Desperately seeking food ideas

February 5, 2023 3:56 AM

What can I eat on the days when I am in the office? I would be eating around one meal and two snacks while there. I'll add my annoying requests below.

Unfortunately bringing food from home is challenging due to needing to carry work equipment. I will have access to a supermarket though.

I will have a locker in which I can store foods, but I think that I need to avoid storing anything like cereal or crackers in case of pantry moths.

I will have access to a fridge where I can store small amounts of food for only a day or two at a time.

I'd prefer to avoid too much plastic packaging.

No dietary restrictions in terms of vegetarianism or allergies, but I am trying to be mindful of what I eat in terms of eating less ultra processed food.

Thank you

posted by kinddieserzeit to Food & Drink (35 answers total)

Response by poster: I forgot to say that there is a microwave but I hate using it.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 3:58 AM on February 5, 2023

Maybe you can bring (or store) snacks in one of those reusable silicone pouches? Or maybe you can decant snacks (nuts maybe if allergies aren't a concern) into a glass jar stored in your locker?
posted by oceano at 4:06 AM on February 5, 2023 [7 favorites]

You could keep a jar of peanut butter in your locker and then you would only have to buy something like carrots or celery to eat it with.
posted by Eyelash at 5:00 AM on February 5, 2023

It sounds like if you want something hot, you are going have to get on better terms with the microwave. Your supermarket soup section has numerous kinds of soup and ramen packaged for work lunches.

And the supermarket also has refrigerated prepared lunches meant for school kids. And the deli dept may have sandwiches ready to go, and also containers of lunch/sandwich fillers (eg chicken salad).

And fruit and nuts.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:02 AM on February 5, 2023 [3 favorites]

I know you say bringing food from home is challenging, but how much would a small ziplock bag really add to your work equipment? If you're really trying to avoid processed food, making stuff at home is the only way. You might like to batch cook a large amount of something that combines well with more basic supermarket fare, freeze it in individual portions, then bring it to work and defrost it in your office fridge before microwaving for lunch. Some things that work well for this include:

- Instant pot shredded chicken, which can be combined with supermarket wraps, salads or bread for a sandwich. Keep a jar of pesto in the fridge to go with it.
- Beef chili or slow-cooked shredded pork, both of which freeze brilliantly, and which you can defrost and combine with tacos
- Anything soup or stewlike, eg. carrot soup, pea soup, heat and eat with supermarket bread

This would take planning eg. a batch cook and freeze on Sunday -- but I have successfully done this just by cooking once on Sunday for two weeks (10 individual portions). Then it's just a matter of slinging one ziplock bag into your work bag every day, and keeping a few bits on hand from the supermarket in your locker to combine with it. If you don't want plastic ziplock, something like these might be a good investment.

If you really don't want to use the microwave, I think you would have to reconcile yourself to supermarket sandwiches etc. Personally, the trade-off for me would be too high, in terms of how terribly processed a lot of supermarket ready mades tend to be.
posted by idlethink at 5:17 AM on February 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

You could keep an airtight container in your locker. You can then store assorted, shelf stable snacks in the container.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:22 AM on February 5, 2023 [3 favorites]

The retort packets of Tasty Bite Indian food are really really good, pretty healthy/simple for premade food, and very shelf safe. You can BYO naan or just eat it straight up out of the packet with a spoon. Better when heated, but I've eaten them room temp too on the go.

I get them at Costco in a bulk box when it goes on sale and they're cost effective that way too.
posted by phunniemee at 5:29 AM on February 5, 2023 [9 favorites]

Canned fish will be your friend here: lots of combinations, pretty healthy (aside from high sodium) and has lots of variety: tuna, kippers, anchovies, sardines, smoked, mustard, chili, pesto, etc.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:41 AM on February 5, 2023 [4 favorites]

If you keep a sharp knife, peeler, plate, smaller bowl, larger bowl, small container to store thing in the fridge for 2 days) and a couple of those mesh produce bags in your locker you can:

- get a single bun from the bakery and add any of: avocado, those shredded carrots, cucumber, small tomato, individual portions of cheese/deli meat from the counter (does involve the plastic, you could do 2-3 days worth), small cans flavoured tuna, jar of peanut butter (stores in locker), smoked tofu, can of chickpeas (drain and mash with a fork. If you like mustard mixed in it’s shelf stable.) Eat extra cucumber on the side to finish it.

- you can buy fruit, nuts, carrots, cheese at the deli counter, cucumber, radish, etc and make up little platters for yourself.

- instant oatmeal (the plain kind) isn’t ultra processed and you could enjoy with a small milk container and berries + nuts or sunflower seeds. Either microwave or do a mason jar in the morning like overnight oats (the instant helps)

- involves packaging but the tuna aisle has some new options like quinoa tuna bowls. Also sardines if your coworkers can handle it :)

- if the supermarket has a hot counter see if they will work with you on you washing and bringing back containers to repackage into. I had one near my work that would at one point.
posted by warriorqueen at 5:46 AM on February 5, 2023 [3 favorites]

Oh and salads, the bagged kind, can go into the large bowl and then package any leftovers (add tuna or tofu or chickpeas.)
posted by warriorqueen at 5:47 AM on February 5, 2023

When I was in a similar situation, I bought an avocado, a tub of cottage cheese and a tomato for lunch. And sometimes a roll of bread or some flatbread. Snacks were a cookie in the morning, with coffee, and a fruit in the afternoon. Same every day.
posted by mumimor at 6:00 AM on February 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

I have not-dissimilar goals to your own, but the quadfecta here (can't bring much, little fridge space, not much processed, not much plastic) seems challenging.

Yes, Stashers are The Way. The weight is minimal enough that you're basically just carrying the food. I have used them for sandwiches, hardboiled eggs, nuts, fruit, veggies, etc. Note that the bags aren't particularly cheap, so maybe keep an eye out for sales.

Also Mason jars, from pint to half-pint to quarter-pint. Depending on your commute, weekend access to your locker, size of locker, etc., these are things you could bring bring in to the locker once a week or every couple-few weeks. These can be great for things like nuts, dried fruit, etc., etc. I supposed one could also put crackers, etc., in these.

FYI, my experience is that leak-proof/air-tight plastic lids for Mason jars are not leak-proof. The only truly leak-proof/air-tight lids are the old-school metal ring plus rubberized lid, or (older yet) ring + rubber gasket + lid.
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:21 AM on February 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

For the locker:

* Jar of peanut butter.
* Airtight containers from home or bought intact in in sealable bags: dried fruit (apricots and sun-dried tomatoes are the best, apples and bananas are good); pita or bagel chips; nuts and seeds (pumpkin seeds best); roasted garbanzo beans/chickpeas; trail mixes; raisins
* Canned or pouched fish, packed in oil or pesto

For the fridge:

* Individually wrapped string or snack cheeses
* Individual fruit (apples and bananas are least messy -- avocados and citrus are messy)
* Carrot sticks or baby carrots
* Individual boiled eggs
* Small portion packaged hummus, tuna salad, egg salad
* Individual wrapped sandwiches
* Small containers of olives, grapes, berries, marinated artichokes

Dang this sounds good.
posted by desert exile at 6:29 AM on February 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Noone has mentioned tiffins yet? A colleague back at that old job always brought a stack of tippins. They are very robust and safe, and come with their own handle.
posted by mumimor at 6:31 AM on February 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

Can you have shipments delivered to you at work? Because nuts.com lets you put together and ship custom fruit/nut mixes. Godsend for me; I need to keep salt intake low, so most grocery offerings won't work, and nuts.com has plenty that's unsalted.

Not cheap, but definitely amortizes itself over the number of less-healthy lunches at the student union that I avoid.
posted by humbug at 7:02 AM on February 5, 2023

Office oatmeal - I have been known to use
- a packet of instant oatmeal
- a disposable coffee cup from the horrible coffee machine at work
- hot water as dispensed by said horrible machine (allegedly to be used for tea but why not oatmeal)

> Stir, allow to sit for a bit, hot water and time do their magic and you now have oatmeal.

I use water for oatmeal at home. If I want to make it more interesting I have been known to stir in a few dried cranberries and a spoon of nut butter after adding the water. Don't attempt to add these things once the oats and water have become oatmeal - much more difficult to stir and also the small disposable cups get very full and you can't stir any more.

The key really is to be patient and let the hot water and time to do their thing for a few mins.
posted by koahiatamadl at 7:02 AM on February 5, 2023

Crackers and rice cakes take a while to get pantry moths. And you get get large ziplock bags if it's an issue. I re-use the ziplock bags forr flours; when the ziplock fails, I use a binder clip. Or recycle a big cereal bag. Grocery may have an olive and/or salad bar; you can wash and reuse the containers; keep them in your locker. With bread, you have sandwich makings, or just a nice meal. Salad bars are a more expensive way to buy fruit and lettuce, though.

Rice cakes, hummus, arugula
Rice cakes, peanut butter, Marmite
Crackers, cheese, salami
Chips, salsa, guacamole
In cool weather, bread lasts for days, or maybe you can get individual small rolls.
Deli will sell you sandwich meat, cheese.
Snacks:
Apples, peanut butter.
Buy a jar of nuts for snacking
Apples keep for a days unrefrigerated.
Oranges are in season and keep for a days unrefrigerated.

Consider getting a lunch bag and finding a way to pack it with work stuff or add a shoulder strap. There will be so much less waste, and your nutritional options will be much better.
posted by theora55 at 7:14 AM on February 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

Small shelf stable tortilla or wraps. I’ve been using them as snacks such as putting in some cheese and heating that up, dipping in salsa. Or putting some peanut butter, jelly, and granola. Roll it up, snack. Nutella and banana. Hummus and peppers. You could bring the fillings to work in small containers.
posted by inevitability at 7:35 AM on February 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

An additional oatmeal idea, that I must have read here, is oatmeal (not the instant flavored kind) + water, heat in microwave for a minute, stir and drizzle olive oil on top, add salt and pepper. It's a savory breakfast but no rule says it can't be lunch as well. So easy.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:36 AM on February 5, 2023

What I’ve learned from this thread is that most of you eat significantly less than I do for lunch.

Saying that you can’t bring lunch from home because you have to carry work equipment leads me to believe the issue is that you don’t have hand space to hold a lunchbox. If that is indeed the problem, I have a lunchbox from LL Bean that has a strap so that you can wear it on your shoulder like a purse. That would keep your hands free to carry your work stuff, and as a bonus, it’s insulated enough that you wouldn’t need to use the fridge. Once I brought a frozen TV dinner into work and forgot to take my lunchbox to the kitchen, so it sat on my desk all morning. Still frozen at lunchtime.

Also, I’d suggest mentioning this to someone higher up at work. You’re probably not the only person with this concern. Maybe they need another fridge or a bigger freezer or something. It’s ridiculous for you to have to adapt your diet to the asinine constraints of a work fridge. If your company won’t accommodate employees’ lunches, they need to know they’re at risk of losing talent.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:35 AM on February 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

If you have access to a hot water tap, then you can add a variety of instant soup mixes to your locker. Cup o Noodle and the like. If you have access to an Asian market, you'll find way more variety than you'll find in a typical American grocer.
posted by hydra77 at 10:27 AM on February 5, 2023

Half Greek yogurt and half oatmeal-- cooked or refrigerator style-- and maybe some fruit or nuts to make a parfait in a jar. A satisfying mix of carbs and protein. I leave a carton of Greek yogurt in the fridge for emergencies.
posted by BibiRose at 10:32 AM on February 5, 2023

Some things I used to take for lunch:
- hard boiled eggs
- tinned sardines (careful of co-workers with sensitive noses)
- slices of cheese
- nuts
- fruit
- a jar of lentils with dressing (no need to refrigerate if out for a 4 hours in normal temps)
- sandwiches

Go to from nearby supermarket:
- a short baguette
- salad
- cold chicken
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:36 AM on February 5, 2023

I bought an electric kettle for work to make things like oatmeal and healthy ramen. There are a bunch of different sizes of kettles, and you will definitely find one that fits in your locker. I also have individual packs of peanut butter, nuts, dried fruits, crackers in my desk so I have food to eat if I didn't plan ahead for lunch.
posted by momochan at 10:48 AM on February 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

Electric kettle, esp one you could cook an egg in, would be a big help. great idea.
posted by theora55 at 12:37 PM on February 5, 2023

These answers are all very complicated - is there a reason you can't just take a cheese sandwich? (Or ham/chicken/houmous/whatever). A cereal bar for one snack and a piece of fruit for the other. Sandwich isn't huge to carry and and certainly not heavy. It goes in the fridge when you arrive. Stick some salad in the sandwich to add some goodness.
posted by penguin pie at 3:08 PM on February 5, 2023

Per my last AskMe, I'm obsessed with my Itaki electric lunchbox, which cooks fresh ingredients really quickly. This is like a little rice cooker that steams food-- so you can cook rice, and broccoli and chicken all at the same time, and all from scratch. You could just keep the thing in your locker and get fresh food every couple of days to cook up in the thing. It's not for everyone, but I love mine with a passion.
posted by asimplemouse at 3:21 PM on February 5, 2023

Two granola bars will fit in your pocket(s).

Cans of soup can be stored in your car or at your work location and decanted into a bowl, but then you'd have to microwave them. HOWEVER you can also buy an immersible heating element and use that to heat your food.

At the grocery store: check out their deli offerings. You might be able to find sandwiches, sushi rolls, or fresh-made food by the pint or half-pint.
posted by amtho at 4:09 PM on February 5, 2023

You will be tempted to buy a bunch of cheese and eat that. Before you try that, though, do a web search for [cheese breath].

...So, I'd also invest in some gum and/or calcium chloride tablets.

(I recommend sticking [hah!] with natural gum sweetened only with actual sugar.)

(In case you'd worry about tooth decay from sugary gum: unlike starches from bread/pasta/cookies/crackers, sugar that's unmixed with glommy food dissolves readily and is swallowed. It could still stick between your teeth, or be stuck by other stuff on your teeth, but it's not that bad in gum.)
posted by amtho at 4:11 PM on February 5, 2023

I will have access to a fridge where I can store small amounts of food for only a day or two at a time.
I need a hot lunch, unless I have a really good salad or sandwich. Does the supermarket sell individual salads or premade sandwiches in the deli? Some also sell individual meat and cheese packets for the same per pound price as the ones behind the counter. I think stopping in the deli and the produce section will cover you for a single day. You might invest in a medium sized lunch bag with pockets for cold packs and avoid the fridge completely. Your work equipment is important, but so are you!
posted by soelo at 5:50 PM on February 5, 2023

Assuming you are still in Australia, here are some ideas:
- dolmades and gigantes (giant/butter beans) in tomato sauce - these Greek staples are available tinned in major supermarkets as well as a lot of Italian/Greek ones. They are shelf-stable and keep for a long time.

- 2 minute noodles - keep in your locker. You can cook them with some boiling water from the hot water urn/kettle if you let them soak for long enough. Don't use the nasty flavour packet, though you could try some miso (which also come in bulk tiny packets) or stir in a teaspoon of peanut butter, maybe add some soy and chilli. You can chuck in some fresh veg that don't take long to steam - they will still be crunchy but nice.

- Woolies (and Coles?) usually have hot food available next to the deli counter - the healthiness is usually not too good, think chicken strips, pies, chips, etc. Otherwise there are also usually pre-made sandwiches and maybe sushi. And quite easy to assemble an antipasto platter with things from the deli too!

- Supermarkets also tend to have pre-packaged salad mixes, either with or without plastic bowl, which you can enhance with a tin of tuna or similar. Maybe you can keep some salad dressing in the fridge? Otherwise a quick splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar which you can keep in your locker, as well as a salt & pepper grinder.

Snap-lock reusable plastic containers/Tupperware are perfect for storing dry items like biscuits/crackers, cereal etc. I have almost all my food in them at home since the last plague of pantry moths and have not had an infestation since. I know, plastic, but at least it isn't single-use!
posted by Athanassiel at 11:27 PM on February 5, 2023

Just did a stint without a kitchen and got lots of:-

Precooked salmon and meats (fridge space needed but minimal and last a few days)
Tinned tuna
Cous cous to add boiling water to
Salad items (I go bagged / relatively prepped but you could just get plastic free ones and chop em up)
Ryvita type crackers
Hummus / cheese / marmite
Bread for sandwiches
Fake noodle soups / pho - cooked chicken, fish lime, fresh herby / salad/ greeny leaves and an appropriate stock/base - noodles if you like - pour boiling water to "cook"
you can get specific pho /ramen stocks or make an approximation that will be nowhere near as deep as a truly simmered ramen or pho broth but will be pretty tasty lunch

Cold leftovers- I quite like mildly congealed cold spag bol / chilli / stirfry and rice

But yeah also I just use my limited fridge space for leftovers which I microwave so recommend making pals with it
posted by eastboundanddown at 2:44 AM on February 6, 2023

Cooked meat slash picnic food - Branston pickle, pickled onions, cheese, cold meats, raisins, grapes etc
posted by eastboundanddown at 2:45 AM on February 6, 2023

I love my Itaki cooker. You put raw food into two compartments, add a bit of water to the cooker 30-60 minutes before mealtime, and the cooker will automatically turn off when the water has burned off, the steam having cooked the food. I usually put a grain and water or broth in one compartment, and meat and veg in the other. Don’t forget to add herbs and spices. Add meat that is frozen, not a problem. Of course you can do vegan as well. Easy cleanup of the bowls , the cooker stays clean. Lots of recipes are online. I prefer this over reheating leftovers most of the time, the meal has a fresher taste and texture.
posted by waving at 4:52 AM on February 6, 2023

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. Have a few ideas to start trying this week.

I may get a lunch bag eventually. My issue is that I eat a lot of food and if I don't bring enough, I'll end up buying something at a cafe and it can really add up. Whereas if I can get things at the supermarket, then I can try to avoid that.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 12:58 PM on February 6, 2023