Lunch Ideas?

[Pomlover2586]

I need some new lunch ideas....I'm getting bored with the same old same old. I do NOT refrigerate or heat up, so I need something that will stay for 5 hours in an insulated lunch bag. I usually take a sandwhich- turkey or chicken with swiss or cheddar on wheat or white bread......a bottle of water, and a combination of the following--granola bar, banana, apple sauce, and something crunchy- chips, chinese rice crackers etc.....sometimes I'll pack a dessert item.

I occasionally take leftover pasta but I'm really getting bored with my routine. What types of yummy things do you take for your lunch? I'm not watching calories, or on a low carb etc.....so let the ideas roll freely

 

[luckyfin]

Here is a great photo album on flickr. It is a mom who took a picture of the lunch she made her son for a year. It is obviously for a kid, but nonetheless, some great ideas. And I noticed right away that she has WDW napkins in the lunches

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mslil65/1270291708/in/set-72157601755804789/

 

[North of Mouse]

My fave is chunky chicken salad with crackers, pita bread, whatever. Seasoned cooked chopped chicken with sliced grapes, diced apples, cranberries, celery, walnuts or pecans with a poppy seed dressing or mayo - whichever is your preference. Keep separate from bread until ready to eat. Yummy

 

[pigletto]

A big favourite of my dd's is hummus or a similar type of dip. I put in some sliced veggies (tomorrow is baby carrots, grape tomatoes, and cucumber slices), along with pita bread for dipping. For tomorrow's lunch we used garlic Naan bread instead. She also likes the red pepper/chili flavour.
Cream cheese, veggie rolls in a pita or wrap are good too.

My son has no access to a microwave so we have a good quality thermos for him. I fill it with boiling water from the kettle and let it sit with the lid on to get it nice and warm, then dump the water and add the leftovers, soup, stew etc. that I have just heated. I wrap it in paper towels to retain the heat in his lunch pail. Whenever I use this method he doesn't complain about it having gone cold. And trust me, cold spaghetti or soup makes him queasy and he would NOT eat it if it wasn't still warm. I do this all at about 7am and it's still warm at noon. So you might try that to be able to take something heated for a change

 

[HeatherC]

I like a couscous salad. I make couscous and just add some extra olive oil and cucumbers, tomatoes, black olives and feta.

Also like Taboule which can room temperature.

I eat both of these with pita or syrian bread.

Some other things I do for lunch are

fruit salad with string cheese
Leftover london broil sliced with a salad and some blue cheese crumbles
Hard boiled eggs
Cold fried chicken
Grilled chicken
Jambalaya...spicy rice with kielbasa, chicken or shrimp


Now I'm getting hungry! Hope this helps!

 

[momof3ds]

Get yourself a thermos. Fill it with hot water and let it sit for a few minutes, then add hot leftovers and they will stay warm for several hours.

In the thermos, I can pack soup, mac n cheese, spaghetti, other leftovers.

This morning, I packed left over baked chicken wings for my kids. I just wiped the inside of the thermos dry first. They got a juice box, melon slices, a cheese stick, and stuffed olives.

An easy favorite for them is my home made lunchables. Any type of crackers, deli meats and cheese sliced or cut up into shapes (I have bento fruit slicers that work for this), fruit, a cookie, and a drink.

 

[LovesTimone]

When I was working I took my lunch, better choice's and saved money. I used a several types of cooler's from a insulated lunch style bag to a small hard side cooler. I have several size ice packs which really helped keep thing cold. I did buy a really good thermos it was short and fat. I bought it at a camping store I think that it was at Coleman or Bass Pro shop. I have a asortment of small plastic container's to use. I bought these thing over a period of years, I always would check out the clearance section in housewears, or right after back to school.

So here is what was in my lunch "bag" .

Chicken, Tuna, Shrimp salad with crackers or on a bed of lettuce.

Green salad - with lots of different veggies: tomatoes, green onions, cuke's, shredded cheese, english peas, carrots, boiled eggs ect... use what you like

Chef salad

I love the little hawaiian rolls for sandwiches, now they make the little sub rolls, filled with ham, turkey, roastbeef, chesse. I also filled with chicken salad and seafood salad.

Yogurt, granola, fruit

Cold chicken - de-boned and skinned

Soup or chilli - sometimes canned or homemade. I would get it really hot in the morning, pour in thermos and cover the top with wax paper, them screw on the lid. It was always still pretty warm when I would have lunch. The tip with the wax paper was from my 92 year old grandmother, she said it creates a seal to keep in the heat.

Pickles, olives - We had a olive bar in my local grocery store so I would get "fancy" olives.

Raw veggies, with dip and crackers

Fruit

I would make pasta salad, potato salad, tomato and onion salad ( watch the onions if you have to work around alot of people later in the day)

Jello, Pudding

Cookies, or brownies


What I did to change it up was, I used several different recipes for chicken, tuna, and seafood salad. Same for the potato and pasta salad. I also have what my DH called my "work forks" I picked up a few cheapo forks, knives, and spoons for work so if I lost one it was not a big deal. I hate eating with a plastic fork I also bought pretty napkins to use, It would brighten my day. I would pick them up on clearance from, Pier 1, BBB, and in my local grocery store they have a reduce section also the dollar store, walmart, for seasonal napkins. I love the idea of WDW napkins another poster suggested. You could check out the party supply store for mark-downs style, just think you could have lunch with Buzz Lightyear and the Toy story gang or the princess . You would have to smile. I tried to make lunch about me, little things that I enjoyed. It would help me get through the rest of the day. Also for me what I saved on lunch put me that much closer to going back to WDW,

 

[LovesTimone]

I thought of something else.. Yep blonde moment for me.

My friend works in a office, and she use a very small crock pot, she puts soup, left over pasta and red sauce, chilli, chicken and yellow rice, whatever, turn on low and its ready at lunch. I don't know if this is option for you but I thought I would suggest it.

 

[hsmamato2]

if you buy a thermos,be sure to get a 'real' one....my DH loves his aladdin brand stainless steel inside and out thermos- keeps things warm for 24 hours! (yes he's tried it) I think they sell them at Walmart,don't be fooled by a cheapie brand,they're disappointing!