whats for lunch

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Sometimes I have no clue what to pack for cold lunches for work. If I don't have leftovers I never know what to bring. Sandwhichs get so old.

So what do you like to bring for lunch. I feel I need some inspiration.

I like to make a bunch of energy ball type snacks with nuts, dates, peanut butter etc. Sometimes I just take dates and eat them intermittently throughout the day. Chicken salad is my "go to" meal - I just purchase a rotisserie chicken and cut it up and make a chicken salad to use for the week. A few boiled eggs or egg salad, greek yogurt - I make my own - its UBER easy. Also rice and beans - its simple - easy and filling. All kinds of really awesome rice and beans recipes. And its cheap. Cheese and apples are always in my bag.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

I'm not sure that NOADLS is speaking of the OP specifially. More that it was a play on the oft used tired phrase that nurses eat nurses.

What leads you to believe this is a new grad?
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Specializes in OB.
I like to make a bunch of energy ball type snacks with nuts, dates, peanut butter etc. Sometimes I just take dates and eat them intermittently throughout the day. Chicken salad is my "go to" meal - I just purchase a rotisserie chicken and cut it up and make a chicken salad to use for the week. A few boiled eggs or egg salad, greek yogurt - I make my own - its UBER easy. Also rice and beans - its simple - easy and filling. All kinds of really awesome rice and beans recipes. And its cheap. Cheese and apples are always in my bag.

Intrigued---can you share your greek yogurt recipe?

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Specializes in retired LTC.
LOL - and yes they are! We'd love to have you join us!
Thanks.

I like the group potluck meals that we'd have at times on my small LTC units. I'm NOT a great cook, but I have some old favorites that I like to bring in. But it would be quite difficult to safely get staff off their units to come to a centralized location. So just for some camaraderie and my appreciation for my staff, as supervisor, I'd make some kind of meal for all of them. Just because ...

I liked crockpot chili or sloppy joes (just plug in the pot when I'd get to work.). A big pasta salad or turkey/chicken salad sammies. Whatever ... I'd bring in all the trimmings also.

Staff could just come over when they had the chance. Often there's be some CNAs who would ask to take leftovers home. So I'd be so thrilled when they'd bring back my pots, or bowls etc next nite nice and cleanly washed out.

OP asked what to take for meals - I found I like 'no brainer'. get in a rut, nite after nite meals. I think I must have taken smoked turkey with provolone sammies to work for 3 years so. In the winter I would bring a little thermos of Campbell's tomato soup. I am a creature of habit.

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Yea, I'm a big turkey chili girl as well.

Today I had rolled up turkey and swiss and a cup of strawberries.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Anything worth "grazing"; almond butter and apple, carrot and celery sticks; protein bars, Kashi bars or cookies, Greek yogurt with strawberries added, mandarin oranges, hummus and pretzels, single pack popcorn, anything on wheat bread. Small salad with proteins such as beans and other legumes to keep the hunger pains away.

My favorite staple has been Grilled cheese on wheat with tomato basil soup. :D

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I usually make 3-4 of the same meals and eat them for lunch and dinner. Tomorrow I'm having salmon steak with roasted vegetables. I don't get much of a break but it's still tasty to eat cold.

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Again thanks everyone for the wonderful ideas. I'm definetly making a list and love it being healthy as well

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2 protein bars and a greek yogurt. Okay, just kidding, but that was today's lunch. Usually I've been going with Lean Cuisine or left overs from home.

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I would have imagined you'd prefer to work with inexperienced and/or incompetent staff to make it all the easier for you to play Candy Crush at the nurses station unnoticed. :)

I'd never pick the nursing station to do that. The family members go there first.

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Intrigued---can you share your greek yogurt recipe?

Yup! All I do is purchase a few small containers of plain greek yogurt - I prefer stony field - but any kind will do. Put a gallon of milk into a crock pot and set it on high for about 4 hours - until the temp reaches about 180 degrees. Then I turn it off and let it cool down to about 110 degrees.

Then I put the plain yogurt in - sometimes I take a little bit of the heated milk and mix it with the yogurt so it isn't clumpy and then just use a whisk to whisk it in. Put a cover on it - and leave it alone for about 12 hours - longer, if you don't get to it - its not a big deal.

I use a tight weave flour sack towel or even a plain white t-shirt - and place it over a strainer - then put the congealed yogurt into it to strain through the cloth. You can't use a cheese cloth for this - it will just run right through.

Then when its the right thickness, I put it in a big bowl and use a hand mixer to make it smooth and put it in the fridge. One gallon of milk makes about 1/2 gallon of yogurt.

The kind of milk you use will make a difference - the lower the fat content - the less yogurt you'll get. I use 2% - sometimes add a little whole milk to it to make it a little creamier. And I like my yogurt thick - like a Dairy Queen Blizzard, but if you like a little more runny you can just add some of the whey back into it. You can add some jam or fruit or honey or vanilla - experiment with it! Its fun!

And I use the left over whey to water my plants outside - its good calcium.

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