Filling but cost effective lunch

Katiehound

JIL said:

Does it help if we post our lunches? 

Will it help with ideas?

Should we go one step further and do a new thread asking what's in your lunch box today?

I think that is a better option
Go for it!!

Mark_Glasses

@longwalker I know chocolate bars are bad but I thought yoghurts were good for you. The ham I bought contains Pork, Salt, Sugar, Triphosphates, Sodium Ascorbate and Sodium Nitrite and cost £1.75 and I didn't use the whole packet for my sandwich. Ham was one of the things that's been suggested.

@jil I think it would help but with a price against it

@ArbitraryRandom I am envious of people being creative with food. I'm clueless.

ArbitraryRandom

The only difference between your ham and buying a gammon joint are the sugar and the price, as most supermarket gammon will still have the preservatives - buying a joint, cooking it and slicing it into portions (that you can freeze) will cut your cost about in half and you can just buy a slightly larger gammon than you might for dinner and keep the rest sliced for lunch that week.

Allowing slicing meat is a skill... your slices will likely not be as thin or neat as the packet, but if you're open to a bit of variety, then you can pick the nice slices for a sarnie then the 'bits' can go in a pitta or with pasta. Smoked gammon/bacon, soft cheese/mozzarella (70p for a good size ball in Lidl) and cranberry sauce/sweet pickle/jam is delicious in a pitta if you fancy something a bit sweeter.  

Re yogurt, it can be a great source of protein and calcium, but again there's a difference between a sugar free/no added sugar natural or greek yogurt (if that sounds boring, you can take a pot of berries or a handful of oats/musli to add when you're eating it) compared to a high sugar and highly coloured and artificial flavoured one, with many falling in between the two. 

If your point is to stay fuller but for it to be cost effective, yogurt is a good option, and the unflavoured natural or greek yogurts are often the cheapest store brand options with the fewest added ingredients - but whatever you pick, I'd recommend you check that the amount of protein in the yogurt is at least higher than the amount of sugar... 

Mark_Glasses

@ArbitraryRandom I'm fine with slices not being perfect, I can't see them properly in the sandwich anyway. I love unflavoured yoghurt so that suits me fine. I've always found jam sandwiches boring but have spent the best part of 20 years eating them because they're cheap.

YoungBlueEyes

One thing I do if my slices are a bit wiggly *ahem* is take the fatter slices and chop it into wee bits and mix them with mayo or mustard+mayo. Or if I've got some chicken I'll shred it into bits. Saves having too thin and too thick slices all in the one sandwich. Another tip if I'm making himself sandwiches for the next day - use a lettuce leaf to keep the filling away from the bread or it'll go soggy. 

-taff

A good layer of butter usually stops that too

Emily_Joy

JIL said:

Should we go one step further and do a new thread asking what's in your lunch box today?

It sounds like a great idea. I have been on a diet (no added salt, no butter, next to zero oil of any kind, nothing fried) for over 15 years now and it honestly amazes me what people seem to get away with... My lunch on Friday was 2 peaches, 2 pears, a banana, and overnight oats that I made myself before leaving the work on Thursday. 

Longwalker

-taff said:

A good layer of butter usually stops that too

Ive ditched the butter and now use dary lea lights ( lidl own brand) , gives me the calcium without the calories

Longwalker

Emily_Joy said:

JIL said:

Should we go one step further and do a new thread asking what's in your lunch box today?

It sounds like a great idea. I have been on a diet (no added salt, no butter, next to zero oil of any kind, nothing fried) for over 15 years now and it honestly amazes me what people seem to get away with... My lunch on Friday was 2 peaches, 2 pears, a banana, and overnight oats that I made myself before leaving the work on Thursday. 

A diet for 15 years??? Or do you mean a healthy eating regime?

JIL

Heres the new thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6503501/whats-in-your-lunchbox-today/p1?new=1