# Portable healthy lunch ideas that don't require refrigeration or a microwave **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 25, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311 "2010-04-25T17:47:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/41 "2010-04-26T16:13:12Z")
Reading this and the condiment thief thread in The Pit got me thinking that it would be nice if a person could just buy a variety pack of those single serving condiments for uses like this. So I searched and for some reason my google-fu worked, I found a link to… [A small seving website](http://www.minimus.biz/Condiments.aspx) How awesome is that place! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/42 "2010-04-26T16:28:21Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > I was thinking of something like [this](http://www.stanley-pmi.com/shop/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=10-00726-000), which is a Stanley Lunchbox Cooler. Many construction workers carry their lunches in something like it, and they may not even be able to leave it someplace shaded all morning. > > Right, like **Manda Jo** said, it’s just for two weeks, then I’m back to the soft, cushy world with a kitchenette at my disposal 😛 But that’s a really sweet lunchbox, I may recommend it to my brother who camps a lot. Another small cooler to consider is the [Igloo Playmate](http://www.amazon.com/Igloo-7362-Qt-white-Playmate/dp/B000695WL2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1272298076&sr=8-2), which is actually what I was thinking of as the cooler most often used by construction workers. The one shown is less than twenty bucks, so it might be worth it even for this short project. Or if you don’t want to spend any money, take a small duffle bag (or some other suitcase you already own) and line it with towels to insulate it. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/43 "2010-04-26T20:05:57Z")
> [@MsChilePepper](#): > > Take an empty water bottle, fill it with tap water (leave a bit of room for expansion), and chuck it in the freezer. The longer it’s been frozen, the longer it will last in the cooler. \ > My favorite sandwich is pepper-crusted deli turkey and Havarti cheese on whole grain bread, with leaf lettuce, plus roasted red pepper hummus spread on the bread with sunflower seeds smushed into the hummus (so they don’t fall out!). Soooo yummy! Excellent protein-rich sammich. While my parents have tons of space and tons of cheapie water bottles, I don’t, so I’ll just stick with the frozen packs. If this were a more long term thing, I’d be sure to swipe some from home the next time I’m there. That sandwich sounds _amazing_ - like I said, I usually take leftovers, so it’s pretty hard for me to think of sandwiches that are largely made of deli meats (egg and tuna salad would be too mushy). I have everything but the cheese, so I’ll run out tonight to be sure I can make the whole concoction 😃 **Dewey** , that Igloo was my first thought, but it would be really, really out of place, as functional as it is. I’ll probably get a soft sided box tonight from Target or TJ Maxx, and a small styrofoam cooler to fill with water and drinks. > [@justrob](#): > > Reading this and the condiment thief thread in The Pit got me thinking that it would be nice if a person could just buy a variety pack of those single serving condiments for uses like this. I see it was some nut who (likely) had been previously banned. Thanks **Marley** - the mods often have an utterly thankless job. Now, I usually cut my apple up in the office with the knives there, so I’ll probably cut it up and put it in a baggie in the morning. I’ve always used lime juice for it in the past, but wasn’t really a fan of the super acidic taste. Would lemon juice be less offensive? **Raindrop** , I like almond butter as my go-to nut butter. What else would I like? Since they’re $6 a pop, I don’t want to buy something I wouldn’t like. Everyone else, you have some great recommendations, keep 'em coming! ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/44 "2010-04-26T22:52:58Z")
May I ask what workplace fridge drama consists of? People stealing other people’s lunches? ---
**Author:** ![Sehmket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Sehmket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sehmket)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/45 "2010-04-26T23:50:48Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > May I ask what workplace fridge drama consists of? People stealing other people’s lunches? Frequently it’s that, but I’ve been at one, my dad’s been at one, and my husband is currently at one workplace where the fridge drama consists of actually having a fridge - it’s such an afterthought when companies are setting up new work areas. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/46 "2010-04-27T04:52:59Z")
Oh man, fridge drama is somethin’ else. My fridge drama was people constantly changing the temperature. People let their lunches rot in the fridge when they either have to or decide to order food out. They they become putrified liquid…yeah. I pity the person who has to clean out the fridge. My own fridge can get scuzzy at times. ---
**Author:** ![raindrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/74df32/32.png) [@raindrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindrop)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/47 "2010-04-27T05:15:30Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > **Raindrop** , I like almond butter as my go-to nut butter. What else would I like? Since they’re $6 a pop, I don’t want to buy something I wouldn’t like. I like almond butter too. I also like sesame (aka tahini), and cashew butters. I expect if there’s a nut you like you’ll also like its butter version. When compared to peanut butter the other nut butters seem expensive, but that’s only because peanuts are so darn cheap. But when compared to meat, tuna, and cold-cuts, nut butters aren’t so unreasonable. Or if you’re adventurous you might want to try making your own to save on the cost. > **[Make your own nut butters - Backwoods Home Magazine](https://www.backwoodshome.com/make-your-own-nut-butters/)** > > By Sylvia Gist Issue #96 • November/December, 2005 When almond butter replaced peanut butter in my diet (on doctor’s orders), I discovered I really liked the almond better. And it opened my eyes to the world of “other” nut butters. I also discovered... Talking about nut butters reminded me that I like black beans so much I’ve recently started smashing them into a paste and make a type of black bean dip, seasoned with garlic powder, minced onion, ground cumin, basil, and Thai chili paste. I dip corn tortillas in it, toasted flatbread, or toasted whole-grain bread. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/48 "2010-04-27T06:43:11Z")
I’ll definitely be trying cashew then. Peanut butter to me, tastes almost nothing like peanuts, but almond butter tastes quite a bit like pulverized almonds. In a pinch when you don’t want to smash your own black beans, you should try Trader Joe’s refried black beans. IIRC, they’ve got no added fat (like lard, which most Mexican brands have) and they’re pretty tasty. My boyfriend makes burritos with whole wheat tortillas and stuffs them with the refried black beans and low fat cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/49 "2010-04-27T09:16:44Z")
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**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/50 "2010-04-27T12:09:57Z")
> [@raindrop](#): > > When compared to peanut butter the other nut butters seem expensive, but that’s only because peanuts are so darn cheap. But when compared to meat, tuna, and cold-cuts, nut butters aren’t so unreasonable. > [@lindsaybluth](#): > > I’ll definitely be trying cashew then. Peanut butter to me, tastes almost nothing like peanuts, but almond butter tastes quite a bit like pulverized almonds. That’s because many commercial brands of peanut butter actually aren’t entirely peanuts, they have fillers, extenders, sugar… REAL peanut butter - that is, made from peanuts and nothing else - tastes much more like peanuts. It is also more expensive than bargain brands. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/51 "2010-04-27T16:35:41Z")
Rather than freezing your whole sandwich, when I don’t have a fridge available at work, I just make sandwiches in the morning with frozen bread. They’re perfect by lunch time - thawed but still a little cool. Frozen bread is really easy to work with, too - you don’t have to worry about ripping or smushing it. I get lunchmeat from Safeway, add mustard of many different varieties (we’re really enjoying the Sweet Onion right now), and cut up a dill pickle to be added later. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/52 "2010-04-27T17:05:56Z")
There seems to be a lot of bad advice in this thread regarding proper food safety. Remember, if some things aren’t kept at either 40 or below, or 160 or above, bacterial contamination is a real concern- yes, even if it’s been cooked. I understand that most people aren’t as anal as I am about it, but then they’ve probably never had food poisoning (yet). And mayo, contrary to popular belief, actually helps preserve food, not contaminate it. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/53 "2010-04-27T17:39:34Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > There seems to be a lot of bad advice in this thread regarding proper food safety. Remember, if some things aren’t kept at either 40 or below, or 160 or above, bacterial contamination is a real concern- yes, even if it’s been cooked. I understand that most people aren’t as anal as I am about it, but then they’ve probably never had food poisoning (yet). And mayo, contrary to popular belief, actually helps preserve food, not contaminate it. Right, but we’re trying to help the OP find “some things” that AREN’T a problem. Plus there are plenty of things that can keep just fine for a few hours unrefrigerated, even if they can’t sit out for days and days. (The sliced deli cheese you put in a sammich comes to mind.) OP: the canned-tuna companies are putting out little tuna salad kits at the grocery stores: a self-contained, shelf-stable package with a can of tuna (some brands don’t even need to be drained!!), crackers, a packet of relish, a packet of mayo (horrors!), a little wooden spoon, and a little plastic bowl to mix the whole thing in. I think one of the brands even throws in a mint. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/54 "2010-04-27T21:24:29Z")
Yeah, I’ve had real peanut butter before, just crushed peanuts and salt, but it still doesn’t taste peanut-y to me. Almond butter tastes exactly like almonds. Can’t explain it. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/55 "2010-04-28T00:31:43Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > May I ask what workplace fridge drama consists of? People stealing other people’s lunches? In my case I believe it was things left to rot, followed by wholesale purging, followed by people whining “Hey you threw out my [thing] that was perfectly good!” followed by institution of what can only be described as a complex regulatory scheme for use of the office fridge. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/56 "2010-04-28T02:55:53Z")
The only scheme that seems to work in office fridges is, “Everything cleaned out by 3:00 pm Friday, or it’s going in the garbage. No exceptions.” A couple of weeks of enforcement really seems to get the message across. ---
**Author:** ![MsChilePepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MsChilePepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsChilePepper)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/57 "2010-04-28T08:23:19Z")
Lindsay, I never put anything on my apple slices. Just seal them in an airtight container. Oxidation is what causes the browning, but even if it happens a bit, the apple is still edible. Just close your eyes and eat it. 😉 As for workplace fridge drama, oh, boy! I worked one place where the office manager cleaned out the fridge EVERY Friday, without fail, and she threw away EVERYTHING that wasn’t a bottle of ketchup or salad dressing. If you forgot your Tupperware, you were SOL. They’d just had so many problems with people too lazy to throw out their leftovers and creating science projects. At another job, the owner’s psycho wife lost her shit one day and came flying out of the break room literally screaming, “WHO STOLE MY TOMATO??? WHOOOOOOO STOLE MY TOMATO???” The caller with whom I was speaking at the moment actually heard her, and I had to play it off as someone telling a really stupid joke. Turned out nobody had stolen her tomato at all, it was hiding behind something on the shelf. Although really, the only people who would’ve stolen food from the fridge were her own feckless sons, who also worked there. Egad, I’m glad I never have to see any of those schmucks again. ---
**Author:** ![tilde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58956e/32.png) [@tilde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tilde)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/58 "2010-04-28T08:47:42Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Woah, so many great responses! > > Do you have any specific recommendations for where to get a range of condiments? If you start making a habit of individual condiments, you might want to talk to someone you know at a restaurant about buying some of their stock - or just go all out to a warehouse-style store and buy a case. It’s a lot of mayo/katsup/mustard but if you split with friends, you can all get outfitted for a year for about 10 bucks. > [@lindsaybluth](#): > > I’m not sure whether to go with the cooler or a lunch bag still. If anyone has used both and has a strong preference either way, that would help. Lunch bag can be more flexible but have more crevices to clean. > [@lindsaybluth](#): > > I think some days my lunch would sit in the somewhat hot parked car (my car is black on black, and the high is between 60-65, with Friday being 75) and other days would be on my desk of the day in the A/C. Ice packs and crack your window. [QUOTE=lindsaybluth] Now, I usually cut my apple up in the office with the knives there, so I’ll probably cut it up and put it in a baggie in the morning. I’ve always used lime juice for it in the past, but wasn’t really a fan of the super acidic taste. Would lemon juice be less offensive? [/QUOTE] You might have to go to a couple of larger grocery stores who cater to canners, but some Fruit Fresh works great. Sprinkle it on the board and apples after cutting, flip the uncovered side onto the powder on the board, slide apples into a baggie. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/59 "2010-04-28T14:11:50Z")
Or, you could, carry the apple whole, cut it up once there. An excuse to acquire, and use, a lovely new pocket knife!😃 You needn’t give up salad. Here’s how you keep salad fresh for days, in your fridge, in a bag, in your car, doesn’t matter. Put your salad in whatever container you want to transport it in, or eat it from. Now cover it over with a piece of damp paper towel, cover all of it over with saran. Now, you can put it in your cooler or not, just a bag will do, keep it in your car all afternoon, and it will be beautiful, fresh and crisp, whenever you decide to eat it. You can keep salad, in your fridge, for two days, this way, fresh and crisp. Just keep the dressing on the side until you want to eat, easy peasy. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311/60 "2010-04-28T19:17:43Z")
Shelf-stable milk sold in juice-box-style containers is available online and probably at health food stores. You might want to refrigerate it before opening just because most of us are used to drinking milk when it’s cold rather than at room temp, but it’s perfectly safe to drink at room temperature. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portable-healthy-lunch-ideas-that-dont-require-refrigeration-or-a-microwave/537311.md?page=4)