I’m looking for easy and cheap options for lunches on weekdays. I mostly eat deli sandwiches and hot dogs right now and I always feel like shit after eating them. I think I need something healthier but I don’t have time over my lunch hour to cook anything too fancy. What do you all do for reliable healthy easy lunches?
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Or you could be having too large of a meal!
this is what i struggle with.
I make big batches of lentil or chickpea curry, freeze half, eat the unfrozen during the week, then next week do a different recipe, freeze half, eat the unfrozen half, then thaw the first variety I made, and so on, so I have a constant flow of frozen and different curries.
You can also just thaw one if you can’t be assed to cook that week, too.
To make em into a lunch, I usually make rice and a coleslaw or other quick prep veg so you get some nutritional variety up in that batch
Came here to say hot dogs. 🌭 looks like you’ve got that covered. 😉
Not really that cheap, but when I have the household to myself during WFH, a typical lunch consists of a wedge of blue cheese with some added apricot marmelade. I can finally stink up the house with my eclectic taste without anyone complaining.
If I’ve had a cooked dinner the night before I’ll have that for lunch the next day.
My partner and I have done meal prep on weekends in the past as well. That can work well if you have the space to keep food frozen for a week or two.
This right here. Because I suck at cooking I usually get 2-3 HelloFresh or other meal prep kits with recipes, then eat on them for dinner that night and lunch the next day. Pretty healthy to boot.
Black coffee.
Actually, that’s breakfast. I just drink water at work and eat when I get home. After the first few days, my body adjusted. I don’t get hungry at work anymore.
Seems to actually work yeah. My girlfriend doesn’t eat dinner, only lunch. She says her body adapted to it almost completely. Only sometimes is she extra hungry and then for a proper reason, like doing physical work for hours or something.
I think it’s very healthy to just eat less. We eat more then we need, almost all of us.
Coffee is a superb natural appetite suppressant. I usually have a cup of coffee, a glass of milk, and a cup of unsalted peanuts around breakfast time. Keeps me pretty full most of the day.
I just drink coffee and eat nails, it’s good for digestion
5 min in the morning making, a sandwich, usually ham or turkey, and 2 sticks of string cheese.
Healthy… Not the best but definitely better than a hot dog or burger. Especially with whole wheat bread and not going overboard on condiment.
keep some washed fruit around i like to have some oranges or a bowl of grapes or something at my desk to pick on over the course of the day. sometimes ill make oat balls or just keep some sunflower seeds out too for extra protein
Could you share your recipe for oat balls, please? I am looking for a high protein snack to switch things up a little bit. TIA
I mix together oats, peanut butter, protein powder, some sweetener (agave, honey, sometimes maple syrup if I’m out of the others, I find a liquid sugar helps them stick), and then something with a crunch, maybe chocolate chips, maybe sunflower seeds, and then a little bit of salt and vanilla for flavor (unless the protein powder adds enough flavor already). Mix it well then stick in the fridge till it solidifies enough to mold with your hands, roll into balls, then I usually throw them right back into a container and into the fridge. If you use natural peanut butter, you can add some coconut oil to help them stick a little more.
Thanks for sharing your recipe, they sound delicious and just perfect for an upcoming camping trip.
Cup of noodles is easy and light
OP said they want to eat a little healthier, not a little less healthily.
We don’t spend 16 hours in the fields anymore, a cup of noodles is fine
Missing the point.
I cook large batches of stew every now and then, freeze in 2 or 3 portion packages. Then each sunday I prep some carbs, defrost and pasteurize stew and put it all together. Boom! Lunches ready to go into the work microwaves.
I make a week of lunches all at once. I have 12 hour shifts so it’s kinda breakfast and lunch that I snack on through the day. I get everything from Aldi so it’s pretty cheap too.
Baby carrots, honeycrisp apple, light string cheese, yogurt, and a sandwich containing lunch meat and cheese and mayo. Recently, I started fridge pickling jalapeños for my sandwiches too, and that was the right call. I have this pretty much every day. I was broke af when I was younger, so eating the same thing every day vs maybe not getting to eat… I learned to really appreciate getting consistent meals even if it’s not something different very often. It’s not for everybody and I understand if this doesn’t sound remotely appealing to you lol.
I make a chickpea/garbanzo bean spread:
(1) 15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I also take the skins off but that’s optional) (1) tbsp of Nutritional yeast (.5) tsp garlic powder (.5) tsp onion powder (.5) tsp salt (1) tbsp lemon juice (.5) tbsp dijon mustard (.5) cup of mayo (any mayo works)
Optional: 1 nori sheet (seaweed adds a fishy flavor)
Instructions: smash everything together with a fork in a bowl until mixed or use a food processor/blender to puree, it should have the consistency of a cheese spread or dip. Serve on anything and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days
I was about to comment this one. Its one of my fav lunches cause its so easy to make. The name I have for it though is ‘chickpea of the sea’ because its similar to tuna. My recipe is similar except I like to add onion and pickles to mine. Also I usually use some Old Bay seasoning instead of salt.
Damn I’m gonna try the old bay next time! Thanks
If I’m at home, udon noodle soup: just vegetable stock cube in a pot of water, boil it, chuck the noodles in, chuck in whatever you want to put in the soup (I just chop up tofu and one vegetable of my choice), boil for a few mins, and it’s done. Put Laoganma on to serve. Obviously use whatever other noodles you prefer if you have a preference other than udon. Takes like 15 mins total and it’s so simple for something that’s an actual full meal. I don’t take it with me when I’m on the go though, as it’s hard to carry a bowl of noodle soup with you.
For something you can take with you on the go, I’ve been making this vegan smoked tofu carbonara recipe lately. You’ll still need a microwave to heat it up once it’s lunchtime, unless you want to eat cold spaghetti for lunch, but it’s really tasty, especially the tofu.
Udon broth is also available premade and is very quick and easy to make from scratch.
Salad. Some lettuce or spinach, a few toppings, a little dressing.
I get one of those rotisserie chickens from the store and cut the meat up. It’ll last a few weeks (freezing portions of it) for not that much. Cucumber is cheap. There is an olive bar at our grocery store, I pick some of the up and sometimes make my own croutons and cut up an apple with some veggies.
I’m someone who doesn’t mind repetition/eating leftovers.
So I would swap between leftovers, and then my quick lunch would be 2 hardboiled eggs, some babybel or string cheese, and then some kind of fruit.
Minimal cooking, easy clean up, easy to take with you.
2 eggs, 2 cheese, and a banana is surprisingly filling.
