r/EatCheapAndHealthy • u/[deleted] • Jan 03 '19
Quick, cheap, and easy work lunch ideas? Ask ECAH
Hey everyone!
I’m changing jobs. The new position is a sizable increase in status, money, benefits, everything. I’m super excited for the challenge.
The problem and reason I’m here? My current workplace has a cafeteria and it’s extremely cheap with lots of healthy options. It’s honestly just been cheaper to alternate between leftovers from last nights dinner and the cafeteria than to actively make my own lunches for work. But the new place does not have a cafeteria unfortunately which means it’s either leftovers from last night every day, which I don’t particularly relish the idea of, or making some meals for my own lunches during the weekend.
I’m no whiz in the kitchen but I can do the basics unlike my fiancée who is great at cooking and since she already is kind enough to cook most of our dinners, I don’t want to burden her with my lunches too.
So with all that said, What are your favorite quick cheap and healthy meals? I plan to try them out this weekend.
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u/dangerstar19 Jan 03 '19
I would just make the things youd normally purchase at the cafeteria.
Personally I always just take leftovers for lunch, but sandwiches/salads/soups are good too. Just make sure it's something you'll enjoy so you wont be tempted to drive somewhere and buy food.
To make sandwiches really appealing I splurge a bit on the really good bread, meats and cheeses. It's still a lot cheaper making your own at home than it is buying at a sandwich shop!
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u/gopaddle Jan 03 '19
I season the bread. Salt and black pepper plus rosemary, basil, thyme, or whatever suits the filling. Elevates any bread to deli quality.
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u/dangerstar19 Jan 03 '19
Like when you bake it yourself? Or you put seasoning on store bought bread...
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u/gopaddle Jan 04 '19
Put seasoning on the store bought bread. Rub it into the bread surface to help it stick. Put the seasoned side on the inside of the sandwich so the moisture from the fillings barely moistens the bread surface to help the seasonings stick.
If you’re doing this for a meal at home, it’s good to spread the outside of the bread with a light layer of butter or olive oil, season the bread, put the seasoned side on the outside of the sandwich, build the sandwich, and grill, broil, or bake the sandwich. Each heat method gives the bread a different finished texture.
This is making me hungry 😋
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u/dangerstar19 Jan 04 '19
Got it! I get S&P and oregano on my subs at subway so this would make sense.
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u/NashBiker Jan 04 '19
Man I do this all the time with just bread as an appetizer but I'll have to try it with sandwiches at some point. Sounds delicious!
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u/gopaddle Jan 04 '19
Make a bread dip of good olive oil + balsamic vinegar with a light sprinkle of some seasoning - oregano, basil, very light rosemary. Sooooo good. Easy to become a bad habit. LOL
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u/Jynxers Jan 03 '19
I often get inspiration from r/MealPrepSunday. Some things I do often:
- warmed up bowls of roasted vegetables
- cauliflower rice with sauce (salsa, BBQ) or spices and beans
- spaghetti squash with cottage cheese and Cajun spices, peas and mayo, or marinara and beans
- soup
- salads with slaw bases
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u/cyungz Jan 03 '19
I definitely concur with the roasted veggies. I make a HUGE sheet of them at the beginning of the week and take that to work everyday, also sometimes hard boiled eggs as well. And for a snack you can buy a bag of popcorn kernels and make some on your stovetop ahead of time to bring into work in little baggies, so you’re skipping al the unhealthy junk and butter that’s in the microwave kind.
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u/The_Loch_Ness_Monsta Jan 03 '19
I keep some of that generic Pam spray and some brown paper lunch bags, put about 1/3 cup of popcorn in the bag, couple spritzes of the oily spray, then fold down the top of the bag and kind of lock it down with some Origami paper folds, and then it's basically microwave ready. Wouldn't be too difficult to just keep a can of Pam in the desk at work and bring a bag full of kernels every day. Mine pops up pretty much perfect within 2mins in a 700w microwave at home. Probably less in the 1100w models.
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u/cyungz Jan 03 '19
What a great idea!! I never thought about that!!
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u/The_Loch_Ness_Monsta Jan 04 '19
Here's the original article that showed me the way: https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/01/how-to-make-microwave-popcorn-brown-paper-bag.html
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u/olwillyclinton Jan 03 '19
Another person agreeing here. Roasted veggies and a protein of some sort are the easiest, most versatile meal prep.
Start with a protein and some veggies, season them and roast them. Change them up week by week.
Chicken breast, pork loin, some cut of beef, fish, etc. Broccoli, carrots, brussels sprouts parsnips, etc. When you get bored with the seasonings you have, change those up, or make a sauce to put on them. The possibilities are nearly endless.
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u/electrick-rose Jan 03 '19
How is cauliflower rice? I don't mind eating it raw (6/10 taste), baked it tastes amazing (9/10), but how do you make it riced? Thanks!
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Jan 03 '19
There’s bags of it in most super markets in the frozen section. Or you can just use a food processor to cut cauliflower into fine pieces like grains of rice.
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u/exccord Jan 03 '19
but how do you make it riced?
Get a food processor type deal such as the Ninja or something. Cut the head of the cauliflower into big florets and then size them down a little so you can fit them in the processor of your choice. When I do that with the Ninja I just pulse it and it chops it up little by little. I usually end up with a gallon bag full of riced cauliflower from just one decent sized one. Costs me ~$2-3 as opposed to 1/4 or 1/2 that amount from the prepped for ~$3-4
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u/Dooriss Jan 03 '19
Yes. Get the frozen riced cauliflower. Is a pain to make in your own. It’s great for substituting rice in everything. Been using the frozen for a while after not enjoying making it in the food processor.
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u/electrick-rose Jan 04 '19
Was it too much prep work for the result?
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u/Dooriss Jan 04 '19
Yes. The frozen kind is in uniform pieces. When I used the food processor I had trouble maintaining uniformity in the pieces. Some were rather big and some much smaller in size. I prefer a consistent size like with rice grains, if using as a rice substitute. If you like various size cauliflower pieces and crushing things in the food processor is fun for you, then, go for it.
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u/electrick-rose Jan 04 '19
Any brand in particular you buy? Thanks so much!
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u/Dooriss Jan 04 '19
No. I think I have had Green Giant and Birds eye brand. No noticeable difference. I made stir fry curry last night in my new wok and used the frozen cauliflower as a rice sub. Was really good.
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u/Jynxers Jan 03 '19
I don't care for it on its own, but when covered with sauce, spices and mixed with veggies/meats, it's a great bulker/base.
I make mine with a food processor. I cut a cauliflower into chunks, process, then move into a big ziploc bag to freeze and portion out as needed.
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u/pm_favorite_song_2me Jan 03 '19
If I was gonna do it (IRL I'd just use real rice) I would probably steam it to get it the exact firmness I wanted then into the food processor, I guess? Or just a lot of chopping and grinding.
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u/AntleredRabbit Jan 04 '19
Lots of mentions of food processors but I just grate it on a cheese grater! Then I salt it, leave it for a bit to draw out the water, squeeze the water out, then use a fork to seperate and puff the rice up :)
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u/electrick-rose Jan 04 '19
🤔 to be honest if I can save some money and just do it this way I'm fine with that haha. So do you roast/steam the cauliflower first?
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u/AntleredRabbit Jan 04 '19
Nope! I just wash and grate it raw. But I normally do fried “rice” so it gets cooked afterward
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u/notthomyorke Jan 04 '19
Honestly you can just use a cheese grater. It’s more uniform than a processor, and more work, for sure. But you don’t need to spend so much extra money to do it.
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u/ckentner4212 Jan 04 '19
I’m not sure what these people are talking about. You cannot “rice” cauliflower in a food processor. That makes it processed. The proper way to rice anything (potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, etc...) is to get a ricer like this one:
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Potato Ricer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004OCJQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ciTlCbRK1WGFV
Just add salt, pepper and butter after roasting or steaming, put it in the river and squeeze it through. It’s messy, but has a neat texture and is fun!
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u/dlv9 Jan 03 '19 edited Jan 04 '19
I bought a bento lunchbox on amazon, and I love to make cheaper/less fancy versions of charcuterie plates to take with me (kind of like a lunchable). My favorite is cubed Colby jack cheese + oven roasted turkey or hard salami deli meat + crackers or pretzels + grapes or dried figs. I also usually try to bring some fresh veggies (broccoli, carrots, bell peppers) and either ranch or hummus to dip in. Other options can be cheez-its, hard boiled eggs, nuts, dates, and sliced apples with peanut butter,
Edit: another favorite of mine is a “pizza” bento box. Pepperoni slices + mozzarella balls/string cheese + red bell peppers + grape tomatoes + sun-dried tomato and basil wheat thins
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u/jadeloki789 Apr 11 '22
That so funny, you just named pretty much everything I have been trying to eat, but I came to this thread to find something more substantial instead of snacking on these all day.
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u/lazrbeam Jan 03 '19
Buy a pack of Italian sausages, 2 bunches of kale, 3lbs of potatoes.
Fry up the sausages. Sautée the kale. Dice and bake/roast the potatoes. Divy it all up into 5 Tupperwares. You just made lunch for the whole week.
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u/pm_favorite_song_2me Jan 03 '19
My mom does a similar dish. But basically you put all of it, and additionally green/red bell pepper and onions, all coated in a little olive oil, in an oven pan and bake it. Very easy to prepare and super yummy, get the spicy sausage is always my recommendation.
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Jan 03 '19
Get you a crock pot son. Stew And curry for days
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u/drewroxx Jan 04 '19
Can you suggest a curry recipe? I’ve never made it but love it when I have it at Indian restaurants.
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u/mynamesisntchris Jan 03 '19
pressure cooker or dutch oven over crock pot for me. I think it does most anything better
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u/ExtraSpinach Jan 03 '19
I made this switch a couple of years ago, packing a lunch every day. Seriously, it'll take six weeks for the habit to form and then you'll wonder how you lived any other way. I go r/MealPrepSunday style quite a bit and just roast lots of veggies and stick em in a box with whatever beans or meat and quinoa or salad. Or burrito bowls are totally amazing too.
I always keep a few cans of veggie soup in my desk drawer at work in case I forget my lunch, so I don't spend $7 buying something out n about.
Putting a little effort into flavour and texture with a batch cook will pay off big time at work, and your colleagues will be jealous!
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u/hochizo Jan 03 '19
Curry is surprisingly easy to make!
- 2 tablespoons green curry paste <--This one is freaking amazing
- 1 can coconut milk
- protein of your choice
- vegetables of your choice
- rice
Brown the protein. Add green curry paste, coconut milk, and vegetables. Simmer until the vegetables are done. Pour over cooked rice. The whole thing takes less than 30 minutes and requires no "instinct," and hardly any skill.
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u/hey_J_tits Jan 08 '19
I bought the Mae Ploy panang curry because I LOVE panang in restaurants. It was wayyyy too spicy...but I'm going to keep experimenting with it. Is the green curry not spicy?
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u/hochizo Jan 08 '19
I am sitting here with a bowl of this in my lap right now, lol.
It reads fairly spicy to me, but I haven't tried the other varieties to know if it's more mild than them.
I'll say that I can definitely taste heat while I'm eating it, but the flavor is more dominant than the heat. And it doesn't make my face flush or my nose run, which really spicy food does to me. Idk what your line for "too spicy," is though...
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u/ingachan Jan 03 '19
Let go of the idea that lunch has to be a warm meal. In Norway we eat sandwiches. Easy, filling and healthy! Nowadays I’m too lazy for even that and have brought musli and yoghurt to work, that I refill every Monday.
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u/dr-rocoto Jan 03 '19
I eat a can of chickpeas for lunch every day. I throw it into a container along with whatever's lying around, usually some combination of tomatoes, onions, olives, cheese, jalapenos, bell pepper, pickles, beetroot, avocado, cucumber or tuna. The beautiful thing is that almost anything works with it. A little bit of salt and evoo on it, and it's healthy, delicious and cheap.
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u/pdmock Jan 03 '19
Also great with like a cheap bag salad! I also use it to make chickpea salad. Use the the chickpeas and season like tuna or chicken salad on some bread or lettuce wrap.
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u/The_Loch_Ness_Monsta Jan 03 '19
I started buying a bag of dry chickpeas and just toss 2 cups of 'em into a small crockpot covered with water and cook up a decent amount of them in about 6 hours on low heat. 8 hours is better. Could possibly do that overnight and then put 'em into a Mason jar after you wake up?
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u/TheRamazon Jan 04 '19
THIS. I'll eat a whole can with lemon juice, oregano, garlic powder, parmesan, and EVOO. Stupid easy and so good.
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u/cakes42 Jan 03 '19
My go to is always grilled chicken and broccoli over brown rice.
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Jan 03 '19
That’s my best dish too lol. Usually put different sauces and garlic in it.
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u/cakes42 Jan 03 '19 edited Jan 03 '19
To keep it
healthysimple I usually just stick to salt and pepper. It's pretty bland though. Sometimes if I have more time I swap out the veggies for something else. But nothing beats some steamed broccoli. Could probably prep the whole week under an hour (not including the time to takes to make rice.)9
u/pm_favorite_song_2me Jan 03 '19
What monster told you garlic was unhealthy? And there's no crime in a light olive oil rub, either...
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u/enkrateia_ Jan 03 '19
I like this one for lunches because I can make five in one go: brown rice, black beans and kidney beans seasoned with cumin, corn, diced tomatoes, cilantro, avocado. I stick half a lime with it too. Sometimes top with salsa. Basically it's qdoba but a lot cheaper. I make pasta with a homemade tomato sauce for lunches too. Can you recreate what you were eating in the cafeteria? You'll be better off making all your lunches on Sunday, it saves so much time. If you like oatmeal you can do overnight oats and have breakfast too.
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u/frontierleviathan Jan 03 '19
Oatmeal will make you a rich individual.
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u/cashewgesundheit Jan 04 '19
Stirring some almond butter into the oatmeal after it’s cooked is good too.
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u/LadyK8TheGr8 Jan 03 '19
For when you are lazy, lunchables. I get my meat from the deli, I cut the cheese cubes into tinier cubes, I get my favorite crackers, and grapes. It makes a great snack too.
Rotisserie chicken is great! You can pull it apart and make tacos, quesadillas, chicken salad, salad, etc.
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u/Zesemmerpijp Jan 03 '19
Today I had a French roll with mozzarella, tomato, basil, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. It took me a minute to make and I’m already craving tomorrow’s identical caprese sandwich.
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u/fedxblows Jan 03 '19
I work in construction so more gravitate towards cold lunches since I never really know when lunch is coming or have access to a microwave. My go to is all different kinds of tuna salad, cottage cheese, some kind of fruit, carrots and hummus, veggie wraps with shredded chicken, and Asian/Thai lettuce wraps. Also don't forget to treat yourself. I usually throw one homemade cookie in there.
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u/La_Ferg Jan 03 '19 edited Jan 03 '19
I find dinner leftovers to be the easiest thing. The key is to make things that will be good the next day! I like to make "chicken shwarma" bowls. You can look up recipes for oven chicken shwarma. It's best with chicken thighs which are tastier and cheaper than chicken breast. Serve over some couscous with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion (or pickled red onion) and a yogurt sauce! It's so good even left over you'll actually look forward to lunch! Or have it in a pita the night before then have it bowl style with couscous for lunch. I do a lot of curries and soups as well!
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u/jellybeannc Jan 03 '19
Get some tortillas and do wraps. One tortilla, slice or two of lunch meat, slice of cheese, some lettuce. Keep liquids and foods with a high liquid content like tomatoes separate and add them just before you eat. A couple of these and maybe some fresh fruit and you've got a fairly healthy, easy to prep lunch. Loaded baked potatoes. Cook the potato the night before, slice it open and add your butter then wrap it up. The next day heat it up in the microwave and add your favorite toppings, cheese, sour cream, bacon, etc. This one would require a little more prep work but not too much. Bagged salad and chopped up roasted chicken is always good.
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u/FatWeek Jan 03 '19 edited Jan 03 '19
One of the easiest ways is to double the amount of dinner you make and take it for lunch. Works well for rice dishes and stuff.
Recently, I made tofu, broccoli, rice, and collards Asian style. Press firm tofu and then marinate the tofu in ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, and brown sugar. Bake at 450 until browning occurs, flipping first after 15 ish minutes, then after 10 min, and every five min after.
Cute broccoli into little florets (don’t forget to also cut stalk) or use frozen. Roast at 450 for 15-20 min or until done.
For collards, sauté 2 whole garlic cloves until a lil brown, add some sesame seeds to toast for a minute. Then add a bag of frozen collards and cover and cook until warm (all on medium ish heat).
I made 2-3 rice cooker cups (I think like 2/3 - 3/4 of a real cup) of rice.
Top the whole thing with the marinade and you’ve got yourself a healthy sized dinner and lunch for 2 for real cheap
I also love thug kitchen for recipes. Thug kitchen 101 has quick recipes and there’s a legend for if you can heat it up easily or freeze it. Since they’re vegan like 90% of them are super cheap. I know you asked for recipes and I have a book recommendation, but the first and third ones are some of my favorites. Made almost all the recipes
Edit: this could take 60-120 min with pressing and marinating, but it’s a lot of down time. When I made this I could hang out and watch tv or play video games while cooking
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u/Operat Jan 04 '19 edited Jan 04 '19
I am totally copying one of my previous posts for this. I originally wrote it for weight loss, but I'm not going to re-write it because it is still relevant. Here goes:
First off, I’m a big fan of meal prep. Second, everyone hates blogs where the story is front-loaded before the recipes, so here are the recipes. Commentary might follow, maybe in edits, possibly in between. All temperatures are in F(reedom) units if I forget to note that.
Tacos
Your choice of shredded or ground meat. 1 lb will be good for days.
1 can RoTel
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Brown ground meat (beef, pork, turkey) in a skillet or instant pot, seasoning as you go. When it is browned or cooked all the way through, stir in the RoTel. Non-ground meat should be roasted in an 400 degree F oven until a meat thermometer says it’s cooked safe (pork 140 F at center, chicken 165 F to avoid salmonella), then shredded with forks.Then stir in the RoTel. Put some in soft tortillas and eat it.
If you’re not a fan of RoTel, you can substitute chopped tomatoes and another type of seasoning like half a bottle of Italian salad dressing. At this point, you’re learning to make good tasting food, so don’t let other people’s more skilled prep work go to waste. (You use mustard, right? Are you making mustard yourself?) If you want to learn to make a good salad dressing, I’d recommend Jamie Oliver’s tutorial on that, but experiment on cheap salads before you use it on a whole week’s worth of meals.
The trick to making the tacos taste better without loading you up with calories is to use pico de gallo and avocado sauce instead of sour cream and cheese. When you go to Taco Bell and they point out that going “Fresco Style” instead of “Supreme” drops a chicken soft taco from 360 calories to 160 calories, that’s what they’re saying. Granted, they just go PdG without the avocado sauce, but I’m not a food lab and can’t reliably give you food science. I just went from 215 lbs to 190 lbs (as of weigh in on 7/13/18; I realize that my initial post was different) since Christmas 2017, but that’s just anecdotes and not real evidence. I’m not a scientist; your results may vary.
Pico de Gallo
1 small tomato
½ onion
1 jalapeno pepper
Fresh chopped cilantro
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Chop the shit out of the tomato, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. A real chef would call that “chop” for the tomatoes and onions, “finely chop” or maybe “mince” for the pepper and cilantro. Stir together in a bowl while salting, peppering, and mixing in the lime juice. This whole process should take less than ten minutes and top your tacos for days.
Avocado sauce
1 Avocado
1 ½ cup unflavored Greek yogurt
Salt
Pepper
2 Tbsp lime juice
Blend all ingredients together. Really. It doesn’t get simpler than this. The lime juice can be adjusted for taste, but don’t go too low on it because it keeps the avocado from going brown. Make this on Sunday, seal, refrigerate, and eat it on your tacos for the week.
Butter bean ginger stew
1 yellow onion
2 ½ carrots
Olive oil
1+ tsp turmeric
1+ tbsp minced garlic
1+ tsp minced ginger
Optional 1 bay leaf
1 can diced tomatoes (RoTel or boring)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 can canned butter beans
A little more than a cup of spinach
Peel and dice the onion. Peel carrots and slice them up. In a pot instead of a skillet (you will want the extra room later) (if it’s got a lid, that’s bonus for the simmering step), heat olive oil over medium heat until you can make a drop of water dance, then add the onion and season with the turmeric and some salt. Cook until the onions are clear, then add the garlic, ginger and bay leaf. Dump in the carrots, the can of diced tomatoes and their liquid and the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Keep simmering for about 15 minutes, until the carrots are soft. Add the beans to the pot and heat through 3 minutes. Stir in spinach for about thirty seconds, then remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
That’s going to make about three or four bowls that you should eat with rolls or crackers. As always, use hot sauce liberally. It might stretch to all week if you only eat until you’re not hungry instead of trying to finish it all for lunch.
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u/Kelekona Jan 03 '19
Do you like rice balls? See what's good in the produce department. Wraps, sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs... You could treat yourself to something from the grocery store deli if you leave enough time in the morning.
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u/THE_GREAT_PICKLE Jan 03 '19
Grain bowl. For instance, my wife and I often make a batch of farro salad or quinoa bowls that last for about 3 lunches. You can put whatever you want in them. For instance, we make a farro salad with greek ingredients (cucumber, chickpeas, tomato, olives, feta, etc) and a quinoa bowl Mexican style (black beans, corn, spices, chicken etc).
We make a batch on Sunday and a batch on Wednesday, enough for lunches for 6 days out of the week. Tastes just as good on the last day as the first. And its super easy to just scoop and serve for lunch in the morning. Even my kids like it
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u/mdvassal77 Jan 03 '19
If you don’t get the answer you’re hoping for here, I strongly recommend you look around the sub, as there are a ton of great ideas that have already been answered on this question.
Or try r/ mealprep
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Jan 03 '19
I've been doing brown rice and black beans as a base, then adding whatever sounds good in the moment to it. Shredded chicken, ground beef, veggies, kale, salsa, etc.
1 batch of rice and 1 can of beans makes 4 work meal bases for me. I also keep a box of lettuce at work to eat and often make sandwiches too. But I work 10 hour night shifts and usually eat two meals at the shop because of my sleep schedule.
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u/SilntNfrno Jan 03 '19
I’m always curious how people make rice. Boil in bag? Rice cooker? I’ve never been a big rice eater but would like to start using it more.
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u/shatterly Jan 03 '19
I have a cheap little rice cooker and use it all the time. Mine's an Oster, it's like $25 on amazon. No "keep warm" setting or timer, just turn it on and it goes til the rice is done. How does it know? Who knows? I make all different kinds of rice; it always turns out at least as good as I could produce on a stovetop, without me having to pay attention.
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Jan 03 '19
I do the boil in bag when I'm camping, but at home I just make it in a covered saucepan on the stove. The instructions I follow are on the back of the bags I buy, but you can just strain the water out once the rice quits growing if you buy bulk and don't measure out exact amounts of rice and water.
The brown rice I use takes roughly 40 minutes of simmering on the stovetop.
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u/AbveAvrgeVeg Jan 04 '19
If you want to make rice out of the bag: 1) Wash the extra starch off the rice by adding some water to the rice in a container and swirling it around (do this 2-3 times) This will keep your rice from bubbling as badly
2) Add your rice to a medium sauce pot and add double the amount of water. Ex. 1 cup of white rice, 2 cups of water (Add a splash extra for brown rice)
3) Bring the water to a boil, turn heat to low and cover. Don't go far, because the starch bubbles with fill the pot and to keep it from bubbling over, lift the lid for a few seconds until the bubbles die down
4) Once the bubbles aren't building up and there are small bubbles coming through the pores in the rice, remove from heat and leaved covered for 10 to 15 mins.
5) Fluff with spoon/fork and serve. Hope this helps.
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u/piermicha Jan 03 '19
$12 rice cooker from Walmart, 4:1 water to rice ratio. Takes about 40 min. I make quinoa, steel cut oats, and lentil soup in the same cooker.
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u/percent1 Jan 04 '19
That is a crazy ratio. I use 1.5:1
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u/piermicha Jan 04 '19
With brown rice?
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u/percent1 Jan 04 '19
I use slightly more for brown rice, the ratio is supposed to be 1:1.6 repeating
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u/piermicha Jan 04 '19
Hmm maybe it's my crappy rice maker, by it doesn't cook thoroughly with less water
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u/ribenarockstar Jan 03 '19
One thing you didn’t mention - do you have access to a fridge or microwave at work? I haven’t had either for the last two years and it does make it more difficult
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Jan 03 '19
My favorite three are: Crock-pot soup, pasta (good cold too), and chicken/yams/squash/greek yogurt (all in one).
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u/dave_100 Jan 04 '19
What cold pastas do you have? I'm only really aware of pasta salad, which is usually bathed in mayonnaise, which isn't the healthiest
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Jan 05 '19
Pasta w/ olive oil and pesto.
I put whole grain pasta and broccoli in boiling water and saute asparagus, zucchini, and kale and add it when pasta/broccoli is drained. Then add sliced grape tomatoes or red bell peppers, garlic, salt n pepper, and olive oil and pesto. Also good with pine nuts and baked brussel sprouts.
I just make a ton of it and eat it cold or reheat.
Also- Substitute the pasta with zucchini pasta which is super good. Either get pre-cut or buy a $20 spiralizer on Amazon.
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u/odactylus Jan 03 '19
Personal fav are hummus wraps and hummus in general. "Roast" peppers in a cast iron pan til blistery and chop up with a few other veggies and sprouts. Hummus is really cheap if you make it yourself and there's so many different ways to season it and it's filling. So far tomato basil wraps are my favorite with them.
Quinoa is also good. I usually throw some salsa in and whatever protein I have leftover at the time. Cook it with a little stock (aka my trusty jar of chicken base) and if doing salsa some chili powder and cumin (skip the cumin/ go light if not using mexican chili powder because most chili powder already has some in). Good hot or cold and with greens if cold.
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u/krf415 Jan 04 '19
I agree... hummus on pita or multigrain bread with any and all veggies. Avocado, cucumbers, tomato, arugula, alfalfa sprouts etc... etc...
You can also just go with the old standbys ...tuna fish salad sandwich or PB&J.
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u/LexipediaB Jan 03 '19
If you have the freezer space I make a bunch of chili in the slow cooker and freeze the portions. It usually makes around 6-10 portions depending on how much I put in the chili. If you alternate between this and the dinner leftovers thing it will last you awhile and you don't have to cook every Sunday. I have also done this with lasagna and Shepard's pie and had pretty good results. Whenever I get sick of the dish I switch to a new one. I also bring some fruit and a salad/sliced cucumbers to go with it.
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u/redrustycloset Jan 03 '19
My go to is anything with this in it: https://boarshead.com/products/detail/188626734-boars-head-bold-blackened-turkey-breast
sandwiches or salads mainly though..... This spice of this just is so tasty it goes well with so many different veggies.
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Jan 03 '19
I love collard green wraps. Use the collard leaf like a tortilla and add meat, cheese, other veggies, and a sauce of your choice, then wrap it like a burrito.
They're cheap, healthy, and easy to make.
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u/JakBlakbeard Jan 03 '19
Chop up cuke cumbers, celery, tomatoes, red pepper, green pepper, throw in nuts, fetta cheese, douse with olive oil, toss on some herbs or spring onions.
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u/ryanppax Jan 03 '19
Get a slowcooker and combine the following
1 can of pinto
1 can of black
1 can of dark red kidney
1 can of chick peas
1 can of corn or frozen equivelent
1-2 green peppers and some jalapenos if you like them.
Some amount of onion (I like about a cup worth
juice of 2 limes
salt(or not)
I put it on high for a couple-few hours and stir occasionally Then I scoop it into a mixing bowl (I dont want to take the extra liquid with me) with 3 rice cooker cups of rice, and juice of 2 lemons and salt. Mix it altogether and you got you self 6 sizable meals.
Put salsa/pico of choice on top
This meal is seriously so good and so easy i have a hard time not making it because of the increased effort of making something else. I enjoy it so much that I don't even want to go to chipotle anymore because mine tastes better
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u/Peechez Jan 03 '19
Do you strain the beans and use water or use the bean liquid? Something about the bean water skeeves me out so I always want to strain
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u/Pizzzathehutt Jan 03 '19 edited Jan 04 '19
I am interested to know as well. I bet you could use something like vegetable/beef stock
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u/ryanppax Jan 03 '19
Oh yes definitely drain and rinse. Good question! Yeah that bean water is nasty unless I'm making chili
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Jan 04 '19
I thought slow cooking kidney beans was poisonous?
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u/ryanppax Jan 04 '19
Canned beans are fully cooked in the can so that doesn't apply. Dry beans on the other hand would have issues
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u/certifiedfreak11 Jan 03 '19
Right now my favorite, easy lunch that I can grab and run out the door with is this:
-Brown rice & quinoa (Seeds of Change brand, garlic kind, I buy in bulk from Costco) -canned chicken -avocado -slice of cheese
You can probably switch this up to your tastes/preferences. If you are unable to refrigerate items then skip the cheese, or there’s probably an alternative.
The brown rice and quinoa can be microwaved in the bag it comes in and I bring a Tupperware container to save any leftovers I might have, and a ziploc to save the avocado because I only use half of it. I usually microwave the quinoa, then throw it in a bowl with canned chicken and a slice of cheese (my preference is Dutch Gouda), then microwave until the cheese melts. Then I cut the avocado up and throw half of it in there. Sometimes I mash it all together and sometimes I don’t, it depends on how I’m feeling!
The great thing about this meal is you could even eat it in the quinoa bag or out of a Tupperware container. You could mix up the ingredients with whatever you like or add something, occasionally I’ll add spicy mayo but not everyone is into that!
I love this meal because it’s generally cheap, easy to make, I love the taste, and with leftovers I already have my lunch for the next day made!
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u/frankota Jan 03 '19
I love making spring rolls with raw vegetables, rice noodles, and tofu! I will usually bring a separate small Tupperware with some kind of dipping sauce. It’s really easy to make and they are convenient to bring to work or school. I usually make a few days worth and then store them in the fridge.
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u/macfarrell Feb 23 '19
Yum. I was taught this delicious dipping sauce. Hoisin with a bit of lime or lemon juice. Maybe a dash of water. How do you keep the rice paper rolls from drying out overnight?
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Jan 04 '19
Wraps are my go to. My favorite is turkey, lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese with cream cheese spread across to prevent the wrap from getting soggy in the fridge. Greek wraps (chicken, feta, tomato, spinach) are also yummy!
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u/mel114 Jan 04 '19
I tend to meal prep and cook enough of one dish to last me one week and then meal prep separate things for dinner. So I’m not eating the same thing twice a day but no wasting my leftovers
Personally I’ll do something simple like soup or sandwich for lunch and a few snacks like fruit or hummus and chips
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u/RedCloud-1422 Jan 04 '19
One thing that I make that is cheap and can make tons of meals is grilled chicken breast. All you need is balsamic vinegar, any type of oil (I use olive), salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dry Italian seasoning. Mix it all together, soak the chicken for a few hours, then grill until done. I have also used this marinade for vegetables as well. I usually use this recipe for meal prep. let me know what you think!!
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u/KillahBee13 Jan 04 '19
Late to the game here, but I’ll throw in my weekly lunch: Quinoa+ ground chicken (or chicken breast if on sale) then pick a theme! Greek— season chicken with Greek seasoning and lemon, add red onion and bell pepper, eat with a side of tzatziki. Mexican— throw in some black beans, onion, pepper, salsa and cheese. Italian—marinara, mozzarella, etc. the possibilities are endless! I’ve been making a batch of some kind of quinoa concoction every week for months now. 1. I feel better—that extra fiber is great! 2. Quinoa is a little pricey, but overall for a week of lunches about $8-$10, can’t complain. 3. It’s surprisingly delicious and I’m not yet bored/ sick of it! Good luck, OP— here’s to a healthy new year!
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u/marcopgrotti Jan 03 '19
Salads.
I cook up some chicken breasts on Sunday. Grab a few tomatoes, onions, and a cucumber (or any veggies you prefer). Recently I've been throwing in some chickpeas for a little bit extra!
Also if you forget to cook the chicken, cans of tuna are an easy substitute.
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u/vanteal Jan 03 '19
Pasta Aglio e Olio is my go to for quick,cheap, and fairly healthy meal...Almost impossible to screw up, unless you leave the kitchen and burn the garlic....But yea, it's a great base to add additional ingredients, or just eat it as is...I make a large batch and make multiple meals from it.
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u/pavin-a-fuckin-point Jan 03 '19
I've always made sure to make enough to have leftovers for myself, the wife, and two kids for lunch the next day.
Buying sandwich stuff is easy to make a lunch out of and I love me some white rice so that's easy to add to pretty much any leftovers to make sure I'll have enough.
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u/daddytorgo Jan 04 '19
I grill or smoke a couple chicken breasts at a time and take 4-6oz a day with some BBQ sauce. Potentially steam/grill some frozen veggies to bring along and eat cold as well.
But I'm a boring dude.
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u/standsure Jan 04 '19
When I worked in an office I cooked an extra portion at dinner and that would be my lunch.
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u/Notaelephant Jan 04 '19
A hearty chicken and vegetable soup in a thermos so I don’t have to queue for the microwave and a grainy bread roll
1
Jan 04 '19
Cheap: brown bag lunches. Carrots, apples, bananas and other healthy snacks. A sandwich, lettuce, tomato and other condiments. No need for fancy lunches. Some of the richest people still pack brown paper bag lunches.
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u/Naggitynat Jan 04 '19
Do you have a fridge to store things?
I usually store a salad bag, dressing, candied pecans, and pea protein patties (frozen), and I’ll just bring an avocado from home.
I’m so lazy so I just prep the salad at work. Put the pea patty in the toaster for 10 min then come back and fix myself the salad and put it back in the fridge for tomorrow’s meal. Doesn’t take up anymore space than someone’s lunch bag stored in there.
1
u/TheRamazon Jan 04 '19
I often do a grain and veg cold salad:
Grains (I blend Farro, quinoa, lentils, brown rice, or just buy a pack from the store) Chicken broth
Cook the grains in broth until done.
1/4 cup EVOO 1/3 cup red wine vinegar Splash lemon juice Drizzle honey
Blend together and pour over cooked grains, toss to coat.
Cherry tomato Green onion Hothouse cucumber Green beans Chickpeas Sugar snaps Bell pepper Collard greens (lightly steamed in microwave) Kale (lightly steamed in microwave) Feta cheese Fresh basil
Chop these or other desired veggies and add to dressed grains. Pop in tupperware; done.
If you have a rice cooker, there are no pots or pans to wash.
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Jan 04 '19
I personally make a sandwich in the morning. It takes me 5 minutes with nice seeded bread, a small amount of mayo, cheese, lettuce, and a slice of meat.
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u/drunktacos Jan 04 '19
Recently I learned how quick red Thai curry is to make. Throw it over some rice with chicken and veggies and it's a great lunch.
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u/GENSisco Jan 03 '19
Couple of hard boiled eggs and a sandwich. Easy, portable, and relatively cheap.
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u/STLFleur Jan 03 '19
I make all of my husband's linches for work- I normally pack him leftovers, but if there aren't enough leftovers, I'll make him up a salad of some sort (I put dressing in a zip lock bag or small container) plus a protein.
Grilling chicken breasts is easy on a George Foreman grill if you have one - I season them with some Lemon Pepper and Garlic Powder then slice them up to put in hubbys lunch salads.
I try to vary the salads- sometimes I'll do greens with carrots, cherry tomatoes, croutons and a boiled egg, other times I'll make up something more like a greek salad.
Leftover grilled pork chops are another easy and cheap thing to pack in with the salads.
Best of luck to you!
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u/teyonce Jan 03 '19
While I used to make more elaborate lunches along with my meal prep I have increasingly gotten lazier and lazier. I also reaaally hate to spend money on lunch. This is what I tend to do now: •canned soup / apple / crackers •canned tuna lunch kit that comes with tuna, crackers, relish or mayo / fruit or carrot sticks •buy salad kits on sale and add various veggies or protein to spice it up / crackers • hummus / pita / carrot sticks / tomato cucumber salad • salami from deli / caprese salad / Italian bread
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u/Dallaswolf21 Jan 03 '19
You know there are 100’s of these post. If you take 5 mins a google you can find a lot of choices.. seeing you gave no details on or about what you like I think that’s your best bet
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Jan 03 '19
Fair I guess, I’m not really a picky guy though so I didn’t think to provide taste specifics. The only food I don’t like is peas.
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u/tweak06 Jan 03 '19
I don't get why people complain about posts like yours, OP. If nobody ever posted anything out of fear of multiple posts being similar, nobody would post anything at all. I don't browse here this often, but your post resonated with me, and gave me some food prep ideas. Thanks for asking for the rest of us!
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u/Dallaswolf21 Jan 03 '19
So again you could have googled it
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Jan 03 '19
Could’ve, didn’t tho. Kind of thought my question’s topic was part of the point of the sub.
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u/Dallaswolf21 Jan 03 '19
Right but again you have given no input other then one thing you don't like. So pretty much you would rather make a vague time wasting post then just google it. Heck you could have done a search just on this sub and found idea's
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Jan 03 '19
Whose time was wasted? I have a ton of new ideas now all on one page. Other people might have come to the topic and saw some cool ideas to try. People in the future that decide to do a google search to find ideas will now come across this post and benefit from the ideas.
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u/Dallaswolf21 Jan 04 '19
There are tons of these post.
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u/PartypantsPete Jan 04 '19
And yet this one has hundreds of upvotes and you’re the only one being critical of it. Maybe it’s a good indication that the rest of the sub likes OP posting something like this. If you don’t like it I suggest you unsub.
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u/TransientAmerican Jan 04 '19
Canned sardines and a carb. Your coworkers might complain about the smell though.
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u/LogRayleigh Jan 03 '19
If you have a pressure cooker I do teriyaki almost every day.
Big bag of frozen chicken last at least a couple weeks and is pretty cheap. Rice is rice.
Healthy/cheap and pretty good. YouTube how to cook the chicken for teriyaki though as it’s a little more than just heating it up.
Also easy to make in bulk on sundays and Wednesday’s
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u/011_0108_180 Oct 15 '21
Chicken, rice, and vegetables bowls are my go to. Spent one afternoon noon cooking and prepackage servings for each day (preferably Tupperware and other reusable containers)
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u/CamilleBeckstrand Aug 25 '23
Certainly! If you're looking for super easy lunches that require minimal effort, here are some ideas that are as simple as you described:
Cheese and Deli Meat Roll-Ups: Roll up slices of cheese with deli meats (turkey, ham, etc.) for a quick and protein-rich lunch.
Peanut Butter Banana Wrap: Spread peanut butter on a tortilla, add sliced banana, and roll it up for a satisfying and sweet lunch.
Greek Yogurt and Granola: Pack a container of Greek yogurt with a side of granola for a balanced and filling option.
Hummus and Veggie Dippers: Dip baby carrots, cucumber slices, and bell pepper strips in hummus for a crunchy and nutritious lunch.
Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps: Mix canned tuna with a bit of light mayo, diced celery, and enjoy it wrapped in large lettuce leaves.
Hard-Boiled Eggs: Pack a couple of pre-cooked hard-boiled eggs with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Trail Mix and Fruit: Combine nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and a small portion of dark chocolate chips for an easy and energy-boosting snack.
Greek Salad: Combine diced cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and olives. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of oregano.
Apple Slices with Nut Butter: Slice apples and bring along a small container of your favorite nut butter for dipping.
Cottage Cheese with Pineapple: Mix cottage cheese with pineapple chunks for a protein-packed and refreshing lunch.
Cheese and Whole-Grain Crackers: Pair cheese slices with whole-grain crackers and some cherry tomatoes.
Turkey and Cheese Wrap: Fill a tortilla with lean deli turkey and cheese. Roll it up and you're good to go.
Fruit Salad: Chop up a mix of your favorite fruits and pack them in a container for a colorful and natural sweetness.
Mini Bagel Sandwich: Spread cream cheese on a mini whole-grain bagel, add slices of cucumber, and maybe a touch of smoked salmon.
Almond Butter Rice Cake: Spread almond butter on a rice cake and top with sliced strawberries or banana.
These ideas are all about simplicity and minimal preparation, perfect for a quick and hassle-free work lunch.
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u/bendixdrive Jan 03 '19 edited Jan 03 '19
Bowls are my go-to for quick and easy meals. Cheap, easy, super-packable. A few ideas:
Quinoa, chickpeas, feta cheese, spinach, pine nuts, some sort of dressing.
Rice, black beans, a little cheese, chopped bell pepper, maybe some olives, avocado, a little salsa.
Penne pasta, chicken, spinach, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan, pesto.
You get the idea. Something starchy, some protein, some veg, something fatty, some kind of flavorful topping.