Lunch ideas

syklops

I work in an office with no delivery options, there is a McDonalds and a Subway near the business park, but both are a twenty minute walk away and I only get 30 mins for work, so I have to bring my own lunch.

Now into month 5 working there I am sick of every possible lunch combination I have come up with. I've done sandwiches but find them a bit too carby. I have done bringing last nights dinner with me, but it doesn't travel well.

I want something that is:

Something I can eat at my desk(I dont like some of the other people in the kitchen and I can listen to the radio / read rather than make polite small talk)
Somewhat healthy(not low calorie per se, but not high calorie as I am sedentary most of the time)
Can be assembled with limited cooking utensils

It shouldn't be hard right?

Ideas anyone?

I've done alot of salads, and am a bit bored of them.

ElleEm

Do you have access to a microwave? You could bring in homemade soups, which can be really filling. Use Ryvita instead of bread for dipping!
Pasta bakes are great cold, and you can mix in salad too. There are plenty of "last night's dinners" that travel well, but really depends on whether you have access to a microwave or not.
Have you mixed up the types of bread you're using? Having soda bread, wraps or bagels can make a similar filling taste totally different- you can get flavoured bagels with seeds and stuff on them.

Have a look at the other threads on lunches for some inspiration!

syklops

ElleEm wrote: »

Do you have access to a microwave? You could bring in homemade soups, which can be really filling. Use Ryvita instead of bread for dipping!
Pasta bakes are great cold, and you can mix in salad too. There are plenty of "last night's dinners" that travel well, but really depends on whether you have access to a microwave or not.
Have you mixed up the types of bread you're using? Having soda bread, wraps or bagels can make a similar filling taste totally different- you can get flavoured bagels with seeds and stuff on them.

Have a look at the other threads on lunches for some inspiration!

I do have access to a microwave, but no, Ive not mixed up my breads further than regular white and McCambridges. Maybe I should try some wraps and pita pockets. Thanks for the idea!

I'm sick of soups too.

I should point out, practically every where I have worked in the past 15 years lunch has been an issue for me, except when I was working in Dublin city centre and had its range to choose from everyday. Aside from that time, my other happiest was when the local Dominos was open from 10am, so I lived on that lunch wise. Im not sure I can afford Dominos everyday any more, and also the one near me doesn't open til 4pm.

The local shop doesn't sell small trays of sushi, because that would be an idea for one of the days.

MissFlitworth

syklops wrote: »

The local shop doesn't sell small trays of sushi, because that would be an idea for one of the days.

I have a bento box with 2 little trays and a space for chopsticks, wasabi & soy bottles & a couple of onigiri moulds so I bring rice balls/sushi to work with me some times. You can keep a bottle of soy in your desk in work or get some individual soy sauce serving bottles and fill them at home. Haven't done it in a while because it takes a little prep time in the evening, mostly waiting for the rice to cook, but it's not difficult, all you really need to assemble it is a pot. You can pick up sushi rice quite reasonably in Tesco & nori sheets.

I eat at my desk a lot too and things I would often bring are

Mozzarella ball, tomatoes & olive oil (I have a little salad dressing squeezy bottle I got in homestore & more) with bread or crackers

Ryvita with hummous/salami/ham/olives/cream cheese/cottage cheese

Lunchbox of chopped fruit

Falafel & pita

Lunchbox with chunk of cheese, some meats/deli stuff & crackers

Buy a spanish omelette & have it over a few days

Tom Dunne

Pasta with olive oil, feta and tomatoes, with a sprinkle of oregano. Tastes better at room temperature, so no need for a fridge.

Schnitzel Muncher

Peanut butter and mashed banana sandwich. Toasted bread if you have a toaster in the canteen.

Delicious.

DoozerT6

I know you said you're not too keen on some of your other workmates, but even if your lunch isn't the most inspiring, having others to talk to (maybe even swop some items!) might make it more bearable!

Also what you could do is suggest that once a week, you each take it in turns to make something for everyone? A one-pot dish like a stew, curry, lasagne, something like that. If there are say, 10 people in your office, that means everyone will only have to produce something once every ten weeks, and at least once a week you'll get a home-made meal...or failing that, perhaps suggest a kitty where you could decide as a group on specific items that everybody would like to see in the kitchen, such as tins of tuna, fruit squash, crackers, yogurts, cheese, cupasoups, fresh fruit(?) - those sorts of items (I presume tea/coffee/milk/biscuits are provided by your employers?), which either one person takes responsibility to purchase every week, or you share the responsibility on a rota system.

If your office is that isolated from shops or anywhere to get lunch, your workmates might be feeling the same way as you about their lack of food options and you never know, the kitty idea or once-a-week thing might just work...?