Comments on Tales of the Trees: Lunch Help

I'm so boring with my lunches. A lot of times...

2010-08-10T08:46:11.045-07:00

I'm so boring with my lunches. A lot of times I'll just bring leftovers, but I also keep a supply of cans of soup. Progresso and Campbells both have a "Light" variety of soup and they're really great and less than 200 calories for the whole can. Chicken Noodle, Veggie, Southwestern, Gumbo, Tortilla, Italian Noodle, etc. I eat one can (add a little water to fill me up a little more) with either some crackers or some veggies/fruit. My office is freezing year-round so I never mind having a warm bowl of soup for lunch. I keep them in my office so I always have them on hand if I don't have left-overs. I have soup at least 3 times a week and love it! Hope that helps! Please share the tips/tricks and advice you decide to try!

I liked school food too! In fact, I still do, whi...

2010-07-30T07:40:58.510-07:00

I liked school food too! In fact, I still do, which is lucky as I'm now a teacher!

Cxx

I also loved school lunches, and I am also so unpi...

2010-07-30T07:14:03.426-07:00

I also loved school lunches, and I am also so unpicky, my friends think I will someday end up getting a disease from bad food.
But, I like someone above do leftovers all the time. I'm single, so I make just a little extra and eat it later, or make a big thing of something and freeze it for later use. My other suggestion, make your lunch the night before. It always feels like it is something huge, but it only takes me 5 minutes to throw together leftovers, veggies and fruit. And snacks for the day. I've seen by packing the lunch, I eat much better (and have lost a little weight) because I think about it ahead of time.

On Sunday I try to prep everything for my lunch, u...

2010-07-30T07:09:56.216-07:00

On Sunday I try to prep everything for my lunch, using plain chicken breast cooked in the frying pan. Usually I'll chop some red pepper and onion, grate cheddar or pepperjack cheese, and buy a package of flour tortillas. I portion out the veggies and the cheese into small containers, enough for the week. So in the morning I put salad dressing in my bag and grab one of each containers. Sometimes I take salsa or guacamole, other days I use dried cranberries and feta crumbles, depending on what I bought that week. I've found that chicken is a great base and doesn't require much work. Doing the prep work on Sunday makes my week much smoother.

My favs: 1. Fake bologna, american cheese, dijonai...

2010-07-30T06:14:31.480-07:00

My favs:
1. Fake bologna, american cheese, dijonaiise, hot pepper relish, lettuce on potato bread
2. Laughing Cow Cheese, black beans, corn, lettuce, green tobasco sauce, in a wrap
3. Canned chicken salad (lite mayo, celery, spicy mustard, garlic salt, pepper, pickles diced) w/ lettuce, hot pepper relish, pepper jack cheese, and extra celery for the crunch!

I loved cafeteria food. Except for those raisin ba...

2010-07-30T06:12:13.303-07:00

I loved cafeteria food. Except for those raisin bar things. Gross. Now I run into the same issue with lunch as you do. It just got too darn expensive to keep eating out. So now we pack our leftovers into separate containers after dinner so that we can just grab those. Or I keep the freezer stocked with Lean Cuisines and grab one of those. Mr. P used to pack me a lunch but he quit that.. Come to think of it, maybe I should just get him to start that again!

Leftovers!! That's what I bring at least 4 da...

2010-07-30T04:45:04.462-07:00

Leftovers!! That's what I bring at least 4 days a week. And on that lame 5th day I bring a Lean Cuisine...gross.

And I have to admit, I am one of the lucky few who can still enjoy a cheap cafeteria meal. And my school has a teacher menu in addition to the kids menu, which means yummy salads and sandwiches. It's a benefit of the job :)

I'm completely with you on this! I try to be o...

2010-07-30T02:39:31.224-07:00

I'm completely with you on this! I try to be organised and pack my lunch, but I probably only remember to do it like once a week!

Loads of these comment ideas are great though,I think I'll have to try some!

Pretty sure I just spent more time reading all the...

2010-07-29T20:47:20.969-07:00

Pretty sure I just spent more time reading all the comments on this post looking for ideas than I did actually reading this post. haha

Anyway, do you have a Trader Joe's around? I am became so over sandwiches unless they are PB&j that I had to come up with some other options so now we go to Trader Joe's every week. I usually get Pita Puffs (like Pita chips but better) and take those with some sliced cheddar cheese. They have a lot of good lunch options on the whole. We used to buy their pre-packed salads and those were always good too.

Not sure if I was any help.

Your lucky to be a non-picky eater because I am a picky eater and it makes everything so much more complicated! haha

I am with you on this! I'm a teacher and don&...

2010-07-29T20:06:25.071-07:00

I am with you on this! I'm a teacher and don't have time to go out for lunch so I have to pack a lunch. And, I am not a fan of sandwiches. I usually bring leftovers. And, once or twice a week, I take a frozen meal.

A few fellow teachers and I talked about doing a lunch co-op where we bring lunch for the group once a week but that never really got off the ground. But how amazing would it be not to have to worry about lunch?!

It was the best when i worked for my dad and i for...

2010-07-29T18:16:41.607-07:00

It was the best when i worked for my dad and i forced him to take me out for lunch every day. sigh, that's the only thing i miss about that job!

i like Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, and other preboxe...

2010-07-29T18:05:26.149-07:00

i like Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, and other preboxed lunches. I also make things like chicken or tuna salad over the weekend so I can easily prep a sandwich for work. In the fall/winter, I also like the soups to go and I keep a box of crackers in my office.

You are so lucky. I am probably one of the pickies...

2010-07-29T17:36:22.704-07:00

You are so lucky. I am probably one of the pickiest people on the planet. Usually to work I take a Lean Cuisine (I almost hate to waste a meal on one), but I was at Sam's a few weeks ago and they had a sample of "chicken salad." All you need is canned chicken and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, mix them together and you have a fabulous chicken sandwich. You could totally just grab the ingredients and go.

I don't know if you're a big dinner cook b...

2010-07-29T17:14:00.712-07:00

I don't know if you're a big dinner cook but I am always bringing in leftovers for lunch or any new frozen meal. As awful as that sounds, some are actually pretty darn good and a great alternative to fast food.

oh i feel your pain. i have the exact same issue b...

2010-07-29T16:43:36.692-07:00

oh i feel your pain. i have the exact same issue because one can only eat so much pb&j.

i don't really have a whole lot of suggestions...but i have enjoyed reading everyone's comments on your blog.

i really need to try the leftover ideas. just need to start cooking ;)

I posted about this a few months ago and people ha...

2010-07-29T16:37:39.892-07:00

I posted about this a few months ago and people had some good ideas... http://inmyblondelife.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-lunch-is-so-depressing.html

I am loving these comments with suggestions! I need them!

I feel the same way!! I usually pack a sandwich, b...

2010-07-29T14:07:52.464-07:00

I feel the same way!! I usually pack a sandwich, but, by Wednesday I want to gag. I try to pack leftovers, but, I haven't been real good about that lately.

I always bring my lunch and it's either leftov...

2010-07-29T13:44:36.117-07:00

I always bring my lunch and it's either leftovers or a Lean Cuisine/Smart Ones. So easy to just grab on my way out the door.

Also, I keep a stash of granola bars, tuna, soup, pretzels, etc. in my desk in case I forget or my lunch doesn't fill me up.

I am with you on this. Lunch is a difficult thing...

2010-07-29T13:43:54.566-07:00

I am with you on this. Lunch is a difficult thing to figure out. There are weeks where if I see one more sandwich I will hurl. Cheese and crackers are my 'go to'...but after several days of that I am in the same spot as sandwiches. I think frozen meals are disgusting and not worth the money (but I am a 'pickier' eater than most... I occasionally take leftovers, but not often. So, maybe the lunch fairy can visit us soon :o)

I'm a teacher who has lunch duty every day- so...

2010-07-29T13:37:48.533-07:00

I'm a teacher who has lunch duty every day- so I have to pack daily! The key is PLANNING!! when I go to the grocery for the week- I think about what do I want for lunch this week! Definitely I do sandwiches and leftovers and big pots of soup. I don't care for lean cuisines anymore... but I keep lean pockets around for days I'm in a pinch.

Lately I've been into bringing the instant oatmeal and fruit to stir in to it. I also love to do a large baked sweet potato (just 6-8 minutes in the microwave, add a smidge of butter and brown sugar).

THis is random, and you have to love tomatoes- but I like bagels with cream cheese and tomatoes - I usually slice the tomatoes and sprinkle on salt, garlic powder and italian seasoning. This tastes like a pizza in the end.

sometimes i just pack cheese, crackers, and turkey slices.

hope those ideas help :)

Our school lunch was freaking amazing. Seriously. ...

2010-07-29T13:26:31.831-07:00

Our school lunch was freaking amazing. Seriously. We even had a sushi station (this was K-8!!). Love that private school tuition at work.

Anyways. Two suggestions: (1) leftovers!!! so easy! just pack the leftovers into single serving portions when you are done cooking, and voila...lunch. (2) pack lunch the night before. Stash it in the fridge and then you don't have to fuss with it in the mornings.

Salads are also super easy...pasta salads...sandwiches...wraps...mix it up! Good luck finding something that works for you!

I completely feel your pain, and have the exact sa...

2010-07-29T13:26:29.849-07:00

I completely feel your pain, and have the exact same problem!!! I am also extremely picky, and either pack something and don't want to eat it and starve; or can't decide on something to pack and am so hungry come lunch time that I go out and spend way too much on something to eat.
If you come up with a brilliant idea to solve this problem, let me know!

I bring a Lean Cuisine and then extra veggies to s...

2010-07-29T12:57:25.676-07:00

I bring a Lean Cuisine and then extra veggies to steam and mix-in. I feel like it makes it healthier & fills me up without being too expensive or too thought-provoking. I usually pick the LC's with broccoli in them already and then just add more veggies. I call it "voluminous eating" ha.

I have to same problem and multiple solutions. 1....

2010-07-29T12:16:19.616-07:00

I have to same problem and multiple solutions.

1. Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones or Amy's the rest suck or are too unhealthy to be worth it

2. I make bulk meals like lasagna and eat it every day for a week

3. I use my Foreman grill in the morning and grill up chicken or fish in the morning and have a potato or rice and nuke it

I hear you. I hate leftovers and I rarely pack a s...

2010-07-29T11:53:08.555-07:00

I hear you. I hate leftovers and I rarely pack a sandwich or a salad. I wish there was a magical solution!
My favorite school lunches were either chicken patty sandwiches or hot dogs.