Work lunches inspiration help

Floss

What supermarkets will he have nearby to base & work? My DH travels with his job and quite likes it when he's 2 or more nights in the same hotel, as he can pick up a "bedroom picnic" - salad pot such as beans, quinoa or tabbuleh, chilled fish, yogurt - to eat, rather than the usual triangular meal on the drive home! He likes Waitrose, Sainsbury & M&S Simply Food for those meals, as they have a good selection of salad pots etc.

PasturesNew

So, easy food without an overhead or trail .... come and go with the minimum of fuss/mess, no trace left behind.

I'd work out what's the most portable cereal and bag that up (for me that'd be frosties or sugar puffs, but FIR would go for something healthier. He could carry little bags in each week, or simply keep a box in his drawer (or in a tiny suitcase with a lock kept under his desk). In fact, tiny suitcase is probably a good idea else his drawers will get full/crumby.

Bananas - you can't go wrong with bananas, they'd last all week.

Once on site, pick up some tiny tins of pineapple in fruit juice, with the ring pulls - and pop those into the suitcase. Also suitcase fodder = a jar of jam and some peanut butter - so he can just pick up a local roll or loaf.

If he's got a backbone of "just food" in a bag under his desk (locked to stop practical jokes and food thieves) then there's less of an urgency to take stuff or get stuff the first morning/day if he's running late or busy.

Angel delight can be good too - you can mix it with milk powder and water .... so he'll need a small plastic jug/similar to mix it in. Without a fridge it'd take longer to set .... but I generally eat it far too soon anyway, just make it a bit firmer (less water).

Nuts .... biscuits .... into the desk suitcase.

Cold rice pudding's nice too - cans. And instant semolina (just add boiling water from a kettle - can open the packet and pour a bit into a mug and mix it by eye, resealing the packet by folding it). A spoon of that jam would go with both those too.

Vacuum packed pitta breads are available in all supermarkets. You can chew through them as they are, or toast, or nuke them.... and, once opened, the packet can be sealed with a plastic clip. Just be careful as there are a few in the shops that require chilling, so just get the ones in the bread aisle.

Get a big bag of sultanas.... for the suitcase.

From home, you can make various flavours of flapjacks, then wrap them up in tin foil. And boiled cake, wrapped well, would last as well.

Personally I enjoy a mug of stuffing.... just made up with boiling water. But then I'm a peasant and FIR's not

You've not said what his daily budget would be for all food. £10/day's easier to think of than £1/day.... but whatever it is we can list edibles.

I love the Mr S instant cup a soups - Vegetable Soup - 22p for four sachets last time I looked - and surprisingly tasty!

I always have sachets of instant custard in the cupboard too - that's a nice/quick instant meal for one.... or can be poured over the contents of any fruit - e.g. banana custard, or using tinned fruit.

Couscous is instant/kettle fodder too.... with any spices you prefer to use at home....and I know you like to use all sorts that I've never heard of (so no point me suggesting flavours). Could also lob in some of the sultanas/nuts I mentioned earlier.

If you can get your hands on a few sachets (from a restaurant/similar) of mayo, then a small can of tuna and a pitta bread, with a squirt of that's a meal. There are even some tiny tins of flavoured tuna (usually with ring pulls) in supermarkets.

Sunflower1227

http://www.reviewmylife.co.uk/kettlecookery/

A couple of ideas here

lostinrates

Floss wrote: »

What supermarkets will he have nearby to base & work? My DH travels with his job and quite likes it when he's 2 or more nights in the same hotel, as he can pick up a "bedroom picnic" - salad pot such as beans, quinoa or tabbuleh, chilled fish, yogurt - to eat, rather than the usual triangular meal on the drive home! He likes Waitrose, Sainsbury & M&S Simply Food for those meals, as they have a good selection of salad pots etc.

I'll check this with him later, There is no email or phone contact at new place of work :eek: so will check which shop/s are easiest.

suki1964

Hubby has no cooking/ heating facilities where he is ATM either

This week lunches are nigellas noodles and soup. I make the noodles on the weekend and he just fills his lunch box every morning. Soup is the same, heats it while he's making his tea in the morning and pours it into his flask

Nigellas noodles, she advocates using pre cooked noodles,so no cooking is required at all

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

You've not said what his daily budget would be for all food. £10/day's easier to think of than £1/day.... but whatever it is we can list edibles.

Not decided yet. Enough to make his choice nutritious and not feel restrictive or encourage difficult choices ( like not eating day times). But as low as possible. The canteen option is around £4.50 to £5 for lunch. Previous ( subsidised) canteen was £1.50 to £2 plus restaurant delivered suppers when needed ( several times a week). This looks like time is going to be better for some prep in evenings though .

It might be one of the best options IS buying from reduced counters daily in his location. I don't know.

FairyPrincessk

Another possibility I just thought of--some of our city centre SM have salad bar/deli counter sorts of things. I think there is one in the city centre Morrisons, so not just the high end ones. Might be work a try--he could fill a tub of expensive toppings like eggs/cheese/olives/tuna/roasted veggies etc and then buy a bag of salad or make some pasta/cous cous/lentils as a base.

Another few ideas--check out the anti pasti at Aldi if there is one near, both jarred and chilled, their relatively recent pre-washed bagged salads and I think they may also do poached fish and or smoked mackrel as well as the usual deli meats/cheeses.

lostinrates

Thanks everyone. I have sent him this thread to him and he will check it probably tomorrow evening.