Monday, 14 September 2009
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Cheap and Packable Lunch Ideas?
So I just found out that they keep a fridge in our student lounge that's open for student use, so I'm going to start packing a lunch to bring to campus. Because I have a a decently long walk, it makes the most sense for me to stay over here the whole day while I finish work. Two weeks in, I'm suddenly reminded of how expensive eating on campus all the time is (not to mention boring!).
The problem is that it's been a very long time since I regularly packed lunch. Back when I worked, I usually visited the office cafeteria b/c it was actually cheaper than pacing lunch. I already plan on packing dinner leftovers when i can, but I'm kind of stuck when it comes to new options. I get bored with food really easily and I want to avoid getting stuck in a turkey sandwich rut if I can. Plus I keep coming up with ideas that don't hold up well or are too fragrant/smelly to eat in public. But searching for cheap lunch ideas just leads to being inundated with so many links that it's overwhelming.
So what are your favorite cheap and easy things to pack for lunch? How do you avoid getting bored with your lunches?
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- From: Cara
- Name: Cara
- About Me: I'm a 24 yr old back in the Midwest for law school. I've survived the first semester as a law student after working as a paralegal for two years. Let's see how the rest of the time goes!
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Comments (12)
i do a lot of bagels and turkey sandwiches... almost always with grapes or a banana. and pretzels!
i like to go grocery shopping and pick up whatever is on sale for that week. my favorite lunch to pack though is a salad with turkey pepperoni, cheese crumbles, cherry tomatoes and any fat free dressing that is on sale
Sandwiches are typically cheap. PB&J doesn't even need to be refrigerated, but I like turkey a lot too. I'm also a big fan of wraps with hummus and veggies. So good!!
Buy some tortillas and make wraps.
Always bring some fresh fruit with.
You can also do all sorts of salad and pasta salads.
Do you have a microwave available to you?
Friend of mine, rather than specifically packing lunches, picked up these "bento boxes" - and mixes out the night's leftovers with a handful of produce packed with it. Things I've done [probably not healthy] is packing cup of ramen noodles, wheat thins, oatmeal packets [when I have anything resembling energy, I mix instant oatmeal and dried fruits in generic ziploc bags], various other non perishables and have them tucked in my car, as well as tea, instant coffee, blends of cocoa and instant coffee in little tupperware containers, etc. I know: virtually no nutritive value whatsoever. I make up the difference with a decent breakfast and decent dinner, and I get by.
I don't have a fridge or microwave available to me, thanks to the union that takes care of the cafeteria. I like wraps, tuna salad sandwiches because I just can't do lunchmeat or leftover meat sandwiches at all, fruit, and pasta salad since it tends to be more filling than a bunch of leaves. :)
I dont have a microwave or fridge available when i'm at school so I stick to PBJ on wheat bc I cant stand lunch meat or cheese when its room temp. (has to be cold or oven hot) I also pack snacks for long days like granola bars, fruit in a little plastic container, carrots and hummus, cucumber, and so on. I dont do those 100 calorie packs bc i'd have to eat like 10 to feel satisfied. Instead I just take 2 or 3 of the real thing (oreos for example) bc if I buy a tea or coffee from the school's coffee bar, these do the trick! And save me the calories and $$ from buying a $3 scone or muffin.
I just make extra for dinner and pack it in a lunch sized corningware dish for lunch the next day. Those dishes can be microwaved or put in a oven, so they're very handy. I usually make enough for 4 people even though it's just me and hubby eating-then we eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. I also have gladware style containers that I will put extra food into for lunches, and freeze the ones we don't use right away. My favorite thing to make is chili, or tortilla soup. Make a big pot of that, freeze in lunch size containers, and you have a dozen lunches in the freezer ready for when you need them. Much better than storebought frozen meals, and much MUCH cheaper. We either put one in the refrigerator the night before, or just pull them out in the morning if we forget.
1. charro beans and rice. very cheap, though you need a microwave...
2. Thai wraps--leftover grilled chicken, spinach, rice, cilantro leaves, and sesame salad dressing
3. tomato-cucumber-panela salad (panela you can find at most large grocery stores and any Latino market; it's low-fat and very tasty drizzled with lite italian dressing).
4. refried beans and tortillas (always cheap, always simple).
5. Shepherd's pie (again with the microwave...)
6. loaded mashed potatoes
7. Broccoli spears and ranch dressing
I live in Mexico where produce is cheapest, so most of my other frugal meals are actually more expensive in the States. :p
You can always go the lunch-salad route: egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad--if you're into that. Or, you can pack an actual salad (dressing on the side). Sometimes I do soup or spaghetti or rice with meat and veggies mixed in (kielbasa is really good in it with peppers and onions).
Pasta.
Its like $2ish for a bag/box, or $1 when it goes on sale and i can usually last couple of meals. Pasta sauce is also inexpensive, you can get a can for $2ish at most and about $3-4 for the nicer kind. You can feel fee to throw in practically anything you want, some meat or veggies.
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