Author Topic: Healthy Lunches (Read 4362 times)

DomesticWitch · « **on:** July 23, 2011, 01:13:29 pm »

I've gotten into a bad habbit of having a cheese sandwich every day for lunch - there's no way I'm going to buy low fat cheese so I'm looking for healthier option, any suggestions for quick, cheap and easy-to-make lunchtime meals?

Jenett · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2011, 01:32:54 pm »

Quote from: DomesticWitch;7405

I've gotten into a bad habbit of having a cheese sandwich every day for lunch - there's no way I'm going to buy low fat cheese so I'm looking for healthier option, any suggestions for quick, cheap and easy-to-make lunchtime meals?

I'm about to go back to having to pack my lunch for work after 11 years of not doing so. (10 years of working for a school that feeds you lunch will do that!)

One of my favorite resources is looking at the bento lunch style resources (bento, for those who don't know, is the Japanese approach to the box lunch). There are some really fancy decorative ones out there, but there's also a lot of other great quick lunch ideas.

Stuff on my own list:

- miniquiche (crustless quiche made in a mini muffin tin) with plenty of veggies. - these freeze well, and thaw during the morning, so you can make a batch on the weekend, and eat throughout.

- sandwich wraps (I am fond of turkey, sprouts, some diced cucumber and tomato and some shredded lettuce.)

- chicken or tuna salad made with plenty of additions (I like walnuts and cranberries in chicken salad, or almonds instead of the walnuts, or black olives, dill, and onion in tuna.)

Some other resources:
- http://www.laptoplunches.com/ has some great recipe ideas (I also like their containers, but you can use the recipes regardless)

- http://lunchinabox.net/

- http://justbento.com/

All of them have a bunch of fast ideas if you do a little looking around, or ones that are very easy to use leftovers for, if you plan ahead a little.

Wood Rose · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2011, 05:16:57 pm »

Quote from: DomesticWitch;7405

I've gotten into a bad habbit of having a cheese sandwich every day for lunch - there's no way I'm going to buy low fat cheese so I'm looking for healthier option, any suggestions for quick, cheap and easy-to-make lunchtime meals?

I have to take my lunch to work every night. What I do is a little involved but for me it works great. The night before I start work again, I make something that I can eat over three or four nights. Soup, a cassaroll, a rice/meat dish, ext.

I can't cook when I get off work and for a 12 hour shift a sandwich is just not going to do it for me.

Micheál · « **Reply #3 on:** July 24, 2011, 05:42:09 am »

Quote from: DomesticWitch;7405

I've gotten into a bad habbit of having a cheese sandwich every day for lunch - there's no way I'm going to buy low fat cheese so I'm looking for healthier option, any suggestions for quick, cheap and easy-to-make lunchtime meals?

This is torture for me, because I'm an engineer that drives a white work van all over Ireland. My work mates practically live out of garages&petrol stations like I used to. It use to be my favourite thing to call into the shop on a long journey to stock up on sausage rolls, chocolate doughnuts, and Redbulls, but since I follow the Primal Diet now, just have to sit there while my work mates chow down.

There's really nothing healthy I can get in garages other than nuts, fruit, a salad, and water, and you can't really eat salads while driving. Even to save money before I went primal, I would make sandwiches at home, but don't do grains anymore. Sometimes I'll just make like a huge stuffed 5 egg omelet in the morning, and fast through lunch on coffee until I get home if it's an early day. Otherwise just do the nut water thing, with fruit on days when I have martial arts that evening.

I really notice a difference on the Primal Diet. If my work mates don't eat something at 10 o'clock tea break, and then again around lunch, they feel dizzy and get the shakes. That's carb addiction and your blood sugar out of whack! Humans shouldn't be experiencing that.

rocquelaire · « **Reply #4 on:** July 24, 2011, 06:20:37 am »

Quote from: Micheál;7621

I really notice a difference on the Primal Diet.

What is the Primal Diet? It sounds interesting.

Micheál · « **Reply #5 on:** July 24, 2011, 08:09:59 am »

Quote from: rocquelaire;7626

What is the Primal Diet? It sounds interesting.

I was lent a book called The Primal Blueprint, which coincides with this. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
(There's a lot of results there. You wouldn't think that guy Mark is in his 50's!)

It's similar to the palaeolithic diet our great ancestors followed, mostly a low carb&high fat&protein diet. Basically our ancestors were in great shape before the advent of agriculture&consumption of more sugar, so it omits grains, and negates a lot of stuff we have been lead to believe about conventional diet&exercise. You only have to follow it 80% of the time, which means there's wiggle room so you don't have to completely give up things I love like pasta, chocolate, and beer

: I'll kind of indulge every other weekend, and on special occasions.

schwertlilie · « **Reply #6 on:** July 25, 2011, 05:22:56 pm »

Quote from: DomesticWitch;7405

I've gotten into a bad habbit of having a cheese sandwich every day for lunch - there's no way I'm going to buy low fat cheese so I'm looking for healthier option, any suggestions for quick, cheap and easy-to-make lunchtime meals?

Leftovers. XD I'm with Wood Rose - when I cook something for supper, I make sure I have at least two extra servings. I put them in separate plastic containers, so I can grab them and go in the morning. If it needs to stay cool, I can toss a bottle of juice in the freezer the night before so I can use it as a cold pack, and it'll be thawed by the time I'm ready to eat.

And I'm really bad about veggies & fruit, so I started "processing" them as soon as I bring them home - washing them, snapping the ends off of beans, that sort of thing. When it's time to make my lunch, I just toss a handful in a container and boom - there's the veggie part taken care of.

woodhick · « **Reply #7 on:** July 25, 2011, 11:44:53 pm »

Quote from: Micheál;7621

This is torture for me, because I'm an engineer that drives a white work van all over Ireland. My work mates practically live out of garages&petrol stations like I used to. It use to be my favourite thing to call into the shop on a long journey to stock up on sausage rolls, chocolate doughnuts, and Redbulls, but since I follow the Primal Diet now, just have to sit there while my work mates chow down.

There's really nothing healthy I can get in garages other than nuts, fruit, a salad, and water, and you can't really eat salads while driving. Even to save money before I went primal, I would make sandwiches at home, but don't do grains anymore. Sometimes I'll just make like a huge stuffed 5 egg omelet in the morning, and fast through lunch on coffee until I get home if it's an early day. Otherwise just do the nut water thing, with fruit on days when I have martial arts that evening.

I really notice a difference on the Primal Diet. If my work mates don't eat something at 10 o'clock tea break, and then again around lunch, they feel dizzy and get the shakes. That's carb addiction and your blood sugar out of whack! Humans shouldn't be experiencing that.

I normally eat leftovers for the night before. When I am in the vehicle all day I wrap the leftovers in foil, or put in a clear reusable container. Then I put the food on the dash in the morning and by lunch it is heated up. A favorite of mine is haluski (so there goes the carbs thing) or kielbasa and sauerkraut. i'll also munch on nuts, seeds, fruit, or veggies during the day when I get hungry. I have food allergies, so stopping at a gas station for food or eating out isn't an option for me.... Actually I eat pretty much the same when I am at a desk job.

sugarmagnolia · « **Reply #8 on:** July 26, 2011, 01:48:06 am »

Quote from: woodhick;8224

I normally eat leftovers for the night before. When I am in the vehicle all day I wrap the leftovers in foil, or put in a clear reusable container. Then I put the food on the dash in the morning and by lunch it is heated up. A favorite of mine is haluski (so there goes the carbs thing) or kielbasa and sauerkraut. i'll also munch on nuts, seeds, fruit, or veggies during the day when I get hungry. I have food allergies, so stopping at a gas station for food or eating out isn't an option for me.... Actually I eat pretty much the same when I am at a desk job.

Have you thought about about getting an inverter for your vehicle and a plugging in a crockpot to keep your leftovers warm? Back when I was still driving that's what I did, only I was starting my day by putting a stew or pot roast in the crockpot. Roughly 4-5 hours later I had lunch and then dinner at the end of my day.

To make sure the lid stays on use duct tape or bungees. Or better yet, get a lunchbox oven, (available in finer truck stops everywhere) and skip needing an inverter.

mandrina · « **Reply #9 on:** July 29, 2011, 12:35:06 pm »

Quote from: Micheál;7621

This is torture for me, because I'm an engineer that drives a white work van all over Ireland. My work mates practically live out of garages&petrol stations like I used to. It use to be my favourite thing to call into the shop on a long journey to stock up on sausage rolls, chocolate doughnuts, and Redbulls, but since I follow the Primal Diet now, just have to sit there while my work mates chow down.

There's really nothing healthy I can get in garages other than nuts, fruit, a salad, and water, and you can't really eat salads while driving. Even to save money before I went primal, I would make sandwiches at home, but don't do grains anymore. Sometimes I'll just make like a huge stuffed 5 egg omelet in the morning, and fast through lunch on coffee until I get home if it's an early day. Otherwise just do the nut water thing, with fruit on days when I have martial arts that evening.

I really notice a difference on the Primal Diet. If my work mates don't eat something at 10 o'clock tea break, and then again around lunch, they feel dizzy and get the shakes. That's carb addiction and your blood sugar out of whack! Humans shouldn't be experiencing that.

This is going to sound wierd, but can you make a thin omelet and use it like a wrap? other no carb wraps would be lettuce or cabbage leaves, or a slice of deli meat. Fill them like you would any sandwich.

Katefox · « **Reply #10 on:** July 29, 2011, 03:26:05 pm »

Quote from: Jenett;7413

One of my favorite resources is looking at the bento lunch style resources (bento, for those who don't know, is the Japanese approach to the box lunch). There are some really fancy decorative ones out there, but there's also a lot of other great quick lunch ideas.

I have become quite a fan of bento-style lunches over the last year. I bought myself a pretty bento box, and like that once it's full, I know I've got enough lunch. The only problem is that I can never think of what else to do for vegetables, and carrot & celery sticks get a little boring after a while.

I've also discovered hummus is really easy to make, tasty, and healthy, too. (Really, it involves throwing things in a blender, and blending; dead simple). So sometimes I'll take hummus and slices of pita bread to dip in it.

Quote

- miniquiche (crustless quiche made in a mini muffin tin) with plenty of veggies. - these freeze well, and thaw during the morning, so you can make a batch on the weekend, and eat throughout.

Those sound quite tasty. Do you have a recipe for them? And do they taste good if you can't heat them up? I'm not sure if I'll have access to a microwave, so it's always nice to find things that don't need heating.

Although this year, I live a ten minute walk from campus, so I might just go home for lunch/supper, depending on when my classes are.

Jenett · « **Reply #11 on:** July 29, 2011, 11:53:29 pm »

Quote from: Katefox;9280

Those sound quite tasty. Do you have a recipe for them? And do they taste good if you can't heat them up? I'm not sure if I'll have access to a microwave, so it's always nice to find things that don't need heating.
.

I haven't made them recently, but they're on my list for next weekend (I start work at the new job on the 8th, and plan to make some the weekend before to stick in the freezer.) I'll try and remember and post here, as a) my cookbooks are all shipped to the new home already and b) I don't remember the precise proportions I've favored.

Jenett · « **Reply #12 on:** August 10, 2011, 07:53:37 pm »

Quote from: Jenett;9371

I haven't made them recently, but they're on my list for next weekend (I start work at the new job on the 8th, and plan to make some the weekend before to stick in the freezer.) I'll try and remember and post here, as a) my cookbooks are all shipped to the new home already and b) I don't remember the precise proportions I've favored.

So, now I have both made and eaten the mini quiches. They are in fact as awesome as I hoped they'd be as a take-to-work food.

What you need to make them
- mini quiche/mini muffin pan (you can make them in a regular muffin pan, but they'll be bigger, and you'll need to adjust the cooking time.)

- something to mix your eggs + milk or cream in

- a whisk, fork, or whatever else works for you for mixing eggs + liquid.

- whatever you need to prep your filling (cutting board, knife, colander, etc.)

- oven

Ingredients (to make 24 mini quiche: serving size is 2-3 at a time.)
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk or cream. (I use whole milk, because I mostly only cook with it.)
- pinch of salt
- dried herbs for seasoning if you like
- 1/2 cup of whatever filling you want (see below)
- 1/2 cup of cheese (shredded, or diced really small.)

How to make
Turn on your oven to 350F.

Grease the little mini quiche depressions in the baking tin. (a little butter, an olive oil spray, whatever.)

Shred your cheese and cut your filling up into little bits (about 1/4 inch square at most, and smaller is better.)

Put a pinch of cheese into the bottom of each depression in the tin. (This will make it easier to get the quiche out when it's baked, plus it tastes yummy.) You'll note these are crustless, which saves almost all of the tedious bits of making quiche otherwise.

Spoon or sprinkle your filling in on top. Add some more cheese if you want. You want the filling to loosely fill about 3/4 of the depression.

Take your eggs, and crack them into your mixing container. Add your milk. Mix together, until the yolks are broken (as if you were going to scramble them.) Add a pinch of salt, any herbs you want to add, etc.

Pour mixture into each quiche cup, until it is almost full. (Overflowing is not the end of the world, but takes more clean up.)

Put the tray into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or so, until the tops are browning. Remove, and cool on a cooling rack. (You may want to wait a couple of minutes before removing them from the pan, though.)

Repeat for another batch, if your pan only has 12 depressions. (What I did was mix 3 eggs and 1/4 cup of milk at a time in a 2 cup measuring cup, to save dish-washing annoyance, and because it makes it easier to judge how measuring in the egg into the depressions.

Fillings
I did honey smoked ham and gouda, which was awesome.

I intend to try:
- spinach and feta cheese
- sauteed mushroom and swiss
- caramelised onion and .. hmm, maybe chevre.

And you can obviously also do awesome things with herb combinations.

Storage
Ok. The awesome thing about these is that they freeze well. Freeze in a single layer, and then you can stick them all in a freezer bag, or whatever.

When you want to take them to work, stick as many as you'll want to eat in the fridge the night before. (They might thaw fast enough to thaw if you went from fridge into lunch bag, but I haven't tested that...) But because this makes lots, you can make a batch every week, or a double batch every week or two, and have lots of stuff waiting for you to eat without having to think about it very much the rest of the time.

If you want them warm to eat, you can zap them in a microwave for 30-60 seconds, but I actually like mine cold.

Katefox · « **Reply #13 on:** August 10, 2011, 08:21:14 pm »

Quote from: Jenett;12111

So, now I have both made and eaten the mini quiches. They are in fact as awesome as I hoped they'd be as a take-to-work food.

Thank you for posting the recipes. I think I'm going to make them as soon as I get some eggs, and things to fill them with (spinach and feta sounds delicious).

veggiewolf · « **Reply #14 on:** August 22, 2011, 12:05:28 pm »

Quote from: Jenett;12111

...

I made these last week, in regular muffin tins. We used the following as fillings:

- veggie sausage crumbles and gorgonzola
- spinach and feta
- scallion and sharp cheddar
- caramelized onion and gouda.

We used the Gouda shreds in the bottom of each muffin cup as well. Today, I had one on an English muffin for lunch.

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Author Topic: Healthy Lunches (Read 4362 times)

DomesticWitch

Healthy Lunches

Jenett

Re: Healthy Lunches

Wood Rose

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Micheál

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rocquelaire

Healthy Lunches

Micheál

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schwertlilie

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woodhick

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sugarmagnolia

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mandrina

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Katefox

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Jenett

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Jenett

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