Do you take your lunch to work or hit the cafeteria and vending machines?
I am trying to get into the habit of taking my lunch to work but can't seem to make it work. I always promise myself that I'm going to take my lunch "next time" but it just doesn't happen, and I wind up getting cr@p from the cafeteria and snacks from the gift shop or Starbucks.
What do you pack for lunches and snacks? Any tips and tricks to make it easier to remember (short of having payroll deduct cancelled) and less of a hassle?
I pack a insulated lunch bag and fill it with finger foods:
-Baby carrots
-Cut up strawberries
-Cut up apple slices with lemon juice (to prevent oxidative browning)
-Granola bar
-Cheese stick
-Zip lock of nuts, raisins and/or cranberries
-Small juicy juice (b/c it's cute)
-Greek yogurt
-Two dove dark chocolates and a partridge in a pear tree
I keep this bag close by and munch when I can. I also pack a lean cuisine but I rarely get to it. Sometimes, I don't even get to the finger foods and munch as I walk to my car.
I'm going from 3 shifts a week to M-F. I'm hoping that by taking my lunch I can save some money and hopefully drop the 20lbs that I've gained over the course of a year.
Hopefully once it becomes routine I'll quit leaving my lunchbox in the car when getting to work and the refrigerator when leaving!
Brown bag. Wife & I cook. Always make enough to cover lunches. Been doing it for years. Previous career I also brought my lunch. Cafeterias are expensive and I cook better than they do (mostly).
Brown bag. Wife & I cook. Always make enough to cover lunches. Been doing it for years. Previous career I also brought my lunch. Cafeterias are expensive and I cook better than they do (mostly).
I think one of my problems is that I am NOT a chef. I made the easiest turkey burgers ever last night and somehow managed to scorch them.
I always make extra dinner and bring leftovers for lunch. I forgot yesterday and had to eat in the cafeteria. Really hard to find anything remotely healthy and filling.
tip! make your lunch the night before and stick it in the fridge so all you have to do is take it out in the morning and put it in your bag! :) its what i do when Im on clinicals. I always brought my lunch to high school and did my best to keep this habit up once I started studyin for my bsn. I bring wraps filled with chicken or ham and salad,2/3 pieces of fruit, yoghurt, some sort of treat like a small chocolate bar and I bring a bottle of water with diluted squash in it. I rarely buy anything in the vending machines or cafeteria and it works out a lot cheaper :)
I'm big on soups. Make a big pot of soup and freeze part of it. You can even freeze it in individual bowls for quick grab and go. If you make a few varieties every few days and freeze some, you'll have a nice variety to choose from. I like tomato, vegetable, chicken noodle, and chili.
I also keep yogurt and fruit on hand and take leftovers.
Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
Two bottles of water, a Lean Cuisine/Smart One, two sticks of cheese, hummus/pretzels (the deli carries Sabra single packs), fruit cup/piece of fruit, something sweet (usually fat free pudding/100 cal sweets), and sometimes a random Nutri-Grain bar or protein bar for the end of shift. Sometimes I take boiled eggs as well if I have them around.
aka: lots of protein.
I still eat in the cafeteria at times though, or like you said, get a yogurt/granola snack from the Starbucks :) Yum!
Sometimes, between both of my jobs, I don't have time to cook/ shop or stop for something to eat because I choose to sleep instead! A chick can eat Panera and Chipotle only for so long before the blahs set in so I'm thinking about hiring a personal chef. A friend of mine hired a culinary student to cook for her family 3 days a week. For $100.00 the chef makes 10-12 meals( breakfast or lunch and dinner)makes enough for leftovers, creates a menu and gives her a grocery list for all the food she will need for the week. My friend says it's worth every penny because she spends more time with her family and her and the hubby get their grown and sexy time too. The chef likes it cause my friend has reccomended her to 5 other friends who use her as well!
On a side note, she also said she and the hubby have about dropped 10 lbs each cause they're not frequenting the drive thru's as often. Give it a try!
Specializes in CNA (Stroke, Neuro, LTC), Volunteer.
I'm starting nursing school this semester, and for the first time I will be at school during lunch without opportunities to go out and get food. I plan on packing my lunch, I just have to figure out what kind of items to bring (i have a feeling lunchables will be my best friend).
I take mine. The cafeteria at my hospital closes at 7P and since I am 7P-7A I don't really have a choice in the matter. However, I like packing my own since it gives me a chance to eat better since my eating schedule is so out of whack anyways from working nights.
One of the few perks we get is employee lunches at no cost. I check the menu for the week and make a decision on whether to chance the lunch bring my own or hit Subway. Problem for night shift is that the lunchs are packed around 1100 so they are cold and in some cases downright soggy by the time we get them. Anyone up for fried catfish, fried okra, or french fries reheated in a microwave?
noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP
834 Posts
I pack a insulated lunch bag and fill it with finger foods:
-Baby carrots
-Cut up strawberries
-Cut up apple slices with lemon juice (to prevent oxidative browning)
-Granola bar
-Cheese stick
-Zip lock of nuts, raisins and/or cranberries
-Small juicy juice (b/c it's cute)
-Greek yogurt
-Two dove dark chocolates and a partridge in a pear tree
I keep this bag close by and munch when I can. I also pack a lean cuisine but I rarely get to it. Sometimes, I don't even get to the finger foods and munch as I walk to my car.