Saturday May 17th, 2008
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Lunchbox Challenge
Posted by Jessica Harlan on August 23, 2007 - 7:47am.
Between watching our waistlines and watching our budget, both my husband and I try to avoid going out for lunch. After all, you can easily spend as much as $10 on a sandwich or salad that is way too big, which you inevitably end up eating anyway and then feel uncomfortably full for the rest of the afternoon.
But I find it so difficult to come up with creative and healthy options for lunch, particularly since both of us are trying to go meatless for our midday meal. So often we get in a rut, eating the same exact thing every day.
For me, it's usually an Amy's Bean and Cheese burrito. They're only around $2, filling, and somewhat healthy. Plus they take all of 2 minutes to nuke in the microwave, a plus during my busy day.
For Chip, I'd simply buy cold cuts (healthy ones, like smoked turkey or lean roast beef) and use them in wraps, along with a handful of lettuce or spinach and a slice of cheese. Until our decision to cut meat out of our lunches. But what kind of sandwich can you make if lunchmeats are verboten?
I hit upon the solution when I discovered packages of seasoned, baked tofu at my local supermarket. Sliced and folded into a wrap with baby spinach and strips of green pepper, it made a sandwich that garnered a mid-day instant message of appreciation from Chip.
To add to the challenge, he recently got this adorable Japanese bento lunch container. I'm sure he envisioned multi-course lunches, with each of the four cunning little stackable containers holding a different delectable component of his lunch. But I haven't gotten my act together enough to make more than one or two things.
I resorted again to tofu for ideas of what to fill the bento box's little containers. I made up some brown rice in the rice cooker and topped it with some tofu, marinated with soy sauce and sesame oil and stir-fried with some chopped broccoli and snow peas.
Along with the tofu and brown rice dish, I tossed together a little salad of thinly sliced, peeled cucumbers seasoned with rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. It's one of our favorite salads—cool and refreshing, perfect for summer.
This week I'm going to challenge myself to come up with some other lunch options for us both.
For some reason, the mention of lunch in my mind is intrinsically linked with the sandwiches of my youth, on healthy wheat bread and cut on the diagonal. But there's got to be more to lunch than sandwiches, right? I'm thinking veggie sticks with a yogurt-dill dip or hummus. Maybe gazpacho—it's way too muggy out for a hot soup, even within the confines of an air conditioned office. And some time back, I'd made some little calzones that were just the right size for Chip to take to lunch. I'd even doled out some pizza sauce into little zip-top bags.
As for me, I'm not bothered eating my Amy's burrito Monday to Friday. But since we've also gotten into a recent take-out rut at dinnertime, I've been trying to immediately divide my meal in half and pack away one portion before I even sit down to eat. It's pretty amazing how half an entrée will fill you up if that's all that's on your plate.
So, if anyone out there has any healthy, interesting, non-sandwich lunch options, feel free to share... maybe we can all come up with some delicious new brown-bag choices just in time for the new school year.
In My Kitchen
Every week, I tally my grocery bill, and give you a peek at what's on the dinner table at our house.
Groceries: $88.58
- Fish and Rice
- Pulled BBQ Chicken, Spinach Salad, Biscuits
- Grilled Flank Steak Fajitas, Refried Beans
Topics:
I have recently been looking for Vegetarian recipes myself, so you are in luck! There is this web site that I came across called, www.Vegetarianlunchbox.com VERY good site for whenever you need or want new idea for Vegetarian dishes. (You could also share your recipes on the site, maybe mention that tofu sandwich?) There are tons of options, I know that you said you didn’t want a sandwich but if you do decide to go that way, there are many different kinds of different ways and ingredients for you to choose from. They also include Salads, Soups and Breads as well. Seems like a pretty nifty site. Since I have been considering going on another 30 day challenge, I have been trying to find recipes and such for a new diet. You have given a new Idea for me too, I think that from now on I will only eat Meat at lunch then go Meatless for the rest of the day. Good Idea! I will have to think it over. I am pretty sure that this site, you will not have a problem filling your husband’s new lunchbox.
As a vegetarian I am a huge fan of Meditteranean food. Just yesterday I made about 25 grape leaves, which should last me for lunch for almost a week. They are filling, contain a good combination of protein and carbs, and don't need to be heated up. You could also pack a bit of hummus to dip them in, or some falafel and/or pita bread.
I bought a sushi maker awhile back and plan to make and pack sushi during the school year. Pasta always makes a good leftover lunch, mixed with some veggies and maybe some cheese if it's going to stay cold.
I'll continue to search and create new lunch options for myself as I can only eat so many peanut butter sandwiches!
Good luck!
As vegetarians I and my husband always stick to vegetables, rice, wheat, pulses, dairy etc. But the Indian menu is so great that we never have to repeat a dish in the same week. In fact we can go 2-3 weeks without having to repeat. This is coz a big chunk of Indian population is vegetarian and we have a multicuisine culture in India due to the diversity in regions and peoples.
I usually prepare a vegetable based dish in the night and store in the refrigerator. In the morning, I just make some chapatis, which are like tortillas or your wraps and pack chapatis and vegetable dish in seperate containers for my husband. since I work from home, I don't need to pack lunch for myself, but I have the same lunch that I give my husband. It can be reheated in the micowave within a minute. Preparation time for vegetables is around 30 minutes and chapatis take around 10-15 minutes depending on how many you want. The meal is rich in fibre (chapatis are made from whole wheat flour) and the vegetables give vitamins and minerals.
When I started to change lifestyle and eat healthy, I started to read labels and do web-homework. I also factored in the cost of plastic back and containers. The first thing I stopped doing was being lazy. I bought from Anchor Hocking glass containers with lids. Trust me in 6 month they will pay for them- selves. Next I got a good size lunch tote, the kind with the “Blue Ice” thing. Then I set down and started a meal planning session and came up with what we like to eat for supper. I then added in lunch factor, it is working so far. We get a good hot meal, sometimes we do cold lunches like salads, and sandwiches. No lunch meats [process meats] we use Boars Head turkey, roast beef, ham sometimes. I also make my own sandwich spreads. Like pimento cheese, chicken salad or tuna/salmon salad, I have done some things with tofu. I also pack veggies and fruit. Drinks are water or juice from our extractor. Breads are whole grains or some that we make from or bread machine. Sometimes I will put in homemade deserts, like carrot cupcakes, mini-squash/pumpkins pies. I pre-cook our evening meals for the week on Sunday I have a good idea what our lunch will be. I also keep made up and in the freezer a macaroni casserole for quick lunch. However there are times that I just don’t want what I have and I will eat out. But, that lunch dose not goes to waste. I’ll take it the next day.
Cowboydavey,
Carrot Cupcakes sound DElish! Do you have a signature recipe? If so, would you be willing to share? Sounds like a yummy way to get more veggies into our kids and satisfy their sweet teeth ;)
The Divas
www.TheDivaCast.com
I think I got this from Whole Foods one time or other. Anyway there wonderful!
Carrot Zucchini CupcakesMakes 12 Cupcakes- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup unbleached, evaporated cane sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
- 2 large organic eggs
- 1 cup unbleached, organic white flour
- 1/2 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 medium organic carrots, grated
- 1/2 medium organic zucchini, grated
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup organic cream cheese, softened
- 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted, (buy natural and unbleached, if possible)
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 12 walnut halves for decoration
Preheat oven to 400°F.Frosting
In a large mixing bowl, beat the oil with the sugar and applesauce. Add eggs. In a separate bowl, mix together mix together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to the liquid ingredients. Fold in carrots, zucchini and nuts. Spoon into muffin cups filling 3/4 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until done when tested with a toothpick. Cool.
For frosting, beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar. Add lime juice. .Hey, Cowboy Davey ~ Thanks a MILLION...will definitely give it a try. Thanks for going to the trouble of typing this up for all of us. Sounds DElish!
The Divas
www.TheDivaCast.com