Not quite what they meant...

[aiglet]

So since I'm working in an office that is situated in a blasted wasteland (at least in terms of the food I can get to and eat in the half-hour I'm alloted for lunch), I went out and bought myself a very cute little lunchbox, made by a company called "Fit'N'Fresh". The idea is that you can fit a sandwich and some veggies and some dessert in your

Comments

[dafydd]

I haven't been really successful at veggies, yet, but fruit seems to be fairly easy. Just drop an apple, banana, or orange into your lunch box.

Do you have a refrigerator (that you trust) at work?

Veggie thoughts I've had, but not actually tried:

- Baby carrots in one container/ziploc. $dressing in another.
- (Kind of counts) Half a can of chili in a reusable container. Mixture of corn chips and shredded cheese in a ziploc. Chopped onion in another ziploc. At lunch time, mix the onions into the chili, then fold in the chips/cheese. Heat through. At home, we called these "chili boats." They're very filling.

[wurmfood]

Sandwiches are a great option, really. Small things like grilling up asparagus and adding it to your sandwich will make a difference. Have a small container for spinach salad or fruit salad.

Actually, various grilled veggies put onto a sandwich works well. Even cold, the veggies are still tasty but you can always warm the sandwich up briefly in the microwave or toaster oven.

The baguette is probably fine, but use feta and some olives on it. Maybe use a little tomato sauce with some spices to create a baguette pizza. Add some spinach, artichoke hearts, etc.

I'd also suggest celery sticks. Celery is a fantastic food. Hell, because of the fiber and stuff in it, it takes more calories to consume it than it contains, making them an excellent snack food.

[somehedgehog]

Personally I find legumes to be great for packing up healthy lunches. A container of hummus along with some sweet pepper cut up into sticks makes a great snack.

I also make huge batches of "lentil balls" - stewed lentils combined with bulgur and spices to make them taste kind of like samosas, rolled into little balls, and baked. They're tasty, keep a long time, and are portable. Let me know if you want the recipe.

[bercilakslady]

I'd love the recipe. The lentil balls sound really tasty.

[somehedgehog]

Sure! I adapted it from this recipe here: http://www.justhungry.com/2005/06/samosalike_lent.html

I double the spices and add a lot of chili flakes, since I tend to like stronger flavors. I also make a quick mixture of salt, yogurt, and garlic in the food processor for dipping. Mmm.

[hanov3r]

I'll point you to melanie; she makes healthy bento boxes for her kids to take to school for lunch.

(She also makes and sells awesome homemade soap)

[bercilakslady]

I've got a few ideas that work for me to help me pack healthy lunches. I make sure to remember to pack veggies or fruit by having them ready to plunk in a container with minimal thought. For me, that means cutting up a few red peppers into a ziplock, and having baby carrots on hand