Soft, cold brownbag meals!

January 2, 2009 8:05 AM

Because of a bus strike, I'm going to be on campus much, much longer than usual every day, and will have no access to any kitchens, nor will I be able to go home. I'm going to need multiple cold (microwave access is iffy) meals for each day, or many snacks. My jaw still hurts from surgery and chewing hard or large things is impossible. Ex.: most sandwiches, aside from the hated pb&j, are too tall, most granola bars are too hard. Any suggestions?
posted by flibbertigibbet to food & drink (21 comments total)

Maybe try cold tortillas? I've had some great cold bean and sweet potato tortillas, and they should be very soft. I also love an avocado, feta and rocket tortilla which might work as well.
posted by ukdanae at 8:12 AM on January 2

try pasta salad or tuna. there's also cereal and bananas. good luck!
posted by big open mouth at 8:12 AM on January 2

If you get a good thermos, you could have warm(ish?) soup.
posted by nosila at 8:15 AM on January 2

Properly-made grilled cheese sandwiches where the cook applies a heavy weight to the top to squish the bread & cheese together should be thin enough for you to eat. It'll have plenty of calcium and protein and the type of cheese can be varied to prevent boredom. Other bits of food can also be put in, depending on what you like.

Similar to what ukdanae says, try pita bread. The name of the game is shredded meat, vegetables cut small or pureed (avocadoes work well for this) and different kinds of sauces/marinades. I make a mean chicken pita by giving chicken breasts a dry rub of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and paprika, then cooking it (usually in an oven) while blackening the outside. Shred it up with some mashed avocadoes with a squeeze of lime and a dash of salt, stuff into a pita.
posted by burnfirewalls at 8:31 AM on January 2 [1 favorite has favorites]

Broth-based soups are pretty good, even if they aren't the warmest.
posted by answergrape at 8:34 AM on January 2

I'd go for curries or stews served cold, or kept warm in a thermos or thermal food jar--most taste better of the second day (think leftover Indian food), will be nice and mushy/soft if you put the right ingredients in (think lentils, potatoes, meat) and also taste fine cold.

Most of last year I did bento lunches and never ate them warmed. Good, solid common sense advice on eating room temperature lunches can be found at Lunchinabox.net here and here.

Also, yogurt is always good to have on hand.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:36 AM on January 2

Hummus and pita bread.
posted by kristi at 8:38 AM on January 2

Seconding soup. Guessing (by talk of the #$^@ing bus strike) at your location, I can personally attest that the thermoses sold at Bridgehead will keep tea/coffee or soup hot for at least 9 hours, as discovered on a couple of days when I forgot to drink whatever I brought to work and it was still hot when I poured it out when I got home. Just pre-heat with very hot water before filling, and make sure the contents are good and hot when you put them in. Bring crackers to soften in the soup ... or cheese to add to it for melty goodness and some protein.

Apple sauce with cinnamon and small/softish cereal (cheerios? rice krispies?) would be a good snack. Yogurt with fruit / cereal is also good if you have a small ice pack to keep it cool.
posted by valleys at 8:38 AM on January 2

Thank you for those links, PhoBWanKenobi! My family raised us very, very paranoid about lunches (making friends think I was picky when really, I found something that worked for my parents, no matter how unhealthy), so that's an awesome resource!
posted by flibbertigibbet at 8:39 AM on January 2

Thanks for the suggestion about Bridgehead thermoses! I've had nothing but bad luck with thermoses, well, sucking.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 8:41 AM on January 2

Bananas. Portable, soft, and have a small diameter. Pair with peanut butter for added protein to keep you full longer (plus, it tastes good!).

Grapes. Chewy granola bars. Apple sauce. Cheese and crackers. Raisins or dried cranberries.
posted by geeky at 8:42 AM on January 2

I like cheese and olives with some crackers. Mix the cheese and olive preference to your liking.
posted by schyler523 at 8:42 AM on January 2

A Mr. Bento might be the way to go if you have time to heat your soup/meal before you leave your house. Does anyone you know have a small (like 5") plug-in crock pot so you could warm soup up? An electric mug warmer might help you do the same thing. Invest in some cold packs.

Tuna, crackers and cheese. Pita bread with a spread. Individual cereal packets. Goldfish. Pasta salad. Dried fruit. Basket of fruit on the desk? A recent favorite has been homemade soft bread sticks with red pepper paste. Quiche? Serious Eats has a discussion about brown-bagging.
posted by MonkeyToes at 8:47 AM on January 2

It might not be your thing, but I like cold hard boiled eggs and red potatos with some salt and pepper (and maybe some garlic powder or something). Slice them in half and they should make it into your mouth just fine.
posted by Good Brain at 9:13 AM on January 2

Edamame! You can buy them frozen or in their cute little pods, and they are super good cold with a bit of salt. Plus, protein!
posted by fantine at 10:08 AM on January 2

Seconding the Mr. Bento thing -- I have the "Ms. Bento" (it's a slightly smaller version) and it's been serving me well for lunches.

You could also do gazpacho -- that's supposed to be cold, and it seems imminently customizeable when it comes to ingredient (since it's largely "a variety of pureed vegetables, you could just pick whatever vegetables those happen to be).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:07 AM on January 2

I'm a huge fan of milk for quick protein bursts and snacks.
posted by NoraReed at 11:37 AM on January 2

I recommend freezing yoghurt or fromage frais pots, that way they double as an ice pack and they usually defrost by lunchtime.
posted by teraspawn at 12:48 PM on January 2 [1 favorite has favorites]

--Flaky crackers like Ritz spread with: peanut butter, hummus, Nutella, tuna salad (particularly good with lemon pepper) or the sort of veggie dip that's made with sour cream.

--German pancakes or crepes. Roll them up with or without filling, wrap them in saran wrap and you're good to go.

--Small pieces of apple and small pieces of a soft cheese.

--Pudding, apple-sauce or fruit cups.
posted by Flipping_Hades_Terwilliger at 4:57 PM on January 2

From the student-services angle, does your university have an office that deals with issues concerning commuter or non-traditional students? Are they aware of the impact of the bus strike on their students? If many students are in the same predicament as you, perhaps they could set up a temporary lounge or kitchen facility.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:44 PM on January 2

Have a gander at a similar question that I asked last semester. Not all of the responses meet your chewability constraints, but I have found that nearly anything can be soaked in something else long enough, or cut up small enough to be eaten comfortably when the jaw is in pain.
posted by bilabial at 7:04 PM on January 2