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Lunch Suggestions?

K

katie ta achoo

Blogger emeritus
Original poster
May 2, 2005
9,166
5
Alright, here's my predicament:
I work at a toy store where we have no fridge or microwave. It's usually 100x easier to just buy lunch from a surrounding restaurant, but it's getting kind of expensive. I'm saving up to go to MWSF08, so I need suggestions for lunch that I can bring with me.

A few hurdles to get past, though:
  • no fridge
  • no microwave
  • I'm a vegetarian (no easy ham sammiches)
  • I don't really like avocado.

I have no idea of what to eat. Can y'all help? :)
 
I keep a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter in my desk. Saves me from having to pack my lunch, but if you don't like plain PB sandwiches this option is not for you.

Fruits and sliced veggies are always great. They don't need to be kept cold and taste great with no cooking. Some good quality crackers and cheese are always good.
 
Really good multigrain/seed bread with grilled veggies and a light oil, peanut butter, thai sauce.
Bread as above with mozzarella or hard cheese, tomato, and pesto (use an ice pack).
Bread as above with tofu slices (either the deli kind or sauteed in sesame oil and tamari the night before.
(A really good bread makes all the difference for me).
Peaches or strawbs for dessert in the summer; ALWAYS with a couple of chocolate truffles.
(Keep your greasy hands off the iPhone):)
 
imac/cheese said:
I keep a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter in my desk. Saves me from having to pack my lunch, but if you don't like plain PB sandwiches this option is not for you.

Fruits and sliced veggies are always great. They don't need to be kept cold and taste great with no cooking. Some good quality crackers and cheese are always good.
Click to expand...

That's what I do. I bring in a loaf of bread every week. I've got a jar of Peanut Butter and a squeezable Jelly (what can I say, I'm lazy sometimes) in my desk. I also have a jar of Nutella for when I am feeling crazy. I also have a box of pop tarts and granola bars for when I don't grab a quick breakfast on the way out to work in the morning.

I try not to buy lunch at work- it does add up very fast. We have a fridge in the office, but my boss isn't exactly clean, so I don't use it. No toaster or Microwave (cheap bastard!) either, so my options are limited.
 
Can you buy one of those icey cool bag thingies? That opens up a lot for what you can take.

Obvious stuff:
CAKE!
fruits/veg
crackers
nuts (the snacking kind... wait.. oh nevermind. :p )
peanut butter sandwiches (I like them with honey sometimes but you have to eat it right away or the honey goes all hard.)
skittles :p
 
KT, do you have a Whole Foods Market nearby? They have all sorts of special diet prepackaged lunches that, even if you don't buy them, can give you ideas.

B
 
iBlue said:
Can you buy one of those icey cool bag thingies? That opens up a lot for what you can take.

Obvious stuff:
CAKE!
fruits/veg
crackers
nuts (the snacking kind... wait.. oh nevermind. :p )
peanut butter sandwiches (I like them with honey sometimes but you have to eat it right away or the honey goes all hard.)
skittles :p
Click to expand...
Skittles does count as fruit does it not.:p
 
balamw said:
KT, do you have a Whole Foods Market nearby? They have all sorts of special diet prepackaged lunches that, even if you don't buy them, can give you ideas.

B
Click to expand...

Holy gee whiz! a lot of responses in not a lot of time!


...OK, I also neglected to mention that I don't care much for peanut butter. I'll eat it in a PB&J but I won't like it.


Won't grilled veggies get botulism'ed real fast? I'll eat pretty much anything cold, I just don't want food poisoning.

and balamw- before I transferred to a different store, I was NEXT DOOR to a whole foods. I ate like a king! a roll and a cup of soup was $2.50 and sooo filling. Darn!
 
MacNut said:
Skittles does count as fruit does it not.:p
Click to expand...
hell yeah, taste the fricken rainbow!


Thought of another one...
cookies!

oh and rolls/baguettes/other such bready things.

Why the hell doesn't this place have a microwave or fridge? That's messed up.
 
get a lunch box with a mini ice pack (i've done this throughout my schooling), and make some cold meals. get a few ziploc containers that can fit in a lunch bag and put whatever in there. if you're really in a rush, get a salad mix from the store, put a little bit in there with olive oil that you make before work and just pack it in and eat it there.
 
I worked at a toy store a few years back, (the one with the messed up letter) and we had a fridge and microwave.
 
iBlue said:
Thought of another one...
cookies!

oh and rolls/baguettes/other such bready things.

Why the hell doesn't this place have a microwave or fridge? That's messed up.
Click to expand...

Honeybaby, so much the carbs! I don't wanna get fat(ter than I already am)!!

The other store (the big one) has a microwave and fridge. The one in the Village is smaller, and we just don't have one for some reason. It's super-lame.
 
iBlue said:
(I like them with honey sometimes but you have to eat it right away or the honey goes all hard.)
skittles :p
Click to expand...
I've never heard you complain about your honey being hard before...

But back to lunch, KT, I agree that you should invest in a good lunch box. As someone who brings his lunch to work practically every day, the lunch box is invaluable. Get some ice packs, and your lunch will stay nice and cold for an extended period of time, giving you a pretty good selection of available lunches, from cold veggies to fruits, etc.

The lack of a microwave is a pain, but you could also get a Thermos and bring hot soup or mac and cheese or something like that.

Hey, it's a toy store - don't they have any recalled Easy Bake Ovens you could use?
 
I was going to suggest PBJ, but you don't like PB. So how about the nutella. Or you could try cashew butter or almond butter. I don't know how they taste, though.

I eat PBJ everyday, so I can't think of anything else. Sorry.:(
 
One of those wide-mouthed Thermos flasks is good as you can put soup, veggie stews, rice, couscous and noodle dishes in there to keep hot. Or fruit/veggie salads to keep cold... couple that with a small tupperware container with some nice bread and some veggie cheese or other savoury bits like olives etc... and you're sorted.
 
iKwick7 said:
That's what I do. I bring in a loaf of bread every week. I've got a jar of Peanut Butter and a squeezable Jelly (what can I say, I'm lazy sometimes) in my desk. I also have a jar of Nutella for when I am feeling crazy. I also have a box of pop tarts and granola bars for when I don't grab a quick breakfast on the way out to work in the morning.

I try not to buy lunch at work- it does add up very fast. We have a fridge in the office, but my boss isn't exactly clean, so I don't use it. No toaster or Microwave (cheap bastard!) either, so my options are limited.
Click to expand...

LOL. I used to keep Nutella in my desk as well for those days when PB seemed a little on the boring side. :)

I also have an issue with the office fridge. everywhere I have worked, the fridge has been filthy and storing my lunch in it would have made me lose my appetite. They all seem to have the exact same nasty smell.
 
emw said:
I've never heard you complain about your honey being hard before...

But back to lunch, KT, I agree that you should invest in a good lunch box. As someone who brings his lunch to work practically every day, the lunch box is invaluable. Get some ice packs, and your lunch will stay nice and cold for an extended period of time, giving you a pretty good selection of available lunches, from cold veggies to fruits, etc.

The lack of a microwave is a pain, but you cold also get a Thermos and bring hot soup or mac and cheese or something like that.
Click to expand...
I knew I should have added "and not in the fun way" to that.

Good ideas, especially about the thermos. Some of the better ones stay hot for ridiculous amounts of time.
 
Here's a solution: Tell your boss that not having at least a microwave is substandard, and that he should buy the staff a microwave (not expensive) and possibly a decent sized bar fridge if he seems a bit generous that day (more expensive).
 
Blue Velvet said:
One of those wide-mouthed Thermos flasks is good as you can put soup, veggie stews, rice, couscous and noodle dishes in there to keep hot. Or fruit/veggie salads to keep cold... couple that with a small tupperware container with some nice bread and some veggie cheese or other savoury bits like olives etc... and you're sorted.
Click to expand...

Oooo- thermos soup. Good call!

imac/cheese said:
LOL. I used to keep Nutella in my desk as well for those days when PB seemed a little on the boring side. :)

I also have an issue with the office fridge. everywhere I have worked, the fridge has been filthy and storing my lunch in it would have made me lose my appetite. They all seem to have the exact same nasty smell.
Click to expand...


Nutella is the best thing ever made. It's a fact. Soooo good.

And yeah- what's the deal with office fridges? People are disgusting. The last office I worked at had around 7 people. Horrible fridge and the toaster had years of toast crumbs in it. Never used that. My current office? Me and the boss and that's it. I won't lsat here much longer. Disgusting how dirty things can get just because of one person (i.e. not me). Horrible.
 
Abstract said:
Here's a solution: Tell your boss that not having at least a microwave is substandard, and that he should buy the staff a microwave (not expensive) and possibly a decent sized bar fridge if he seems a bit generous that day (more expensive).
Click to expand...

Good idea, tell the boss it will "boost employee morale" or something. Heck if they get a mini-fridge and a small microwave, it should only cost $150 tops for both.

Until then, I'd go keep a bottle of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar at the store, then each day bring in some bread, some olives and a small piece of some soft cheese that looks like it will last until lunch time.
 
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