Ideas for lunches at the office (Packed Lunches)

Member Name: londongirl

Product:	Packed Lunches
Date:	06/11/08 (437 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You can have lots of variety

Disadvantages: Less variety if you don't have access to toaster, microwave, fridge etc

I try to take a packed lunch or at least a few food items from home for my lunch each day at work, otherwise i'd spend a fortune. Lunches can get very boring eating the same thing day in day out and sandwiches in particular can be a bit unappealling. Here are some of my ideas for lunches at work - though I am lucky that we have a microwave, fridge, toaster and panini maker at work!

Toasted pitta bread and hummous.
This is so quick and easy but filling and delicious too. It is cheap as well and i can make this last 3 days if necessary. Buy a 26p pack of basics or value pitta bread and a large pot of hummous (usually about £1 or so). Toast the pitta either in the toaster or i put them on the panini maker if you just want them a bit warm. Slice or tear bits off and dip into the hummous. My favourite hummous is Morrison's jalapeno hummous! Spicy but nice - but full of chilli and garlic so no good if you have a meeting after lunch where you are going to breathe on people! I have about 1/3 of the hummous and 2 pitta bread and therefore it lasts 3 days.

Hummous, rocket and roasted vegetable baggette.
Hummous again i'm afraid so if you don't like it thats my first two ideas not good for you! Slice a baggette, spread some hummous fairly thickly on the inside of the baggette, add a few rocket leaves and some roasted vegetables - i usualy just use peppers that i have roasted left over from my dinner before. Then either eat cold or put in panini maker if you are lucky enough to have one - or you could heat up in a sandwich maker instead.

Soup and toast.
Depending on the facilities you have available - i;m assuming most people especially if working in an office will have a kettle (or if not you could bring a flask of soup) - but just make either a cup a soup and have it with bread if no toaster. Or if you have a toaster make it into toast and if you have a microwave you can move onto much nicer soups than cup a soups! My favourite is Covent Garden Chicken soup. Filling and quick to eat and cheap too.

Cold packed lunch. Most of my ideas so far have meant heating things up as I do prefer that for lunch - makes it a bit more interesting. But if I have to just eat a very quick sandwich or snacks for lunch then one of my favourites is roast chicken with sweet corn and mayo. It's delicious on malted brown bread too or granary bread. If i'm feeling healthy i'll usually put a few other things in my lunch box such as a small bunch of grapes, a yoghurt (muller light usually), go ahead biscuits bars and maybe an apple or a banana too but they usually end up in the bin after sitting on my desk for 5 days!

Pasta
Cold pasta either made specifically for your lunch or left over from the night before can be great for lunch. If you want it hot and have a microwave then even better. Pasta that i'm happy to eat cold or hot includes simply cooked pasta with dolmio stir in sauce - either tomato and bacon or sweet pepper (my favourites) plus chopped up bacon that was cooked the night before too - ham is ok too but crispy bacon a lot nicer.

Just some of my ideas for lunches at work anyway.

Summary: Most of these are cheap - and definately cheaper than buying lunch every day