Good lunches for work?

[Victoria1234]

Anyone have good suggestions for work lunches you can keep in a lunchbox in the car? I have a summer job that I have no home base for besides my car, so I need suggestions different from my normal plan of attack. Looking for things that are gluten free only, I have no other issues.

[tessa25]

Use a cooler with ice packs. Then you can have sandwiches, snacks, and a cold drink or two.

[Victoria1234]

1 hour ago, tessa25 said:

Use a cooler with ice packs. Then you can have sandwiches, snacks, and a cold drink or two.

Great idea, thanks! 

Now does anyone have some good tasty food ideas? I'm at a loss except for pbj.

[tessa25]

Boarshead all natural uncured ham and Boarshead muenster with lettuce and tomato on Canyon Bakehouse deli rye. Dip in italian dressing.

Egg salad with Land O'Lakes american cheese on CB plain bagel.

Tuna fish with lettuce on white bread.

Italian hoagie on Schar baguette.

Ham and LOL american cheese, lettuce on white bread.

Steak, mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomato on baguette. Dip in italian dressing.

Cold batter dipped chicken wings and salad.

Tuna salad - tuna, mayonnaise, Barilla macaroni, celery, onion, egg, italian dressing.

[Victoria1234]

40 minutes ago, tessa25 said:

Boarshead all natural uncured ham and Boarshead muenster with lettuce and tomato on Canyon Bakehouse deli rye. Dip in italian dressing.

Egg salad with Land O'Lakes american cheese on CB plain bagel.

Tuna fish with lettuce on white bread.

Italian hoagie on Schar baguette.

Ham and LOL american cheese, lettuce on white bread.

Steak, mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomato on baguette. Dip in italian dressing.

Cold batter dipped chicken wings and salad.

Tuna salad - tuna, mayonnaise, Barilla macaroni, celery, onion, egg, italian dressing.

Omg that sounds divine! Thank you!

[Jmg]

12 hours ago, tessa25 said:

Boarshead all natural uncured ham and Boarshead muenster with lettuce and tomato on Canyon Bakehouse deli rye. Dip in italian dressing.

Egg salad with Land O'Lakes american cheese on CB plain bagel.

Tuna fish with lettuce on white bread.

Italian hoagie on Schar baguette.

Ham and LOL american cheese, lettuce on white bread.

Steak, mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomato on baguette. Dip in italian dressing.

Cold batter dipped chicken wings and salad.

Tuna salad - tuna, mayonnaise, Barilla macaroni, celery, onion, egg, italian dressing.

That's a bit more than I normally have at lunch but I'll give it a try. 

[tessa25]

21 minutes ago, Jmg said:

That's a bit more than I normally have at lunch but I'll give it a try. 

[Whitepaw]

On 5/26/2017 at 0:20 PM, Victoria1234 said:

Anyone have good suggestions for work lunches you can keep in a lunchbox in the car? I have a summer job that I have no home base for besides my car, so I need suggestions different from my normal plan of attack. Looking for things that are gluten free only, I have no other issues.

I work from my car and like a light lunch. My go to lunch is roasted sweet potatoes, mixed veggies, and tuna. I buy frozen roasted sweet potatoes  (hard to find, I get at Target), frozen veggies. Cook both in microwave, divide into containers for the week, add tuna.  I like this cold.  I sometimes substitute a hard boiled egg, or cut up gluten-free chicken tenders.

I keep gluten-free bars, crackers, or cookies, juice, and a jar of peanut butter in the car, just in case.  

Shelf stable milk, milk alternatives, or juice are also handy, as you can put them back in the fridge if you don't use them that day.

Individual packages of gluten-free oats are easy to carry, if you can access hot water or bring some along.

Depending on weather, I sometimes take a thermos of hot soup.

 

[Victoria1234]

2 hours ago, Whitepaw said:

I work from my car and like a light lunch. My go to lunch is roasted sweet potatoes, mixed veggies, and tuna. I buy frozen roasted sweet potatoes  (hard to find, I get at Target), frozen veggies. Cook both in microwave, divide into containers for the week, add tuna.  I like this cold.  I sometimes substitute a hard boiled egg, or cut up gluten-free chicken tenders.

I keep gluten-free bars, crackers, or cookies, juice, and a jar of peanut butter in the car, just in case.  

Shelf stable milk, milk alternatives, or juice are also handy, as you can put them back in the fridge if you don't use them that day.

Individual packages of gluten-free oats are easy to carry, if you can access hot water or bring some along.

Depending on weather, I sometimes take a thermos of hot soup.

 

Those are some great ideas, thank you so much! I never know how hungry I am going to be on a particular day. Some days I could eat everything and more, other days, not so much. I love the idea of keeping things in the car, just in case.

[Whitepaw]

I know what you mean about never knowing how much food to bring. For backup, it helps to know which fast food places have gluten-free options, like Wendy's chili, baked potato,  salad, or Frosty.  

I have made a dashboard grilled cheese. Make a cheese sandwich on toast, put in your cooler. Depending on the heat and sun, if you place it on the dashboard in the sun, it will be warmed up in 10 to 20 minutes. You may need to flip it once. 

On really hot days, I place my cooler in a hot/cold bag with more cold packs. You can buy these bags at most grocery stores.

[Victoria1234]

3 minutes ago, Whitepaw said:

I know what you mean about never knowing how much food to bring. For backup, it helps to know which fast food places have gluten-free options, like Wendy's chili, baked potato,  salad, or Frosty.  

I have made a dashboard grilled cheese. Make a cheese sandwich on toast, put in your cooler. Depending on the heat and sun, if you place it on the dashboard in the sun, it will be warmed up in 10 to 20 minutes. You may need to flip it once. 

On really hot days, I place my cooler in a hot/cold bag with more cold packs. You can buy these bags at most grocery stores.

Great idea! I'm so hungry right now (I didn't pack enough food - not the summer job yet but only a week left at this job) and I'm thinking if only I had packed a jar of pb I would have been eating spoonfuls! What is wrong on these days I don't know. 

Yup, it's going to get super duper uber hot in the car this summer. Great idea to pack the cold bag inside the cooler.

and I want that grilled cheese sandwich right now! Yum!

[Whitepaw]

7 hours ago, Victoria1234 said:

 

 

18 minutes ago, Victoria1234 said:

Great idea! I'm so hungry right now (I didn't pack enough food - not the summer job yet but only a week left at this job) and I'm thinking if only I had packed a jar of pb I would have been eating spoonfuls! What is wrong on these days I don't know. 

Yup, it's going to get super duper uber hot in the car this summer. Great idea to pack the cold bag inside the cooler.

and I want that grilled cheese sandwich right now! Yum!

It probably won't help you right now, but gas stations often have a little fruit display, bags of nuts, cheese sticks, P3 snack kits, or yogurt.

[Victoria1234]

10 minutes ago, Whitepaw said:

 

It probably won't help you right now, but gas stations often have a little fruit display, bags of nuts, cheese sticks, P3 snack kits, or yogurt.

You are the sweetest, thank you. I will certainly remember that in the future. When I get hungry I just get stupid. And then I  think I shouldn't spend any money on food, unless it's very value priced.

[Jmg]

40 minutes ago, Whitepaw said:

I have made a dashboard grilled cheese. Make a cheese sandwich on toast, put in your cooler. Depending on the heat and sun, if you place it on the dashboard in the sun, it will be warmed up in 10 to 20 minutes. You may need to flip it once. 

That's brilliant! Right up there with frying an egg on your car bonnet (hood).

Don't try that in the UK though, you'd be there a loong time...

 

[Victoria1234]

11 hours ago, Jmg said:

That's brilliant! Right up there with frying an egg on your car bonnet (hood).

Don't try that in the UK though, you'd be there a loong time...

 

Hahaha! 

[Whitepaw]

A couple other ideas as I pack my food for the day...    

- You don't say if you will also need to find rest rooms throughout the day.   I do home care, so where I stop for rest room use often depends on whether I need food as well, and what kind.   To combine into one stop, try gas stations / convenience stores, grocery stores (a bit more time to park and walk around, but lots of food choices), and select fast food restaurants.    At grocery stores, try a small veggie tray, yogurt, or hit the gluten-free snack aisle. 

- For on the road dental care, try Colgate Wisps.   Crest / Scope also makes a disposable toothbrush 2-pack for $1-2, but the Colgate Wisps come in a larger package for less money  ($4 for maybe 24). 

- Don't forgot to keep a stock of spoons in your car.  Spoons can double as a knife or fork.  Nothing more frustrating than having a container of yogurt and no way to eat it. 

 

 

[Victoria1234]

1 hour ago, Whitepaw said:

A couple other ideas as I pack my food for the day...    

- You don't say if you will also need to find rest rooms throughout the day.   I do home care, so where I stop for rest room use often depends on whether I need food as well, and what kind.   To combine into one stop, try gas stations / convenience stores, grocery stores (a bit more time to park and walk around, but lots of food choices), and select fast food restaurants.    At grocery stores, try a small veggie tray, yogurt, or hit the gluten-free snack aisle. 

- For on the road dental care, try Colgate Wisps.   Crest / Scope also makes a disposable toothbrush 2-pack for $1-2, but the Colgate Wisps come in a larger package for less money  ($4 for maybe 24). 

- Don't forgot to keep a stock of spoons in your car.  Spoons can double as a knife or fork.  Nothing more frustrating than having a container of yogurt and no way to eat it. 

 

 

Great ideas! I'll buy a pack of plastic spoons today.

For my summer job, I'm going to be working with a person who is disabled, throughout the day. In the morning I take them to their work site and help them, then in the afternoon we do something social. Never had a job like this before so I don't have a clue as what to expect! I hadn't thought about bathroom access yet.... I usually teach, so I'm used to one close by!

[TexasJen]

I always keep a jar of nuts of some kind in the car.  it's my go to snack when lunch wasn't filling enough or I'm running later than I intend. They don't get ruined in the car in the summer like granola bars, fruits, yogurt. And, if I don't eat them, they are still good tomorrow!

[Victoria1234]

24 minutes ago, TexasJen said:

I always keep a jar of nuts of some kind in the car.  it's my go to snack when lunch wasn't filling enough or I'm running later than I intend. They don't get ruined in the car in the summer like granola bars, fruits, yogurt. And, if I don't eat them, they are still good tomorrow!

Great idea....  wish I would've had them yesterday! I'll have to scour some labels asap.

[NJewels]

Congrats on the job!

I second the tuna suggestion but you can buy it in a shelf-stable pouch! You can also get shelf stable chicken. I also second the nuts as a protein addition to your meal.  I suggest you buy pre-made salads from your local grocery store and add cheese, dried fruit (cranberry, apricots, etc), nuts and/or tuna. 

Salad combos you can make at home. Wait until you are ready to eat to open the meat pouch:

spring mix lettuce/mandarin oranges/almond slivers + chicken

spinach/strawberry/feta/crushed pecans + chicken

dark leaf mix lettuce/macadamia nuts/sweet grapefruit

darkleaf mix/watermelon/feta/almond slivers

dried cranberries/spinach/blue or feta cheese/almond slivers + chicken

Skip the gas station food only because you will see lots of unhealthy and gluten-laden delights! 

As for cheese, I suggest you only bring hard cheese with you. It stays fresher longer. 

Most grocery stores now have a pre-packaged section in the fruit dept with individual serving sizes of fruit, veggies etc.

Cooler or no cooler, I would skip keeping yogurt in the car.

[cyclinglady]

I live in Southern California.  On hot days, I pack a cooler within a cooler.  All my perishables remain safe.  You can test with a frig thermometer.  Use ice blocks (made from milk containers).  Invest in decent coolers used for camping.  I use the cute soft-sided coolers for hauling around on short trips too as they look more like a purse.  

[Victoria1234]

19 hours ago, NJewels said:

Congrats on the job!

I second the tuna suggestion but you can buy it in a shelf-stable pouch! You can also get shelf stable chicken. I also second the nuts as a protein addition to your meal.  I suggest you buy pre-made salads from your local grocery store and add cheese, dried fruit (cranberry, apricots, etc), nuts and/or tuna. 

Salad combos you can make at home. Wait until you are ready to eat to open the meat pouch:

spring mix lettuce/mandarin oranges/almond slivers + chicken

spinach/strawberry/feta/crushed pecans + chicken

dark leaf mix lettuce/macadamia nuts/sweet grapefruit

darkleaf mix/watermelon/feta/almond slivers

dried cranberries/spinach/blue or feta cheese/almond slivers + chicken

Skip the gas station food only because you will see lots of unhealthy and gluten-laden delights! 

As for cheese, I suggest you only bring hard cheese with you. It stays fresher longer. 

Most grocery stores now have a pre-packaged section in the fruit dept with individual serving sizes of fruit, veggies etc.

Cooler or no cooler, I would skip keeping yogurt in the car.

What great ideas! I will look for these products next time I shop.

[Victoria1234]

18 hours ago, cyclinglady said:

I live in Southern California.  On hot days, I pack a cooler within a cooler.  All my perishables remain safe.  You can test with a frig thermometer.  Use ice blocks (made from milk containers).  Invest in decent coolers used for camping.  I use the cute soft-sided coolers for hauling around on short trips too as they look more like a purse.  

Luckily my mother in law left a couple coolers here a few years ago and she didn't want them back. So we've got some decent ones. My oldest son will also be in the same summer program with me, so we can pack a lot into two! He's a big guy with a big appetite. Thanks for the ideas!

[cyclinglady]

On 5/30/2017 at 4:40 PM, Jmg said:

That's brilliant! Right up there with frying an egg on your car bonnet (hood).

Don't try that in the UK though, you'd be there a loong time...

 

We do this!  Need to defrost a frozen gluten free bagel or cupcake fast (microwaving  it makes it rubbery)?  Put it on a plate and set it on the car dashboard.  In minutes, it is safely defrosted!  

[Whitepaw]

5 hours ago, cyclinglady said:

We do this!  Need to defrost a frozen gluten free bagel or cupcake fast (microwaving  it makes it rubbery)?  Put it on a plate and set it on the car dashboard.  In minutes, it is safely defrosted!  

I had dashboard pasta today (meatless).   My local gluten-free bakery makes an awesome plain pasta, so I have it in a container in the fridge, ready to go.   I put some in my cooler today.   I had spread it out in a shallow round container, so there was only one layer.   I put it on my dash when I made a stop, and came out to nice warm pasta.