Lunch on the road!

slowrun

Hi,

I'm looking for some suggestions for a nice, healthy lunch while on the go!
My work takes me on the road a lot and mostly I manage to prepare something before I go (e.g. salad) and bring a flask for my coffee etc. I actually do a lot of fieldwork so I'm usually not near anywhere I can go in and have a sit down lunch or else I don't have time if I am. Also, nowhere to heat up leftovers from dinner the evening before.

My problem is sometimes I'm away for a few days at a time and staying in a B+B/hotel, I don't have anywhere to make up a salad or sometimes when leaving home, I just don't get the chance to prepare anything. When this happens, I have to try and pick up something on the road - mostly the only place to pick up anything are one of the numerous dodgy petrol stations around the place or sometimes a spar. If they have a place thats clean enough looking I'll get a wrap made up with salad or something but sometimes this just isn't an option (when you see brown lettuce in the bowls + everything is soggy looking). Yesterday I had to resort to buying a pre-made wrap which was so disgusting I was sick for the rest of the day!
I always try to have nuts/fruit with me but this just isn't enough food to keep up the energy when working outdoors.

Does anyone have any suggestions for nice, healthy food which you can pick up easily when on the road?????

rubadub

You could get another flask and keep stuff like soup or spag bol or curry & rice in it. I would preheat the flask and microwave the food until its piping hot before heading out.

Sapsorrow

Oatcakes, a tub of hummous and a packet of cherry tomatos? No need for a knife and hummous can manage a few days out of the fridge.

What about a sugar free oat and fruit bar from the health food shop? I buy Nakd ones for the days when I'm out and about in college and too busy to make anything complicated, they have 220 kcals (I think) and are filling with a piece of fruit.

I buy red peppers, sugar snap peas, baby tomatos, baby corn etc.. and just eat them as is with out cutting them into pieces or anything with hummous or maybe cream cheese.

My mum used to make me molasses ginger cake (sugar free and wholegrain) or sugar free flapjacks to bring to boarding school as the food was total trash there, in a tin they last over a week and are very filling. Quick and easy to make too if you're anyway competant in a kitchen.

Vacum packed smoked fish can handle being out of a fridge for a few days too so maybe that with cream cheese on 100% wholegrain crackers?

You could buy those pick and mix style minature cheeses in tesco and have a supply in the car for snacks.

You could always keep a bottle of homemade dressing in the car as well as a bowl and fork and buy the pre-washed and chopped salad bags and just throw on some seeds or nuts for protein.

If you don't have a fridge in the B and B you might find it's safer to go vegetarian for your lunchs if you plan on bringing pre-packed ones around when you're away for a few days.

slowrun

Thanks for the replies guys!
however, maybe I wasn't clear enough the first time - I don't have a problem when I have time to prepare something. My problem is when I don't have time and I'm stuck having to buy something in a shop with not a lot of range!

So I guess my question is - if you're in a petrol station shop, what is the healthiest of the things you can buy? Prepacked sambos (which I usually think are disgusting and only use as last resort), taytos (make tayto sambos) or prepacked sliced ham and a loaf of bread, cereal bars? Most of the country's filling stations don't have 'luxurious' items like hummous/oakcakes :-(

Usually have spoon in the car so if they have yoghurts that's an option.

Sapsorrow

slowrun wrote: »

Most of the country's filling stations don't have 'luxurious' items like hummous/oakcakes :-(

Usually have spoon in the car so if they have yoghurts that's an option.

Could you not have a backpack in the boot with supplies of non perishable things? I assumed you did and that's why I suggested that stuff. You're simply not going to get anything anyway healthy in a garage.

eclectichoney

Yes, surely you could store a box of oatcakes and a bag of mixed nuts in the boot of the car / glove box (it's not like people actually use it for gloves! )? It would be something at least I guess.

Even when I'm on holiday / away for the weekend I always bring a few bits like the above even if it means having to lug them in a backpack. It's worth it imo.

Mary-Ellen

You could keep some (salt and sugar free) peanut butter in the car and a knife and pick up some decent brown bread and a piece of fruit.

If they had McCambridge or something it'd be better than a premade sandwich and the bread would last a few days in the car.

If you get bored of peanut butter, healthfood shops do lots of different ones, I love the cashew one