Packed lunch alternatives

[Onthepull25]

I’m so incredibly bored of having a ham sandwich / wrap/ pitta everyday at work. Has anyone got any easy alternatives that don’t involve a great deal of prep? I have extremely short lunch breaks so am even toying with the idea of just having a protein shake or something but will that actually make me feel full?

Do you have access to a microwave?

I would suggest buying a food flask and then you can batch cook soups, dal, curry, casserole etc and take a portion to work. Or if you have a microwave at work then you don’t even need a flask, just a microwaveable container.

I make a salad in the morning, barely takes 5 mins. But I will always have chicken/boiled egg/falafel prepped in the fridge which makes it easier. Leaves, cucumber, cherry toms, protein, few nuts or seeds, some feta and a separate little tub for salad dressing.

Dd rotates though couscous salad with tuna, pasta salad with chicken, soup and a roll (in a flask), chicken and stuffing roll. I usually make enough for two days of each so she doesn't get fed up with it but I'm not doing loads of prep. She'll also take a box of veg sticks and a piece of fruit.

Any of the following on their own or in combination depending on hunger/time:
Protein/meal shake.
Banana and some nuts and seeds.
Box of leftovers from dinner with a bit of hummus/mayo.
Boiled eggs if you can be bothered to prep them.
Mini pot of hummus with carrot sticks.
A soup you can microwave (I used to cook it then drink it like a hot drink at my desk).
Other random fruit/veg.
Glass of milk!? Or just add more to your hot drinks to up your calories.

If it's not enough you can always make up for it later in the day!

I used to work at various locations, so never knew if there would be a microwave to reheat food. I bought a wide mouthed thermos and would often take leftovers from the night before- heated up before I put into the thermos. Could you make extra for your evening meal and take that the next day?

-Frittata (egg and any leftover veg/meat essentially)
-Chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks. When I was doing a keto diet, I'd swap breadcrumbs for ground almonds and followed a fake KFC crumb recipe as a coating
-Stir-fry
-Toasted wrap? A cafe near my work used to do a falafel/humous/salad wrap with/without jalepenos for spice, wrapped into a square then toasted. In a thermos it should stay warm till lunch
-Soup/stew

Thanks everyone they’re great ideas! I do have a microwave at work so could definitely take some soup. I just know I’d do it once and then would be too lazy to batch cook another load hence the idea of just having a protein shake instead. I live alone so eating is more of a chore/ something I have to do rather than something to enjoy.

What do you do for dinner - could you make more and take leftovers?

Leftovers, salad or soup. Tbh I think the grim and depressing idea of a protein shake for lunch would be an excellent motivation to make me batch cook. A shake isn't lunch in my book! When I take homemade soup to work for lunch, I look forward to it all morning 😊

I have a pretty poor diet. I’ll just eat a bagel and marmite in the evening and a cup of tea or beans on toast or just not bother.
Once every so often I’ll have a steak with salad but not very often. I just don’t really prioritise food.

Microwave rice or lentil pack (bulk buy when they’re on offer) and stir through some chicken/feta/whatever for protein? And some baby spinach leaves. It’ll take one minute and feel more nourishing than a shake.

Gosh aren’t you starving?? I understand it’s hard to motivate yourself to cook but you’ll be missing out on a lot of nutrients on that diet. It will affect your health longer term even if it’s not now.

If you don’t mind eating the same thing several days in a row, then a couple of hours on a weekend batch cooking a lunch option and a dinner option for the week could make a big difference to your future health. Also nicer.

Or, if you have the budget and not the time/energy then you could look at Stocked which is basically batch cooking but done for you.

Dont need me to tell you your diet is shite

But I know its so hard when cooking or feeding just one

When I was was one, I lived on pasta - out of the saucepan it was cooked in, with just a drizzle of olive oil and some grated parmesan and possibly garlic bread

And I got fat, flabby and lethargic

So I wised up, still lazy, so fat free greek yoghurt and oats and berries for breakfast - I dont even soak overnight, throw it together in the morning - its edible when I get time to eat about 4 hours later. Oatbran is finer milled, soaks up the berry juice and is pretty easy to swallow . I used frozen berries, nowt easier then opening the bag and tipping into container

Lunch is now an open sandwich - one slice of wholemeal, or German rye, or a wholemeal pitta, shove the salad and pickle in after "buttering it " with a dairy lea light and then chuck in the protein - whatever , ham, cheese, tuna, sardines - whatever floats your boat I sometimes really mix it up and throw in hummus , cottage cheese and chopped chicken

Food is food. We all like some, hate others, and you know you dont have to have toast and cereal for breakfast and meat and 3 veg for dinner. As long as you get the basic nutrients within your personal calorie allowance , it doesnt matter what you eat when

Fill yourself with protein and fibre, it will stop the sugar cravings and the snacking munchies