Sack lunch ideas for adults.

[Only me]

My son is a freshman at the local college. He has class until 12:30 and then has do go to a mandatory study hall for freshman athletes. Sometimes he works out before the study hall. By the time he gets home it is usually 2 or 2:30 so he wants to eat lunch at school. He can't wait until he gets home because he has to be back at cross country practice at 4 and can't eat that close to practice. He has been eating lunch at the cafeteria but is finding it to be more expensive than it was in high school. He rarely brought a sack lunch to high school so he is looking for ideas.

 

My daughter is a first year preschool teacher. She officially gets an hour lunch but often has to eat at her desk and work. I don't believe they have a microwave. She is out of the house for 12 hours and usually has to work at least a few more at home. She is exhausted so planning ideas for lunch is the last thing on her mind.

 

I'm looking for ideas for a few things I could have on hand so they can quick grab something to pack or perhaps something I can make a batch of and then I can have it too. My son is not big on salads and my dd can't bring things like PB and J that the school forbids. I need something that will hold them for several hours but not too heavy since dd runs 10 miles in the afternoons. Obviously they can handle this themselves. I'm not going to be packing their lunches. I'm just trying to think of things to keep on hand that are easy to eat and quick to make and pack, especially to make things a bit easier for the first few weeks for my daughter.

 

It's been so long since we've really had to pack lunches due to homeschooling k-8 and then having nice cafeterias in high school. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[regentrude]

Sandwiches. Have different types of bread, cheese, soemthing to fill wraps with, etc.

 

Yoghurt parfaits. Layer yoghurt, fruit, granola.

 

Fruit. Apples, bananas, grapes keep well over the day

 

Salads don't have to be green lettuce. Cold pasta dishes, cousous, tabouleh, rice salad with fruits/veggies/egg/cheese and be a main dish.

[MEmama]

DH takes a sandwich, a wrap, or dinner leftovers. He rounds it out with fruit, yogurt and nuts. In winter, sometimes he will take soup in a thermos.

 

This morning he didn't have time for breakfast so I packed him pancakes and a tiny mason jar of peanut butter and maple syrup. :)

[fairfarmhand]

Sub rolls make good, filling sandwiches better than typical breads. So sliced meats, cheeses, lettuce, mayo/mustard, and tomato.

 

Pita bread with egg or chicken salad in it.

 

Chicken salad--nuts, mayo, shredded cooked chicken, apple...YUM!

 

Cheese sticks, cracker packs, fruit cups,

 

Boiled eggs.

 

Peanuts.

 

Yogurt.

 

 

[Annie G]

Wraps keep really well. We packed far more wraps than sandwiches.

 

I used to make baked panko coated chicken tenders and we'd take them to eat cold and dip in honey mustard (or use in the above mentioned wraps). Leftover grilled chicken was also a big hit. You can grill it up on the weekend and then eat it for several days during the week. 

 

 And this is so wasteful - but when we were packing lunches we bought small deli containers and lids from Gordon Food Service and put cut fruit or veggies in them.  These work well when your young adults don't want to haul around containers or a lunchbox. They can just toss the little container.  Yeah, they are wasteful but really made it easy for our kids to pack fruit, veg, small salad,  cheese and crackers, etc. 

 

Cold pasta salads were also big hits.  Pinterest has a ton of yummy recipes that are substantial with meat and veggies as ingredients. 

 

 

 

[Acorn]

I also need sack lunch with no fridge or microwave.

 

Sunbutter and apple slices

Hummus and veggies to dip

Sub sandwich on ice pack

Cold quesadillas

Cottage cheese or yogurt in small storage dishes and ice pack

Black bean dip and chips

[Stacia]

Veggies/pita slices & hummus

Guacamole & veggie slices

Fried rice in a thermos (include scrambled eggs in it & whatever other protein they like)

Scrambled eggs in a thermos (I include sauteed onions & then cut up sausage or crumbled bacon in there too)

Tuna salad w/ seed crackers (Mary's Gone Crackers are great for this)

 

One thing I love to make for myself (often eat about half before work & then the other half on my 15 minute break):

5-7 oz full-fat Greek yogurt

Various diced fruit (my fave is oranges w/ blackberries, but I will use whatever fruit I have or what is in season)

Mix of nuts/seeds (this mix came from/is a variation of the Rawtarian's raw breakfast bowl recipe):

• 1 TBSP chia seeds
• 1 TBSP hemp seeds
• 1 TBSP shredded coconut
• 1 TBSP raisins (or mix of whatever dried fruit I have like goji berries, craisins, etc...)
• 1 TBSP almonds or unsalted sunflower seeds (or other nuts or seeds that you like)
• 1 TBSP buckwheat groats (or I often use steel-cut oatmeal)
• Sprinkle of cinnamon

(For this mix I put in the yogurt, I have a bunch of old glass baby food jars & make lots of jars of the mix at once. Then, all I have to do is scoop out the yogurt, add fruit, pour in the seed mix & stir well.)

 

 

[mamiof5]

Sandwiches. We toast our bread a bit, helps to stay better (not soggy).

 

I love tuna salad (tuna, mayo, relish and sometimes hard boiled eggs). Can be eaten on crackers, as a lettuce wrap, as a sandwich.

 

Cold salads - crab salad, chicken salad, pasta salad. Easy to make in the weekends, and they travel so well.

 

I have a great recipe for chicken salad if they are interested

[heartlikealion]

Packing lunches is new to me since ds just started taking them. I don't have any special ideas, but for things like cold pasta salad I use a little food container thermos thingy. They are short and wide. I have also put fresh cut strawberries in it.

 

I'm trying to figure out how to use it for hot food, I guess you heat the food before you leave the house? I don't know. So you could potentially pack soup or spaghetti o's or such.

 

They could buy lunchables or recreate lunchables.

 

Leftover pizza. I might just fold a paper plate in the bag so they could microwave when they got there.

 

Wraps keep really well. We packed far more wraps than sandwiches.

 

I used to make baked panko coated chicken tenders and we'd take them to eat cold and dip in honey mustard (or use in the above mentioned wraps). Leftover grilled chicken was also a big hit. You can grill it up on the weekend and then eat it for several days during the week. 

 

 And this is so wasteful - but when we were packing lunches we bought small deli containers and lids from Gordon Food Service and put cut fruit or veggies in them.  These work well when your young adults don't want to haul around containers or a lunchbox. They can just toss the little container.  Yeah, they are wasteful but really made it easy for our kids to pack fruit, veg, small salad,  cheese and crackers, etc. 

 

Cold pasta salads were also big hits.  Pinterest has a ton of yummy recipes that are substantial with meat and veggies as ingredients. 

 

I'm not sure if you're talking about empty containers or they previously had deli meat in them. I have considered re-using deli containers for easy storage.
 

[Annie G]

 

 

 

I'm not sure if you're talking about empty containers or they previously had deli meat in them. I have considered re-using deli containers for easy storage.

 

 

I was talking about buying new containers in bulk. I can get 50 containers and lids for about $5.  If I bought deli food and it came in the containers, I'd probably reuse them for lunches.  I'm sure since they are plastic they aren't supposed to be reused but I like to live on the wild side and take risks like that. g

[Vida Winter]

Sliced hard salami & hunk of cheese, bread, apple, homemade cookies.

[Only me]

Sandwiches. We toast our bread a bit, helps to stay better (not soggy).

 

I love tuna salad (tuna, mayo, relish and sometimes hard boiled eggs). Can be eaten on crackers, as a lettuce wrap, as a sandwich.

 

Cold salads - crab salad, chicken salad, pasta salad. Easy to make in the weekends, and they travel so well.

 

I have a great recipe for chicken salad if they are interested

Yes I would love the chicken salad recipe. Thanks.

Edited September 10, 2016 by Midwest mom of 3

[Tree Frog]

Sandwiches. We toast our bread a bit, helps to stay better (not soggy).

 

I love tuna salad (tuna, mayo, relish and sometimes hard boiled eggs). Can be eaten on crackers, as a lettuce wrap, as a sandwich.

 

Cold salads - crab salad, chicken salad, pasta salad. Easy to make in the weekends, and they travel so well.

 

I have a great recipe for chicken salad if they are interested

 

I'd love it, too! Thanks!

[mathnerd]

Get a Thermos brand lunch food jar - pack it with hot food like pasta, chili etc. Round it off with fruit, salad and yoghurt.

[Reefgazer]

What about other nut butters besides peanut butter, along with jelly? Other lunches I use when I'm on the move ( I put an ice pack in a small soft sided lunchbox): Yogurt, bananas, nuts, sandwich meat and bread, egg salad, hard-boiled eggs, tossed salad with broiled chicken cut up on top, chunks of cheese.

[justasque]

Sliced apple (Pink Lady or Honeycrisp or Granny Smith are my favorites - they are consistently crisp and hold up well over the day) and a single-serve tub of peanut butter (by Jif) or small container of other nut butter (from a larger jar).

 

Yogurt parfait - put frozen berries into jar, leave on counter to defrost, add yogurt.  Add nuts for protein (finely diced walnuts from the baking aisle are nice).  A small container of granola also works.  These can be made in advance and left in the fridge for grab-and-go lunches or snacks.

 

Bean dip - Martha Stuart has a nice white bean dip recipe that is pretty much a can of beans, some olive oil, and a bit of seasoning.  Add some roasted red pepper (fresh or jarred) to boost the flavor.  Easy to make if you have a small food processor, and pretty cheap too.  And it feeezes well, so make in batches then grab-and-go.  Add bread, carrots or pepper slices to dip.  Or buy a big tub of hummus and freeze in smaller grab-and-go containers.

 

Egg/Tuna/Chicken/Ham Salad - Finely dice a little red onion and a little celery, plus perhaps a bit of a nice red pepper - whatever you've got in the fridge.  Add a drained, single-serve can of tuna or skinless/boneless salmon or chicken, or use fresh (cooked) diced chicken or ham.  Squirt in a little mayo - just enough to hold it together when you mix it up.  Season appropriately - a dash of thyme or curry powder for the chicken, some paprika for the egg.  Serve with crackers, or on a sandwich, or on a bed of salad greens.  This is a great way to use a bit of this and a bit of that to make a meal.  To make it fancy, I do chicken/celery/red onion/apple cubes/golden raisins with curry powder.  Yum!

 

 Quiche (crustless, if you want to minimize fat/calories).

 

Dinner leftovers - pack up into lunch-sized containers as part of your dinner clean-up.

[Anne in CA]

So many good ideas!

 

I always used to freeze individual soups for dh's lunch. Also, I would make a big batch of Cajun Dirty Rice and freeze in individual servings and then he could heat them at work.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

So do the hard boiled eggs keep well in an insulated lunch box and ice pack for 6 hours or so? 

 

Also, I would love to make him chicken salad or egg salad sandwiches but am worried that it will become soggy. Any tips?

Edited September 10, 2016 by NoPlaceLikeHome

[Annie G]

So do the hard boiled eggs keep well in an insulated lunch box and ice pack for 6 hours or so? 

 

Also, I would love to make him chicken salad or egg salad sandwiches but am worried that it will become soggy. Any tips?

I would either make them as wraps or pack the filling in a container and let him spread it on the bread at lunchtime. 

[KungFuPanda]

I bought a lunch crock to solve this problem at co-op. We have 200 people and three microwaves.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPLC200-BK-SHP-20-Ounce-Lunch-Warmer/dp/B00CEILWI0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473539951&sr=8-2&keywords=Lunch+crock

 

I tested it at co-op last week and loved it. My food was hot, but not over cooked, in two hours. You couldn't smell anything until I sat down to eat and removed the lid. It's great for leftovers. You can package stuff up the night before and the removable good container is dishwasher safe. You do need an outlet. The 20 ounce was plenty for me, but your son might prefer the 24 ounce. Your daughter may be more open to toting about a cute crockpot.

 

Eta it doesn't cook, only reheats, so soups and leftovers are your best bet.

Edited September 10, 2016 by KungFuPanda

[Catalytic]

 And this is so wasteful - but when we were packing lunches we bought small deli containers and lids from Gordon Food Service and put cut fruit or veggies in them.  These work well when your young adults don't want to haul around containers or a lunchbox. They can just toss the little container.  Yeah, they are wasteful but really made it easy for our kids to pack fruit, veg, small salad,  cheese and crackers, etc. 

 

I love those containers!  Before I discovered them, DH used to lose my Tupperware...or forget it for a week or two...and Tupperware is too damn expensive to be losing, and you know I was scrubbing the moldy containers out to try to save them!!!  I buy (well, I bought, searching Sam's Club's site to try to link them, they don't seem to have them anymore) the deli containers by the case.  They are amazing and leakproof!  When i run out, I guess I'll get them here, even with shipping, it's a decent price ($40ish for 240)  DH has trained himself to bring them home most of the time now, so a case lasts us several years, and we use them for *everything*.  I don't cry if a lid gets broken and I throw them away if they get mold in them.

 

So many good ideas!

 

I always used to freeze individual soups for dh's lunch. Also, I would make a big batch of Cajun Dirty Rice and freeze in individual servings and then he could heat them at work.

 

I freeze soups for DH's lunch and package it in the deli containers I mentioned above.  I do rice in sandwich size ziploks and he frequently grabs a bag to go with his soup.

 

I bought a lunch crock to solve this problem at co-op. We have 200 people and three microwaves.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPLC200-BK-SHP-20-Ounce-Lunch-Warmer/dp/B00CEILWI0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473539951&sr=8-2&keywords=Lunch+crock

 

I tested it at co-op last week and loved it. My food was hot, but not over cooked, in two hours. You couldn't smell anything until I sat down to eat and removed the lid. It's great for leftovers. You can package stuff up the night before and the removable good container is dishwasher safe. You do need an outlet. The 20 ounce was plenty for me, but your son might prefer the 24 ounce. Your daughter may be more open to toting about a cute crockpot.

 

Eta it doesn't cook, only reheats, so soups and leftovers are your best bet.

 

That is so neat, I will have to remember it for when DH doesn't have a microwave in his office.

[bettyandbob]

I've been packing plain Greek yogurt (about a cup) in those Ziploc containers, another Ziploc of granola which I sprinkle on the yogurt, apples, those little sweet pepper you find in fresh pack bags near the fresh pack bags lettuce. I may pack cheese sticks, salami, chicken salad. I normally do sandwiches. I have done celery sticks and peanut butter before, but you can't do that. Sometimes instead of apples I put chopped frozen fruit in those Ziploc containers too. I like frozen mango--defrosts nicely.

 

Anyway you can see I'm dependent on those little Ziploc containers. I have make sure I empty the lunchbox and clean them when I get home so I'm ready in morning.

 

Your dd can't do nuts or peanuts. Would she be permitted Sunbutter?