[Katie]

Hi! Do you all have any suggestions for what lunch I should pack for work? I don’t want to pay for eating out while I’m on lunch break all the time.

I am trying to save money.

Thanks!

[Ruth]

I prep my lunches for work on Sunday. I eat carrot, cucumber and raisin salad. Sometimes I will eat a cabbage salad with tomato and carrots with whatever dressing I want.

I also eat cottage cheese and grapes.

Usually, a snack bar of some sort usually a kids cliff bar because they have no nuts in them.

[Christina]

I pack my hubby a salad daily. In his container it has lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled okra, pickles, & a protein. In separate container I measure out a serving of homemade salad dressing.

In separate container I cut up an avocado. We grow a garden so at the moment he gets homegrown lettuce, summer squash, and cucumbers.

We purchase tomatoes till our plants make.

I pickle the okra, cucumbers & green beans to add during the year.

It is his choice because he no longer eats bread. He says he feels a lot better eating this way.

[Kendra]

Egg salad, pickles rolled up in cream cheese and dried beef, beef sticks, cheese sticks, fruit, sloppy joes, hot dogs, etc

[Katie]

I make chicken salad every week. Canned chicken is really reasonable and I mix in some grapes and cucumbers and mayo and spices.

It’s yummy and healthy

[Anna]

Egg McMuffin, burritos, peanut butter sandwich and freeze all of them
The defrosted in your lunch bag in the morning

[Kim]

Sandwiches, sliced cucumbers w salad dressing, apple, pickles, cheese and olives, avocado w a little salt, hard boiled eggs

[Beth]

I used to make a big chicken or tuna salad and eat it all week. One day as a sandwich and other days mixed with whatever fruit or veges I had in the house. (I’m retired now)

[Virginia]

Sandwich and fruit or Sandwich and chips. Consider adding a frozen serving of something to the bottom of your lunch container; I used to put frozen soup, stew or casserole in the bottom of a small cooler to keep yogurt and fruit cool during the day.

[Amy]

Search meal prep on YouTube and you will get some great ideas for batch cooking!

Salads and Lunchable style meals are easy and can be healthy!

[Denise]

Just get an inexpensive insulated lunch bag. Amazon has dozens of great ones. Pack leftovers or a salad /sandwich, piece of fruit and a drink.

Keep things cold with a frozen water bottle used over and over by refreezing it nightly.

There are entire generations of people who’d never even think of eating lunch out or ordering daily.

In my mind it’s not frugal it’s just common sense. You can do this!

[Lori]

Buy shredded chicken at Aldi and make chicken salad. I shredded a whole chicken I bought at Walmart. You do not get much chicken out of it.

The pre shredded I buy at Aldi goes a looong way.

It’s worth it to buy it pre shredded chicken

[Annie]

Make a big pot of chili and rice. Enough for a few days. Freeze the rest in individual containers.

Sandwiches for the other days. A few weeks later take again to work. So, you don’t get tired of it.

We do the same thing with spaghetti sauce. Also pot roast.

Just keep rotating different meals and freezing some. Before you know it, a month has passed.

[Tanja]

What you pack will depend on what is available to use at your work. Is there a staff room? What is in it? Microwave?

Kettle? Fridge?

Knowing that will help with giving suggestions.

[Brian]

Leftovers are great. Honestly one of my favorite things I like to do it make a “kids” lunch. PBJ on whole grain bread, Greek yogurt, and either a piece of fruit of cut up veggies.

Great macros for health and really cheap.

I also don’t really every get sick of the combo.

[Cheryl]

I freeze leftovers in those plastic bento boxes and microwave, pack bentobox still lunches with a boiled egg, carrots, slice of cheese and fruit, nuts, bottled water, and I take a thermos with tea or coffee.

Also check Pinterest for ideas such a salad in a jar that you can make 5 days in advance.

They have ideas for some with chicken or not and can be flavored various ways like Ceasar, ranch, taco, or even Thai ideas.

[Julie]

Any two of Soup, sandwich/wrap, & salad. That little bit of variety keeps it fresh without having to decide too much. And leftovers as needed/available too.

Taco/Santa fe salad, chicken Caesar, chef/club depending on what I have to use, turkey, roast beef, egg or chicken salad sandwiches and wraps, chili, chicken noodle, broccoli cheese, potato are all in regular rotation.

[Janna]

I used to do taco meat in a thermos. Take some nacho chips and cheese. Also, some tomato and lettuce and then scoop it all up at lunch and eat off the chips.

More interesting than sandwiches everyday

[Amy]

I make stuff in the crock pot as in cracked chicken you can look that up on Pinterest. White chicken chili. I make a ravioli that’s not in a can.

Get a 13×9-in pan spray Pam on the bottom make your ravioli that’s in a bag that’s frozen boil it put that on to the pan spaghetti sauce mozzarella cheddar cheese whatever cheese you like.

I put green peppers and pepperoni in it and then you bake it. It’s awesome. It’s on the back of the Kroger ravioli.

I don’t like to go out to eat for lunch because you got to worry about all the other people going out to eat for lunch at work.

And not to mention you only get 30 minutes for lunch by the time you get to a fast food area you may have 5 minutes to eat your lunch that’s not enough time.

So, I always pack my lunch before the day before and that way I don’t have to worry about it.

[Darla]

1. Leftovers if you have them.
2. Berries with green leafy lettuce. Add a lean protein for nutritional value.

3. Some days I need a “quick lunch.”

I buy 1 pack of Oikos Triple Zero Mixed Berry yogurt which has 15 grams of protein. I add Bob’s Red Mill Granola Maple/Sea salt for some crunch.

I’ll keep some Kraft string cheese and an apple in the office fridge for a snack.

[Angelica]

If you want hot meals, get a hotlogic or something similar. You put your leftovers in it and plug it in and it warms it up.

Takes a little while but I use mine for all types of leftovers

[Michelle]

Buy a bag of baby spinach at store. Split into 5 containers. Take salad dressing to your work fridge. And a pb and j. And a mozzarella stick.

Easy to pack and make ahead. Container of nuts.

[Author]

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