Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Lunch

Mocking School Lunch in the Movies

jacknose — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:09:04 -0800

When was the first time "school lunch" was ridiculed in a movie (most likely a teen flick) or a TV show? We're currently producing a documentary on school lunch, and we know that there was a cultural shift in how school lunch was perceived (great social achievement to grotesque laughingstock). If you can help us identify the first instance of this shift in popular culture, we'll give you a film credit.

Fill my burritos on the cheap

pluckemin — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:12:17 -0800

What cheap, protein-y things taste good rolled up in a tortilla? I like to bring cheap lunch to work with me, being rather underfunded at the moment. For a while I would bring chicken nuggets and barbecue sauce, but I would generally only remember that I needed to pack a lunch on my way out the door (I have an irregular schedule so I don't need to pack lunch every day), and often the effort/time required to find containers and pack up the food was too high and I'd wind up thinking "eh, I'll buy a sandwich just this once."

A couple of months ago, I cooked up a pound of black beans and made two dozen plastic-wrapped bean and cheese burritos for about $5, which I stuck in the freezer (the burritos, not the $5). This turned out to be perfect; I still remember that I need a lunch when I'm on my way out the door, but now I can just grab a burrito from the freezer and toss it in my bag.

My supply of burritos is dwindling, and I'm getting kind of sick of them, so for my next bulk cooking and freezing project I'd like to do something different. I have a few nice curries and chilis in my cooking repertoire, but I don't want to have to freeze portions in containers -- I want to cook 20+ portions at once, and I do not have that many old sour cream containers (or the space required to store them in my freezer). So something wrapped in a tortilla is really ideal. But I don't know what to make! This is where your suggestions come in. The specifications:

-It has to have a lot of protein. I am mildly hypoglycemic and I need protein with every meal. I also try to eat a lot of whole grains.
-It has to be cheap: below 50 cents per serving is good, and ~25 cents is ideal. (I love legumes and hearty grains, so this shouldn't be too challenging.)
-It has to freeze well and not get watery when reheated.
-I like most cuisines. I love umami, and I hate cilantro.
-Hot or cold is fine; I have access to a microwave.
-Cooking skill: moderate. I'd prefer cooking and assembly to take 2 hours or less.
-I'm not 100% attached to tortillas as the wrapper, but the resulting lunch does have to be a single, solid object that can be grabbed on the go.

Suggest away!

healthy and easy lunches to go

6550 — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:21:36 -0800

I'm looking for healthy, inexpensive, and convenient lunches that won't need refrigeration or microwaving during the day, but can be prepared the night before (overnight refrigeration is fine). I do love sandwiches but haven't been impressed with them as the bread is unpleasantly soggy by lunch the next day. Other than that I have no dietary restrictions and am willing to try just about any cuisine. I'd prefer things that were self-contained meals that can go into Tupperware. I'd also be willing to get some sort of Thermos container. Complicated meals with lots of components and prep time are out. Only the bare minimum of prep in the morning is workable.

A bonus would be something I can make in larger batches and freeze in portions. I do have a crock pot I use for that purpose now, for dinners.

This question is close, and has good ideas, but I want a more specific focus on convenience.

Hot, fresh, and yummy for my tummy

yawper — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:31:07 -0800

So, I bought my young daughers each a Thermos for their school lunchboxes. Great! Now what can I put in them? I've seen this thread, which has a bunch of good ideas, but I'm looking specifically for thermos ideas - hot foods that I couldn't send with them before that I now can.

Here's what I've come up with so far:

mac n' cheese
pasta and meatballs
baked beans
chili
soup

I'm sure I'm leaving out a ton of other ideas though. My kids are not incredibly picky eaters but they are only 5 and 6 so simple is better. Also, peanut and shellfish products are not allowed at their school, and we don't eat pork. Thanks!

Delicious, mid-range downtown Calgary restaurant

ageispolis — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:12:02 -0800

What are some of your favourite places to go for lunch in downtown Calgary?

What are some good protein-rich meals I can take to work with me for lunch? I'm trying to gain some mass.

decrescendo — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:11:25 -0800

What are some good protein-rich meals I can take to work with me for lunch? I'm trying to gain some mass. I'll have a refrigerator and microwave present and my commute is only 15 minutes. I'm 6'3" 190 lbs and I'm trying to gain weight. I also eat out during lunch way too much. Saving 8 dollars a day would be fantastic on top of eating meals that will be better for my mass gain.

I automatically think pasta because I'm a terrible cook, but that doesn't seem like the route I should be going in order to bulk up.

Have any ideas?

(Maybe this will help me become a better cook somehow, too).

South Bend, IN restaurants

cainiarb — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:01:01 -0800

I need suggestions for South Bend, Indiana restaurants. This will be for a group of ladies meeting for lunch on a Friday. We'd like a place that is local and non-franchised. Mid-range lunch price. No jungle gyms for kids to play on. WiFi would be nice. Easy parking. Plus we don't want to be rushed out in 30 minutes. Ideas?

Lunch in Hartford?

haveanicesummer — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:46:16 -0800

Best places to grab lunch within walking distance of Constitution Plaza in Hartford, CT? My company has me in downtown Hartford for at least a month and I'd love suggestions for good lunch spots. I'm interested in all varieties/nationalities of food, with an eye towards a bargain (but I might splurge if someplace pricey was considered worth it.)

Help me serve a great lunch, quickly.

availablelight — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 19:38:55 -0800

Great (summer-friendly) lunch menus. Difficulty: can be mostly or wholly made beforehand. I know how to cook to impress for dinner or brunch guests, but what are some good recipes--that require minimal to no prep at the time of serving--for lunch?

--I can spend as much time as necessary prepping the day before, or the morning of.

--I'll be serving out of a kitchen, so food safety is not a concern and I'll have the ability to reheat, sautee quickly, etc. if need be. I'd like to not spend more than 15 minutes total preparing the meal right before serving it.

--I've got some cooking skills and an interest in doing something a bit more impressive/tasty than just sandwiches or basic pasta salad.

Exploring NYC one lunch at a time.

sesquipedalia — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:19:21 -0800

Taking my IT dev job to the librairies and coffeeshops of NYC for a couple of weeks (accompanying my wife, who's in a program at NYU). What are the best places to work, to lunch, and to explore in the relatively-immediate vicinity? So, I can work wherever I have internet connectivity, which is good. So I've been able to come along with my wife to New York from our home in the far Midwest and live near NYU for a few weeks. Great! Now... how do I make the most of it? O hive mind, can you help point me to:

* Good, comfortable, friendly coffeeshops near NYU that don't mind laptop warriors -- places with good wireless, non-cramped tables, enough electrical outlets to go around, great and not overpriced coffee, and an atmosphere you can spend a bunch of hours in at a time without wigging out.

* Cheap, yummy, and "only in New York" places to grab lunch within a 20-minute walk or so of said coffeeshops. I don't need or want anything fancy, just things that most of the country has only pale imitations of compared to New York. Examples: banh mi in Chinatown, real New York-style pizza, deli (Katz's?), custard tarts at Chinese bakeries, real bagels, black & white cookies, etc. Especially things that can be taken out & eaten outside.

* Other neat things in the vicinity I might not think to explore and/or find on my own.

* Bonus: favorite reasonably nice (~$100/two without wine) but fairly down to earth restaurants also nearby for a night out on my wife's birthday.

Thanks, all!

Lunch with female friends other than your girlfriend is ok?

salsa buena — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:20:43 -0800

I have a girlfriend and my best friend is female. Should I feel guilty having lunch with my friend? Me and my girlfriend have been talking lately. She really feels that the fact that I don't mention that I have lunch with my friend makes her a bit suspicious. We have both acknowledged that she can get a little jealous of my friend because we're close. I've been with my gf for 3 years now and I've known my friend for 20 years. Me and my friend have never been intimate and my gf knows her personally.

Now, she is asking me to inform her every time I go to lunch with my friend or any other female for that matter whether its a friend or a co-worker. I wouldn't ask the same of her, I would just trust her and believe that she wouldn't do anything to disrespect our relationship.

Part of me is saying I shouldn't give in to this request because I'd feel like I have to report what I'm doing or whom I spend my money on just to put her insecurity at ease. If I give in, what's next?

Another part of me wishes to want to make her feel at ease. I love the fact that she talked to me about what is bothering her and I really want to come to a solution. Not sure where to go from here.

The portable tofu conundrum

zadcat — Sun, 31 May 2009 14:51:46 -0800

Another "safe to eat" question, this one about tofu. Supposing tonight I make a stir-fry with tofu, using sesame oil, some veg (mushrooms, onions, zucchini), soy sauce and spices. I eat it with rice, mix the leftovers together (tofu, veg and rice) and put it in the fridge overnight.

If I put this mixture in a container around 9 tomorrow and bring it to work, will it be OK to eat around 1 o'clock, without being refrigerated meantime? I don't plan to put any dairy or egg in there. (Although if I were to stir-fry an egg into it, which can be good too, would that make it much more dangerous to eat after 3-4 hours at room temp?)

(I will be walking to work and the weather tomorrow is not expected to get above 16°C.)

Looking for a place to sit and eat lunch... for free.

Vorteks — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:28:52 -0800

Where can I eat my brown-bagged lunch in Ann Arbor, MI? I currently work in Ann Arbor, MI, near the corner of Washtenaw Ave and South Huron Pkwy. There are LOTS of good places to eat nearby, and I frequent them... too much. I need to save money and pack my lunch! The thing is, I don't want to sit in the office all day without taking a break. Where nearby can I take a brown-bagged lunch and eat it? Ideally, I'm hoping for an indoor location that I can use year-round. Huge bonus points if there's wi-fi access! A public library that allows you to eat inside would be ideal... but I doubt there is such a thing. Does what I'm looking for exist? What do you suggest? Thanks!

P.S. Any other suggestions related to what to pack, how to shop for cheap but healthy food, etc, are welcome.

What should I put in my lunchbox?

anotherpanacea — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:43:50 -0800

Help me brainstorm easy packed lunches. For more than a decade, I've eaten turkey & cheese or peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, with a yogurt and crackers. Sometimes with fruit, sometimes carrots and hummus. Sometimes couscous and garbanzos. It's fine, but it's boring.

I'm stuck in a rut, and I need to get out. Unfortunately, I'm feeling fairly uncreative around lunch foods. Please give me your best recipes and packable-food blogs. I'm looking to be less carb-intensive but mostly I'm just looking for tastiness, variety, portability, and ease of preparation.

I could go anywhere, and then camp (we won't play William Tell)!

Capt Jingo — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:38:00 -0800

What is the tracked camper vehicle that Bill and Joan are riding in at the end of the film Naked Lunch and where can i get one?

How do I thank someone who saved my very broke butt from public humiliation?

naoko — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:32:30 -0800

How should I thank a stranger who got me out of a small but embarrassing money jam? Backstory: last month I ran out of money. Completely out, all bank accounts in the negative, not fun, and it totally blindsided me. Lots of lessons were learned (like balance my checkbook from time to time, spend more responsibly, etc.) - not the point of the question.

Anyway, I discovered that I was totally and utterly broke while in the cafeteria line at work - went to ring up my lunch (something like $6.70) and my debit card is declined. So I'm standing there counting change down to the pennies (and knowing I was going to be a few bucks short), and the line behind me is building up, and the food was like a hot pasta dish or something that I couldn't just put back, and the cashier is rolling her eyes at me, and just as I'm wishing a hole would open up in the floor and let me disappear, a girl leans over and swipes her card. She tries to run away but I said, "Wait, what's your name, I have to pay you back!" and she says, "No, don't worry about it" and scampers off.

But she didn't take her receipt. So I took it, and now I have her name, and from there it's easy to find out where in my office complex she works. So, what should I do now? Send her a note and 7 bucks? Should I sign it or leave it anonymous? What should I say that will express my extreme gratitude but not sound totally weird?

What shall I eat for lunch?

Tapioca — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:52:05 -0800

What else can I keep at my desk for making sandwiches? I'm bored of peanut butter and jam. I keep PB and jam at my desk in the office. That way, I can just grab some bread on leaving the house in the morning, and make a sandwich at my desk when I get hungry at lunchtime.

PB and jam are nice, but I tire of them. What other sandwich fillings can I keep *at my desk* without refrigeration. Sweet and savoury both good. I'm vegetarian, but I doubt that's relevant here (meat not being shelf stable, and all that).

Cheap, healthy Flatiron lunch?

ocherdraco — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:36:39 -0800

NYCfilter: I work at the Flatiron (at 23rd and Broadway), and I'm looking for cheap (~$7), healthy (more veg, less fried) lunch places within five to ten blocks. Where would you recommend? I'm trying to keep costs down and eat more healthfully. So, no Shake Shack or Eisenberg's. What places do you like?

I'm an omnivore again, now how do I do this?

piedmont — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:11:54 -0800

I want to make some sandwich meats starting with roast beef and ending wherever my imagination takes me. I have a friend with a meat slicer, an oven, and an equal desire for cheap, awesome lunch sandwiches. Can you help us? So, what's your best recipe for roast beef for cold sandwiches? Tips? Tricks? Awesome recipes for other tasty, thin-sliced animals I can't get at the deli counter?

Quick vegan lunch near American University in DC?

obliquicity — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:22:53 -0800

Fast vegan lunch options at/near American University, in Washington, DC? I am going to be at American University for a conference this weekend (Friday-Sunday) and have dinner and Sunday brunch taken care of (although I'm open to suggestions if you have a passionate desire to share your favorite). Friday and Saturday lunch, however, is another story -- there's about 15 minutes between sessions and the box lunches on offer are not vegan. So... I'm hoping that some of you know of a place within walking distance that has something vegan on offer, preferably as take-out. Bonus points if I can pick it up on my way in (i.e. before 9:30am). I will be going to the University from Dupont Circle, if that makes a difference -- but probably traveling via Metro, so can't really stop on the way.

Looking for a cozy lunch spot in MidTown NYC to watch the inauguration.

GilloD — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:03:27 -0800

My wife and I would like to meet in MidTown NYC tomorrow to view the inauguration and have lunch. Suggestions? I work on 56th Street between 8th and 9th Ave, she's available to meet anywhere. We'd like to meet for lunch and watch the inauguration together. It looks like Boulangerie (Is that the one?) on Broadway and 55th has a special, but they're a smidge on the pricey side, plus you need a reso. We're not above bar food if that bar has TV and I'd like to keep lunch plus/minus 30 bucks for the two of us.

Thoughts? Hot tips?

I can't find liverwurst anymore!

kestralwing — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:18:45 -0800

Where can I score some old fashioned liverwurst in the Pacific Northwest? There always used to be rolls of liverwurst next to the lunch meats, but no more. And Amazon no longer carries Mother Goose Liverwurst; there's a "unknown when again available" note. Mail order is fine, if it's a reliable source. (And I really don't want to make it myself; I just want to smear it on bread.)

Soft, cold brownbag meals!

flibbertigibbet — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:05:38 -0800

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?

Different/tasty gluten free lunch ideas?

loquacious — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:57:01 -0800

Help me with suggestions for special or unusual recipes for gluten and wheat free portable lunches? I want to surprise someone with a good lunch, but she can't have gluten/wheat - and she's vegetarian. I need ideas for lunches/meals that will travel and store well, so they'll survive being made the night before and transported.

I'm not really looking for utilitarian, easy idea - I can manage basics like a salad or something just fine - and I'd imagine she eats a lot of it.

I'm more looking for extra awesomeness, deliciousness and nutritiousness. This is a gift, not just a meal, but it still needs to be portable and utilitarian enough to be enjoyed on a short lunch break without being too complicated to eat. However, prep time on my end is no big deal.

Allowed: Fruits, veggies, nuts, rice. I'm assuming chickpea is ok. Yogurt is ok, so I'm assuming cheese is, too, but I'm not sure.

Also, bonus points if you have tips on making rice bread that doesn't suck, or suggestions on gluten-free bread alternatives.

cozy lunch for vegetarians in Durham

amtho — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:53:31 -0800

Cozy & quiet, not-too-expensive lunch or brunch for 6-8 vegetarians, one pregnant, in Durham, NC. Where? My friend lives in Durham and is rather great with child. It's not a baby shower, just a lunch or brunch, or possibly dinner, that I'm putting together for her and some friends.

I don't want to make her drive to Chapel Hill, where there are at least two places I can think of that would be wonderful.

A couple of people have suggested Guglhupf cafe, but it seems loud (sonically live, lots of hard surfaces and often crowded) and a bit uncomfortable - one waits standing in line to order one's food. We'll want to talk -- the guest of honor is a fairly quiet person -- and I don't want to make her stand up any more than is necessary. She's in the eight month of her pregnancy.

Can anyone suggest somewhere better? There are definitely 6 of us, five of whom are vegetarian, and probably two more. I think some are graduate students, which means it would be kindest to avoid anything too extravagant.

We're planning to get together on Saturday Dec. 13 ... somewhere.