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Packed Lunch ideas....

2K views 22 replies 17 participants last post by  GhostUser 
#1 ·
I am moving soon and will be poor until we find new jobs soooooo i'm wondering if anyone has EASY lunch ideas to take to uni. I looked on that vegan lunchbox site but I don't have all day to prepare my lunch! So far I have these ideas

-chickpea salad (easy and cheap cos I can get canned ones)

-Falafel in pita bread with hummus and salad

But I am stumped!

In my meat eater days i'd just have filled rolls but vegan ones don';t fill me up enough. Or cheese and crackers or usually buy stuff! I thought maybe I could make some rice-balls and have those with some fruit and some nuts.

I'm interested to know what other people take that isn't leftovers or time-consuming!

Thanks!

xx
 
#7 ·
what about a simple roll with a fake meat filling and some kind of pickle or relish.

curried tofu sandwich

wrap with a salad filling. chuck in some avocado, tomato olives or whatever your fav thing is.

home made soup in a vacuum flask.

potato & bean salad
 
#9 ·
I think leftoever wouls probably be a good idea if you don't have much time- just cook extra the night before and set aside some for the next day. Almost all foods are good cold imo


You could also try making a batch of bean or tofu burgers at the weekend when you have time and freezing them, then take out as you need them and stick of a bun with some veg (which you may want to take in a seperate container) and sauce/chutney etc.

If your lunch isn't filling you up then maybe just try eating more? Take a side salad or some wholegrain crackers and fruit to eat with or something.
 
#12 ·
There are many great bean dip type recipes out there. You could make a batch and take that with cut veggies. I usually make some type of salad at the start of the week (you could make it on the weekend) and eat off it for a few days. Adding some type of beans to a lettuce salad will make it more filling.

Hmmm...soups? Vegan chili is easy and tasty (and inexpensive). Bean burritos (you can cheat and use canned refried beans if you're short on time). Quesadillas could be made ahead of time and eaten cold. I actually roasted some veggies the other day that were really tasty cold the next day. I know you mentioned you didn't want leftovers, but that's by far the fastest and easiest lunch option for me...I just make extra when I'm cooking dinner!
 
#14 ·
Something else I like, but I dunno if you're vegetarian or vegan:

Seaweed paper for sushi

sliced carrots

sliced cucumbers

rice (i prefer brown)

mayo

I just spread a thin layer of rice and a very thin layer of mayo on top of the rice, then two slices each of carrot and mayo and roll them up and cut them at about .5 inch pieces. I dip them with sushi soy sauce. It's quite yummy, the mayo might sound weird but actually tastes really good together with everything else.
 
#15 ·
My new fave is salad w/ black beans/black lives/peppers/tomatoes & salsa. Super filling. If you wanted you could even put it in a wrap, but I don't cuz mine is enormous when I make it...lol If I have leftover veggie chili I plop a scoop of that on there too.

Soups are one of my favorite things w/ crackers.

I "salad" just about everything, another fave is salad base, veggie burger, pickles/ketchup & mustard....like a burger w/o the bun. yummy.

Peanut butter and banana sandwiches are filling, and darn cute if you put it on a hot dog roll...lol
 
#16 ·
I prepare a back bean salad which everybody love. I usually prepare it the previous night and have it for lunch the following day. Take a can of back beans, drain it and rinse it. Dice 2 medium size tomatoes, 2 bunches of scallion, 1 green pepper. Remove the kernels from one corn. Mix everything together. Add few drops of lemon juice, cayenne pepper and cilantro (as much as you would like). This salad tastes very good especially the next day. So prepare it a day ahead and leave it in the fridge and take it with you for lunch. We also put this in a pita bread and eat it.
 
#17 ·
Hmm, lots of yum ideas for dinners also!

Maybe I will have to get used to leftovers. I get grossed out by the idea of left-overs. Maybe I should re-name then to make it more enticing!
hehe.

It's hard getting used to not being able to buy stuff for lunch at uni. I've never been a 'make my lunch' person since I left home and my Mum wasn't doing it anymore! Terrible I know! Maybe i'll have to start making big batches of things in the weekend and freezing them. That would work well I think!

x
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kristobel View Post

Maybe I will have to get used to leftovers. I get grossed out by the idea of left-overs. Maybe I should re-name then to make it more enticing!
hehe.
I know what you mean. When I think of left overs, I can't help but get an image in my head of all the bits left over from a meal scraped off a plate into a container.

If when you cook a meal you do some extra and put it aside it's not exactly left overs though
 
#20 ·
Here's a salad that you might like though it's not healthy with the dressing. You could always use a different dressing, though!

crush up a package of ramen noodles and brown them in a pan with some butter. You can add chopped pecans to this if you want to spend the money on them. Set them aside to drain if need be once their done.

dressing:

1 cup sugar

1 cup canola/veg. oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2-3 Tbs. soy sauce (or none)

Mix that all up and it's done. It helps if you put the dressing in a container that you can shake up later if you don't use it all.

Wash and prep a head of romaine. Don't dump the dressing on unless you plan on eating it all. The dressing separates and the crunchies will lose crunch.

If you take it with you for lunch just keep them in separate containers


edit: I've also halved that recipe for the dressing and had enough for an entire head of Romaine. Your choice!
 
#21 ·
I love packing my lunch but Im always short on time! Prepping as much as I can ahead of time is the key for me. (Since I can never stick to a weekly meal plan)

As soon as I get home from of the store, I wash and cut my produce and keep them in those special produce Tupperware thingies. I buy small bags of different salad greens and I always try to keep hummus, vegetarian dressings and wraps in my fridge. That way I can easy throw together whatever Im in the mood for that day in no time. Different spreads and dressings provide enough variety to prevent food boredom! Plus since I know they are there in the fridge already for me and I hate to let food go bad, I grab them first when Im in a snacking mood. (No guilt!)

Other things you can make ahead of time that may not count as leftovers are rice and roasted veggies. I make them in large batches then used them throughout the week. Rice freezes really well! You can just defrost what you need and use it in your lunch or make rice balls!
 
#22 ·
I discovered a pasta recipe that's really good cold, took it college for lunch with me today, in fact! The key ingredient is smoked (chipotle) chilli oil. Basically, while the pasta is cooking, shred some cabbage. Fry in the chilli oil and add some pinto beans. When these are fried so the beams begin to break up, pour in a tiny bit of water, and add some tomato puree and salt to taste. Mix with the pasta and you're done!
 
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