Struggling To Think Of Work Lunches!

[Aussie Peg]

Hi everyone!

I've recently started working and am lost as to what to take for lunch! I can't have gluten, dairy, soy, onion or garlic which makes things tricky, and i've realised the work microwave glutens me so I can't have anything heated!

I'm getting depressed trying to work out what on earth to take! I've got very high cholesterol too so it also needs to be low in fat. I'm in Australia so probably don't have a lot of the products available elsewhere but any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks so much!

[Kaycee]

Hi Peg, I was going to suggest left-overs from tea, but as the microwave at work glutens you, that is probably not a good idea. Maybe you could heat it in a speacial micro-waveable container with a lid? Or you could use a thermos type container to keep your food warm. I'm not sure about your dietary requirements when it comes to most foods, so if I've got most of it wrong it is out of not knowing. Carrot, celery, tomato and any vege sticks. Home made soups. Instead of making bread into a loaf, I use the dough and put it in muffin trays, so I have muffin sized bread. At least it doesn't dry out. I freeze them and take out of freezer as I need them. They are usually ready to eat by lunchtime.

Tuna in cans on corn thins or rice cakes. There are always salads and gluten-free ham and meats. Salad in rice wraps.

The one thing I hate about work is making lunches. I seem to spend more time making it than eating it.

I don't find the microwave at work glutens me, but I worry more about the dishwasher. It would've had to have been my cup that ended up with a noodle on it!

Good luck.

Cathy

[Nancym]

Assuming you have refrigeration and microwavation you could take any sort of left overs. I also used to take big salads to work and just put the dressing in a separate container.

If you don't cook, sounds like you should learn! I recommend watching cooking shows on TV. I learned tons from them.

[Phyllis28]

Look into the possibility of having your own dedicated mircowave oven. Below is a link to a very very small mircowave oven. It is big enough for a cup of coffee, a bowl or soup or a small container. Since this is an American product you would also need a converter to convert the electricity and a plug adaptor.

Open Original Shared Link

My suggestions for cold food are cold chicken (or any gluten free meat that can be eaten cold), salad, hard boiled eggs, fruit, raw vegetables and gluten free crackers, muffins, bars or bread.

Hope all works out.

[tarnalberry]

plenty of leftovers can be eaten cold - I do it all the time with soups and chili.

[little d]

I will sometimes get the Tai kitchen noodles all you need is hot water let them sit for a few minutes while they get soft. Since you can't have a lot of stuff the packets that come with the noodles come seperate so you won't have to worry about that. I will have this at work and I will add tuna to this, you should be able to find tuna if you like that kind of thing, it may stink up the place but who cares.

donna

[Sweetfudge]

I used to get glutened all the time at the office I used to work at. What I did to help reduce that risk is lay a paper towel down on the microwave and put my tupperware on top of it. I wouldn't handle anything (open the door, push the numbers, grab the tupperware) with my hands, used a paper towel to do it all. Then I'd clean a spot on the counter where I was going to put my food, and then wipe down the tupperware. Then wash my hands, then eat. Kind of a lot, but it only takes a couple minutes, and if you can't get your coworkers to cooperate with your needs, that's one way to do it, and not limit yourself so much on lunch options.

Cold food ideas - salads? Chicken salad, taco salad, potato salad, pasta salads. Tuna salad. Or just tuna on crackers/chips.

Hot foods (if you decide to use the microwave) - soups, I love for lunch. So easy. Casseroles. Stir fry.

Good luck

[Mango04]

Corn Thins are really useful. I know they're available everywhere over there. You can dip them in hummus, make sandwiches with them or eat them with tuna as kaycee suggested.

You could bring your food in an insulated lunch bag to keep things cold and pack salads with meats, tuna or beans for protein, fruit with nut butters, Leda bars, veggies with homemade hummus (garlic-free). Big salads would probably work well, since there are so many gluten, dairy, soy, garlic and onion-free variations you can experiment with.

[Aleshia]

there is a book by a new zealand doctor that you could get that has lunch ideas in it. it's by Rodney Ford you can go to www.doctorgluten.org to get it

[Juliebove]

My daughter likes hummus. She eats it with cut up vegetables, corn or potato chips or gluten-free pretzels, crackers or breadsticks. She likes salad on occasion. I also send in leftovers in a thermos bottle.

[purple]

Try a layered bean dip with your favorite toppings. Spread refried beans in a pie plate, then top with your favorites. Try tomatoes, olives, avocados, lettuce, peppers, cooked chicken, whole beans like black or garbonzos, green chilis, etc. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, celery sticks, a spoon or whatever. Serve cold. We like green onions, salsa and cheese, sorry that's a no-no. Use chili powder and black pepper for seasoning. Try diff ideas so you don't get tired of the same toppings.

[irish daveyboy]

Try putting some rice noodles in a bowl (sometimes known as angel hair).

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Cover with 'boiling' water leave to soak for 4 mins.

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Drain and stir in a spoonful of Pesto Sauce.

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Sprinkle with freshly grated 'Parmesan' cheese,

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'Voila', a tasty lunch.

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Best Regards,

David

[Aussie Peg]

Thankyou so much for all the ideas!! There are some really good ones i'll try this week!

I do enjoy cooking when I have the time, but everything seems to need reheating to be nice. I might try using a thermus some time and see if it stays warm by lunchtime.

Donna - Where do I buy Tai Kitchen noodles? They sound perfect!

Thanks again!