What's in your lunchbox?

[Treble Bolt 1,122]

Calling all those who make their own lunches!

 

I am going back to college this fall, but will be commuting from home with my husband (who goes to work in the same city). I already make his lunches, but he is perfectly okay with having the same thing day in and day out. Not me though, monotony drives me crazy!!!  Since this is the first time I will be regularly packing and eating my own lunch, I am not too sure how to diversify. I am not fond of cookbooks, and any real meal that I will make will be leftovers from the night before. I will be (well I already do) getting up at 2:00 am (because my husband needs to be at work by 4:30am) to get myself ready for the day. There is not much time to cook, so for my husband, he likes wraps. When I have time to buy some, I get fresh vegis to put on his wraps but otherwise, he prefers just meat and cheese, which I am not a fan of (red meat makes me sick and I'm lactose intolerant).

SO, I ordered my lunchbox, a Bento. I am a fan of Japanese things, and was wanting a bento due to their small size (my husband has a large lunchbox which you can get at any store). I wouldn't mind one either, except my college has a policy where you cannot have those kind of lunchboxes because a few years ago a guy brought a gun to the campus in one (nothing happened, he was caught pretty much right away). You can only have those bag like coolers which I hate (food gets squished easily). Plus in either case, they are bulky to carry around when I will have a backpack, a welding mask, and a toolbox which i will bring into the classroom everyday. Due to my schedule, I actually do not have time to leave for lunch or anything, so my food will come with me to class (i will have a 15 minute lunch break). So the bento I bought is perfect for this (http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-Classic-Bento-Vacuum-Lunch/dp/B0016S11VC/ref=pd_sbs_k_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=12CNNT7F8YZX9XHQ2NRD...very expensive but cheaper than eating out in the long run, which is very tempting). I have looked up some recipes, and hope to incorporate a lot of brown rice (I can make a large batch that will last a few days), and eggs are always a favourite. Otherwise I am not a creative cook (more like a mad scientist actually, with failing experiments at times), and cookbooks do not mesh well with my lack of patience (I don't have a working oven, but I do have a working stove in which I use cast iron only). I am sure I am not the only one who lacks time and patience when it comes to making lunches.

 

So with all that exposition out of the way, what do you recommend? Hot or cold lunches will do but cold lunches are most common. What do you eat for your lunches? How long does it take to make them? Do you have a routine with what you make on a day to day basis? Also, what kind of lunch box do you use, it'd be fun to see what other people use because it's such a common mundane item that no one really thinks about (until now)     Anything else?

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Edited July 31, 2014 by Treble Bolt

[Shanks 10,811]

Sometimes it is a sandwhich which is usually on a baguette and sometimes it is leftovers from dinner which can be anything from pork chops, steak, fish and I have brought taco's to work on some days when I have a full hour lunch.

[ZiggWheelsManning 7,368]

Nothing, it's in the cabinet and hasn't been touched in years  

[EpicEnergy 22,082]

I don't go to school anymore because I graduated, but for work, I usually brought a MTN Dew, a Gatorade, a sandwich, a bottle of water, and various other foods in my lunchbag. I liked to bring my own foods and drinks rather than relying only on vending machines.

[Clawdeen 12,110]

For work I have Gamersupps energy drink powder, my cup for the energy drink once I make it, 2 waters and 2 boost high protein nutritional drinks

Edited October 18, 2023 by Clawdeen

[Dreambiscuit 8,024]

I usually bring something like chicken salad and avocado wrapped in a flour tortilla. Maybe some salt & vinegar chips. Sometimes I just have some leftovers from a recent meal and heat it up in my lunch box/bag, which is insulated and has a hot plate built-in so I can plug in and it slow-cooks my meals on the go.

[ZiggWheelsManning 7,368]

5-star rating for best lunchbox variety @Dreambiscuit