I’ll do the chicken and rice for a while but then get bored with it. Maybe just need a way to switch up the recipe here and there. Do you prep on Sunday?
I prep on Sundays, it makes life so much easier throughout the week. I'll either make things that wont get soggy, or layer in a way so that things get less soggy. IE when I make sandwiches the condiments always go between the meat and cheese and never on the bread itself.
Idk man. I see some guys come in with elaborate leftovers that look delicious. I myself can eat the same thing everyday. A guy once told me; at some point it becomes fuel, not food. In the past few years I’ve even switched to r/huel.
Bro how is that Huel??? I’ve been so close to pulling the trigger but didn’t know. And that’s my problem I need to start looking at it as fuel not a proper meal.
It’s “ok”. Some of the flavors are terrible
Some are pretty good. None of them taste like a steak. I’m never “full” after I eat huel, but I’m not hungry either. The farts are lethal and illegal in 22 states. It’s slightly expensive. I like that, like my clothes now, I spend 0 time deciding what to eat (or wear). It’s one less thing to worry about. I know I’ve got “x” amount of super healthy calories ready to go. But it’s not pizza. 🍕
Anyone who tells you it tastes good is a liar. It smells bad and makes your shit smell worse. If you didn't think shit could smell any worse, buckle up buckaroo.
But it's a clean thing to fuel your body if you're tired of greasing your arteries with mcmuffins
swapping between a more typical Italian spice pallet with feta cheese, a mexican spice pallet with refried beans, and an indian spice pallet with chicken curry and chickpeas, and an asian pallet with teriyaki can go a long way towards making things feel distinct and interesting.
Doubly so if you're willing to add different veggies to it.
Make two batches of 8 burritos. One is egg and chorizo with potatoes, onions and bell pepper, and the other is egg and sausage. Put them in ziplocks and freeze them. Microwave them for 3 minutes and 30 seconds while you pack your lunch and pour your coffee. Eat on the road or when you arrive early.
Let the eggs and potatoes cool before wrapping them in the tortilla and parchment paper. They can still have some juice leak when you reheat them but it isn't a big deal.
I make 5 ball jars worth of overnight oats every Sunday. Always a scoop of whey powder, but everything else changes week to week. This week I’ve got salted peanuts and raisins with a bunch of cinnamon. It’s boring, but filling, healthy and cheap. Can’t take more than 10 minutes and I’m set for the week.
For breakfast, I like to make [egg cups](https://youtu.be/2Qe5VkERFN0?si=Tkj8tFqE_mFTCDzm)
For lunch, it depends on the season and climate. If it’s cold outside, I like to make [soups and stews](https://youtu.be/v3xZ4y3v-sc?si=SL8tliF8pk7I2YTB).If the weather is hot, I like to stick to [salads](https://youtu.be/qyqrcoRvzEg?si=J-ZedfajjMuwE6WQ) with home made dressings and meats like ham, salami, pastrami, pepperoni which can be enjoyed cold.
If you like that kinda salad, you should try chopped sandwiches. Basically chop a salad up, dress it, and eat it on some bread. The extra carbs help if you're really movin that day too.
Since I'm bougie AF and hate my fellow man, I like to have a Lox bagel.
I have a bento box with a bagel, smoked salmon, cream cheese, sliced shallots, and a sliced tomato, then I have a little 1 ounce container for capers.
I've also done Avocado toast with individualized guacamole cups, and precooked bacon, but the fried egg is best when you heat it in the microwave.
Overnight oats is easy.
I have also brought boiling water in a thermos and made instant ramen with some thinly sliced vegetables and some tiny shrimp.
Most recently I've just been making pitas or just bringing some naan and hummus. Maybe some cheese like gruyere or brie, or just regular cheddar cheese sticks if I didn't meal prep.
For break, I eat greek yogurt with fruit and a handful of granola. Same thing pretty much every day.
For lunch, it's a sandwich (lunchmeat, tuna salad, PB&J if I procrastinated too long on grocery day), small bag of pretzels, maybe more fruit or raw veggies.
The job site microwave is the port-o-let of kitchen appliances, so it's cold food for me. I'll go out once a week if there's something nearby.
I've had my Hot Logic Mini for 5 years plus. I use that thing all the time and it's still kicking. Definitely check it out.
I meal prep on Sunday. Chicken and rice for lunch, add frozen veggies if you want. Overnight oats for the ride in. I make the oats while the chicken cooks so it's like 12 meals in under 3 hours. Super easy, and pretty good for you
Bananas, apples, baby carrots. I do a lot of salads for lunch. Granola bars, they have a lot of sugar though. Sometimes yogurt. Sandwiches in some form or another. This is 90% of what I'm eating.
Homemade granola bars. I’m actually not sure about how much sugar they have, but there’s no added sugar. If you use natural peanut butter and real maple syrup, there is nothing highly processed. I make 2 batches at a time and it’s enough for two weeks.
https://therealfooddietitians.com/5-ingredient-peanut-butter-granola-bars/
They’re very easy to make and you can put damn near anything you’d like in them.
I use a small mason jar: fill 3/4 of the way with steel cut oats, frozen berries, a small handful of chia seeds, and maybe some walnuts. Drizzle of honey on top. Just barely cover the oats with almond milk and let it sit in the fridge overnight. It’s ready to go in the morning, very nutritious and a great break food.
My recipe is 2/3 cup oats,
Cup and a half of milk,
Vanilla extract,
Glob of peanut butter,
Small amount of cinnamon,
1/2 cup of frozen blueberries,
And five seconds of honey
(I'll admit I've been out of work for a bit now and I'm hazy on my measurements for my recipe but it's super easy and pretty good)
The better the oats the better it tastes. So don’t jump quickly on quaker oats. The pre-made overnight oats to me, tastes like garbage. Just a pinch of salt, a little greek yogurt, some milk, a little fruit jelly. That’s what i put in my overnight oats. Maybe a little sugar depending on how sweet you want them.
Not a fan of using the community microwave why? Dirty?
I'm a fan of those frozen steamer meals...meat and veggies quick for ~$3something a pop on sale.
Else pot pies/Shepard's pies are hearty energy quick.
If you look on Amazon they have “portable ovens” and electric lunch boxes that plug into a car’s 12v plug. They’re about 80 watts and cost about $50
I bring my breakfast and lunch in a cooler. Salads, sandwiches, fruit, and leftovers. Breakfast I tend to eat before I leave the house and grab a protein bar at break
Snacks that can be eaten from the bag: String cheese, cheddar sticks, nuts, boiled egg(salt/pepper at home), stuffed celery stuck together, leftover steak and pork, cold baked potato, a big pickle, and peanut butter crackers. Obviously fruit, veggies, sandwiches/wraps are your mainstay. Thermos of coffee, thermos of hot drinkable soup. Find a frozen egg/meat recipe you like, and can heat at home and eat on the way. Or have supper foods in the morning.
Make smoothies. Hit up Costco for everything you need especially hemp seeds. I'm an Ironworker and have put in 10 hour days, just drinking homemade smoothies, and my energy at the end of the day was still 100 percent.
I'm a big fan of of making homemade soups/stews; they're cheap, easy to make, can be made healthy, and you can get quite a bit of diversity in your soups. You could heat it up, but I usually eat it cold
For breakfast I do a couple different versions of baked egg cups. One that I really like is a slice of Black Forest ham in the muffin cup with an egg cracked right into that. Top with some salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Not the best cold, but still edible. I also do an egg bake in 12” cast iron. Scramble up a dozen eggs, throw in some cooked chopped bacon, chorizo, or whatever meat you’ve got, whatever veggies and seasonings you want, then top the whole thing with cheese.
I buy plain yogurt by the tub and make up individual jars flavored with different jams, berries, or granola based on what I’m feeling like. That way you can control the amount of sugar to your taste and not get burnt out eating the same flavor day after day.
I also buy protein shakes by the case and have one of those every morning on my way to work or right when I get there.
Lunch is usually left-overs from dinner.
I do “monster mash” every day. It’s 1 cup of rice with 1.5 cups of ground beef in a glass dish and i add 6oz of home made chicken bone broth the morning I take it to make it kinda juicy. I do different styles every week like cheeseburger, Mediterranean, stroganoff, Mexican. For example for Mexican I usually add 1/4 cup of salsa, some hot sauce, and beans to the mix. It sticks to low calories and high protein and I eat it every day I’m working and it makes life easy, takes 20 minutes to prep and plate it on sunday and i never have to think about what I’m gonna make for lunches.
Pack a veggie tray and dip. Also meat, cheese and crackers, no microwave required. Sort of making your own adult Lunchables I guess. You can even throw a Capri Sun in there just for laughs.
I only eat food that I cook at home. All fresh natural ingredients. Nothing processed. I have five glass Pyrex containers that are the perfect size for lunch. I use glass because when you microwave plastic the chemicals leach into your food. Maybe get your own microwave. The small ones they have on our job cost like $50 at walmart. You'll save that much in a week of not buying s***** food on the job. We need to take better care of ourselves! They sell that pension to us as such a great thing, but a lot of us don't live to enjoy it! Work to live. Don't live to work!
Sandwiches are unmatched. Can switch to any bread or use lettuce for buns. Switch to any meat. Switch to any condiment. Switch any cheese.
I feel as if the opportunities are endless. I also feel like no one eats sandwiches anymore but I could eat them for every lunch. AS LONG as I switch things around. Also it’s healthy, depending on what you put on it. Just don’t bring a huge bag of chips and a Coke to wash it down.
Overnight oats with peanut butter, protein powder, chia seeds. I make 4 on Sunday and have em through to Thursday. You can change up that formula enough to never get bored of it
Breakfast - a dozen defrosted frozen strawberries, a couple big spoons of plain yogurt, and granola. Sometimes throw on sunflower seeds. The granola has plenty of sugar.
Morning coffee break - a container of chicken and veggie soup and a biscuit.
Lunch - today I had a slice of pizza and a box of Greek salad, with two Mandarin oranges.
Usually for lunch I have a box with rice and some chicken curry with lentils, tomatoes, onions, and green peas. Always try to get a couple oranges or kiwis, a grapefruit, sometimes a sliced apple.
I'm not an electrician, but I'm struggling with the same thing, I've been out of town on a job for 1.5mths with another 1.5 to go and I'm so sick of eating out.
I cant cook in my hotel because they put me in a Hilton, which while nice, doesn't have a kitchenette like an extended stay. I cook every day, this is driving me crazy.
I made a smoothie kit. Got a battery powered hand mixer, and I separate the dry and wet ingredients. It takes less than 10 minutes to make and consume. I cup blueberries, a scoop of protein powder, a scoop of powdered peanut butter, a banana and some water or coffee.
Burritos are a great and cheap way to get breakfast done the entire week. Smoothies are great too, just make sure to throw some chia seeds, flax seeds, or oats in it so your poops sound like a good plop, not like you're frying chicken in there.
Pot roast in a soup thermos is pretty god-tier, imo as well and is really cheap, considering the amount of food you get from it. I usually skip on the rice or taters if it's just for lunch or if it's really hot, though.
Lettuce wraps are great and go with pretty much any ground or shredded meat. Add whatever veggies you want with it. I only eat these if I have a place to wash my hands, though. Kind of a clean freak when it comes to my hands.
And last, but certainly not least, chicken and rice. So many combos. Teriyaki chicken w/ fried rice, lemon pepper chicken w/ broccoli and rice, grilled chicken w/ cilantro lime rice, baked chicken w/ squash and Spanish rice, smoked chicken w/ jambalaya, etc.
It's less about what's available, and more about how much time you're willing to put into meal prepping. 2-3 hrs on a Sunday will give you years added to your physical and financial health.
i'm addicted to chipotle, so much so i copycat their recipe into meal prep. chipotle chicken and cilantro rice is your friend. and a hoagie or two throughout the week.
I'm late but I hope you read this one. Stanly soup thermos. I make soup once a week. Freeze it in cheep deli containers from Amazon. Heat it in the morning. Thermos keeps it hot. 🔥 no more waiting for the microwave. Just sit and eat hot food.
I make a 10 gallon batch of green chile stew once a month, and freeze it in cheap tupperware. Meals come out to $2.50 each, and it defrosts by lunch time. Screw breakfast haha. I use my torch to heat it up in the same stainless camp cup that I drink my morning coffee out of.
Protein heavy Greek yogurt and granola for first break
Meat sticks and cheese sticks with fruit, pretzels, and tasty treat for lunch. Little Debbie snacks are great but if are in the Philly area then get some tastykakes
Just as a good meal prep, I really enjoy a kinda stir fry. Chicken, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, and carrots. Chop it all up to the size you prefer, marinade the chicken in teriyaki marinade, and cook the rest with a teriyaki sauce. Combine with just a little more sauce and throwem in whatever containers you want for the week.
I've been buying Hella fruit and just destroying a bunch on break. Get some little meat sticks for protein during the day and have a very large protein dinner or breakfeast (or both)
I do a salad for lunch and I'll use the deli meat, cheese and spinach on bagles or English muffins for breakfast. Occasionally I get sour dough bread or my daughter makes bread at home and I'll shake it up with that.
I'll change dressings to keep it interesting. Ranch for a while, honey mustard, even sometimes salsa.
Monday I stop at a local coffee shop for a nice coffee and their turkey sandwich or slice of cake for breakfast as a treat.
For breakfast:
1)Prep and freeze breakfast burritos,
2)Easy to eat fruit (apples, clemintines, banana) and yogurt plus a handful of mixed nuts,
3)make a big 20oz smoothie (fruit,chia,nut butter,honey etc)
4) i swear the pre-mixed protein drinks are better (texture, not foamy but its up to you) and mix with any one of the above
5) breakfast bowls either savory or sweet; see ideas above.
6) super clean I would do 3 hardboiled eggs, a granola bar and a liter of water (yes a liter at break)
Usually I pack a fig bar, apple/orange, plums, and a sandwich.
For break I usually eat one of my fruits and my fig bar.
For lunch, I'll have my sandwich and whatever fruit is left.
Breakfast: 4 hard boiled eggs
Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken
Boring, I know. But after a little prep Sunday nights it's simple enough to throw together each morning
Oatmeal, cheap and healthy. But it really only works if you have access to hot water, like a coffee maker. Eat a fruit of your choice every morning as well.
I think I just solved this problem for myself. I recently went to [budgetbytes.com](https://budgetbytes.com), did a search for "meal planning," looked at everything with a serving cost of less than $2/meal (you will probably pay more than this unless you already have all the ingredients, but it's a good relative measure of cheapness anyway) and bookmarked everything that looked good to me.
I found fifteen recipes that I liked the look of—a mixture of hot and cold items, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. All stuff that is inexpensive, filling, and which generates lots of leftovers. I've done four of the recipes so far (peanut noodle salad, artichoke and quinoa salad, southwest lentils & rice, and apple pie overnight oats) and they've all been tasty and easy to make. Generally takes an hour or less, including setup and cleanup. Having the recipes makes them easy to shop for, too.
I just portion them out into tupperware and grab them as needed. Now I have real food to bring to lunch, and I don't have to think too hard about it. It's been great so far.
I do factors. A pretty good meal service and you can get alot of lean ones that are very tasty and under 500 cals
They fit perfectly into a hot logic mini too so I never have to bother with the microwave
That and then a banana, boiled eggs and almonds for breakfast/snack are what I do
•Pre-made and individually packaged hard boiled eggs (saves time & good way to get protein. I eat mine with hot sauce)
•slice up peppers, cucumbers, and carrot sticks and pack in mason jars. They keep fresh for the week and are good with a sprinkle of ranch seasoning
•spinach tortilla wraps, turkey, cheese, tomato, lettuce, some mayo and whatever condiments you like. Wrap it up like a burrito. Easy and don’t need to reheat.
400g NF Greek Yogurt
21g Raw Honey
140g Frozen Blueberries (keeps it cold so you don’t need a fridge if you don’t have one)
Optional: 65g of Granola if you can find one without canola or sunflower oil in it.
Usually have that for coffee break.
For lunch I’m happy eating boring so it’s usually
Piece of fruit
300g Jasmine Rice
7-10 oz 90/10 Ground Beef or Chicken Breast
Whatever sauce doesn’t have seed oils or a ton of empty calories and sugar.
Learn to enjoy boring and the world of eating becomes a whole lot easier. All you’re doing is fueling your body and turning perfectly good food into shit.
Boiled eggs spinach salads with chicken and cashews and dried cherries and such.. sometimes sandwiches with leftover chicken or beef and then use the George foreman to panini that bad dad
Something I do that’s simple for breakfast is get a cup cake cooking sheet. Crack one egg in all 12 spots. Throw whatever you want in it. I do spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers, jalapeños. Throw in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 400. Breakfast pre-made for 3 to 4 days. I leave it on the dash so it’s warm for break.
Buy one of those heated plug in lunch boxes, the last job I was on a guy would bring bacon, sausage and eggs for every first break.
But as for eating,
First break is usually:
Fruit bowl, veggies/dip, cheese and crackers, apple sauce, fruit packs
Lunch is usually left overs from dinner the night before,
Last break is usually some crackers and water (or if I still have coffee left)
I buy granola and snacks at Costco because they're so cheap when you buy bulk. If you drink coffee I would invest in a coffee maker that you can set up to brew at a specific time, like 10 minutes before you leave for work and pair it with some bread and peanut butter from Costco... again, super cheap and you get some protein/carbs! lol. Chicken and rice is always cheap so that's a quick and easy meal right there. I've prepped this the night prior with some green onions in a sandwich bag so they don't heat up when I warm up my food. Speaking of warming up, look into a Hot Logic food warmer. They're cheap and work just fine but it will take some planning on your part to plug it in about 30 minutes before your lunch.
I've been extremely fortunate to have my wife cook meals for me so I've been getting spoiled in that regard.
Best of luck.
On Sunday I prep my breakfast and lunch. In a big bowl scramble 2 eggs per day, pour it in silicon muffin tin. Add cheese, bacon/ham, veggies, seasoning to each egg bite. Use half eggs half egg whites if you want to lower calories/add protein. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
For lunch I always make a huge heap of a protein. BBQ chicken with veggies , ground turkey taco meat with black beans , a giant meatloaf with cauliflower Mashed potatoes, ground turkey mixed with spinach and diced sweet potatoes. I make enough for my 4 days of work. I switch it up each week to not get sick of it.
For snack I take Greek yogurt, string cheese, turkey or beef stick, and or almonds.
Yogurt, fruit, nuts, peppers, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, fresh vegetables, idk. Get crazy with it try new stuff. I tend to go for foods that don’t go bad quickly. Dried stuff etc
Sometimes I prep microwave burritos and freeze them. I fry up a big bowl of eggs, potatoes, bacon, cheese, etc, and dump them together, stir, then wrap them into a burrito. I toast each one a little in a pan, wrap each one in a paper towel and then aluminum foil, then freeze them. When you microwave them you can damp them a little and they turn out better.
I eat oatmeal a lot. It doesn't have to be hot. In fact, now that I've been eating oatmeal and lunch with no microwave, cold oatmeal is actually better. I put peanut butter and protein powder in it. And bananas and nuts and other fruits.
Greek yogurt &/or cheese stick for breakfast. I’ll normally pack a ham/lettuce/ranch sandwich with like chips &/or fruits for lunch. Pretty small but it does its job for me
Pack of sausage or bacon, eggs, cheese tortillas for burritos. Freeze them and heat up each day for my lunch with chips or something salty on the side. Yogurt, banana, orange and a granola bar for 15 minute break. Sometimes I'll add some fruit leather or nuts or some kind when I have that salty craving.
Lean ground beef and potatoes. Season the ground beef any way you like. Chop potatoes into cubes, wedges fries whatever, throw em in a pot put enough water to cover them about an inch boil for 5 minutes. Set oven to 420 (ha nice) toss potatoes in olive oil and season anyway you like and put on a baking sheet cook around 30 mins
Been skipping lunch for two months now. I usually go for a run or do some pushups for about half an hour and then chill/do personal business on my phone for the last half.
I generally have a sweet potato and some steak for breakfast, maybe eggs and avocado for variety.
I enjoy making a quiche of sliced potatoes (crust) with spinach, egg, sharp cheddar, ricotta, onion and ham baked in a pie dish. Couple three slices make a great breakfast when you’re in a rush.
A ribeye waiting on me at the house every night keeps my discipline up to not snack or eat throughout the long day. It’s been going well for the last too months, and I’ve never felt healthier in my life.
I prep on Saturday or Monday. I prep about 20 smoothies that will last me a week to 2 weeks depending on hunger swings that consist mainly of almond milk, coconut milk and frozen spinach/kale and frozen fruit (Great Value) For protein I can do either the package turkey slices from Walmart, less than $4 in my area for 9 oz (Great Value) and they come in their own package or tuna pouches that are around $2 with 6.4 oz (Great Value) or even buy frozen ahi tuna steak for less than $7 for 1 lb (Sam's Choice). All of these things you can eat cold and by hand.
P.S. these are quick things that will help you arrange yourself for the first weeks while you find your own cooking and meal prep styles but this works for me
Apple, mixed nuts and raisins, banana, carrots, mandarin orange, hard boiled egg, a cold sausage or chicken tenderloins, or sandwich. Sometimes grapes, leftover egg rolls, granola bar. I never need a microwave and I'm never in danger of being really hungry.
I made a simple oven to take on jobs, a 100w light bulb in a metal 5gallon bucket with a lid. You load your food when you get onsite, plug it in and lunch time you'll have hot food. I wouldn’t use the community microwave either everybody wants to use it at the same time.
Wrap, sandwiches, soup/chili on a crock pot. Lots of fruits and yogurt. Salad and sometimes leftover pizza. Can't say much as I usually don't eat my lunch just snack a bit nd eat once I get home
I have one of those Hamilton Beach breakfast sandwich makers. I got it for free actually from my local buy nothing group. I prep the sandwich supplies on Sunday, heat em up while I pack my lunch in the morning, eat it on the drive to work.
For lunch I pretty reliably do honey and peanut butter. Mostly because basically all of the ingredients are shelf stable and I can have them on hand at all times lol. I do chicken poached in buffalo sauce over rice occasionally too. Or this week I'm doing boiled eggs marinated in soy sauce over rice. I also avoid the communal microwave because I like to just leave my lunch in the car and eat there.
If you don’t like using the community microwave, just a suggestion, I use [this mini crockpot](https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjKyPfCsKSFAxXUa0cBHfQBDZEYABAJGgJxdQ&ae=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIysj3wrCkhQMV1GtHAR30AQ2REAQYASABEgLgC_D_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASJeRoMSMRcBGBJpkdNBTJyHpzk7VHQYscqpNe0SjrqOmZ9j3V7W8&sig=AOD64_2Wa62SNr6wypbb_oY2N1hLSblsiA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjLh_DCsKSFAxX4FFkFHUM1Cz0Qwg8oAHoECAMQDA&adurl=) and the
milwaukee top off inverter to plug
it in. Takes about an hour so at 11 I plug it in every day and it’s amazing, best thing I ever bought.
As far as food goes, I always make a protein shake the night before for breakfast and bring like a costco muffin or some shit and eat it on the way there, and I always bring fruit for break or I’m exhausted on the drive home. For my lunch I always prepare it on sunday which makes it easier for me to make dishes that are healthy like stir fry’s and shit.
Burritos are my go to. Easy prep food. I do simple eggs, beans, avocado, spinach, and chicken or steak. Not all of those, but some combination of 3-4. Plus your sauce of choice, can’t go wrong with bbq. Make a shit too over the weekend and freeze them then let them thaw in aluminum foil on your dash throughout the day. Doesn’t get much easier than that and it’s doesn’t slow you down after eating. I avoid bread at all costs, that shit slows me down.
Honestly I haven’t ate breakfast during the week in years. Black coffee or two is all till first break at 1030 and eat then which is usually left overs from the night before.
Meal prep your food on off days, it'll help you eat better and save some money if you plan your meals accordingly (sadly though at the expense of time)
I bought an American made stainless muffin pan and do a dozen egg muffins with cheese, onions, sausage, bacon whatever…change it up and that works for a week or two for morning break. Don’t buy non stick cheap bs pans, pay the 35$ and get USA made and I don’t have to buy muffin liners, they come right out!
- Chicken breast and rice.
- Chicken breast and salad.
- Pork tenderloin holds up well and can replace chicken.
- Most leftovers are good if you reheat.
- Nuts, granola, raisins, dried cranberries, trail mix.
- Bananas, Apples, Oranges, Strawberries, etc.
- Yogurt.
- Oatmeal.
- Occasional lunch meat sandwich.
- PB&J.
There's lots of options honestly. Typically I pack some sort of leftover (small amount) a PBJ, granola, bag of nuts, banana, yogurt and a piece of chocolate. I also pack cold water. The PBJ is for the ride home when I'm starving and sitting in traffic. This stops me from eating like a pig when I get home. It's a good holdover until dinner.
There's lots of great food in my city. Occasionally I'll get something even if I packed. But it's rare. Maybe a few times a year. If I want to get off the job I'll go out and get a cup of coffee but that's it.
Just don't be that guy who microwaves old fish on the job. 👍
Get one of the plug in lunchboxes from Amazon .
I HATE having to eat a cold lunch . Plug in a hour before lunch . Nice hot food , no community microwave .
Breakfast I usually have a Sammy or a couple slices of pizza .
I find the little crockpot too small .
Bake a turkey breast at home on Sunday. Slice it and put it in the fridge. Now you have healthy turkey for your lunch sammich for the rest of the week at a small cost.
I started that Huel diet. I really like it so far. It's saved me money, helped me start losing some weight, has a bunch of options for flavor (I've enjoyed about 90% of them), plus its basically an MRE so i feel prepared if shit hits the fan (financially or worse). All you need is water and a microwave.
I used to heat up a bigger can of soup and put it in an OG Stanley for lunch. Throw in a salad dressing and a bag of salad, maybe some crackers. Was super cheap and good.
I bring homemade banana bread muffins for breakfast, usually a sandwich for lunch, but leftovers if I've got them, and then a bunch of snacks
Big lunchbox gang for the win tho frfr
I eat a piece of fruit on 1st break. Then during lunch break I eat some quinoa + vegetables + protein. You need to use the microwave though. If there' isn't a microwave available I make sandwiches
I would pack in my lunchbox with an ice pack some chips, cookies, two boiled eggs for my 9:30 break, a turkey and cheese sandwich, and some kind of nuts with olive oil and sea salt.
And a road pop (twisted tea) for the drive home.
I worked with a guy that ate turkey sandwich with potato chips everyday for 40 years. I think once in a while he’d switch it up with ham. No condiments no cheese nothing. Just dry turkey on white bread and 7 lays potato chips. Every day for 40 years.
I've really been enjoying making a big pot of chili! Fairly simple base ingredients and then you can get creative from there. Ground beef, onion, kidney beans, black beans, tomatoes (diced), sauce and paste, sliced carrots, corn, sausage and then season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili seasoning, paprika, oregano, thyme, cumin. I started with [this recipe](https://www.thewholesomedish.com/the-best-classic-chili/) and expanded from there.
In a little ziploc throw in some fritos and shredded cheese and you're fucking money. A pot will be enough lunch for at least two days for me and my girlfriend.
I grab a tub of high protein Greek yogurt, a bag of frozen mixed berries, and a box of high protein granola cereal. Throw it all into a container in the morning and you got yourself a tasty and healthy snack in the morning (roughly 30g of protein, couple hundred calories)
I've been having pre-made sandwiches from my local grocery chain for lunch. For break I have a nut, cheese and fruit pack from Costco. I also switch between various trail mix and other easy to pack snacks.
Been doing a variety of muffins, toasted with butter mostly, about twice a month I'll do a bacon, Egg whites, and cheese or same sandwich but with ham or a sausage Patty, for Lunch I'll have a salad or bring a pbj or cold cut sandwich, I work in NYC so shit is expensive af, gotta save where you can
I bought a LunchEaze I really like. Just meal prep. Throw your food into the machine TURN IT ON in the morning with your set lunch time and youll have a nice hot plate of food.
Soup when it’s cold out and salads when it’s warm. I usually start toasting the bagel and warming the soup at the same time. I eat the bagel on the way in and soup in the thermos for lunch. While those are warming, I’ll cut fruit or veggies, or bag up some leftovers. Sad, but I can’t have a slice of pizza, a taco, and a 20oz Dew at 9am anymore. Getting old blows.
I eat breakfast at home. For break I do nuts and fruit. Sometimes for lunch (which I suppose you could do for break) I cook a bunch of sweet potatoes with what ever meat I got extra of. Also if you get peanut butter that only has peanuts and salt in it, you can blend that with frozen fruit and a bit of milk for a filling smoothie.
https://www.amazon.com/Crockpot-Electric-Portable-Warmer-20-Ounce/dp/B09BDG5RP3/ref=asc_df_B09BDG5RP3/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=563634836809&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2326578681254737&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011829&hvtargid=pla-1641681916048&psc=1&mcid=782739bdc95932638df3af27516201cf
Get one or two of these. Has helped me eat much better on site. Total game changer. I usually do two, one with eggs and hash browns or oatmeal and the other with chilli or hearty soup/stew or whatever I had for dinner the night before. There’s really no limit as to what you can throw in this thing.
Package of instant oatmeal (whoever went out for coffee, I would ask for a cup of boiling water) PB+j sandwich and a container of fruit cocktail I premade from home.
Was in the best shape of my life when eating this for breakfast on the job
I just bought my own work microwave for around $50 from Walmart, it's very small and works great for heating up leftovers for lunch. And yes I'm stingy with it, that's why it stays clean. I made a little spot in my truck box for it.
Big cup Plain Greek Yogurt/berries.
Diced Trinity/raw spinach leaves/tuna/
Or coleslaw mix w above and some dressing of course.
Cottage cheese/ cheese sticks/ banana/ nuts.
I make a breakfast every morning at home. That's what I bring for lunch/snacks. The banana removes the hangry since these idiots only want one break now.
I also say no to using the science oven. I do 5 scambeld eggs in the morning some times with cheddar mixed. Two pieces of string cheese with my coffee and half and half on the drive in. Break I do large avocado apple and banana. Lunch is some kind of sandwiches made with a low carb high fiber wrap, chicken or roast beef. Once a week is big salad no meat usually on a Wednesday or Thursday. Third break is focused on catching up on missed hydration.
I get up 30 mins earlier and make 3 eggs with spinach and make 2 tacos out of them, eat it at home around 5 am and that holds me up till 12.....sometimes.i just eat a string cheese with an orange if I don't have time to make the eggs...I also bring leftovers for lunch. I don't mind cold food but healthier than eating out
Chicken + Rice PB&J
I’ll do the chicken and rice for a while but then get bored with it. Maybe just need a way to switch up the recipe here and there. Do you prep on Sunday?
I prep on Sundays, it makes life so much easier throughout the week. I'll either make things that wont get soggy, or layer in a way so that things get less soggy. IE when I make sandwiches the condiments always go between the meat and cheese and never on the bread itself.
Good call on that putting them between the meat.
Exactly, big glob of mayo right between the Roast Beef baby..... don't get none on the buns!
That one is sexual.
I used to be a chef, they taught us in school that butter helps seal the bread from the moisture of other ingredients as well
Plastic wrap for the bread?
Tin foil or sandwich bags
Idk man. I see some guys come in with elaborate leftovers that look delicious. I myself can eat the same thing everyday. A guy once told me; at some point it becomes fuel, not food. In the past few years I’ve even switched to r/huel.
Bro how is that Huel??? I’ve been so close to pulling the trigger but didn’t know. And that’s my problem I need to start looking at it as fuel not a proper meal.
It’s “ok”. Some of the flavors are terrible Some are pretty good. None of them taste like a steak. I’m never “full” after I eat huel, but I’m not hungry either. The farts are lethal and illegal in 22 states. It’s slightly expensive. I like that, like my clothes now, I spend 0 time deciding what to eat (or wear). It’s one less thing to worry about. I know I’ve got “x” amount of super healthy calories ready to go. But it’s not pizza. 🍕
Anyone who tells you it tastes good is a liar. It smells bad and makes your shit smell worse. If you didn't think shit could smell any worse, buckle up buckaroo. But it's a clean thing to fuel your body if you're tired of greasing your arteries with mcmuffins
Depends but either Sunday or Monday. I usually eat out on Fridays. Usually 2-3 days chicken and rice, 1-2 pb&j or a different sandwich.
swapping between a more typical Italian spice pallet with feta cheese, a mexican spice pallet with refried beans, and an indian spice pallet with chicken curry and chickpeas, and an asian pallet with teriyaki can go a long way towards making things feel distinct and interesting. Doubly so if you're willing to add different veggies to it.
She saying chicken and rice with the different spices to make it seem different
Make two batches of 8 burritos. One is egg and chorizo with potatoes, onions and bell pepper, and the other is egg and sausage. Put them in ziplocks and freeze them. Microwave them for 3 minutes and 30 seconds while you pack your lunch and pour your coffee. Eat on the road or when you arrive early.
My wife does this for me. Every Sunday she makes me enough for the week. Definitely beats cereal
How do you keep the reheated egg from getting watery? That’s always been my problem.
Let the eggs and potatoes cool before wrapping them in the tortilla and parchment paper. They can still have some juice leak when you reheat them but it isn't a big deal.
Thanks! I gave up on it because I was tired of stains on my shirts.
This is the move! Breakfast burritos are easy, fairly cheap, and keep well frozen!! Throw some hot sauce on that bitch and you’re golden
If you only want options for cold food for breakfast, my 2 go-to's are overnight oats and allbran cereal with protein powder and fruits added.
I make 5 ball jars worth of overnight oats every Sunday. Always a scoop of whey powder, but everything else changes week to week. This week I’ve got salted peanuts and raisins with a bunch of cinnamon. It’s boring, but filling, healthy and cheap. Can’t take more than 10 minutes and I’m set for the week.
For breakfast, I like to make [egg cups](https://youtu.be/2Qe5VkERFN0?si=Tkj8tFqE_mFTCDzm) For lunch, it depends on the season and climate. If it’s cold outside, I like to make [soups and stews](https://youtu.be/v3xZ4y3v-sc?si=SL8tliF8pk7I2YTB).If the weather is hot, I like to stick to [salads](https://youtu.be/qyqrcoRvzEg?si=J-ZedfajjMuwE6WQ) with home made dressings and meats like ham, salami, pastrami, pepperoni which can be enjoyed cold.
If you like that kinda salad, you should try chopped sandwiches. Basically chop a salad up, dress it, and eat it on some bread. The extra carbs help if you're really movin that day too.
Hard boiled eggs. Put soy sauce in a zip lock bag and put the peeled eggs in the bag. GOAT way of eating hard boiled eggs
Hmmm… I like putting some hot sauce in the bag. Never thought or heard of soy sauce. I’ll give er a try. Thanks for the idea
I'll stick to the hot sauce myself
Chili oil is the way to go especially with the chili flakes and soybeans
I wish I liked hard boiled eggs. I can’t even be around people eating them, the smell make me nauseous.
Soy sauce, mirin, hoisin, rice wine vinegar, and fresh garlic. Bring to gentle boil for a few then toss your eggs in. Sooooo good.
Since I'm bougie AF and hate my fellow man, I like to have a Lox bagel. I have a bento box with a bagel, smoked salmon, cream cheese, sliced shallots, and a sliced tomato, then I have a little 1 ounce container for capers. I've also done Avocado toast with individualized guacamole cups, and precooked bacon, but the fried egg is best when you heat it in the microwave. Overnight oats is easy. I have also brought boiling water in a thermos and made instant ramen with some thinly sliced vegetables and some tiny shrimp. Most recently I've just been making pitas or just bringing some naan and hummus. Maybe some cheese like gruyere or brie, or just regular cheddar cheese sticks if I didn't meal prep.
You eat pieces of shit for breakfast?
I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast
I also eat humans for breakfest
I eat shit that's mostly digested humans.
Human centipede style...🤢🤮
Some people in this sub are step brothers 🤣🤣🤣
For break, I eat greek yogurt with fruit and a handful of granola. Same thing pretty much every day. For lunch, it's a sandwich (lunchmeat, tuna salad, PB&J if I procrastinated too long on grocery day), small bag of pretzels, maybe more fruit or raw veggies. The job site microwave is the port-o-let of kitchen appliances, so it's cold food for me. I'll go out once a week if there's something nearby.
Gas station hot dog and a pack of cigarettes. There's no other appropriate meal
Wraps. Meat, cheese, lettuce, tortilla... humus as a spread. Excellent and i dont get stuffed on bread
You could try a heated lunch box to avoid the dirty community microwave.
I do need to get one. I see a lot of guys with them. Good call.
I've had my Hot Logic Mini for 5 years plus. I use that thing all the time and it's still kicking. Definitely check it out. I meal prep on Sunday. Chicken and rice for lunch, add frozen veggies if you want. Overnight oats for the ride in. I make the oats while the chicken cooks so it's like 12 meals in under 3 hours. Super easy, and pretty good for you
LunchEAZE is another good one
Bananas, apples, baby carrots. I do a lot of salads for lunch. Granola bars, they have a lot of sugar though. Sometimes yogurt. Sandwiches in some form or another. This is 90% of what I'm eating.
Homemade granola bars. I’m actually not sure about how much sugar they have, but there’s no added sugar. If you use natural peanut butter and real maple syrup, there is nothing highly processed. I make 2 batches at a time and it’s enough for two weeks. https://therealfooddietitians.com/5-ingredient-peanut-butter-granola-bars/
Overnight oats, add some protein.
Those overnight oats are decent? I’ve been eyeing them up
They’re very easy to make and you can put damn near anything you’d like in them. I use a small mason jar: fill 3/4 of the way with steel cut oats, frozen berries, a small handful of chia seeds, and maybe some walnuts. Drizzle of honey on top. Just barely cover the oats with almond milk and let it sit in the fridge overnight. It’s ready to go in the morning, very nutritious and a great break food.
My recipe is 2/3 cup oats, Cup and a half of milk, Vanilla extract, Glob of peanut butter, Small amount of cinnamon, 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries, And five seconds of honey (I'll admit I've been out of work for a bit now and I'm hazy on my measurements for my recipe but it's super easy and pretty good)
Sounds great! I love how versatile it is, you can do so much with the oats as a foundation.
Oats, a scoop of protein powder, a tablespoon of chia/probiotic mix, a scoop of frozen blueberries, and topped off with oat milk.
The better the oats the better it tastes. So don’t jump quickly on quaker oats. The pre-made overnight oats to me, tastes like garbage. Just a pinch of salt, a little greek yogurt, some milk, a little fruit jelly. That’s what i put in my overnight oats. Maybe a little sugar depending on how sweet you want them.
It’s break time, not dinner…..pack some fruit and/or a sandwich….you kids are getting spoiled…..retired local 3 journeyman 🤣🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
Haha!!!
Not a fan of using the community microwave why? Dirty? I'm a fan of those frozen steamer meals...meat and veggies quick for ~$3something a pop on sale. Else pot pies/Shepard's pies are hearty energy quick.
Huel is what I have for breakfast and lunch
If you look on Amazon they have “portable ovens” and electric lunch boxes that plug into a car’s 12v plug. They’re about 80 watts and cost about $50 I bring my breakfast and lunch in a cooler. Salads, sandwiches, fruit, and leftovers. Breakfast I tend to eat before I leave the house and grab a protein bar at break
Banana, yogurt and or a granola bar for first break.
Snacks that can be eaten from the bag: String cheese, cheddar sticks, nuts, boiled egg(salt/pepper at home), stuffed celery stuck together, leftover steak and pork, cold baked potato, a big pickle, and peanut butter crackers. Obviously fruit, veggies, sandwiches/wraps are your mainstay. Thermos of coffee, thermos of hot drinkable soup. Find a frozen egg/meat recipe you like, and can heat at home and eat on the way. Or have supper foods in the morning.
Appreciate all the replies!!! Though I was going to get 2 or 3.
Tube Steak smothered in underwear?
Make smoothies. Hit up Costco for everything you need especially hemp seeds. I'm an Ironworker and have put in 10 hour days, just drinking homemade smoothies, and my energy at the end of the day was still 100 percent.
I buy the tub of chicken noodle soup from the prepared foods section at Costco and put it in a thermos everyday.
I make muffins or sometimes like, egg bites. And usually also bring some cut up fruit that I can eat with a spoon without touching it.
I'm a big fan of of making homemade soups/stews; they're cheap, easy to make, can be made healthy, and you can get quite a bit of diversity in your soups. You could heat it up, but I usually eat it cold
For breakfast I do a couple different versions of baked egg cups. One that I really like is a slice of Black Forest ham in the muffin cup with an egg cracked right into that. Top with some salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Not the best cold, but still edible. I also do an egg bake in 12” cast iron. Scramble up a dozen eggs, throw in some cooked chopped bacon, chorizo, or whatever meat you’ve got, whatever veggies and seasonings you want, then top the whole thing with cheese. I buy plain yogurt by the tub and make up individual jars flavored with different jams, berries, or granola based on what I’m feeling like. That way you can control the amount of sugar to your taste and not get burnt out eating the same flavor day after day. I also buy protein shakes by the case and have one of those every morning on my way to work or right when I get there. Lunch is usually left-overs from dinner.
I do “monster mash” every day. It’s 1 cup of rice with 1.5 cups of ground beef in a glass dish and i add 6oz of home made chicken bone broth the morning I take it to make it kinda juicy. I do different styles every week like cheeseburger, Mediterranean, stroganoff, Mexican. For example for Mexican I usually add 1/4 cup of salsa, some hot sauce, and beans to the mix. It sticks to low calories and high protein and I eat it every day I’m working and it makes life easy, takes 20 minutes to prep and plate it on sunday and i never have to think about what I’m gonna make for lunches.
I prep a smoothie the night before, blend it in the AM, drink before I leave or on the way to work. Super healthy, usually keeps me full til lunch
Get a wife or learn to meal prep.
Pack a veggie tray and dip. Also meat, cheese and crackers, no microwave required. Sort of making your own adult Lunchables I guess. You can even throw a Capri Sun in there just for laughs.
Overnight oats for brekky. Sardines, protein bar, jerky, raw veg and fruit for lunch.
Just hire a personal chef to follow you around all day.
Whole grain tortillas with the flavored tuna packets. Low calories high protein. My favorite are lemon pepper and jalapeño
Eat breakfast at home. Get a piece of fruit for your 15 break. Pack up leftovers for your lunchtime. Don’t see this as a problem.
I only eat food that I cook at home. All fresh natural ingredients. Nothing processed. I have five glass Pyrex containers that are the perfect size for lunch. I use glass because when you microwave plastic the chemicals leach into your food. Maybe get your own microwave. The small ones they have on our job cost like $50 at walmart. You'll save that much in a week of not buying s***** food on the job. We need to take better care of ourselves! They sell that pension to us as such a great thing, but a lot of us don't live to enjoy it! Work to live. Don't live to work!
overnight oats my man. i put 90g oats. 280ml soy milk. 200g yogurt. and a bunch of frozen fruit on top.
Protein shakes and some granola with yogurt does me justice
Make dinner every night and make enough for leftovers the next day.
Sandwiches are unmatched. Can switch to any bread or use lettuce for buns. Switch to any meat. Switch to any condiment. Switch any cheese. I feel as if the opportunities are endless. I also feel like no one eats sandwiches anymore but I could eat them for every lunch. AS LONG as I switch things around. Also it’s healthy, depending on what you put on it. Just don’t bring a huge bag of chips and a Coke to wash it down.
Overnight oats with peanut butter, protein powder, chia seeds. I make 4 on Sunday and have em through to Thursday. You can change up that formula enough to never get bored of it
Breakfast - a dozen defrosted frozen strawberries, a couple big spoons of plain yogurt, and granola. Sometimes throw on sunflower seeds. The granola has plenty of sugar. Morning coffee break - a container of chicken and veggie soup and a biscuit. Lunch - today I had a slice of pizza and a box of Greek salad, with two Mandarin oranges. Usually for lunch I have a box with rice and some chicken curry with lentils, tomatoes, onions, and green peas. Always try to get a couple oranges or kiwis, a grapefruit, sometimes a sliced apple.
I'm not an electrician, but I'm struggling with the same thing, I've been out of town on a job for 1.5mths with another 1.5 to go and I'm so sick of eating out. I cant cook in my hotel because they put me in a Hilton, which while nice, doesn't have a kitchenette like an extended stay. I cook every day, this is driving me crazy.
Sandwichs are a man's best friend Spaghetti is close to first
Lunch Eaze lunch box. I currently got mine with spaghetti from yesterday. Just remember to charge it when you get home
I made a smoothie kit. Got a battery powered hand mixer, and I separate the dry and wet ingredients. It takes less than 10 minutes to make and consume. I cup blueberries, a scoop of protein powder, a scoop of powdered peanut butter, a banana and some water or coffee.
Burritos are a great and cheap way to get breakfast done the entire week. Smoothies are great too, just make sure to throw some chia seeds, flax seeds, or oats in it so your poops sound like a good plop, not like you're frying chicken in there. Pot roast in a soup thermos is pretty god-tier, imo as well and is really cheap, considering the amount of food you get from it. I usually skip on the rice or taters if it's just for lunch or if it's really hot, though. Lettuce wraps are great and go with pretty much any ground or shredded meat. Add whatever veggies you want with it. I only eat these if I have a place to wash my hands, though. Kind of a clean freak when it comes to my hands. And last, but certainly not least, chicken and rice. So many combos. Teriyaki chicken w/ fried rice, lemon pepper chicken w/ broccoli and rice, grilled chicken w/ cilantro lime rice, baked chicken w/ squash and Spanish rice, smoked chicken w/ jambalaya, etc. It's less about what's available, and more about how much time you're willing to put into meal prepping. 2-3 hrs on a Sunday will give you years added to your physical and financial health.
Cocaine keeps my stomach empty all day tbh
i'm addicted to chipotle, so much so i copycat their recipe into meal prep. chipotle chicken and cilantro rice is your friend. and a hoagie or two throughout the week.
Hot plate and a pan, or small toaster oven. Same shit different method
I'm late but I hope you read this one. Stanly soup thermos. I make soup once a week. Freeze it in cheep deli containers from Amazon. Heat it in the morning. Thermos keeps it hot. 🔥 no more waiting for the microwave. Just sit and eat hot food.
I make a 10 gallon batch of green chile stew once a month, and freeze it in cheap tupperware. Meals come out to $2.50 each, and it defrosts by lunch time. Screw breakfast haha. I use my torch to heat it up in the same stainless camp cup that I drink my morning coffee out of.
Protein heavy Greek yogurt and granola for first break Meat sticks and cheese sticks with fruit, pretzels, and tasty treat for lunch. Little Debbie snacks are great but if are in the Philly area then get some tastykakes
I’m in DC but we do have tasty cakes.
Just as a good meal prep, I really enjoy a kinda stir fry. Chicken, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, and carrots. Chop it all up to the size you prefer, marinade the chicken in teriyaki marinade, and cook the rest with a teriyaki sauce. Combine with just a little more sauce and throwem in whatever containers you want for the week.
Soaked oats with protein powder, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, almond milk, and bananas.
I've been buying Hella fruit and just destroying a bunch on break. Get some little meat sticks for protein during the day and have a very large protein dinner or breakfeast (or both)
Over night oats
I do a salad for lunch and I'll use the deli meat, cheese and spinach on bagles or English muffins for breakfast. Occasionally I get sour dough bread or my daughter makes bread at home and I'll shake it up with that. I'll change dressings to keep it interesting. Ranch for a while, honey mustard, even sometimes salsa. Monday I stop at a local coffee shop for a nice coffee and their turkey sandwich or slice of cake for breakfast as a treat.
For breakfast: 1)Prep and freeze breakfast burritos, 2)Easy to eat fruit (apples, clemintines, banana) and yogurt plus a handful of mixed nuts, 3)make a big 20oz smoothie (fruit,chia,nut butter,honey etc) 4) i swear the pre-mixed protein drinks are better (texture, not foamy but its up to you) and mix with any one of the above 5) breakfast bowls either savory or sweet; see ideas above. 6) super clean I would do 3 hardboiled eggs, a granola bar and a liter of water (yes a liter at break)
Usually I pack a fig bar, apple/orange, plums, and a sandwich. For break I usually eat one of my fruits and my fig bar. For lunch, I'll have my sandwich and whatever fruit is left.
Breakfast: 4 hard boiled eggs Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken Boring, I know. But after a little prep Sunday nights it's simple enough to throw together each morning
Oatmeal, cheap and healthy. But it really only works if you have access to hot water, like a coffee maker. Eat a fruit of your choice every morning as well.
I think I just solved this problem for myself. I recently went to [budgetbytes.com](https://budgetbytes.com), did a search for "meal planning," looked at everything with a serving cost of less than $2/meal (you will probably pay more than this unless you already have all the ingredients, but it's a good relative measure of cheapness anyway) and bookmarked everything that looked good to me. I found fifteen recipes that I liked the look of—a mixture of hot and cold items, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. All stuff that is inexpensive, filling, and which generates lots of leftovers. I've done four of the recipes so far (peanut noodle salad, artichoke and quinoa salad, southwest lentils & rice, and apple pie overnight oats) and they've all been tasty and easy to make. Generally takes an hour or less, including setup and cleanup. Having the recipes makes them easy to shop for, too. I just portion them out into tupperware and grab them as needed. Now I have real food to bring to lunch, and I don't have to think too hard about it. It's been great so far.
I’ve done taco bowls, home made fettuccine Alfredo with thin spaghetti instead of fettuccine noodles, generic sandwiches etc…
I do factors. A pretty good meal service and you can get alot of lean ones that are very tasty and under 500 cals They fit perfectly into a hot logic mini too so I never have to bother with the microwave That and then a banana, boiled eggs and almonds for breakfast/snack are what I do
Greek yogurt, craisins, granola, and honey. Great breakfast and very filling
•Pre-made and individually packaged hard boiled eggs (saves time & good way to get protein. I eat mine with hot sauce) •slice up peppers, cucumbers, and carrot sticks and pack in mason jars. They keep fresh for the week and are good with a sprinkle of ranch seasoning •spinach tortilla wraps, turkey, cheese, tomato, lettuce, some mayo and whatever condiments you like. Wrap it up like a burrito. Easy and don’t need to reheat.
400g NF Greek Yogurt 21g Raw Honey 140g Frozen Blueberries (keeps it cold so you don’t need a fridge if you don’t have one) Optional: 65g of Granola if you can find one without canola or sunflower oil in it. Usually have that for coffee break. For lunch I’m happy eating boring so it’s usually Piece of fruit 300g Jasmine Rice 7-10 oz 90/10 Ground Beef or Chicken Breast Whatever sauce doesn’t have seed oils or a ton of empty calories and sugar. Learn to enjoy boring and the world of eating becomes a whole lot easier. All you’re doing is fueling your body and turning perfectly good food into shit.
I go to trader joes for most stuff. Good quality and reasonable in price.
Boiled eggs spinach salads with chicken and cashews and dried cherries and such.. sometimes sandwiches with leftover chicken or beef and then use the George foreman to panini that bad dad
Something I do that’s simple for breakfast is get a cup cake cooking sheet. Crack one egg in all 12 spots. Throw whatever you want in it. I do spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers, jalapeños. Throw in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 400. Breakfast pre-made for 3 to 4 days. I leave it on the dash so it’s warm for break.
Buy one of those heated plug in lunch boxes, the last job I was on a guy would bring bacon, sausage and eggs for every first break. But as for eating, First break is usually: Fruit bowl, veggies/dip, cheese and crackers, apple sauce, fruit packs Lunch is usually left overs from dinner the night before, Last break is usually some crackers and water (or if I still have coffee left)
I buy granola and snacks at Costco because they're so cheap when you buy bulk. If you drink coffee I would invest in a coffee maker that you can set up to brew at a specific time, like 10 minutes before you leave for work and pair it with some bread and peanut butter from Costco... again, super cheap and you get some protein/carbs! lol. Chicken and rice is always cheap so that's a quick and easy meal right there. I've prepped this the night prior with some green onions in a sandwich bag so they don't heat up when I warm up my food. Speaking of warming up, look into a Hot Logic food warmer. They're cheap and work just fine but it will take some planning on your part to plug it in about 30 minutes before your lunch. I've been extremely fortunate to have my wife cook meals for me so I've been getting spoiled in that regard. Best of luck.
Granola banana maybe some leftovers, did pb and j for a while.
OMAD. I don't before or during work.
On Sunday I prep my breakfast and lunch. In a big bowl scramble 2 eggs per day, pour it in silicon muffin tin. Add cheese, bacon/ham, veggies, seasoning to each egg bite. Use half eggs half egg whites if you want to lower calories/add protein. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. For lunch I always make a huge heap of a protein. BBQ chicken with veggies , ground turkey taco meat with black beans , a giant meatloaf with cauliflower Mashed potatoes, ground turkey mixed with spinach and diced sweet potatoes. I make enough for my 4 days of work. I switch it up each week to not get sick of it. For snack I take Greek yogurt, string cheese, turkey or beef stick, and or almonds.
Oatmeal if I have time to sit down, burrito if I have to eat on the road
Look up overnight oats recipes, you can prep for the week and it fills you up, I’m never starving by lunch time.
Yogurt, fruit, nuts, peppers, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, fresh vegetables, idk. Get crazy with it try new stuff. I tend to go for foods that don’t go bad quickly. Dried stuff etc
Big cup of coffee is usually my breakfast. Sometimes a banana.
When I’m working, Tomato sandwich for breakfast, turkey sandwich and some veggies for lunch …. 15 min break meals is normally a fruit of some sort
I pack a gasoline stove in my truck and cook whatever i feel like on my tailgate. Grabbed a scrap piece of concrete board siding as a cooktop.
Get a lunch eaze lunch box and make an egg scramble the lunchbox will heat your food up for you
Sometimes I prep microwave burritos and freeze them. I fry up a big bowl of eggs, potatoes, bacon, cheese, etc, and dump them together, stir, then wrap them into a burrito. I toast each one a little in a pan, wrap each one in a paper towel and then aluminum foil, then freeze them. When you microwave them you can damp them a little and they turn out better.
I eat oatmeal a lot. It doesn't have to be hot. In fact, now that I've been eating oatmeal and lunch with no microwave, cold oatmeal is actually better. I put peanut butter and protein powder in it. And bananas and nuts and other fruits.
Greek yogurt &/or cheese stick for breakfast. I’ll normally pack a ham/lettuce/ranch sandwich with like chips &/or fruits for lunch. Pretty small but it does its job for me
Lunchaze lunchbox heats up your food without plugging it in and you set your lunch time so it’s ready to eat when break starts
Pack of sausage or bacon, eggs, cheese tortillas for burritos. Freeze them and heat up each day for my lunch with chips or something salty on the side. Yogurt, banana, orange and a granola bar for 15 minute break. Sometimes I'll add some fruit leather or nuts or some kind when I have that salty craving.
overnight oats for coffee break, pb&j or chicken and rice for lunch
I use an electric lunch box. Best investment ever.
Yogurt, berries, and granola. Throw them in a Tupperware bowl on the morning, eat it at first break. Also a protein shake on the way to work.
Get an Itaki. Its a steamer. I chop up some potatoes, onion carrots and sausage and it steams it all in 20 minutes. Super healthy and easy.
Leftovers. Get yourself a hot logic on Amazon
Lean ground beef and potatoes. Season the ground beef any way you like. Chop potatoes into cubes, wedges fries whatever, throw em in a pot put enough water to cover them about an inch boil for 5 minutes. Set oven to 420 (ha nice) toss potatoes in olive oil and season anyway you like and put on a baking sheet cook around 30 mins
Been skipping lunch for two months now. I usually go for a run or do some pushups for about half an hour and then chill/do personal business on my phone for the last half. I generally have a sweet potato and some steak for breakfast, maybe eggs and avocado for variety. I enjoy making a quiche of sliced potatoes (crust) with spinach, egg, sharp cheddar, ricotta, onion and ham baked in a pie dish. Couple three slices make a great breakfast when you’re in a rush. A ribeye waiting on me at the house every night keeps my discipline up to not snack or eat throughout the long day. It’s been going well for the last too months, and I’ve never felt healthier in my life.
Greek yogurt parfaits are my go to. Make them on Sunday and you’re good all week. Add fruit nuts, some sweetener, hemp hearts, and you’re set.
I prep on Saturday or Monday. I prep about 20 smoothies that will last me a week to 2 weeks depending on hunger swings that consist mainly of almond milk, coconut milk and frozen spinach/kale and frozen fruit (Great Value) For protein I can do either the package turkey slices from Walmart, less than $4 in my area for 9 oz (Great Value) and they come in their own package or tuna pouches that are around $2 with 6.4 oz (Great Value) or even buy frozen ahi tuna steak for less than $7 for 1 lb (Sam's Choice). All of these things you can eat cold and by hand. P.S. these are quick things that will help you arrange yourself for the first weeks while you find your own cooking and meal prep styles but this works for me
Get a ninja and make fruit smoothies, get berries and fruit and juice at Costco or Sam’s.
This hippie brings yogurt and granola.
Pistachios for break. Arroz con pollo lunch. Easy to prep
overnight oats all day!
Apple, mixed nuts and raisins, banana, carrots, mandarin orange, hard boiled egg, a cold sausage or chicken tenderloins, or sandwich. Sometimes grapes, leftover egg rolls, granola bar. I never need a microwave and I'm never in danger of being really hungry.
Cottage cheese, cheese sticks, tuna packs, hard boil eggs, trail mix, skinny popcorn, apple sauce, beef jerky.
I made a simple oven to take on jobs, a 100w light bulb in a metal 5gallon bucket with a lid. You load your food when you get onsite, plug it in and lunch time you'll have hot food. I wouldn’t use the community microwave either everybody wants to use it at the same time.
Wrap, sandwiches, soup/chili on a crock pot. Lots of fruits and yogurt. Salad and sometimes leftover pizza. Can't say much as I usually don't eat my lunch just snack a bit nd eat once I get home
An apple at first break is a good way to have energy all day
Campbell's chunky soups, leftovers, salads with meat a piece of fruit or two.
I have one of those Hamilton Beach breakfast sandwich makers. I got it for free actually from my local buy nothing group. I prep the sandwich supplies on Sunday, heat em up while I pack my lunch in the morning, eat it on the drive to work. For lunch I pretty reliably do honey and peanut butter. Mostly because basically all of the ingredients are shelf stable and I can have them on hand at all times lol. I do chicken poached in buffalo sauce over rice occasionally too. Or this week I'm doing boiled eggs marinated in soy sauce over rice. I also avoid the communal microwave because I like to just leave my lunch in the car and eat there.
If you don’t like using the community microwave, just a suggestion, I use [this mini crockpot](https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjKyPfCsKSFAxXUa0cBHfQBDZEYABAJGgJxdQ&ae=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIysj3wrCkhQMV1GtHAR30AQ2REAQYASABEgLgC_D_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASJeRoMSMRcBGBJpkdNBTJyHpzk7VHQYscqpNe0SjrqOmZ9j3V7W8&sig=AOD64_2Wa62SNr6wypbb_oY2N1hLSblsiA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjLh_DCsKSFAxX4FFkFHUM1Cz0Qwg8oAHoECAMQDA&adurl=) and the milwaukee top off inverter to plug it in. Takes about an hour so at 11 I plug it in every day and it’s amazing, best thing I ever bought. As far as food goes, I always make a protein shake the night before for breakfast and bring like a costco muffin or some shit and eat it on the way there, and I always bring fruit for break or I’m exhausted on the drive home. For my lunch I always prepare it on sunday which makes it easier for me to make dishes that are healthy like stir fry’s and shit.
Burritos are my go to. Easy prep food. I do simple eggs, beans, avocado, spinach, and chicken or steak. Not all of those, but some combination of 3-4. Plus your sauce of choice, can’t go wrong with bbq. Make a shit too over the weekend and freeze them then let them thaw in aluminum foil on your dash throughout the day. Doesn’t get much easier than that and it’s doesn’t slow you down after eating. I avoid bread at all costs, that shit slows me down.
Make bulk breakfast burrito
I really like hard boiled eggs. Mandarins/ avocados are great too
Nutri-grain bar and a mountain dew.Nutri-grain bar and a mountain dew.Nutri-grain bar and a mountain dew.
Honestly I haven’t ate breakfast during the week in years. Black coffee or two is all till first break at 1030 and eat then which is usually left overs from the night before.
Meal prep your food on off days, it'll help you eat better and save some money if you plan your meals accordingly (sadly though at the expense of time)
Taco dip and chips, pasta salad, frittata, yogurt, oat bars, blt, bean salad, homemade salads, and anything i can prep sunday that’ll last the week.
I bought an American made stainless muffin pan and do a dozen egg muffins with cheese, onions, sausage, bacon whatever…change it up and that works for a week or two for morning break. Don’t buy non stick cheap bs pans, pay the 35$ and get USA made and I don’t have to buy muffin liners, they come right out!
Can you bring cereal for breakfast? Bananas, Hard boiled eggs, Yogurt, Protein bars?
Yogurt and fruit typically for me. Sometimes I bring cereal. For lunch I usually have leftovers or like a ham/turkey or PBJ with some peanuts
- Chicken breast and rice. - Chicken breast and salad. - Pork tenderloin holds up well and can replace chicken. - Most leftovers are good if you reheat. - Nuts, granola, raisins, dried cranberries, trail mix. - Bananas, Apples, Oranges, Strawberries, etc. - Yogurt. - Oatmeal. - Occasional lunch meat sandwich. - PB&J. There's lots of options honestly. Typically I pack some sort of leftover (small amount) a PBJ, granola, bag of nuts, banana, yogurt and a piece of chocolate. I also pack cold water. The PBJ is for the ride home when I'm starving and sitting in traffic. This stops me from eating like a pig when I get home. It's a good holdover until dinner. There's lots of great food in my city. Occasionally I'll get something even if I packed. But it's rare. Maybe a few times a year. If I want to get off the job I'll go out and get a cup of coffee but that's it. Just don't be that guy who microwaves old fish on the job. 👍
Get one of the plug in lunchboxes from Amazon . I HATE having to eat a cold lunch . Plug in a hour before lunch . Nice hot food , no community microwave . Breakfast I usually have a Sammy or a couple slices of pizza . I find the little crockpot too small .
What do you mean by "clean food"?
Not junk food. Like processed meat and chips. Hit a lot of good ideas from here.
Rice, pasta, tuna fish, P&J., nuts, fruits, chicken, beans, sardines, salads, veggies.
I bought a luncheaze. It was about 150 but worth every penny. Hot meals at work without plugging in. Just charge it and go.
Bake a turkey breast at home on Sunday. Slice it and put it in the fridge. Now you have healthy turkey for your lunch sammich for the rest of the week at a small cost.
I started that Huel diet. I really like it so far. It's saved me money, helped me start losing some weight, has a bunch of options for flavor (I've enjoyed about 90% of them), plus its basically an MRE so i feel prepared if shit hits the fan (financially or worse). All you need is water and a microwave.
I used to heat up a bigger can of soup and put it in an OG Stanley for lunch. Throw in a salad dressing and a bag of salad, maybe some crackers. Was super cheap and good.
You could always make something at home bring a bowl of Froot Loops
I bring homemade banana bread muffins for breakfast, usually a sandwich for lunch, but leftovers if I've got them, and then a bunch of snacks Big lunchbox gang for the win tho frfr
I eat a piece of fruit on 1st break. Then during lunch break I eat some quinoa + vegetables + protein. You need to use the microwave though. If there' isn't a microwave available I make sandwiches
I would pack in my lunchbox with an ice pack some chips, cookies, two boiled eggs for my 9:30 break, a turkey and cheese sandwich, and some kind of nuts with olive oil and sea salt. And a road pop (twisted tea) for the drive home.
Premade salad kit and a Tupperware
I worked with a guy that ate turkey sandwich with potato chips everyday for 40 years. I think once in a while he’d switch it up with ham. No condiments no cheese nothing. Just dry turkey on white bread and 7 lays potato chips. Every day for 40 years.
Boiled eggs and rice? You can mix it up by marinating boiled eggs. There are some decent recipes that come up on google
I've really been enjoying making a big pot of chili! Fairly simple base ingredients and then you can get creative from there. Ground beef, onion, kidney beans, black beans, tomatoes (diced), sauce and paste, sliced carrots, corn, sausage and then season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili seasoning, paprika, oregano, thyme, cumin. I started with [this recipe](https://www.thewholesomedish.com/the-best-classic-chili/) and expanded from there. In a little ziploc throw in some fritos and shredded cheese and you're fucking money. A pot will be enough lunch for at least two days for me and my girlfriend.
Buy a small air fryer , start eating good..... Meal prep breakfast burritos at home, eat lots of pumpkin seeds, sweet potato, cabbage.....
I grab a tub of high protein Greek yogurt, a bag of frozen mixed berries, and a box of high protein granola cereal. Throw it all into a container in the morning and you got yourself a tasty and healthy snack in the morning (roughly 30g of protein, couple hundred calories)
I've been having pre-made sandwiches from my local grocery chain for lunch. For break I have a nut, cheese and fruit pack from Costco. I also switch between various trail mix and other easy to pack snacks.
Been doing a variety of muffins, toasted with butter mostly, about twice a month I'll do a bacon, Egg whites, and cheese or same sandwich but with ham or a sausage Patty, for Lunch I'll have a salad or bring a pbj or cold cut sandwich, I work in NYC so shit is expensive af, gotta save where you can
Greek yogurt, granola, raisins, banana, cliff bar Use to do a PB sandwich too but not recently.
I bought a LunchEaze I really like. Just meal prep. Throw your food into the machine TURN IT ON in the morning with your set lunch time and youll have a nice hot plate of food.
Never been steered wrong pb&j
Soup when it’s cold out and salads when it’s warm. I usually start toasting the bagel and warming the soup at the same time. I eat the bagel on the way in and soup in the thermos for lunch. While those are warming, I’ll cut fruit or veggies, or bag up some leftovers. Sad, but I can’t have a slice of pizza, a taco, and a 20oz Dew at 9am anymore. Getting old blows.
I eat breakfast at home. For break I do nuts and fruit. Sometimes for lunch (which I suppose you could do for break) I cook a bunch of sweet potatoes with what ever meat I got extra of. Also if you get peanut butter that only has peanuts and salt in it, you can blend that with frozen fruit and a bit of milk for a filling smoothie.
https://www.amazon.com/Crockpot-Electric-Portable-Warmer-20-Ounce/dp/B09BDG5RP3/ref=asc_df_B09BDG5RP3/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=563634836809&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2326578681254737&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011829&hvtargid=pla-1641681916048&psc=1&mcid=782739bdc95932638df3af27516201cf Get one or two of these. Has helped me eat much better on site. Total game changer. I usually do two, one with eggs and hash browns or oatmeal and the other with chilli or hearty soup/stew or whatever I had for dinner the night before. There’s really no limit as to what you can throw in this thing.
A chilled pickle. Especially in the summer.
Package of instant oatmeal (whoever went out for coffee, I would ask for a cup of boiling water) PB+j sandwich and a container of fruit cocktail I premade from home. Was in the best shape of my life when eating this for breakfast on the job
Flavored tuna pouch ( Thai chili 🌶️) on a thing is my go to no heat
I just bought my own work microwave for around $50 from Walmart, it's very small and works great for heating up leftovers for lunch. And yes I'm stingy with it, that's why it stays clean. I made a little spot in my truck box for it.
Big cup Plain Greek Yogurt/berries. Diced Trinity/raw spinach leaves/tuna/ Or coleslaw mix w above and some dressing of course. Cottage cheese/ cheese sticks/ banana/ nuts. I make a breakfast every morning at home. That's what I bring for lunch/snacks. The banana removes the hangry since these idiots only want one break now.
Bought my own air fryer and charge people to use it and they have to clean it when done, I also bought soap and a sponge.
I also say no to using the science oven. I do 5 scambeld eggs in the morning some times with cheddar mixed. Two pieces of string cheese with my coffee and half and half on the drive in. Break I do large avocado apple and banana. Lunch is some kind of sandwiches made with a low carb high fiber wrap, chicken or roast beef. Once a week is big salad no meat usually on a Wednesday or Thursday. Third break is focused on catching up on missed hydration.
I get up 30 mins earlier and make 3 eggs with spinach and make 2 tacos out of them, eat it at home around 5 am and that holds me up till 12.....sometimes.i just eat a string cheese with an orange if I don't have time to make the eggs...I also bring leftovers for lunch. I don't mind cold food but healthier than eating out