Can you help me with lunch ideas?

[alliecats]

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to bring my lunch from home more and get fast food at noon LESS. This is very hard for me to do because I am all about convenience and I (*blush*) actually like fast food.

Can someone help me? I need appetizing, fun ideas for lunch besides your basic pb & J or ham and cheese sandwich and pack of chips. Any and all suggestions welcome. Plus, this will help me save for my next Disney trip--whenever that is.

ETA: I am willing to cook ahead on the weekend if necessary, and we have microwaves & fridges at work, so really no restrictions. Thanks!

 

[DizneyDogs]

Usually my husband I just take leftovers from dinner the night before...I cook alot of mexican and pasta dishes and these warm up great in the microwave, we were spending $60 a week on lunch eating out and now we put that money towards traveling

 

[pammypooh]

I second the leftovers for lunch. It was the easiest thing for me to do.

 

[maxiesmom]

This is one of my resolutions too! One thing my dad does is to make a big pot of soup and divide it up into freezer containers. He then pulls one out when he wants it for lunch. I also like to take cheese, crackers, and lunch meat. Kind of a grown up lunchable! And if I'm not too hungry a bag of popcorn will do the trick.

 

[alliecats]

Usually my husband I just take leftovers from dinner the night before...I cook alot of mexican and pasta dishes and these warm up great in the microwave, we were spending $60 a week on lunch eating out and now we put that money towards traveling

I am not that big of a cook, to be honest, but I need to be. Can you recommend any good recipes for pasta dishes that reheat well? When I do cook, it's usually Mexican, so I have that one covered.

 

[lookingforward]

I love to bring soup too. Homemade or canned (pregresso is best). Leftovers are also great because it is homemade and usually tastes even better the next day!

When I bring sandwiches I pack the bread seperate and toast it. It just seems so much fresher that way and does not get soggy.

 

[snowy76]

How about a baked ziti or a lasagna dish? That could last you days. Bring a slice of Italian bread with you - YUM.

We also buy veggies and spend a few minutes slicing them up and bagging them for the week -- celery sticks, carrots, cucumber slices, green peppers etc.

 

[Trena]

Microwave meals can still be cheaper than eating out. A healthy option too!

left overs

find a buddy at work and take turns brining lunch for each other...you are sure to get some variety that way.

 

[utahkennedys]

I like less "traditional" sandwiches too - a bagel with cream cheese is always good. You can roast up a chicken and then do all kinds of sandwiches with that for the week depending upon what you put with it. Pesto mayo, cranberry sauce, etc. change the whole flavor. Even changing breads makes a big difference for me -- pitas, bagels, pumpernickel, etc.

 

[MrsPete]

I work with a relatively small group of people, and we always have lunch together. Once a week (we have a rotating calendar) someone brings lunch for the whole group. It's not anything fancy: a chicken casserole, tacos, stuffed potatoes. It's a nice way of "eating out" without really "eating out".

Other than that, I suggest making your lunch the night before -- there's never enough time in the morning. Or bring an all-week lunch: a big bowl of salad plus a bag of carrots plus some cheese sticks. (Unless you're picky about repeat meals -- I'm not.)

 

[ChristyJ]

I always bring my lunch, but lunch is actually catered at my workplace (if I ate it every day, I'd gain a great deal of weight!!). I also eat breakfast, so I often bring in a variety of things like: instant oatmeal, yogurt w/granola to mix in, cheese sticks, salads, leftovers, snack size microwave popcorn, cheese & crackers, bread/cheese/apple...

 

[staceyfe]

For nights when there's no leftovers or you just don't feel like packing a lunch that morning, I like Kraft individual mac & cheese. They're super handy and taste pretty good, too. Grab a piece of fruit and you're good to go.

 

[Syrreal]

I like making pita sandwhiches (chicken salad, salami and cheese, hummus, whatever)

I have a couple of pasta dishes and a mousakka (an eggplant dish- my version is greek)that are pretty easy to make and make enough to last a while. One of them is a little more time consuming but it's delicious!! PM if you'd like the recipes.

 

[MariDisney]

I like making pita sandwhiches (chicken salad, salami and cheese, hummus, whatever)

I was going to post a similar idea. I like to take a couple of pita and some flavored hummus, and just tear the pita and scoop the hummus. Yum!

 

[swilshire]

I keep a box of crackers, bowls and cans of Campbells Chunky soup in my office. A whole can is too much for me to eat, so I put half in a bowl and save it in the fridge for another day. There are so many yummy varieties!

I bring leftovers lots of days as well. Casseroles or Stouffers lasagna are favorites.

Sheila

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

I bring in microwave dinners, leftovers, salad with Turkey slices from the SuperTarget deli, cambells soup bowl, ramen noodles, bag of popcorn, instant oatmeal, yogurt and granola, cottage cheese and hard boiled eggs, veggies, bean and cheese burrito, fruit cups, etc