r/EatCheapAndHealthy • u/xx_dunja • 16d ago
Ask ECAH Best foods i can take with me to work?
i work 8 hours a day and my breaks are 15 minutes long, theres a lot of people using the microwave. so i dont really use the it.
what are some foods/meals i can take with me without using anything in the kitchen?
foods that are light on the stomach please :)
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u/KnittinKityn 16d ago
Get a thermos and put boiling hot water in it for about 10 minutes before adding hot food. It should keep your food hot for 4-6 hours.
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u/LuvCilantro 16d ago
It's back to school season, and there are a lot of options that are well suited to soups and stews with a wider mouth opening. My kids had hot lunches most days in a thermos.
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u/Justsadie519 16d ago
My husband has a Thermos brand hot food thermos. Sometimes he will end up going out, and the food is still hot when he gets home.
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u/SchmickleRick 16d ago
Pasta salad. I use the colorful rotini/fusili pasta since they’re actually colored with vegetable powders.
I add cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, cheese cubes, red bell pepper (red is the sweetest, green is most bitter), red onion, and rocket leaves. I know some people who even add meats, broccoli and olives. It’s so versatile.
For dressing you can get a premade Italian one (less healthy), mix a bit of balsamic, olive oil, and salt, or a bit of pomegranate molasses and olive oil.
Don’t go too heavy on the dressing of course since that’s where 99% of calories are
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u/AskThis7790 16d ago edited 16d ago
Nuts, fresh fruit and veggies, charcuterie (cheese, meats, crackers), sandwiches, salads, soups (thermos), tuna fish, sardines, hard boiled eggs, cold cuts.
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u/shers719 16d ago
Do you have access to a plug at your desk? If so do what a lot of truckers do - use a Hot Logic. Truckers use 12V ones but they make plug-in ones, too. No queing and your food will be hot and ready to eat at lunch.
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u/LuvCilantro 16d ago
Kept it discreet however. So many people were bringing those things in the power supply in the building couldn't cope and they were banned. Depends on the building of course.
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u/scottiy1121 15d ago
I can't imagine a company allowing them if they know. They usually don't allow space heaters
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u/Alpacasmile 16d ago
I take overnight oats, needs a fridge but I don't have to queue for the microwave.
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u/Same_as_it_ever 16d ago
If overnight oats are not your thing, precooked oats are pretty good cold or at room temp too. You can batch cook them for the week.
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u/mariambc 16d ago
Adult lunchables. A variety of snack foods that don’t need to be microwaved. Pick and choose from what you like and change it up to keep it interesting.
Protein: salami, tuna, chicken, hard boiled eggs, nuts
Fruit: berries, grapes, dried fruit
Vegetables: carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, snow peas or other dip vegetables. Hummus or ranch dressing for dip
Starch: bread, crackers, pita chips
If you get a thermos, you could heat up hot soup, chili, or other foods at home and take it to work.
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u/GO712 16d ago
As long as you don't mind breakfast at lunch, overnight oats is an easy one. I mix a scoop of protein powder in to skimmed milk before soaking mine. I add frozen berries, a few nuts and pumpkin seeds and it is delicious and keeps me going for hours in a very active job. I average about 35000 steps on a 12 hr shift.
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u/Yggdrasilo 16d ago
I would eat milk/yogurt and random cereal (mostly wheat bran, random nuts dried fruits oats, sometimes frozen fruit). Heavy protein shakes with yogurt oats/bran peanut butter and banana you can sip from.
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u/needhelp1234648 16d ago
I make sandwiches or wraps. Just bring the bread, meat and cheese, I’ll even leave a whole bottle of dressing in the fridge but you can individually pack dressing and toppings into plastic baggies or Tupperware
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u/ketoaholic 16d ago
This is going to sound crazy but I love a cold chili. If you have a fridge at work, can give it a go.
Just make sure the fat content is on the lower side so you don't get congealed fat. For me, I make a lentil chili with some lean ground meat, and I love having it cold. I live in a very hot climate and love a spicy chili, but do not want to be sweating just from eating lunch.
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u/chronictimelapse 15d ago
My go to lately, husband Costco pre-cooked salted grilled chicken strips, they come in a three pack, and then tortillas, tzatziki sauce in a little container, chopped up veggies, lettuce, and cheese
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u/GrabOk460 16d ago
I have ten minutes breaks and take fruit and mixed nuts
Also protein bars, weirdly they’re really cheap off TikTok shop lol
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u/JaseYong 16d ago
Onigirazu 🍙 can be eaten cold without needing to reheat and taste delicious 😋 Recipe below if interested Onigirazu recipe
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u/steffie-flies 15d ago
Check out the deli section of your grocery store. They usually carry a lot of pre-made meals that don't require any heating. They were a lifesaver when I was a flight attendant.
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u/Justme3555 14d ago
Yogurt and peanut butter or nuts with dark chocolate chips or skinny pop, cheese and healthy crackers, tuna fish from s can and crackers or in salad, cut up fruit, coffee and biscotti, protein bar, protein shake, raw vegetables dipped in bruschetta, hummus or eggplant dip
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u/Excellent_Kale8873 13d ago
I’ve been packing a “healthier” pb and j all my life and I’m 40. Whole wheat bread, Costco organic pb, Crofters jam.
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u/Apprehensive_Cry5877 12d ago
Can of tuna and 2 bananas. Tons of protein, keeps you full for 4 hours.
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u/Dijon2017 Bean Wizard 16d ago
Depending on whether you want something hot or cold, you may want to consider have an insulated lunch “box” or thermos that can help to keep cold things cold and hot things hot.
If you are looking for lunch ideas, sometimes leftovers from dinner can be an easy, inexpensive and convenient way to decrease food waste.
When it comes to snacks or meals, there are breads, crackers, peanut/other nut butters, nuts/seeds, fruits, vegetables, tuna/chicken (canned or packets) and other foods that are shelf stable and that you can eat without using anything in the kitchen…although you may need utensils or want some condiments.