Not one bologna bit.
Breakfast I can get behind. Eggs, oatmeal, orange juice, the occasional splurge on pancakes, and don't get me started on the horrible deliciousness that are breakfast sandwiches. Easy peasy, and delicious. Dinner I enjoy; I like preparing it know that Josiah and I always will eat it together, and I enjoy making new recipes. But lunch. I hate lunch.
For one, I usually eat it by myself. Which wouldn't be such an awful thing if it didn't mean making a meal just for myself. I actually do like lunch foods: salads, sandwiches, soup, leftovers. I just really don't like making lunch for me and me alone.
These first-world frustrations could also probably stem from my poor ability to actually shop for lunch. When I go grocery shopping, I have my list of things necessary for the next few weeks of dinner, and buy the usual suspects of breakfast foods. But lunch always gets left to the wayside, save for the occasional purchase of lunch meats.
When I was working, I often would buy cans of soup for easy take to school/work meals for Josiah and me. It was only after buying them and sending them with him probably 3 days a week did Josiah confess to not actually liking canned soups. Well, darn it. It was all for the better though, as the ingredients they often put in canned soup are atrocious.
Leftovers are definitely both my and Josiah's favorite lunch food. All of the rewards and none of the work? Heck yes. Problem is, I can't always make a ton extra for dinners because we need that food for other dinners. And this whole lunch thing is getting to be a problem, because I'll just eat something super small to get by and not be hungry anymore, but I know I'm not eating enough, and that's a problem.
So, all of this to say, what do you all do for lunch? How do you shop for lunch? I need your wisdom bestowed upon me, because clearly I am lacking. Also, I need to know how to shop for packed lunch too, because Josiah is not always here and needs something to take. Basically, I just need help and a lot of it. K? Thanks a bunchleys.
I've always been the same way! What is it about lunch that makes it get lost in the shuffle? I finally started getting better though... here are my current lunch options: salmon or tuna with crackers or on toast; pitas or crackers with hummus; spinach salad; sweet potatoes; peanut butter toast topped with fruit; black bean quesadillas... I usually have some combination of the above. :)
ReplyDeleteI am great at lunch during the week when I'm working, although it falls to the wayside on the weekend. Here are things I bring to work:
ReplyDeleteSalad: not a tiny salad, but a nice big salad with lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, walnuts, cheese, avocado, and soy chicken topped with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Bagel Sandwich with Veggies: Toast a bagel or bagel thin and then melt cheese on it and sandwich meat or Canadian bacon with some lettuce and tomatoes. Then on the side I usually have some fresh veggies (peppers, cucumbers, carrots, etc.) with hummus and a cheese stick or baby bell.
Spaghetti: I make this for lunch a lot when I'm home and try to cook some soy sausage to top it so I get some extra protein (I am NOT a vegetarian but I try to only eat meat at dinner so my lunch protein is usually imitation meat).
Baked Potato or Baked Sweet Potato: This can be cooked in the microwave very easily and topped with cheese and sausage and broccoli, etc. I usually top the sweet potato with a little butter and cinnamon.
Left-overs: My husband likes to have "hot" lunches and is never happy with a sandwich so I usually make a big crock-pot meal on Sunday that is for his lunch all week. For instance, this week I made Crock-Pot Chicken and Bean Chili and some rice. So my hubs has been taking the chili and rice for lunch every week. There is a ton so it will last all week and then if I want some to take, I can snag some too. Then I freeze a bit if there is too much and can thaw it out easily another week.
I hope that helps! Some things I do a lot are roasted veggies. I take broccoli, parsnips, zucchini, rutabaga, etc. and toss them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper and then roast them at 425 for about 20 minutes. They turn out really yummy and are a great side for lunch.
I love making a big batch of chicken salad on Sunday and then I eat off of it all week (I even just buy a pre-roasted chicken to save time). I throw in a piece of fruit, some nuts, maybe a cheese stick, sometimes a yogurt to my lunch bag and I'm set :)
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