water in, it will keep salad cold.

Raw veg and a low carb dip.

Ploughman's lunch, just leave out the bread.

Hard boiled eggs.

A sort of mezze / tapas of cold meats, olives, sun dried tomatoes, spicy meatballs and veg.

Tinned tuna, sardines or pilchards - take some mayo with you.

Breakfast 'muffins', In a muffin tin put some or all of the following; cheese, crispy bacon / lardons (cooked) chopped spring onion, cooked mushroom, frozen peas, seasonings / spices.

Whisk some eggs to cover the ingredients in the muffin tin, bake for 15 mins.

They come out of the oven looking like soufflé then collapse but still taste good.

Egg wrap (whisk 1 egg and season, fry like an omelette in a small pan, leave to cool) fill with cream cheese, salmon and salad and wrap like a wrap. Or fill with cheese, ham etc

I make three days supply of a salad of cucumber & halved cherry tomatoes - deseeding the cucumber so it doesn't go soggy - it's solid and chunky, not flimsy like leaves!

Then in the morning or night before, into a tupperware goes salad, plus cubed feta, chicken, omelette, cooked meat, whatever's to hand.

I keep everything more or less the same size - so much easier to eat with just a fork and straight out of the box.

I have been on a medical keto diet for four years now. (Extreme migraines. It's changed my life.). Depends how low-carb we're talking. Can you bring an insulated bag with a frozen block? I live in a very hot part of Australia and that's what I do for study. (Also frozen juice box that I never drink lasts a looooong time). Thermos, Yeti and Contigo are awesome. (Have found Contigo the best, tbh... I treat them very badly.). I carry soup in these. I make a fabulous low-carb hot, sour soup and sometimes I change it up and make my version of Phõ. (YUM!!!) If you look on Pinterest on the Keto and Paleo recipe boards there are so many ideas. The egg bites are easily carried and stored. I love the Mexican ones, with jalapeño, coriander, cumin, beef and cheese. (You can add peppers and sour cream if you wish, too.). There are so many variations to the theme with these things. Bacon and cheese, ham and cheese, tomato & cheese, spring veggies, Italian pizza themed/Caprese. Whatever you like. I take Cos lettuce leaves, pre-cooked bacon slices, an un-cut tomato, some mayo and a sharp knife, and I have a BLT ready to go. (Bread-free of course.). Creamy egg salad - sour cream blitzed with a bit of mustard, celery, green onions, cos lettuce, chopped boiled or coddled eggs, heaps of salt and pepper, parsley if you like it.

(Chicken goes really well in the egg salad, too, btw)