Something to eat in work?

Penny Tration

I'll try to keep this as compact as possible.

Need snack ideas!

I work 9 hour shifts, with one hour long break. I usually bring in whatever I had for dinner the previous night for lunch (if it can be eaten cold). If it can't be eaten cold, I get soup in the Dunnes here.

So, the problem - I know, eat more at lunch and you won't need to snack. However, I commute 2 hours each way to work. So, a 13 hour day, with one break.

No microwave. No fridge. No kettle. No water. No seat. No canteen of any kind. What's here - dunnes and a newsagent.

Can anyone recommend something relatively low calorie that I could either buy in dunnes, or make at home to bring with me, as a snack? Something that, once I get to work, requires no refrigeration, no heating, nothing at all. Not a lot to ask

I have been having a handful of almonds or blueberries (I know almonds are high calorie, but dem fats), but I'm sick of almonds, and the blueberries and any berries/veg I've been bringing are going gross since they installed a ridiculously warm heater beside me.

So, any suggestions?

Slydice

Buy a pack of apples, pears or bananas in Dunnes and have them handy.

athtrasna

I thought employers had to provide basic facilities? Op a small cooler bag and freezer blocks will keep food cold for hours.

Penny Tration

athtrasna wrote: »

I thought employers had to provide basic facilities? Op a small cooler bag and freezer blocks will keep food cold for hours.

I think all they have to provide is drinking water, but tbh I like my job so have no complaints there, just finding it awkward :pac:

Cooler bag is a brilliant idea! Thank you

Fruit is also a good idea, but I'm trying not to eat it too much because of the sugar content. I do eat it a lot, but am trying to vary it a bit.

Thanks guys

Slydice

Jenny Thalia wrote: »

Fruit is also a good idea, but I'm trying not to eat it too much because of the sugar content. I do eat it a lot, but am trying to vary it a bit.

I remember being concerned about sugar in fruit before. After reading up a bit I got the idea in my head that fruit has very little compared to chocolate bars and soft drinks.

Still though I kept reading and pears were the ones that I remember being recommended for not being too bad for your teeth. The worst seems to be grapes/raisins. My teeth get that same yucky feeling the next day after having them as after having a soft drink.

Penny Tration

Slydice wrote: »

I remember being concerned about sugar in fruit before. After reading up a bit I got the idea in my head that fruit has very little compared to chocolate bars and soft drinks.

Still though I kept reading and pears were the ones that I remember being recommended for not being too bad for your teeth. The worst seems to be grapes/raisins. My teeth get that same yucky feeling the next day after having them as after having a soft drink.

Yeah, it's purely because of my teeth that I'm limiting my sugar intake (I don't touch chocolate or fizzy drinks anyway), because my teeth are ridiculously sensitive already. Don't want to wreck what little enamel I have left :pac:

I'll grab some pears and bananas tomorrow so.

Any more suggestions would be great .

Thanks for everything so far. You're stars

artvandulet

One of the Meridian nut butters would be good with nairns crackers. almond butter or cashew nut butter. makes a change from eating whole nuts. otherwise make power bars- 1 part dates, 1 part nuts, 1 part goji berries/dried blueberries/cranberries blitzed In a food processor and divided up into bars. store in the fridge. you have to be organized for that one.
Otherwise if I'm stuck and have to run to a shop I'd buy a tin of fish and have some franks hot sauce on it for flavour.

TimeToShine

I usually boil brown pasta and green beans, stick a can of tuna in and some pesto sauce etc. and it can be eaten cold no problem.

ariana`

Different types of nuts - brazil & cashew nuts are my personal favourite.

Home baking e.g. slices healthy banana bread or of a nice seeded healthy brown bread with butter & jam (yum!)

Crackers/oat cakes/rice crackers with any nut butter.

Fruit with a dip e.g. apple & peanut butter, grapes or pineapple with cottage cheese

Homemade cereal bars - oats, honey, butter, nuts, seeds, cinnamon. A bit like the Nature Value style bars you can buy.

Natural yogurt with homemade granola or with fresh berries

Bread sticks (or carrot/celery sticks) with hummous or guacamole dip.

Some of these might be things at home you'd keep in a fridge but they'd be fine for the few hours between you leaving the house and snacking on them. Just had my lunch now and i'm getting hungry thinking of all these yummy snacks :-)

shapeblue

Hi, foods to bring in work can be a sort of snacks that has nutrition value. For that, I may suggest that you bring biscuits or crackers. Others could be correct also that you may eat fruits.

Penny Tration

shapeblue wrote: »

Hi, foods to bring in work can be a sort of snacks that has nutrition value. For that, I may suggest that you bring biscuits or crackers. Others could be correct also that you may eat fruits.

I don't think biscuits have much nutritional value tbh :pac:

Alf Veedersane

Birrra Greek yoghurt.

Protein + fat = full

Zombienosh

Rice cakes with peanut butter, or go into one of the ethnic stores and you can get giant bags of almonds/other various nuts and I put them into individual zip lock bags making snacks for the week.

chickenlicken2

Not sure what the environment you work in is like but I bought a microwave for a job before -tenner off of done deal. Boss ended up reimbursing me later on but like that had flat out refused at the start.
If that doesn't work could you bring flasks of soup

Penny Tration

chickenlicken2 wrote: »

Not sure what the environment you work in is like but I bought a microwave for a job before -tenner off of done deal. Boss ended up reimbursing me later on but like that had flat out refused at the start.
If that doesn't work could you bring flasks of soup

I work in sales/management, it's difficult to explain, but there's absolutely zero option of me having anything like a microwave, regardless of whether I pay for it or not :pac: I don't mind the restrictions, though, as I enjoy my job

Flask of soup is a good idea, hadn't even considered that tbh! I make all of my own soups at home anyway so at least I'd know the salt content and nutritional value.

Thanks lads. Ye have been immensely helpful!

Alf Veedersane

Jenny Thalia wrote: »

Flask of soup is a good idea, hadn't even considered that tbh! I make all of my own soups at home anyway so at least I'd know the salt content and nutritional value.

Pro tip: presuming you have a good flask, before you put the soup in, leave boiling water sitting in it for a couple of minutes to warm up the inside of the container. Then in with the soup.

Alf Veedersane

If you had access to a plug, you could also get one of these bad boys

Jezek

Do you like cooking ? I make my own energy bars made with oats, nuts, fruits, honey, etc.

LAtely I also discovered the simplest snack i could make at home, oat and banana biscuits. They keep me very full for not too many calories or unhealthy ingredients. I add some maple syrup to them but you can add what you like: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/09/2-ingredient-healthy-banana-bread-breakfast-cookies-with-delicious-add-ins/

chickenlicken2

Also if you Google home made pot noodle think it usually just needs boiling water at the finish.
Just remember you don't have a kettle, flask perhaps again or perhaps a cup of boiling water from the dunnes or newsagent

Right Turn Clyde

Bean/legume salads. There's an endless variety of recipes online. Quick and easy, and can work as a snack or a very filling meal, depending on portion size.

Chickpea, avocado, feta, spring onion, fresh coriander, a squeeze of lime and freshly ground seasoning. That's an easy one to get you started. Dice the feta and avocado that morning, wrap them separately in cling film, then place them in your lunch box with the other ingredients. Just unwrap when you're ready to eat. In fact, I always wrap up some ingredients in a salad. It keeps everything from turning into a soggy mess.

NoQuarter

Sunday nights I make blueberry muffins for work for the next 5 days (they are just stored in a lunchbox in a cupboard):

12 Muffins:
1 cup Ground Almonds
1.5 tea spoon Baking powder
2 Eggs
2 Bananas
Flaked almonds
Milk (preferably almond milk but any will do)
Blueberries (or blackberrys/raspberrys)

Anything else you want to add in. I use 2 full scoops of protein powder.
You can also add seeds/fruit/dried fruit/cocoa powder etc etc


Method:
Mix all the dry stuff together.
Whisk and add the 2 eggs (3 if you're using protein powder or any other powder)

Add 100ml of milk
Mash 2 bananas and add them.
Add the blueberries.
Line the muffin tin with large cupcake cases
Fill with 2 full tablespoons of the mix each then spread evenly whatever is left between the cases.

10 mins prep. Bake on 160 (fan) or 180 (no fan) for 15/20 mins. Done. Let cool and pop into lunchboxes/tinfoil. I bring 2 a day with me. They are fine to store for 5/6 days but any longer and they grow mould the same as bread would.

Rough macro breakdown for 2 muffins will be:
Carbs - 17 Grams
Protein - 16 grams
fats - 11 grams
calories: 231

GiftofGab

1. Blend Oats, Banana, Peanut Butter, Milk and Protein Powder together in a blender. Leave in the fridge over night and bring it to work with you. Depending on your calorie intake you can remove / cut down on oats.
2. Strawberries with cottage cheese and peanut putter in a small container.
3. Fruit
4. Nuts
5. Chicken salad – lettuce, cooked chicken, cottage cheese, bell peppers, red onion, celery. To be eaten cold.
6. Tuna sandwich – tuna, celery mixed with low fat mayonnaise in wholegrain bread.
7. Chicken Wrap – chicken with a mix of desired veg with a small amount of low fat sauce (e.g. low fat mayo) on wholegrain wrap bread.