cold packed lunches

BitterAndTwisted

If you've got a stick-blender or very strong wrists you can make a batch of hummus for pennies. That's if tahini is a product you can get your hands on: if you can't find it in the supermarket most health-food shops sell it for around a pound a jar which makes quite a few batches and it's much more tasty than shop-bought hummus.

A packed lunch for me is not a proper packed lunch unless there are carrot sticks and some dried fruit in there somewhere. For a light lunch in the summer-time I love cottage cheese with mandarin oranges.

mollythewestie

Multiseed bagels make a nice alternative to normal white bread and a bag will last a while too. Fillings I use are cream cheese and smoked salmon, chicken sweetcorn and mayo, smoked ham and cheese.

Cous Cous is my favourite no prep lunch at the moment. You can get bags of ready "flavoured" cous cous and just add hot water as required.

emilyka

caitybabes wrote: »

You could perhaps save money by roasting a chicken at the beginning of the week and taking it apart to get chicken bits for your salad.

Cous cous with roasted butternut squash and feta is a lovely salad by the way.

Thank you all for ideas. Caitybabes- if I roasted a chicken on sunday eve would it still be okay to eat on Friday?

Thanks

Tabatha_Kitten

emilyka wrote: »

if I roasted a chicken on sunday eve would it still be okay to eat on Friday?

I normally reckon a maximum 3 days in the fridge.
It will freeze ok in portions but needs to be de-frosted thoroughly.

BitterAndTwisted

If your fridge is cool enough a cooked chicken will keep for at least a week. If you buy cooked chicken from the supermarket think how long it is before the "use by" date

CCP

emilyka wrote: »

I'm trying not to eat too much bread at the moment and am bringing in salads. Does anyone have any ideas for cheap, healthy and filling salads? At the moment I'm spending about £1.50 a day on chicken to go in the salad!

Thanks

I'm on salads as well at the moment. Last week I cooked a bacon joint and had chunks of that with salad for a few days, so you don't have to limit yourself to chicken. Roasted veggies make a good salad, too. Another possibility is lentil salad - I like green lentils best for salads as they keep their shape. Green lentil, baby spinach, feta and a spicy dressing is a favourite of mine, as is simple lettuce, boiled egg and potato with salad cream. (Then again, I like just about anything with salad cream! )

zippychick

Hi Sally

Loads of threads with inspiration for you. A few ideas would include pasta salad, savoury rice/rice salad, couscous salad, Home made hoummous with ricecakes/oatcakes/carrot etc , chicken/egg salad

Cold packed lunches

Sandwich fillings

Exciting sandwich fillings on a budget

Home made sandwich spreads

Packed lunches

Wanting help with packed lunches

Lunch for work

Cheap and practical low carb lunch for work

What's in your lunch box today?

Lunches to go in a food flask

Moneysaving challenges - lunches for work

once you get some more ideas and this drops down, I'll add your thread to the first link to keep all the like ideas together

OH! Lastly - i searched but couldn't find anything (once you get the hang of the search you will be flying!)

thanks:)
Zip

jackieglasgow

caitybabes wrote: »

Cous cous with roasted butternut squash and feta is a lovely salad by the way.

Probably my favourite salad

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

If you've got a stick-blender or very strong wrists you can make a batch of hummus for pennies. That's if tahini is a product you can get your hands on: if you can't find it in the supermarket most health-food shops sell it for around a pound a jar which makes quite a few batches and it's much more tasty than shop-bought hummus.

I am not keen on Tahini in my hummus but like some sesame seeds in it

I would also suggest chickpeas as a good source of protein in your salad in place of chicken. Low fat and very nutritious and cheap. I also like a salad of couscous with roasted veg like courgettes red onion and peppers and some feta in it.

emilyka

CCP wrote: »

I'm on salads as well at the moment. Last week I cooked a bacon joint and had chunks of that with salad for a few days, so you don't have to limit yourself to chicken. Roasted veggies make a good salad, too. Another possibility is lentil salad - I like green lentils best for salads as they keep their shape. Green lentil, baby spinach, feta and a spicy dressing is a favourite of mine, as is simple lettuce, boiled egg and potato with salad cream. (Then again, I like just about anything with salad cream! )

Sounds great- I never would have thought of the bacon joint! I'm trying to get into lentils at the moment, not so sure on them as yet :mad: have added them to bulk out bolognaises etc which tastes great but no sure what I think of them on their own.

I'm trying to lose weight, would like to lose 3 kilos by the end of June for my hols so healthy ideas are always welcome. Told OH that now the sun is out it's salad time (his winter excuse for not eating salad is the weather!) so he's being good with me (without knowing it!!):rotfl: