New job and I need ideas for not buying food on the go

newlywed

I used to heat up soup just before I left for work at 8am and put it into a warmed food flask.  Used to be fine at 1pm, and skipped the microwave queue at work. 

RAS

For rice and pasta, run them through with cold water as soon as you've removed the normal eating portion and then refrigerate. Or put on a cold plate and spread out to cool.

With cold or re-heated pasta the starches change and take longer to digest, so you may feel fuller longer. Definitely cook an extra half portion and use the next day for pasta salad or even pasta and leftover sauce.

You really do need to know what facilities are available at both sites, and how long the journey is. If you've less than 4 hours between leaving and lunch, even without a microwave a hot chunky soup is an option.

And if you've got the oven on a tray of roast veggies is pretty versatile. With supper, stirred into a pasta sauce or couscous, made into frittata, whizzed into soup.

bouicca21

Just remembered that I also used to make sandwiches with frozen bread.  By lunchtime the bread had thawed and seemed really fresh. 

JIL

I dont freeze sandwiches, but I freeze buttered bread.
If I pick up reduced bread, I portion it up, slice any rolls and butter the bread. Freezing in lunchtime portions. The night before work, I take it out of the freezer, and fill it whilst still frozen.
By doing it this way, just gives me more choice of fillings.

I never eat breakfast, I have to be up and about for a couple of hours before I feel hungry. If I'm at work, I tend to calorie count my lunch box and add my dinner on to my daily intake if that makes sense.

My lunch box, could be 2 rolls with protein (such as quorn ham, tuna and cucumber, cheese and pickle, egg mayo) a yogurt, fruit, a cereal bar, sometimes crisps or nuts,  carrot sticks, hummus, all adding up to about 850 calories and I eat a bit about 10.30 and some more at 1.30. In winter I do supplement with home made soup. 

When I get home I have my dinner.

Works for me.

Longwalker

I start at 7am and finish some time around 4pm 3 days a week

We have a microwave , toaster , Kettle and fridge

I keep a loaf of bread ( well half a loaf usually ) a pack of butter and a block of cheese in work

Most days I cook enough dinner so I can make a pack lunch up. Sometimes it cane be more rice/pasta then meat, but its a lunch, I will survive

This time of year its so cold in work a hot meal is required so as above I try to keep a meal back. But thats something  Ive always done, yesterday I had a curry and rice I must have cooked last winter !! Even had half a samosa in it so it was saved from my plate lol

Coming into winter I will be making more soups and stew , I will always put a portion in the freezer for another day

I have 20 mins to wake up and be on the road ( hence the bread and cheese in work in case ) so grabbing a tub from the freezer works for me 

Back in the day when I worked sociable hours and took a chilled lunch in - IE salad, Id chop the salad veg the night before. Hard boiled eggs - last  3 days - cooked chicken/meat - 3 to 4 days . so you can plan ahead easily. 

lookstraightahead

Thank you so much, I'm going to stick to budget and to healthy eating and plan my meals to save time, starting today. I can do this 😂

Nathalia

I used to keep a few tins of soup in my desk for nights when I worked late, as they stopped me going out to the shop.  Ditto some potatoes to microwave and if I was super organised, a little bit of butter and some cheese.

You might find it useful to take a couple of nice biscuits in, in a little plastic tub.  A real treat with a work coffee when your energy level dips.  After a couple of weeks you'll know when you need a snack.  For me it was four o'clock.

YoungBlueEyes

I've nothing different/useful to add on the food front, but good luck in your new job and new habits - you can do this! 

lookstraightahead

YoungBlueEyes said:

I've nothing different/useful to add on the food front, but good luck in your new job and new habits - you can do this! 

Thank you. It's a new me 😁

littlegreenparrot

I make up overnight oats to take into work every morning, 1 part oats to two part liquid in a jar and it's ready to go the following morning. A take a pot of fruit as well, often frozen berries that also get put in the fridge the night before. 

My preferred salad is roasted veg with bulghar wheat/quinoa and a couple of falafel. Cold slices of frittata work well. If all else fails a pot of hummus along with oatcakes, and some carrot sticks/ tomatoes can just be chucked in a bag.