-- The Brown Bag Lunch Thread --

[LuvCuteBoys]

Okay, I know we've had threads before, but I can't find 'em. I may have even started one once. LOL.

I need ideas! I'm very bad... I buy whatever frozen meal is on sale and take it to work. But that's not enough food, and it's boring and not terribly healthy.

Sooo... what do you pack in your lunch? Or even your kids' lunch, I guess!

 

[Conservative Hippie]

My DH eats the same thing for lunch every day: sandwich (usually PBJ), potato chips, grapes, and yogurt. Yes, he's 12! Sometimes I change up the sandwich with almond butter, or turkey and cheddar.

 

[brasswillow]

This past week I took a turkey and cheese sandwich with chips, a piece of fruit and a yogurt.

Normally I'm really bad at cooking for one person so I often have leftovers from the night before for my lunches.

 

[disneyquestions]

I buy frozen shrimp, cook it with just some salt, pepper, evoo and put it in the oven at 450 for 5 minutes, cool it and split it into 4 servings. One day will be shrimp with salad (my favorite way), another day I'll have shrimp with shirataki noodles (you could use regular pasta if you'd rather).
Another staples is I buy the big packs of chicken breasts - one half I'll marinate overnight in greek yogurt and garam masala, then put that in the oven at 350 for 35 minutes. You can have that over salad, or with tabouli salad (bulger wheat) goes amazingly well with it. The other half I cut up into smaller pieces and put in my wok with the shirataki noodles and fresh veggies.
I also like to get ground turkey and make meatloaf with it - I buy 2 packages and mix in spices, BBQ sauce and cooked potatoes - its a lot of food, and will last you the week!
I'm going foodshopping today, so I'll have to remember to pick all these things up!!!


ETA - Other than the meatloaf, I do most of this cooking in the morning before work (after going to the gym, and before getting the kids dressed and ready), so it really isn't as much work, and doesn't take as long as someone thinks. Anyone can make a good, healthy, homecooked meal, as long as they plan it out!

 

[Jestocost]

I will make up a batch of rice & black beans or vegetarian chili on the weekend and take it to work with an apple over the following week. Both require just a quick microwaving. I also like the Trader Joe's Spring Onion noodle soup. Just add hot water and the seasonings provided and you have a bowl of noodles in five minutes.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I usually take whatever leftovers we have from the night before.

My kids take a variety of things. DS10 likes to take a pouch of tuna and eats that with a fork--no mayo, no bread, just the tuna. They take cut up carrots, oranges, grapes, string cheese, leftovers sometimes, sandwiches, etc.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

ETA - Other than the meatloaf, I do most of this cooking in the morning before work (after going to the gym, and before getting the kids dressed and ready), so it really isn't as much work, and doesn't take as long as someone thinks. Anyone can make a good, healthy, homecooked meal, as long as they plan it out!

My goodness, what time do you wake up in the morning?!

 

[disneyquestions]

My goodness, what time do you wake up in the morning?!

LOL I get up around 5:15. Go to the gym and get back no later than 6:30 or so. Then I go right into the kitchen, wash my hands, and start cooking. Like I said, the shrimp cooks super fast in the oven, and if I'm making the chicken, it takes 35 minutes - I'm in the shower durring that. It doesn't take much time to chop up a head of Romaine Lettuce and throw that in a tupperware with veggies with some dressing. By 8:15 I'm out of the house, dropping the kids off to school, and myself to work.

 

[FredinFL]

Hey, what about the kids? Mine have been eating the school lunches and I swear they gain weight when I'm not packing there lunches instead. Once a week or so, okay, but everyday just seems to pack the weight on them. Anyone else's kids do this?

So....what's new for lunch mom????

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

LOL I get up around 5:15. Go to the gym and get back no later than 6:30 or so. Then I go right into the kitchen, wash my hands, and start cooking. Like I said, the shrimp cooks super fast in the oven, and if I'm making the chicken, it takes 35 minutes - I'm in the shower durring that. It doesn't take much time to chop up a head of Romaine Lettuce and throw that in a tupperware with veggies with some dressing. By 8:15 I'm out of the house, dropping the kids off to school, and myself to work.

Ahhh, that makes more sense. I start work between 7:30 and 8:00. I was trying to imagine you doing the same thing and I'm thinking, she must get up 4am!!

Hehe

 

[lizabu]

I get bored of everything. I bring leftovers sometimes but I hate waiting to use the microwave in the lunch room. I was on a wrap kick for a while but got tired of wraps. I was bringing pita and hummus until I got tired of that. Today I'm bringing flat bread and some really good brie and an orange. I might make a greek pasta salad tomorrow. I really like that.

 

[Fintastic]

Ahhh, that makes more sense. I start work between 7:30 and 8:00. I was trying to imagine you doing the same thing and I'm thinking, she must get up 4am!!

Hehe

Right?? I have to be out of the house by 6:45 every morning - my commute is 30 miles, and I have to make two dropoffs before I can even get to my desk, so not a lot is getting done in the morning other than getting everybody up and ready!

 

[scottishduffy]

Common items for my lunches:

Chicken Chimichangas: I bake them in bulk, and keep them in freezer. Then I will take one individually wrapped one out in the morning to put in my lunch and it will thaw by lunch time.

Cottage cheese with a bit of Jam

Pitas and Hummus

Toasted Bagel with some cream cheese and smoked salmon on it. Make a bagel sandwich.

Pita Pockets: Stuff a pita with whatever I have around. Sometimes extra chicken pieces, sometimes tuna.

Leftover dinner: Usually leftover stir fries with some rice, this week was Stuffed Peppers and Spinach Manicotti. If we make a tenderloik or something I will make rice and just put some of the meat on top for lunch.

Soups: Lentil soup, split pea soup, pumpkin curry, asparagus.

Some tortillas with a little Guac.

Roll up tortillas with some hummus and chopped veg inside.

Cheese cubes with crackers

For sides I bring Cheese cubes, fruit, Dried fruit (to keep in my pocket for when I am busy), Sliced bell pepper or carrots, 100 cal packs, cheerios, yogurt, string cheese

 

[katesorad]

DH has been on a PB&J kick for work. He likes a PB&J sandwich and a Fiber One bar in his lunch. I try to get him to eat a bit more, but he says that's enough.

In the past, I'd pack him "pizza sushi", which I just took a flat bread (Flat Out Flat Breads.. they're whole grain and around 100 calories), spread some pizza sauce on it (a very thin layer), and a little bit of cheese, and some vegetarian pepperoni (tastes similar to the regular stuff, and a lot better for you!), baked it in the oven, and then rolled it up and cut it into little "sushi" pieces. He liked that a lot, he just popped one in his mouth at a time.

Other ideas that you could do for bringing your own lunch: fruit salad, homemade pasta or tuna salad, organic bean and cheese burritos, leftover soup (Make a big pot at the beginning of the week and have some for dinner and take the rest for lunches), a sandwich with baked potato chips, etc. If you have a blender in your office (or can bring one), smoothies would also be fun to make at work! They sell packets of pre-made smoothies that you just have to throw in your blender and then you get a smoothie!

 

[Rora]

I buy frozen shrimp, cook it with just some salt, pepper, evoo and put it in the oven at 450 for 5 minutes, cool it and split it into 4 servings. One day will be shrimp with salad (my favorite way), another day I'll have shrimp with shirataki noodles (you could use regular pasta if you'd rather).
Another staples is I buy the big packs of chicken breasts - one half I'll marinate overnight in greek yogurt and garam masala, then put that in the oven at 350 for 35 minutes. You can have that over salad, or with tabouli salad (bulger wheat) goes amazingly well with it. The other half I cut up into smaller pieces and put in my wok with the shirataki noodles and fresh veggies.
I also like to get ground turkey and make meatloaf with it - I buy 2 packages and mix in spices, BBQ sauce and cooked potatoes - its a lot of food, and will last you the week!
I'm going foodshopping today, so I'll have to remember to pick all these things up!!!


ETA - Other than the meatloaf, I do most of this cooking in the morning before work (after going to the gym, and before getting the kids dressed and ready), so it really isn't as much work, and doesn't take as long as someone thinks. Anyone can make a good, healthy, homecooked meal, as long as they plan it out!

Will you adopt me?

I typically pack a turkey and cheese sandwich with some Chex Mix and grapes. I usually throw in a square or two of chocolate.

DH doesn't eat during the day unless I make him lunch (he's 12 ) so he typically gets the same thing. Sometimes I'll give him PB&J instead just to spice things up.

Yeaaahh... I could really use some good ideas for brown bag lunches..

 

[JerseyJanice]

I generally bring in leftovers, but I like "big" salads too.

For our dinner, I make a bowl of salad with a lot of stuff in it--greens, cukes, grape tomatoes, radishes, shredded carrots, olives--then fill a plastic container with it before I dress it.

Then I'll put proteins on top and bring it for lunch. For chef's salad, I layer a slice each of ham, turkey and cheese, roll it up and slice it. For antipasto, I'll do the same with ham, salami and provolone, and add some artichoke hearts and hot peppers. I might put a hard-boiled egg in either.

I like to make Asian salad. I use left rotisserie chicken, Mandarin oranges, bean sprouts and chow main noodles for this. Kraft has a toasted sesame dressing that's perfect for it.

One thing I've started doing is recycling plastic Chinese food containers for my lunch. They're just the right size. I use them over and over until they crack or leak.

 

[katesorad]

Oh! I have another idea- what about a microwaved "baked" potato? Throw everything you like on top in a container and throw it on there! Yummy!

 

[Missy1961]

I'll eat leftovers from the day before, tuna salad, ham & cheese. Sometimes I'll make something on Sunday night & take that for a few days. My 2 favorites are homemade mac & cheese or chicken stir fry. Both reheat pretty well. Now that the weather's getting warmer, I'll make a big salad & take that for lunch too. Protein (grilled chicken is my favorite--I'll throw a marinated chicken breast on the grill when we're cooking dinner), some greens, tomato, peppers, cukes, yum.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Thanks guys... keep the ideas coming. I need to make a grocery list. LOL.

 

[NMAmy]

I take a lot of leftovers but if pickings are slim, I'll often take the ingredients for a hummus sandwich. At work, I toast two pieces of whole wheat bread, then spread with hummus (garlic hummus is really good for this), then I bring out my little baggie of thinly sliced veggies--cauliflower, radishes, sprouts, onion, tomato, pretty much whatever I have in the fridge. It's a healthy sandwich that's really filling.

Last week, a coworker was teasing me about bringing a 5 year old's lunch instead of my own. I'd been in a rush and packed a PB&J, an apple, and a container of yogurt. It was pretty good.