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'm a sucker for a cute insulated lunch bag!!! I've treated myself to 3 and make it fun to use them! I've also gotten a few cute containers and I actually enjoy packing my lunches. If you have a few minutes, just google "lunch menu ideas" or even funner: bento lunches.
I'll pack a sandwich, some pretzels (love sourdough!) or baked chips, fruit and something for my sweet tooth. Or sometimes its a buffet in there: yogurt and some granola to stir in, cheese and crackers, veggies and dip. I try to keep hard-boiled eggs on hand too. Cold cereal and buy a carton of milk in the cafeteria and I love soup!
One money saving tip: buy the bigger container and portion it out yourself at home: applesauce, PB or ranch for dipping, yogurt, blocks of cheese, etc. I draw the line at cute packaging, LOL!!!
I roll up lunchmeat in romaine leaves, pack a handful of grape tomatoes, and sometimes a hard boiled egg. Handful of almonds/walnut mix. Always fresh fruit-berries typically, loving cherries right now though.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
This is such a great thread, and with lots of good ideas across the board.When I was single and working 3-11's, I'd cook up a big casserole: rice-meat-veggies, or chili, beef stew, or a "farm-hand" meal, and use it for my suppers all week.Some don't like eating the same thing every night but it never bothered me. At the time, co-workers would always have to come by my table to see "what are you eating this week?" They were actually ENVIOUS because I always had home-cooked food. Since the advent of 12 hour shifts, and having to be working through 3 mealtimes ( I CANNOT eat before I leave home for work) I've developed a system. First thing is...no tiny little insulated lunchpack bag for me! I have an insulated freezer bag from the local big-chain grocery. I put a folded newspaper in the bottom, and use 3 plastic grocery bags nested together, 3 heavy-duty freezer blocks...one on the bottom, one on each side so that my drinks stay COLD. I have a bunch of ziploc-brand screw-top bowls in which I put cereal (you can pre-pour five in a row and grab one each AM). I like to mix several whole-grain, high-fiber cereals, and will add sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, dried cranberries. Usually I'll pour milk into a 16 or 20 oz. bottle and use some on the cereal and drink the rest with lunch. I switch back and forth from tuna, rotisserie chicken or thin slice deli chicken, sometimes rotisserie pork always on a good, hefty multigrain bakery bread, I have several basil plants so when I make the sandwich I slap a bunch of basil leaves in it, which I like better than lettuce. If I have coldslaw made, or cucumber-tomato salad made up,I put some of that in a single-serve size bowl with screw-top lid. I will also pack a small yogurt, a protein bar, a cracker and cheese packet, a piece of string cheese, a small can of V-8,some piece of fruit or baggie of berries..... and I pick and choose among those to nibble on around suppertime, when I am usually too busy to sit down and eat. I ALWAYS bring a bottle of water, a can of green-tea, a coke, and the aforementioned milk, and, oh yeah, a LARGE Dunkin Donuts Coffee( or 16.oz from home). Now, I usually don't eat everything I've packed, but by gawd, I have it if I want/need it! Some roll their eyes behind my back, because it IS a big heavy satchel, but I don't care a whit! And of course there are times when I splurge and get a large sinful (as in, "No-way-is-this-low-calorie!") salad, or a big-a$$ bakery muffin! Alot of the times I think something in the cafeteria looks good, I am, more often than not, disappointed and rue the money spent. Anyway, that's MY food diary!
darn it this thread has made me sooooooo hungry! It's time for sleep not food!
mmmmmm I do have a chocolate bar hidden in the back of the freezer though...tip-toe, tip-toe, down the hall...shoot the dog just woke up and is following me...sigh, guess I'll have to sneak him a snack too.
I always bring my own food. Otherwise all that is available is crap. Last night I brought a spinach salad with cucumber, tomatoes, chick peas, raddish,thinly sliced kale, red/orange peppers, strawberries and celery. I brought homemade lentil vegetable soup. I also brought a hummous, cucumber, tomatoe, sprouts and spinach sandwhich. For snacks I brought veggies and hummous, an apple and a banana. i usually make a big pot of soup twice a week and then eat it all week. It's usually some kind of bean, vegetable or green soup. Also I make sure to have left overs. The night before I brought lots of curried veggies and tofu over quinoa. Also I like to make veggie chilli's and bring that. If I'm in a rush and haven't got much I always have canned soup to bring (usually spicey black bean or curried lentil) and i always have hummous and pita in the house.
Either a sandwich, or I'll make a veg stew or stir fry. Yogurt, granola bars, nuts. I've actually lost weight working nights. I don't allow myself to eat crap when I'm working and we don't have an open cafeteria.
Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
diluted squash? Never heard of this, can you tell me what it is and where you find it?
Not sure, but I think it is a brand name soda, then diluted with....?water? I drink my coke with lots and lots of ice cubes which melt...and that way I have my coke flaver but also lots of water, too.
I find that bringing healthy food is easy if you do some prep work.Twice a week I spend about 30 mins chopping a wack of veggies, spinning romaine and spinach and making a grain, usually quinoa. Then I put them all in tupperware in the fridge and just scoop out what I need on my way out. I also soak and cook some beans to go in the salad then store those. I like chick peas the best in salads.
I have only worked in one hospital wher I wanted to buy lunch, because the cafe food was SOO good!
But now I brown bag it, because getting there and buying it would consume the entire 30 minutes! (Not to mention that the fodd is rank!)
A sandwich or a leftover mini-meal, a yogurt and a cookie ( or olives, or carrot sticks) take no time to pack at all. Make tuna or egg salad the day before and stock the cold cuts or PB&J and you have the makings of a good lunch you will try to make time to eat!
Also, if I know that I am working 3 shifts, I will spend part of the day before I go back cooking some meals. That way I have tasty left overs for at least 3 days of lunches. It isn't that hard to eat well :) Cheaper too.
BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN
3,520 Posts
I'm a sucker for a cute insulated lunch bag!!! I've treated myself to 3 and make it fun to use them! I've also gotten a few cute containers and I actually enjoy packing my lunches. If you have a few minutes, just google "lunch menu ideas" or even funner: bento lunches.
I'll pack a sandwich, some pretzels (love sourdough!) or baked chips, fruit and something for my sweet tooth. Or sometimes its a buffet in there: yogurt and some granola to stir in, cheese and crackers, veggies and dip. I try to keep hard-boiled eggs on hand too. Cold cereal and buy a carton of milk in the cafeteria and I love soup!
One money saving tip: buy the bigger container and portion it out yourself at home: applesauce, PB or ranch for dipping, yogurt, blocks of cheese, etc. I draw the line at cute packaging, LOL!!!