Ideas for cheap veggie packed lunches

flower24

I need to be frugal and make myself packed lunches for work for as cheap as possible.

I am the most unimaginative person in the kitchen EVER.

I also could do with some main meal ideas for at home, as if I cooked better I could take leftovers the next day.

pollypenny

I used to take a salad sandwich with cheese and marmite almost every day of my working life.

An apple for afters. I didn't date go to the dining room or I'd have a lovely steam pudding with loads of custard.

HOWMUCH

Pasta salad with veg and mayo
Egg muffins put veg in
Roast veg wraps
Veg sausage salad(Linda M's often £1 box)
HM veg soup in flask
Veg chilli
Veg lasagna

maman

I like a pasta salad made from a tray of roast veg (tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, peppers, courgettes, onions..... Then I'd stir in a tin of red beans for protein. If it's a bit dry then add a squirt of tomato puree. You can make this up and keep it in the fridge for a few days.


If you've got facilities to reheat (or a food flask) then make up a big pot of veggie chilli to take with you.


Hard boiled eggs are filling but not very sociable.;)

Islandmaid

I,m nit veggie, but what about -

HM hummus and veg sticks or bread sticks
Veg soup if you have access to microwave - my fav is mushroom at the mo
Frittata
Greek style salad
Jacket spud
Pasta or rice salads
And of course veg sarnies or wraps

adsk

2 of my favourite sandwiches:
- hummus, grated carrot and cucumber
- chopped onion bhaji mixed with mayo/creme fraiche & splash of mint (sauce), mango chutney, cucumber

Rebelle

Cooked & cooled cous cous is nice in a salad, add any chopped veg & dressing you like, I love fruity ingredients with it like sultanas, chopped apple/dates, grapes, pomegranate seeds etc as well as the usual lettuce, cucumber, tomato, pepper etc... hard boiled eggs are good in salad too for veggie protein.

For main meals, try a simple tomato based sauce to have with pasta - use quorn or soya mince for spag bol, or just make a veg pasta sauce - fry onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrot, courgette, celery... whatever veg you fancy then add tinned tomatoes, a squirt of tomato puree, a pinch of sugar, herbs like basil, oregano or Italian herb seasoning & then simmer til the tomatoes break down a bit & the sauce thickens.

Good on a jacket spud (cook in oven while you're making something else, then keep in fridge to take to work & reheat?) as well as with pasta...

You can also modify the above recipe by adding chilli (fresh or dried flakes or powder), tinned beans (baked beans, kidney beans, whatever you like... I used mixed beans in chilli sauce) & cumin - again you can use quorn mince to replace meat or just have veg chilli - chunks of sweet potato are good in this, you can also use butternut squash...

If you can make a basic tomato sauce by frying onion, garlic etc & adding tinned tomatoes, it opens the door to being able to make lots of other dishes... I would add quorn chicken chunks & chopped up veggie sausage, peppers & chilli & then mix with rice to make veggie jambalaya... just be guided by the kinds of foods you like. Have a look at veggie recipes online, there's lots of ideas out there & cooking is great fun once you have a bit of confidence.

natlie

Vegetable soups
Homemade Quche and Salad
Boiled eggs and toast
Jacket spuds - if you have access to a microwave
I make my own veg pots and keep in the fridge with rice or noodles and sauce

My fave sandwich is sweet chilli hummus, falafel, spinach and mango chutney yum

wraps

crumpets if you have a toaster

quorn ham or chicken sandwiches or salads

pasta or rice salad

veggie stew