cold packed lunches

Uniscots97

Ok, need your help guys please. Since moving office the up side is I can actually see daylight (we were in the basement before), the downside is there's one microwave to about 60 people. So its hit and miss trying to use it and when you do (if you can get near it that is), people are asking you to hurry up. Nice eh? I bring a packed lunch in everyday (most people now do this as our canteen is dire since it got taken over) and am getting fed up of the same things. Below is a list of the things I usually bring to work for lunch.


Sandwiches (various fillings)
Soup (in a thermos flask)
Cold pasta with tuna, sweetcorn and olive oil.


Anyone got any suggestions for other cold lunches I could have? The thermos I have only has a narrow neck so wouldn't be good enough to keep anything other than soup hot. Trying to watch the spending at the moment so buying a food flask is out, only place I've seen them is QVC and they were a fortune!

newlywed

I like wraps with ham, rice, salad etc in.

Or pitta with flavoured rice, cheese, ham (whatever is in the fridge).

Also when I get really fed up of sarnies, I buy the part bake bagettes and make a bagette up for a change.

Uniscots97

pitta with flavoured rice sounds nice. What do you have through the rice? Is it ok to eat this cold?

overlykeensaver

how about couscous salad. the couscous is quick as you just pour boiling water over it and cover for 5 mins. Then add raw carrots, peppers, chicken, whatever you fancy. Dress it with some olive oil/salad dressing/whatever you fancy.

Another lunch pack DH takes to work is noodles. Get some fresh noodles (they don't need cooking) and make a dressing of:
5tsp soy sauce
2tsp rice vinegar
2tsp honey
2tsp sesame oil

now add your veg/meat etc of choice. Very tasty.

Uniscots97

Will be stocking up on pitta bread and cous cous next time I'm in the supermarket. Thank you.

newlywed

unixgirluk wrote: »

pitta with flavoured rice sounds nice. What do you have through the rice? Is it ok to eat this cold?

I usually chop ham up, chop small cherry tomatoes, add a squirt of salad cream and add it all to "savoury rice" either Uncle ben's microwave packet or supermarket own that I've boiled up.

I have also used stock and frozen veg to cook with plain rice, but it doesn't turn out the same.

I eat the pitta's filled with rice cold. Just like a having a cold rice salad in a pitta.

saxy1

Im sure you can buy food flasks cheaper than qvc, try wilkinsons or woolies.

Uniscots97

Unfortunately no wilko's here in the central belt of scotland. Will try woolies though they're getting to be thin on the ground too!

elljay20

what about a chicken and salad wrap? or a chicken and bacon salad? or if you have time in the morning toast some bread and layer up a club sandwich, they're nice hot or cold!

Penny-Pincher!!

Chicken pieces
Rice/Pasta salad
Sausage rolls
Pork pie
cheese and crackers
ryvitas, cream cheese and crunchy apple
fruit salad
cold chilli is nice

PP
xx

Eskimo12345

Reading this thread has given me a good few ideas to funk up my lunchtimes

I make sandwiches for work every day, coupled with eating breakfast before I leave the house (well, in the car) I save about £8 a day compared to buying it! My favourite sandwiches -

fresh bread with smoked ham, rocket or herb salad, cheese, black olives and light mayo

fresh bread with tuna, sweetcorn, mayo, chopped celery, and a little olive oil and salt & pepper.

Mmmm, that's tasty stuff for sure! I know you asked for alternatives to sandwiches but I like what I make so much it's usually gone by eleven :rotfl:
This lunchtime, sausage sandwiches were the order of the day as I had some left over from last night... leftover pizza always makes a good lunch too!