If I have another salad for lunch, I will throw it out the window.

[Mads]

Hi everyone!  I'm on Day 9 of the Whole30 and overall, feeling good! But I've hit a BIG wall as far as lunch is concerned. My family gets a weekly CSA with heads of lettuce so big they take up the entire crisper drawer, so of course, I've been eating salads for lunch almost every day. I had about 2/3 of my salad today and just couldn't take another bite. If I eat more salad, I'm going to turn into a rabbit.

 

So I desperately need some on-the-go lunch ideas. I don't have time to make anything elaborate in the morning (blame baby  ), and we rarely have leftovers from dinner. What are some things I can throw together kind of fast for lunches?

[NazzaB]

What are you having in your salads? Sometimes I just mix it up by adding a different protein or adding some sweet potato to make it a bit more carby and satisfying.

 

I also like to make a huge batch of what I call "ground chilli turkey" which is turkey mince with sauteed onions and grated zuchinni with chilli sauce. I eat that either with mashed sweet potato or cauliflower or sometimes over lettuce (I eat it hot).

 

If you have a lot of lettuce, maybe make some wraps with the lettuce using turkey or chicken and a compliant mayonnaise (I make my own with just an egg, olive oil, lemon, mustard powder and salt).

 

It really does help to make extras for dinner and eat those sometimes as well. 

 

I get sick of eating the same thing every day too. 

[bellewannabe17]

I think even the veggies inside the lettuce as a wrap with some sauce/fat and protein would change your mindset. 

I like to have cold, roasted veggies on my salads. 

 

Experiment with dressings.  You can change it so much.

 

I love to make chicken lettuce wraps.  There are so many recipes that are compliant with just the substitution of coconut aminos for soy sauce.  (Of course, there is no substitution for Sriracha, but it will be there when your Whole 30 is over!) 

 

Crock pot meals seem like they would be great for you.  Shredded chicken or pork in a lettuce wrap would be good. 

 

I can't say enough that it's all about the sauces.  Take the time to make whole 30 BBQ sauce or a delicious nut/tahini dressing, and it will change the meal completely. 

[NazzaB]

Is Sriracha not compliant!? I haven't used it yet on my Whole30 but I probably would have.... Argh.

 

Edit: It would help if I read the label! I've been reading the labels of everything else but I would have assumed Sriracha didn't have sugar and other crap in it. No wonder it tastes so good

[NazzaB]

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/10031990774/slow-cooker-kalua-pig

 

I have been totally addicted to this lately. It's just me and my husband so a slow cooked pork shoulder will last us a couple of days.

 

I've been eating leftovers for breakfast in a sort of hash with onions and sweet potato fried in a little bit of macadamia oil and salt and pepper and some Frank's Hot Sauce. It's delish!

[VerucaSalt]

You can make compliant Sriracha!  http://nomnompaleo.com/post/53690118029/whole30-r-sriracha

[Mads]

I think even the veggies inside the lettuce as a wrap with some sauce/fat and protein would change your mindset. 

I like to have cold, roasted veggies on my salads. 

 

Experiment with dressings.  You can change it so much.

 

I love to make chicken lettuce wraps.  There are so many recipes that are compliant with just the substitution of coconut aminos for soy sauce.  (Of course, there is no substitution for Sriracha, but it will be there when your Whole 30 is over!) 

 

Crock pot meals seem like they would be great for you.  Shredded chicken or pork in a lettuce wrap would be good. 

 

I can't say enough that it's all about the sauces.  Take the time to make whole 30 BBQ sauce or a delicious nut/tahini dressing, and it will change the meal completely. 

 

Time is the one thing I don't have a ton of. I work full time, I have an 8-month-old, and this weekend I have a conference out of town so I won't get to batch cook :-/  But maybe I can get a sauce simmering while I make dinner later this week. I really LOVE to cook, and I hate how little time I have for it now.  Any good dressing/sauce recipes to suggest?

 

I've done lettuce wraps before (best fajitas everrrrr!!), but it doesn't even put a dent in the amount of lettuce we have. Maybe I'll just have to admin that the lettuce wins and put it in the compost.

 

Also, where do you get coconut aminos? I can't find them anywhere.

[Mybeachhouse]

I found coconut aminos at Whole Foods with the soy sauces. Also, Tessamae's makes several dressings that are compliant. For most of my recipes - I have either used the two Well Fed cookbooks by Melissa Joulwen or gone to Pinterest and searched #Whole30.

[littleg]

Are you tired of salads because that is what you think you need to eat for W30 or because you are trying to use up your CSA share?

 

What kind of lettuce is it?  Could you do this (minus the cheese)?

 

If your goal of the joining your CSA was to support a local farmer you've done your part already.  I don't know what your shares cost but here - even if we threw away half our weekly box it would "cost" us $7.50.  Even less once you calculate the gain in compost  Know anyone raising chickens - they love leftover produce  

 

I think the biggest time saving tool in the kitchen is a crockpot.  If you make this (follow the recipe exactly, just use brisket) and cook a 2-3 lb brisket you'll have lunch for the week.  You can even put it on lettuce

 

I would also start cooking extra for dinners.  If you aren't getting leftovers you are cooking too little.  You are taking that time to cook anyway, making a bigger portion shouldn't really add extra time.  My husband did a W30 and is on day 2 of a second one now.  Lunch each day for him is a salad (sorry!) with leftover protein from the night before, roasted sweet potatoes and a half an avocado.  I really think he ate this every single weekday.  Some days he would pan fry some compliant chicken sausage and use that or make compliant tuna (can of tuna, 1/2 avocado, some onion). 

 

Good luck - but I promise, once you figure out your method to making this work it really is much less trouble and totally doable

[Guest WholeStanley]

I really can't survive from lunch to dinner if I've had a salad - what I'm having for lunch today: zucchini spaghetti with chicken and olives.

 

Julienne a whole courgette and bung it in a frying pan with some olive oil/coconut oil for a couple of minutes then put on a plate.

 

Then add to the frying pan mushrooms and peppers, once they have softened add in capers, olives, parsley, sun dried peppers (what ever you have around! but try and include the olives so you are getting your fat portion) some protein - I used a chopped up chicken breast I had cooked on sunday. Once its all heated through, add back in the zucchini, stir it around to get all the flavours mixed up, pop it in a tuppaware and voila lunch!

[mercuryhime]

I don't know what kind of lettuce you have, but my dad does a quick stirfry with iceberg and romaine with tons garlic and it is tasty.  Cooking lettuce is also great because it pretty much reduces to nothing. 

 

Lettuce can also make a great base for gazpacho. 

 

Lastly, lettuce sauce.  It will turn a whole head of lettuce into a mere cup of sauce.

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/bibb-lettuce-sauce-recipe.html

[bellewannabe17]

You don't need to simmer a sauce.  Just blend up some stuff in your food processor or blender. 

 

I like this dressing: avocado, garlic, cumin, cocunut milk, rice vinegar, and lime.  Oh, and salt.  I don't really measure portions so you just have to sample a lot. 

 

Or, this is really good:

http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/07/16/cold-sesame-cucumber-noodles/

I do it without toasting the sesame seeds and I use cashew butter because I don't want to add another nut butter until I use some up.  You can think with rice vinegar to get a nice consistency

 

I throw a bed of spinach under most of my meals.  I imagine you could do the same with lettuce.  You could put a stir fry over it or chili or anything else you eat. 

 

Make the time to make good food for yourself.  I know it's hard, but you can do it!   

[Minamyna]

You can buy coconut amines at public if you live near one, I just asked the grocery.

[peacefrog]

What about a chopped veg salad instead? I do one with whatever chopped veg I have: zuchinni, yellowc squash, carrot, cuke, tomato, onion, radish, etc. Toss with some kalamata olives and greek dressing for a fab lunch. Add protein on the side (like a cold chicken leg).

[Vian]

I agree that you need to cook more for dinner and have leftovers. Every day for the last year and a half, I have leftovers from dinner for lunch the next day. I just make enough for 2 portions since I'm already cooking. Some things I end up making even more (crock pot stuff, mostly) so then I might also have leftovers for breakfast as well.

[Kmlynne]

Try lettuce soup (tons of recipes on google) with a poached egg. It will use up tons of that lettuce!

[kristin_eats]

Slow cooker chilli- I make a big batch so I'll have several meals from it. I can reheat it but I don't mind it cold either.

I'll wrap avocado and bell pepper slices with lunch meat- usually roast beef and make mini burritos.

Ground beef plus salsa and guacamole in lettuce wraps is practically a taco.

Bake up some chicken wings in some garlic for homemade wings and maybe a dipping sauce.

I also like mashing canned tuna or salmon with avocado for tuna salad and eating it with sliced veggies.

[annabel]

Leftovers are great if you have access to a microwave.

 

I'm on a month-long course with no access to a microwave.  Or a fridge, so I'm not even sure that anything with mayo is really practical.

[Semolina]

Annabel, are you going home in the evening (some possibilities for packed lunches) or is the course residential? Doesn't help with the OP's lettuce question (although I do have salad for lunch every day with no problem -- I normally heap hot leftovers on top of it though) but you should be OK with a big batch of coleslaw (lots of different kinds -- my fave is white cabbage, spring onions, parsley all in the processor; mayonnaise, lime, coriander and cumin) and some protein (whatever you have) and in an insulated lunchbox. Can make a big batch and it will last you a few days AND people won't think you are weird. (Well, they might, but not because of what is in your lunchbox!  )

[annabel]

Semolina,  I actually hadn't considered getting an insulated lunchbox, which seems like the obvious solution now that you mention it.  There are people who do the course residentially, but I'm close enough to commute.  And most everyone brings a lunch as the nearby food options are severely limited during the summer holidays.

[moggle]

So I desperately need some on-the-go lunch ideas. I don't have time to make anything elaborate in the morning (blame baby  ), and we rarely have leftovers from dinner. What are some things I can throw together kind of fast for lunches?

 

I deliberately over-cook for meals. If you're going to cook something, it doesn't take much to cook extras. My favourite lunches at the moment are leftover I-cooked-extra roast meat. I've been cooking up a HUGE slow-roast on Sunday (roatating between lamb, pork & beef), slicing it all up and taking it to work for lunches over the next few days. I vary my sauces so I don't get bored: chimichurri, charmoula, tahini dressing, cuban mojo, roasted red pepper 'pesto' etc. I've usually roasted up something starchy to heat up with it and throw a few frozen beans on top before I leave for work.