Lunchbox ideas please

[Jeanette Forster]

I need to take my lunch to work to ensure I am whole30 complaint, can you give me some suggestions for the types of things I can prepare before work. I have access to a microwave. Thanks x

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

My lunch is usually left over dinner. but if there are no left overs, i bring salad with tuna or salmon, I keep olive oil and balsamic vinegar in my desk. On the weekend I like to bake a few extra sweet potatos and cook extra chicken, those are quick and easy to grab and reheat with some raw veggies.

[MrsStick]

I second the leftovers, although I have at times just made one meal to be "lunch" for the week.

Soup, stew, roast with veggies...raw veggies with homemade mayo dip, hard boiled eggs, salad with oil/vinegar and some sort of shredded meat...

If you're really stuck, ground beef that's been browned, add in frozen veggies and spices. By lunch time, the veggies are melted and you've just got to microwave it.

[Bethann67]

I REALLY like mason jars salads with flavored homemade mayo or dressing . Lots of recipes on line ( the most important part is keeping the wet "stuff" seperate from the lettuce ...I use shredded cabbage as a delicious crunchy barrier) another tweak is to use iceberg lettuce at the end (top) which can be removed and tossed, so i can shake the salad... It's very important to really pack the jar tight...) i can make a batch on Sunday and they will stay fresh all week. ... But now that its hot I want them for meal 2 and 3... So they don't last that long!

[JJB]

For work lunches where I use the microwave, I just do leftovers in one container and sliced zucchini/yellow squash in a 2nd container (steams just fine in Tupperware with a little water); also some olives. For school lunches where I do not use a microwave, I do one of 2 things...either tuna w/mayo, pickles, and tomatoes (sometimes spinach on top if there's room) or some sliced up sausages or hot dogs that are good cold (I have found one compliant version of each). With both I have sliced cucumber + red pepper, sometimes with a hard-boiled egg or olives too.

[moggle]

My standard work lunch is a salad of loose salad leaves topped with my starch of choice (cooked sweet potato or parsnip), then diced tomato, cucumber, & avocado, and then my protein - usually cooked chicken breast. I just throw it all together at the same time I'm making my breakfast.

I regularly make tuna salad for hubby's lunch which is a tin of tuna plus diced celery & cucumber. You could easily add avocado, tomato or other veg to the tuna.

[bi0nicw0man]

I'll cook up a selection of proteins on Sundays to use throughout the week for both Meal 1 and 2. Lunches are usually roast chicken with steamed carrots or rutabagas (slightly undercooked so they don't go mushy), with sauteed or steamed spinach or kale (kale holds up better for a few days)...drizzle with some olive oil and lemon juice and this all keeps and heats in one container. I'll bring along an avocado and add half of it to my meal. Usually an apple or some berries to finish the meal...I need a slightly larger lunch because dinner can be late.

[moggle]

Today's work lunch was Well Fed's Chocolate chilli topped with diced tomato, cucumber & avocado. Plus a banana.

I defrosted the chilli overnight (frozen in 1-portion containers) and chopped the veg last night too.

[PamH]

Starting with a base of onion, cabbage and ground beef, you can make wonderful meals that double as perfect left overs! Add other vegetables and spice it up as you like, or follow recipes.

Google Pakistani Kima, Mo-Rockin Beef Skillet, Indian Beef and Spaghetti Squash (from threedietsonedinner.com), Sausage and Cabbage "Noodles" (everydaypaleo.com) for ideas.

For chicken: spaghetti squash with chicken, bacon and pesto (undercook squash a bit makes it better for reheating), creamy avocado chicken salad, and Artichoke lemon pesto chicken pasta are all good recipes to get ideas.

I like finding a recipe and messing around with it for other options. These are all good leftovers that reheat well.

Have fun with it! In a pinch, hard boiled eggs and appropriate trail mix work for me.

[pjena]

I've been bringing either butternut squash soup with chicken sausage or tuna or chicken salad and some raw veggies every day for a while now. I make a big batch and divide them into preportioned containers on Sunday and I have my lunches set for the week. I premake my breakfasts on Sundays, too - massaged kale salad, hb eggs, sweet potato with coconut butter.