Ok folks, I'm tired of paying $5 - $10 a day for lunch, but I don't have a whole lot of time to fix it the night before. I've got a mini-fridge at work that I could keep prepared meals in and a microwave. What do you guys do to make cheap(ish) / healthy(ish) lunch meals?

Thanks!

1/31/2008 12:35:34 PM

Cup of Noodles

1/31/2008 12:42:47 PM

Ramen, PB&J, ham & cheese have all been thought of.

1/31/2008 12:45:11 PM

I make a lot of salads for lunch, but it would be substantially more expensive to do so if I didn't get the stuff at Sam's. I usually get 6 heads of romaine lettuce for $4 or something, sometimes a giant bag of spinach for $4, and then a bunch of different vegetables. But if you aren't prepared to eat a lot of salads, the stuff will probably go bad before you use it. They don't take too much time either. I usually cut up each type of vegetable and put it in its own baggie, then just throw it all together before I leave in the morning. Those pre-cooked chicken or beef strips they sell in the deli would make them more substantial.

You say you don't have time the night beforehand, but could you maybe cook stuff on the weekend for the whole week? You could make some baked potatoes or something along those lines to have with some kind of baked meat. I don't have too many meat suggestions since I'm a vegetarian.

I also like the Green Giant boxed frozen vegetables that you stick in the microwave for a few minutes. I eat the broccoli and rice one for lunch sometimes, and the other ones make a good side. Most of them are decent calorie-wise, not sure about the salt content since you said you're looking for healthy stuff.

Also, some canned soups are pretty good/filling, so those would be something to look into.

[Edited on January 31, 2008 at 12:47 PM. Reason : .]

1/31/2008 12:46:05 PM

i'd say some of the frozen things you can get in the grocery that are basically meat and two vegetables...some of those are pretty decent...Stouffers...Healthy Choice...etc

1/31/2008 12:46:21 PM

1/31/2008 12:48:35 PM

This is not Chit-Chat Christine . . . take your irrelevant humor elsewhere.

^^^ I'm not a big salad fan . . . ok I absolutely hate salad, I haven't eaten a leafy green vegitable since I graduated high-school, but I should really start. Anyway, this isn't just about me either, I'm sure I'm not the only one with this delimma.

I might start making fruit salads for myself though.

1/31/2008 12:52:44 PM

Also, Harris Teeter sells roast chickens for $3.99 on Sundays (or at least it did a year ago, I'm pretty sure it's the same). You could cut one up and have it with the stuff I mentioned before, or you can shred it and make a wrap out of it with barbecue sauce and cheese or whatever you like.

1/31/2008 12:53:48 PM

Now that I like.

1/31/2008 12:54:17 PM

I figured you'd shoot down the salad thing. I've never seen a man eat a salad as a meal.

1/31/2008 12:55:25 PM

1/31/2008 1:03:52 PM

Well he did.

1/31/2008 1:06:00 PM

hummus + pita makes a good lunch "entree", add some sort of veggie side (those boxed green giant/bird's eye are pretty good, make 2 decently-sized servings as a side dish) and you're set.

1/31/2008 1:11:24 PM

it takes like 20 minutes to make 4 servings of spaghetti

you can also buy pre made frozen meals that TT was talking about. again, no time in making that stuff and you get 3 / 4 meals out of that too

1/31/2008 1:29:27 PM

I made some kickass chilli the other week that lasted me about 5 days. I just don't want to be on a chilli, ramen, sandwich rotation for the rest of my life

1/31/2008 1:33:07 PM

roast beef sammiches ftw

1/31/2008 1:40:26 PM

i make a batch of chicken and it lasts a few days.

i either grill it or boil it on the stove. maybe ill make a batch or rice, but usually i just throw some frozen veggies and cook them up.

i also take snacks to work so i dont have to eat 3 days worth of left overs in one sitting

1/31/2008 1:41:47 PM

Its a little crazy, but I just make a sandwich and an apple.

Before I leave for work in the morning I put cheese lettuce and ham/turkey on a roll. At work I open up the sandwich and remove the lettuce, toast the sandwich in the toaster oven at work, then put it back together and slap on some mayo/mustard. Tada. Cheap and only took 2-3 minutes before work and 1-2 minutes at work.

1/31/2008 1:44:48 PM

Quote :

"I figured you'd shoot down the salad thing. I've never seen a man eat a salad as a meal"

if there's enough meat on it, he'll eat it (no homo)

don't think of it as a "salad", think of it as a "bunless whopper"

also, men will eat quiche if you call it a "3-pound breakfast pie"

1/31/2008 1:56:33 PM

You'd think that would be true, but when I say I haven't eaten a leafy green vegitable since I graduated high school (1998), I mean I haven't eaten a leafy green vegitable in 10 years. I really need to break that habit

1/31/2008 1:58:42 PM

vegetables are good for you

1/31/2008 2:01:57 PM

I will sit down every now and then and make burritos one weekend.

Black Beans + spanish rice + taco meat + salsa

Make a bigass bowl of it and mix it all together. wrap it up the big tortillas and sprinkle some cheese. Then I wrap up each one in plastic wrap + foil and throw it in the freezer. They keep for a few months and you can cook them for a minute or two in the microwave to heat up again. Makes 10-12 burritos for me and that will last me 3-4 months when I eat them every now and then when I am out of leftovers or something.

1/31/2008 2:09:49 PM

im habitual as fuck, and i eat the same lunch every single day, and have no problem with that.

in the lunch box i take a baggie with a cored/sliced granny smith to munch on for breakfast.

then lunch:
flax and fiber bread, deli meat and cheese of the week
jalapeno kettle cooked herr's chips
raspberry yogurt
granny smith apple

another peice of fruit usually for an afternoon snack.

every day.

1/31/2008 2:45:19 PM

wow, that is rather habitual

1/31/2008 3:33:14 PM

Campbell's chunky chili ~ $1.50-$2

[Edited on January 31, 2008 at 3:45 PM. Reason : and very filling]

1/31/2008 3:45:40 PM

Quote :

"im habitual as fuck, and i eat the same lunch every single day, and have no problem with that. "

me too. i have for the past 3.5 years (whenever i dont get fed at work).

sandwhich
apple
chips
fruit in jello cup

[Edited on January 31, 2008 at 3:51 PM. Reason : d]

1/31/2008 3:51:09 PM

Quote :

"im habitual as fuck, and i eat the same lunch every single day, and have no problem with that."

I eat the same thing for lunch every day, and I love it.

Some all-natural wheat bread, deli-sliced turkey from HT (whatever's on sale that week) not the prepackaged stuff, a slice of muenster, a slice of colby, some spinach leaves, mayo and dijonnaise.

Then an apple and some All-Bran garlic herb crackers (FTW.).

I'm good to go. Every day. All told, maybe $14 for five-six days of lunch.

1/31/2008 3:54:30 PM

Turkey sandwich with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, and honey mustard.

Make a quesadilla with whatever meat and veggies you want and warm it up when you're ready to eat it.

Add in a baggie of veggies, fruit, or a bag of chips and you're set.



I have this awesome recipe for black bean mango salsa I would eat with Sun Chips for lunch.

1/31/2008 5:09:04 PM

I buy like 15 or 20 Lean Cuisine meals whenever they are on sale and just eat those most days. They're not bad really.

Today I had some chicken Lean Cuisine for lunch with half a Fuji apple and some Sun Chips as snacks during the day.

1/31/2008 5:58:13 PM

Quote :

"it takes like 20 minutes to make 4 servings of spaghetti"

i'm a big fan of taking spaghetti at work. use whole grain pasta (can't tell since the marinara masks it) in you're into eating healthy. doesn't take long to cook, healthy, and REALLY cheap. and you can freeze extra sauce in work sized portions and add pasta the night before.

chili is also good, can also free single servings.


i'm basically a fan of anything i can make in large quantities, freeze in single portions, and take to work. that way i can stay away from all that microwave crap.

1/31/2008 6:38:42 PM

hamburger helper. I know beef straganoff stays tasty when microwaved, you could probably find some fairly healthy chicken hamburger helpers that would be good too.

1/31/2008 6:45:07 PM

wraps. you can make with deli meat, just veggies, or with grilled chicken, or even buffalo chicken tenders. switch up the types of wraps. bring dressing to dip it in. wraps wraps wraps. easy to make and cheap. you can even make it the night before. yayyyyy.

and if that gets boring make pasta salad. boil pasta, toss with low fat dressing, maybe some spices, any kindof veggies you want, and i guess you could throw like cold chicken or something in there too. stick in fridge, and it is ready to go in the morning.

1/31/2008 7:32:00 PM

Little Ceasar's Pizza... $5 a pizza should last you at least 3 lunches

1/31/2008 7:54:42 PM

^ that would def be the "ish"

Quote :

"healthy(ish)"

1/31/2008 10:38:52 PM

I spend way too much on lunch...I only work with like 5 other people and they all make a lot more monet than me...everyday we go out and I spend at least 8 bucks, usually 10-12...I'd feel gay bringing my lunch in instead of going out with them

1/31/2008 10:42:34 PM

Have you thought of something like http://www.supersuppers.com/? It's cheap and healthy (if you pick the healthier meals). We did it for a while and it worked out to ~$3/serving. It's a bit more if you choose sides like salads. You make everything at the store (took us ~30-45 mins for 2 weeks worth) and freeze it. Then, cook several servings at a time on the stove or in the oven and put in tupperware (or if you want to look cool^, you can get a bento box). http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-Bento-Stainless-Steel-Lined-Silver/dp/B000246GSE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1201980251&sr=8-2

2/2/2008 2:24:41 PM

michelina's frozen meals are pretty decent...you can get them 10 for 10 on MVP at food lion a lot..

totino's pizzas are also really good... you can microwave them (the back of the box only says oven, but i've microwaved them many times). these are also $1.00 at food lion...

2/2/2008 7:08:09 PM

I buy frozen dinners when they are on sale as well. Walmart has the smart ones frozen dinners for like $1.50 and they are good for you.

snack in the morning i have one of those 100 calorie pack cookies
lunch: frozen dinner, some yogurt, carrots
then as an afternoon snack I usually eat a strawberry fruit strip from target

2/2/2008 7:19:37 PM

I rotate, but the general principle is the same. Healthy meals I can make on the weekends, stick in tupperware, and heat for lunch during the weeks.

I also keep cans of tuna on hand if I don't feel like having whatever I made over the weekend for some reason.

Over the past month I've made:
black bean soup
lentil and sausage stew
chickpea curry
garden veggie and chicken soup (more of a stew, really)
chili

I also buy whatever fruit is in season or on sale and keep it on hand at work for mid-afternoon snacks, and keep cottage cheese at work for a quick bite in the mornings (I'm not usually hungry until around 9ish).

2/2/2008 9:09:05 PM

I would usually cook more dinner and that divides what you spent on dinner in half by eating it for lunch. if you eat it for more times. its even more money saved. i also get some fruits for a mid-afternoon snack.

2/2/2008 10:33:41 PM

Quote :

"Have you thought of something like http://www.supersuppers.com/?"

Good idea, but I live in Fayetteville. I'm not saving much if I have to drive to Raleigh to cook

That being said, I really appreciate all of the suggestions, even the salad Hopefully its been useful to other folks too.

2/3/2008 1:18:16 AM

Quote :

"michelina's frozen meals are pretty decent...you can get them 10 for 10 on MVP at food lion a lot.."

yeah I do that a lot too, sometimes they go for 88c, some banquet meals are decent too but most are disgusting

2/3/2008 9:59:07 AM