Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with lunch

Children's Bento Box?

FunkyHelix — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:53:52 -0800

Suggestions for bento box dealers? My son is a fussy eater, and the thermal sack we bought for his school lunches is not going to carry things like peanut butter and jelly crackers well. Someone suggested a bento box, and I've been reading up on them since.

Which on line sites are good places to find relatively cheap children's bento boxes, that also have quick delivery?

Tired of vending machine food!

bilabial — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:51:44 -0800

I've read all the food questions. I have a new one. I need portable foods that don't need refrigeration or heating that can keep me alert and satisfied for 12ish hours.

I'm a full time student that packs all five classes into two days. My first class is Oceanography at 9am and my last class (Cultural Ecology) ends at 9pm. My four "breaks" that have me scurry across campus are 15 minutes (one is actually only 10).

The drive to school takes about 40 minutes. I could take a shuttle, but books for 5 classes may prohibit that some days, and it adds an hour to each end of my commute.

Of course, there is another constraint. I have a ridiculously fast metabolism. So bonus points for foods that pack in the calories, but don't weigh a thousand tons (see the aforementioned book hauling).

I might be able to get a locker to switch books at "mid-day," and could theoretically store some things there, but keep in mind this is for Florida. I cannot store peanut butter and bread in a locker. It would be gone overnight with the ants.

To give you an idea of the kinds of things I might be looking for (but getting bored with) here's what I'm bringing tomorrow for the first day, in roughly the order I expect to eat things. (Before I leave the house I'll have a granola and yogurt combo, when I get home I will not feel like heating anything.) I carry all of this in a super sophisticated plastic Publix grocery store bag. I will not be investing in any kind of cooler/laptop lunchbox/Mr Bento, but I'm not afraid of food poisoning.

11am sandwich - boring lunch meat/cheese. I'm ok with that, I can hold this and eat while I walk. Loved a previous AskMe topic for fun sandwiches, will move in that direction eventually. I do not need any more sandwich suggestions.
145pm Cold Quesadilla (beans and sweet potatoes with a little cheese and spinach)
230ish Cheese manicotti. I might be sneaking out of a lecture to deal with this one. I eat my left over pasta at room temp.
5pm Bean salad
615 2 boiled eggs with no yolks. (I'm not afraid this is going to kill me)
630 Peanut butter and pretzels
Trail mix

Further - I don't need suggestions for drinks and I have never found a protein/meal replacer bar that I like. Please do not suggest that I try any more protein bars. They make me gag, and I will not pay $1 to feel like I need to puke. Also, I have lots of intestinal fortitude. I am not worried that I am going to poison myself, and I'm not picky about eating cold things cold and hot things hot. I will not be buying a thermos because they are HEAVY. So, sad as it makes me, no soups.

Looking for a locally-owned restaurant in Phoenix...

pwb503 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:44:33 -0800

Who can recommend a locally-owned restaurant in or near Phoenix for lunch on Saturday? Type of food doesn't matter, just that they know what their ingredients are and are willing to deal with some food allergies. One person (me) can eat anything, another (not me) has a soy, nut, and dairy allergy. We don't need a hippy place that only serves allergy friendly food, but that'd be ok too. We just need a place that makes everything from scratch and can make something on a clean pan for her. BBQ, mexican, pub, thai, whatever; just name the best local joint open for lunches.

Take out sucks anyway.

barc0001 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:59:27 -0800

I've heard amazing things about the Mr. Bento lunch jar, and I really really want one. I have heard that there are places in or near Vancouver BC that sell them, but my inquiries have turned up empty. Does anyone on MeFi know of such a place, or will I have to get one shipped from elsewhere?

all this art is making me hungry!

shothotbot — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:33:28 -0800

Where is a nice place for lunch near the Brooklyn museum?

Make mine a pastrami on rye with a pickle

TrashyRambo — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:11:34 -0800

How can I design a robust system that collects lunch orders and payments, collates them, and then dispatches them to a sandwich shop - all automatically? I've finally had it with our office canteen. It's dreadful and expensive. But it's also a hike to the nearest shop. Everyone moans about the canteen, but no one wants to have to run an order book every day.

I would like to set up some kind of ordering system where colleagues could place their order and pay by a certain time. Then that order would be automatically sent to a sandwich shop, which would then deliver to the front desk.

All of the ideas I can think of (using a wiki for example) involve me having to collect cash or otherwise getting involved. So I'm turning it over to the collective creative geniuses of the green. What can you think of?

I'm in DC if that helps.

So do you walk to school or bring your lunch?

heavenstobetsy — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:56:51 -0800

What do you take for lunch everyday? I'm trying to stop buying my lunch everyday. It's hard on the wallet and generally not too healthy. So I want to start bringing a lunch. I'm looking for ideas of things to bring that are somewhat healthy, easy to prepare, or possibly frozen in advance. So what do you like for lunch?

Also, what do you bring your lunch in? I'm looking for something slightly more attractive (and environmentally friendly) than reusing plastic bags.

Thanks!

Not your average lunch

nnk — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:43:26 -0800

So where would you go to lunch with an old friend in or around Hagerstown, MD? I am planning to get together with an old college friend and Hagerstown is about half way between where we each live. Where could we go and sit and have a leisurely, tasty lunch? I am not really interested in any place we'd have to dress for, but I do want good food.

I'd be willing to consider Frederick or Sheperdstown, WV but it would be farther for me.

What are the most awesome, non-plastic, non-toxic, reusable lunch containers available?

tastybrains — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:43:31 -0800

What should I bring my lunch to work in? I'm looking for non-plastic, non-potentially-toxic, reusable alternatives to the zip-locs and gladware I usually bring my lunch & snacks to work in. I did try searching for this both here and on the general internet...while I have found random suggestions, none of them have really appealled to me as the perfect solution, so I'm hoping to get some direct product suggestions or the most awesomest idea ever from you guys. No pressure or anything. ;-)

I bring my lunch and many snacks to work daily. Things I typically bring include the following: sandwich in a zip-loc or gladware, with some pickles/lettuce/tomato wrapped separately in another zip-loc; cut up veggies in a gladware with a little plastic solo cup of dip; pre-packaged applesauce in little plastic cups; sliced fruit in a zip-loc; sliced cheese in a zip-loc; leftover soups/stews/entrees in gladware; yogurts, cottage cheeses, other wet gloppy things in gladware. Oh, and I drink water from the water fountain at work in either plastic cups or a plastic Nalgene bottle.

I realize this is not good for the environment, and -- if there is anything to all the recent hype about how bad storing/reheating food in plastic is* -- it's probably not so good for me either.

So what are the best alternatives? I would prefer things that are: (1) Not crazy expensive, (2) Reusable for the long-haul, (3) Easy to clean, (4) Easy to carry around, (5) LEAK PROOF.

I would need the following items:

- Things to wrap or store sandwiches in.
- Things to store and reheat soups, stews, and entrees.
- Things to store salad in.
- TINY containers to store dressings, dips, condiments, and extras (like pickles which are highly important).
- Alternatives to zip-locs for little snacks like apple slices, berries, cheese cubes, nuts, veggies, etc.
- Alternative to my Nalgene bottle.

Links to places I can buy things online would be highly appreciated.

* I don't really want to debate this because I don't even know if I believe it's a hugely big deal (I mean, at this point, the only things that aren't proven to cause cancer are rainbows and laughter), but I've read plenty of convincing information that makes me think it's worth exploring non-plastic alternatives.

Delicious Vegetarian Sandwiches

exceptinsects — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:54:48 -0800

Ideas for delicious vegetarian sandwiches? I'm going on a picnic with a vegetarian friend, and I want to make some sandwiches that are more exciting than just cheese or PB&J.
I don't mind spending some time preparing them.

*Vegan not necessary but not excluded either.

What are some good, quick boxed international lunches?

nitsuj — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:58:04 -0800

I really love these easy-to-prepare, not-too-expensive A Taste of Thai/India/China meals for lunch. What else would I like? My local grocery stores don't stock very many things like this, but with Amazon Groceries, I figure I can get pretty much anything shipped to my door.

The Asian stuff is great, so any other brands/styles/flavor recommendations are welcomed. I'd also be interested some other international flavors, like Mexican, Spanish, Canadian, et. al.

Emphasis on easiness to prepare and quality of ingrediants.

What's Indian about buffets?

escabeche — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 17:26:34 -0800

Why do "Indian restaurant" and "all-you-can-eat lunch buffet" go together? It seems that all or most U.S. Indian restaurants offer all-you-can-eat buffets at lunchtime. There are other buffets -- I can think of some Chinese places and some "American" places that have them, and when I used to live in Baltimore there was a place that served a $7 all-you-can-eat sushi buffet that in retrospect I feel lucky to have survived. But for no other genre of restaurant does the buffet seem as nearly compulsory as it does for Indian.

Why is this? Is there something about Indian food as opposed to Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Thai, etc. that makes it particularly suitable for the steam-table treatment? Are there buffets in restaurants in India? In Indian restaurants outside India and the U.S.? Was there some single entrepreneur in the U.S. who opened the first Indian lunch buffet and inspired everyone else to get on board?

Looking for lunch recommendations in downtown Austin, TX

lychee — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:02:00 -0800

MeFi Austinites, recommend some downtown eateries! So now that I've started my awesome new job, I find myself wandering around downtown*, trying to find a decent place to grab lunch. I'm looking for yummy, cheap, ethnic/exotic, healthy, or just plain can't-miss places for me to get a tasty meal. I love exploring new restaurants, so don't worry about keeping it short--a long list of eateries and specific meals is exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks in advance!

*Downtown for me is 5 or so blocks in any direction from Congress & 6th.

Where should I eat while doing jury duty in Jamaica, Queens?

jason's_planet — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 07:29:32 -0800

Where can I get a good cheap lunch in Jamaica, Queens while I'm on jury duty? I've got jury duty in the Jamaica section of Queens on Monday. The courthouse is located on Sutphin Boulevard just north of the LIRR station.

Where can I get a good, cheap lunch within walking distance? I'm very open-minded about food and love the various "ethnic" cuisines. The ideal would be a restaurant that:

*is not crazy crowded

*is cheap -- that is, $8 at the very most

*has good food

*does not have a drive-through window

Those are my criteria. If you know of a good place, please let me know.

Many thanks in advance.

What do you call your meals?

gttommy — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:09:05 -0800

For those who have 4, 5, 6 or more meals a day, what do you call your meals? Do you simply say, '4th meal' or '2nd dinner'? This question probably applies most to athletes. Meals, not snacks.

Thai Food on / around Sunset?

Weebot — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 17:19:37 -0800

Places to eat in Los Angeles, ArcLight edition. Hey, I'm looking for any recommendations for, moderately-priced place to eat for lunch around the ArcLight in Los Angeles. In particular, I'm looking for suggestions for good Thai (I know Thai Town is nearby...) or Vietnamese places, but that's not a rigid requirement.

I'd be more than happy with any other recommendations. I'd like to get an idea of what are the good places around there.

Lunch Spot in Seattle Near Bainbridge Ferry?

chriswarren — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:48:38 -0800

I'm meeting my siblings in Seattle before heading to Bainbridge Island to visit our parents for Christmas. Where should the 3 of us have lunch before getting on the ferry? This is the first time we've all gone to visit at the same time, and we're hoping to find a good spot between the airport and the ferry where we could grab lunch. Preferably it would be within walking distance of the ferry terminal.

Good place for a fun "eventy" team Christmas lunch in London?

laumry — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 03:09:10 -0800

Good place for a fun "eventy" team Christmas lunch in London? Hi all. Does anyone have any good ideas for somewhere I can take my team of 10-12 people for a fun Christmas lunch in London? I'm not looking for an orthodox sit-down yawnpit, but rather something that's a bit more of an event or an experience.

Examples off the top of my head: food and bowling at Bloomsbury Bowling, food and karaoke at Lucky Voice, etc etc.

I'd prefer somewhere in Zone 1-2, north of the river.

Thanks!

When is the typical Thanksgiving day feast eaten?

spork — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 21:05:49 -0800

When is the typical Thanksgiving day feast eaten? My extended family typically converges on the appointed family member's house around noon and digs in by about one o'clock. So, in my family the Thanksgiving meal is always a lunch. Is this uncommon? I wonder what percentage of families start carving turkey past six o'clock.

Sacked lunch - revised!

B(oYo)BIES — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:52:32 -0800

We need some ideas for school lunches. A few requirements within. Ok. So my daughter's school does not provide lunches, which is actually great. This gives us a chance to monitor what and how much she gets to eat. It also gives her another opportunity to 'be a big girl' (5 yrs) and make her own lunches.

Pertinent info:

- Lunch starts about 3 hours after arriving to school. When arriving to school, the kids put their lunch boxes in the refrigerator until lunch time. If they have warm items, they are placed on top of the fridge until lunch, but will not be reheated.

- We have purchased a thermos type of bowl that will fit approx 8 - 12 oz (maybe a cup of rice). This bowl claims to keep the food warm for up to 6 hours, so this should allow us hot (warm) items as well.

- We are trying to stick with one main dish, one side, and one snack / treat (crackers, cookies, or preferably a healthy treat) per meal.

- Some of the items that she enjoys eating: rice (loves), carrots, salad, apples, oranges, cottage cheese, P & B sandwiches, P & H(oney) sandwiches, assorted meat sandwiches, pastas, fish, chicken, bacon, hot dogs, pizza... I could keep going.

- Some of the items she cannot eat: she has a hard time with 'mushy' foods and food that she cannot identify in her mouth. Items like oat meal and mashed potatoes almost always make her gag and / or puke. Another example is yogurt with fruit in it. Once she feels on of those fruit chunks, it is tough to get down.

Keep in mind that we really want her to be able to make 90% of the meal that she is going to be eating. They should take between 5 - 30 minutes to put together with help from mom and dad and should be relatively simple.

Brunch Brainstorming

jozxyqk — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:16:22 -0800

BrunchFilter: I'm having a little brunch get-together at my house this weekend for my birthday. Looking for some creative ideas. What can we serve for food, other than the usual bagels-and-lox, fruit plate, etc? Either store-bought stuff or easy recipes would be appreciated.

Mr. Bento you're a bloodthirsty foe, but your chicken is delicious!

indiebass — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:34:21 -0800

I bit the bullet and bought a Mr. Bento lunch box and it is awesome. Now what? I purchased Mr. Bento for a few reasons:

a) to save some money instead of buying lunches and Lean Cuisines (which is what I currently do) which has recently become more important

b) to eat healthier foods because I'm trying to shed a bunch of lbs, and what I'm doing now is OK but I think I could do better (plus, frozen foods have a TON of sodium), and

c) to help regulate portion size, because even when I eat healthy I do tend to have a lot of it, which is (let's face it) counterproductive, and I feel like only so much can fit into the bento compartments which means what doesn't fit doesn't come for lunch.

So now I'm looking to stock the kitchen with the things I'll need to make delicious and nutritious bento lunches. I have brown rice, natch, and Mirin but what else do I need to pick up? I got a jar of Giardiniara yesterday, which are italian pickled veggies (I understand pickled veggies are a common bento course) so I'm not necessarily looking to make traditional Japanese bento food every day, but I do love it so I certainly will be making some, learning how to along the way. The only requirements will be that it is, more or less, "healthy" and that it isn't overly complex to make. (I understand that's one of the Raisons d'être of the bento). I'm less interested in making everything 'cute', which seems to be the focus of a lot of the bento websites I've seen. I'm more concerned with the food itself than the aesthetics.

So, hive mind: you've never failed me before. Can you help me make a startup shopping list for my Mr. Bento lunch adventure?

Too Hot for the Hot Tub

jadepearl — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 20:44:35 -0800

Lunch buffet menu for the summer. Need some ideas and help with menu. It is hot and humid where I am at. I agreed to cater a buffet for 15 people at the end of next week. I do not want to use the oven in a place with no air conditioning. What items would you suggest when you want to enjoy the party, have a 6 top burner, Cuisinart toaster oven and a broiler? Thanks to the Green I got some good ideas on summer drinks. Here is what I have so far as ideas --nothing written in stone:

Drinks:

Meats:

sides:

salads:

dessert:

She may weigh 190lbs less than he does, but she could take him out with one bite.

damnjezebel — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:28:11 -0800

[lunchfilter] Looking for ideas on how to a) keep my dog from barking at every little thing that moves and b) keep my dog from eating my boyfriend. My dog Olivia hates people. Almost all people, especially men. She does good with my boyfriend maybe 99% of the time - in that 1%, she has attacked him spontaneously and bitten him repeatedly. We're not sure what the trigger is, because it's something different every time (either a sound or a look or a gesture or the wind blowing, etc).

I've tried taking her to obedience school and when we're there, she is spastic and acts like she wants to eat everyone. When we leave, she is shaking in fear and absolutely nothing has stuck. I can't even take her to the vet or the groomer's without her freaking the hell out. When we get home, she is visibly shaking and then hides in the closet for a few days.

My other problem is that she barks at EVERYTHING in the yard. Outside of the yard. Random noises. And I'm really tired of having to sit in the yard with her at 6am while she pees - and barks at the same time.

SO, I'm looking for

a) some sort of ........ SOMETHING that will stop her from attacking my boyfriend and other friends - either a collar or a drug or something.

and

b) a anti-barking device/spray/what have you that actually works.

I somehow feel the need to point out that she is a chihuahua/pekingnese mix and weighs less than 12lbs.

Need Alexandria restaurant for birthday party for a 95 year old!

sperose — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:33:19 -0800

Where should my family eat in Alexandria? Requirements:
-- serves lunch and dinner
-- semi-formal (sportcoat level, not full suit)
-- in Alexandria specifically
-- first floor seating available (read: no stairs to get to dining room)
-- quick service
-- willing to take substitutions

Nice to have:
-- reservations
-- vegetarian offerings
-- decent desserts
-- view of water

Not required:
-- extensive alcohol offerings
-- allergy considerations
-- religious restrictions

This will be for about 7-10 adults, ranging in age from 22 to around 95.