I go to school all day and work all night. Needless to say, I’m spending a hell of a lot of money on fast food. I’m looking for some good, cheap, ideas for foods that I can haul around in a bag.
At school, I don’t have access to a microwave or refrigeration.
At work, I have access to both.
I get sick of sandwiches, Banquet frozen dinners, and romen noodles(a.k.a. liquid sodium).
I’d appreciate some good soup recipes too, if anyone has them. I’ve been on a soup kick lately.
In college I used to buy(or steal from the cafeteriaon poor days) a bag of bagels. They are a dense, good source of food, that doesn’t matter as far as temperature. I never found a good bagel to be dry when eaten plain, but if you demand cream cheese then it wouldn’t work. There a so many flavors these days, that it doesn’t get too repetative.
Tuna sandwiches rule! I brought a tuna sandwich – no celery or eggs or whatever, just some tuna and a little mayo – to school virtually every day from sixth grade to the end of high school. My mom kept asking me if I wanted a change, but I was happy with my tuna.
Peanut butter, high in protein. Potatoes, if you have access to a microwave. Five minutes and you have a baked-tater, a good energy food. Dried foods: Fruits and Meats, I make my own “Trail-mix” and Jerky.
Oh yeah, carrots! One more, Ramen.
My route is to bring lots of different things, instead of one main thing. Of course I eat all day long. And if something needs refrigeration, just make sure it is one of the things you eat earlier in the day.
I have a PBJ just about every day. Those little carrots and raisins are also staples. Add in a piece of fruit or two, some crackers and cheese, maybe some pretzels or peanuts. Basically a little of whatever is in the fridge or pantry that will transport easily and not make a mess.
Then there is the leftover route. Make sure you order enough 'za to pack some for lunch the next day. I’m usually to lazy to microwave things, so I bring cold pasta salads, etc. But no reason you can’t bring some of whatever you had for dinner the night before.
Tip - invest in a good set of Tupperware.
You can buy one of those little insulated lunch bags to keep things cold for a while, too. I like to bring fruit, popcorn, peanuts, chips, boiled eggs. I usually microwave a TV dinner, but leftover pizza works. If it’s tastes OK to eat it out of the pot cold the night before, it’ll keep at room temperature until lunch if refrigerated overnight. I’ve done this many times.
I’ve found that sushi rolls can be pretty good. Mode with no meat, they don’t really need refrigeration, they’re not messy, and very portable. Just stack a bunch in a Tupperware container. And here’s a simple oup recipe. It should be about two hearty servings:
-Two cans unconcentrated, low sodium chicken broth
-Two large links andouille sausage
-Two cups mirepoix
-3/4 cup white rice (although a mix of white a wild rice works better)
-1 tbsp dried basil
-1 tbsp dried oregano
-Salt and pepper to taste
Slice andouille sausage, and brown. Add onion to rendered fat, then add carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables take on a hint of color. Add spices and chicken stock. Add rice, cover, reduce heat to med or med-low. Cook for 20 minutes. Rice should cook and stock should reduce by about 50 percent.