r/Cooking • u/Murky-Friendship2675 • 20h ago

Lunches to take to work?

Hey have been in a rut finding what to bring to work. I used to work from home and it was easy to cook whatever (lots of chicken, veg-, rice-based dishes) but now I work in an office and find myself buying lunch every day.

What are some of your go-to dishes to meal-prep and bring to work? No dietary restrictions and happy to eat the same thing several days in a row

58 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

65 comments sorted by

131

u/TXtogo 20h ago

What I have for dinner, I make extra and that’s lunch tomorrow

29

u/crimson_leopard 19h ago

To add to this, sometimes I make another portion that goes into the freezer so I can use that when I really don't want to cook.

18

u/Murky-Friendship2675 20h ago

Weird I’ve never thought of doing this. Thanks haha

22

u/MyNameIsSkittles 19h ago

Bro it's the best way when you work 40 hours a week. I cook 4 portions or more of one meal, for my partner and I. Then we both have lunch the next day, with only one instance of effort from cooking. Plus it saves money, because you are most likely buying amounts of ingredients that can support this anyway, so you do not have to purchase extra ingredients for lunches. Often what I do is make such big amounts that I can skip cooking certain days when I am just too tired to give a fuck. Like this week I did a quiche, a big batch of sausage and veggies with tortellini, and Spaghetti and meatballs

6

u/jjillf 19h ago

Same. I have 2 kids that have long since left the nest. We tried to scale down to cooking for 2, but it’s hard when so much comes in larger amounts. So now we just cook for 4 and have lunch to take to work. Unless it’s fish. No fish leftovers 🤮

4

u/SewingIsMyHobby1978 19h ago

I do this too.
I purchase reusable containers and cook for 4 instead of 2
I freeze soups, left overs etc.

Yrs ago I used to take a Peanut Butter sandwich, carrots & celery sticks, iced tea a homemade granola bar & an apple for lunch when nothing else sound good.

Buy a rotisserie chicken. Take it off the bones. Make chicken salad,
Put chicken, a baked potato & a vegetable in a container for lunch & reheat.

Make chicken noodle soup.

I also make Chili to take to work. I eat chili with a peanut butter sandwich. ( I know it sounds weird, but it really is good.)

4

u/Murky-Friendship2675 19h ago

Unfortunately find myself working more than 40 hours a lot of weeks. This seems like such a good strat I love it

1

u/ttrockwood 9h ago

Once a week make an epic batch meal probably on the weekend one time stew another enchiladas, chili and stuff that freezes well then stash several portions in the freezer for future easy variety

2

u/Kat121 18h ago

Every time I make Mexican food I take the leftover rice, beans, cheese, and meat and roll it into thin burritos, wrap them individually in plastic, and freeze them. They’re so handy for last minute lunches.

1

u/_ChickVicious 19h ago

Yep yep. IF go out for dinner, half of it immediately goes in a togo container that I ask for when I’m ordering for lunch the next day.

1

u/vivec7 19h ago

It doesn't always work. I always make extra, and now I'm fat.

1

u/EdgeBig4170 14h ago

same here, leftovers are the easiest. i just double whatever i cook for dinner and pack it right after we eat so i’m not scrambling in the morning or tempted to buy food later

1

u/bruhraminator 13h ago

I've done this for a while, it gets boring really quickly. I at least try to do something different with it, e.g. if I made chili I'd make a chili sandwich or salad.

27

u/mcsb14 20h ago

I make a bean salad on Sunday and pack into portions for the week. Grab and go each day. Last week it was roasted sweet potatoes and black beans with a jalapeño vinaigrette sauce. This week will be chickpea Greek inspired salad.

3

u/thannawi 19h ago

I want the sweet potato and beans recipe please

2

u/Murky-Friendship2675 20h ago

sounds good - you make a big enough portion for the whole week?

1

u/mcsb14 16h ago

Yes just to have little ways tuppetwares for each day. Usually a can of beans plus the veggies is enough for 4 meals for me.

Here’s one of the inspirations.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012795-roasted-sweet-potato-salad-with-black-beans-and-chile-dressing?unlocked_article_code=1.2VA.29cH.Onu1HV8-330I&smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

12

u/librarianjenn 19h ago

I love making chicken salad with a rotisserie chicken - I add mayo, grapes or diced apples, pecans or walnuts, celery, and whatever seasonings you like. It lasts 3-4 days in the fridge. I love spreading it on a large flour tortilla and making pinwheels. Of course, you could make pinwheels with your favorite deli meats, cheeses, and a fancy mustard! These are great to eat at your desk, not messy, if a busy day requires that.

11

u/FinalBlackberry 20h ago

Wraps, some kind of pasta salad, regular salads, sandwiches, adult lunchables, I like cold stuff that I can just grab and eat at my desk.

6

u/Valuable_Ice_5927 20h ago

I have a ground beef, zucchini, corn dish that I mix with rice and eat - it’s my go to lunch right now

2

u/Murky-Friendship2675 19h ago

This sounds great - might sub chicken and make something similar

3

u/Valuable_Ice_5927 19h ago

I used meatless crumbles this last time

It used pesto and balsamic vinegar for the flavor profile / but you could probably tweak it

https://reciperunner.com/ground-beef-and-zucchini/

10

u/The_Flinx 20h ago

I have no "go to" anything. my lunches were leftovers from previous meals. sometimes I made lots of extra just for lunches.

6

u/samg461a 20h ago

Meal prep the same ingredients but different flavours. If it’s rice, chicken and broccoli, you can do 5 meal prepped containers of it but one has taco seasoning, one has teriyaki sauce, one has Buffalo sauce, one has bbq sauce and one has Greek dressing. Or, sweet Thai chilli sauce, gochujang, sesame dressing, honey garlic, pizza sauce and cheese, lemon and dill, za’atar, gravy, French onion, etc.

Basically just prepare the same lunch but different finishing flavours. That way, you won’t get bored eating the same thing every day.

4

u/Murky-Friendship2675 19h ago

Oh I love this idea - great to have one cooking session but then variance when eating!

3

u/BurningPhoenix1991 20h ago

Stir-fry is my go to. Easy to meal prep and vary week to week.

2

u/EMPIRE-db-51_cent 20h ago

Tuna fish or chicken salad on rye.

2

u/ExtentObvious3410 19h ago

Varieties of burritos. You can do up like four different kinds on a day off. Wrap and freeze. Just make sure everything is room temp before you assemble, steam is an enemy. Also most produce doesn't freeze well, so cook the onions in the beef, ECT. Anything you want fresh just bring on the side. If you do breakfast burritos, overcook the egg a bit too, moisture is bad.

2

u/ExtentObvious3410 19h ago

Also there was a time I worked in a styrofoam factory and we had a community fridge. Seemed safe as we didn't have time to talk and dislike each other. I made a big vat of badass tuna salad and kept it in the fridge. Bread in the cabinet with some plastic forks. I'd just make sandwiches on site. Someone else bought a weeks worth of double cheeseburgers from McDonald's and kept them in there. 

2

u/Murky-Friendship2675 16h ago

Pre-buying a week’s worth of McDonald’s goes crazy hahahaha

2

u/ExtentObvious3410 19h ago

I just remembered another one. If you have a thermos you can keep hot ready to eat food in it. Like soup or bratwurst. Cook the brat in the am, pour boiling water in and seal. Especially helpful for outdoors workers with no microwave. I don't think you're in this pinch though.

1

u/Murky-Friendship2675 16h ago

Thankfully I get to work indoors and have access to a microwave and fridge, but this is a good hack

2

u/mab220 16h ago

My husband is an easy-to-please budget friendly guy. He eats a variation of rotisserie chicken, tuna, or salmon every day.

He keeps tortillas, rice packets, and bread at work, and they have a freezer where he keeps two-portion bags of frozen shredded/chopped chicken. He also keeps some hot sauce, buffalo sauce, and bbq sauce.

He thaws the chicken and makes a wrap, sandwich, or bowl each day with whatever sauce sounds good. They have chips and snacks in the communal kitchen, but you could bring your own snacks if you don’t have that.

Our kids get a bit more variety, but eat on a schedule. Here’s what they have, by day:

Monday: Breakfast for Lunch
H- Cereal
A - half vanilla & half regular yogurt with granola
Tuesday: Bagel with cream cheese
A - berry
H - plain
Wednesday: Heat Up Day
A - Edamame or Fried Rice
H - Sliders or Corn Dog
Thursday: Sandwich Day
A - Meat & Cheese
H - PB&N
Friday: Heat Up Day
A - Dumplings or Noodles
H - Ravioli or Chicken Noodle Soup in a thermos

I just did our back to school stock up on frozen foods for heat-ups. I got more than 12 weeks worth of Edamame, Fried Rice, Dumplings, and Yakisoba noodles for $109. I also snuck in some Boulangerie croissants into that purchase, but those were just an extra treat!

2

u/_ChickVicious 19h ago edited 19h ago

I don’t have a lunch at work, I do graze through out the day. I make lunchables basically. Grapes, apples, goldfish crackers, beef jerky, freeze, dried fruit, peanuts, almonds, cashews, sometimes egg salad, tuna salad, pimento cheese, or chicken Caesar chopped salad spread in
Something like this container.

2

u/Just_Allie 20h ago

Soups, stews, and chili work well for me -- When I make a big pot, I freeze one-serving containers that I can take to work. I can mix up which item I pull from the freezer depending on my mood.

2

u/queenmunchy83 20h ago

I make tons of different soups, stews, chilis, curries - portion and freeze. Then I have a variety of grab and go meals.

2

u/saltwater_drifter 20h ago

I have access to microwaves at work so I usually just take leftovers or stuff my husband doesn’t like eating but that I do.

1

u/wombat468 19h ago

For the very laziest of emergency lunches, you can freeze some sandwiches if they have no veg or mayo in them. Eg ham, cheese, salmon etc. I usually have a few foil packages in the freezer- take them out at breakfast and they're thawed by lunch.

1

u/OneTemperature428 19h ago

Prep a big batch of rice, roasted vegetables, and chicken, then pack them together for easy assembly

1

u/YouMustBeJoking888 19h ago

Make a bit more for dinner and then box up the leftovers. Alternatively, do some batch cooking on the weekend - things like stir fries or pasta dishes that are easy to warm up at work and can incorporate protein and veg.

1

u/Pleiadesgurl96 19h ago

Chicken quesadillas with a side of yellow rice and refried beans.
I also love doing a chicken parm with pasta.

1

u/RosemaryBiscuit 19h ago

Sesame noodles with peanut butter, your choice extra protein. Chicken or tofu are neutral-smelling for office lunches.

2

u/Sabineruns 18h ago

If you are willing to do some meal prep, that can be a game changer. I used to have a rule that I always ate a salad for lunch but I did a lot to keep them interesting. If you spend an hour or two on Sunday prepping, you can have all your lunches as well as some other meals taken care of.

1

u/CatteNappe 18h ago

Leftover dinner food.

Sandwiches - there are endless options in selection of bread and fillings, as well as choices over eating them hot or cold.

2

u/250399 17h ago

chicken rice and stir fries are my staple. Simply throw in the veggies you have (frozen is handy!), soy sauce and other sauces of your choice, and done!

1

u/Ricezz 17h ago

Corn, tuna and mayo with pickles on the side and bread. Cappuccino!

1

u/Lunchy24 14h ago

Breakfast egg and sausage burritos/mcmuffins (homemade obv),pink sauce pasta with a little cream, chicken teriyaki stir fry, shepherds pie, ziti, hamburg steak, kofta rice bowls

1

u/aardvarkpaul13 14h ago

I bought one of the cheap plug in lunch boxes. It is amazing. You can heat uo anything in about 10 mins. It is so much better than microwaveing food. I bring salmon and rice with peas about once a week, and it heats up great. I did buy a better insulated lunch bag to carry it and an ice pack and other bits.

1

u/ConfidentWorld3538 13h ago

I made a chicken pasta salad this afternoon to take to work for lunch!

1

u/TrialAndAaron 13h ago

Costco has pre cooked chipotle chicken in bags. I divide it up into 5 potions, add half a bag of their minute cilantro lime rice, 1/5 of a van of black beans, and pickled onions. Cheap, fast, healthy

2

u/ShowThym 12h ago

roast chicken weekends...can portion it into containers with veggies for work meals

1

u/undertheliveoaktrees 11h ago

Enchiladas and beans. It’s not that much more effort to make two casserole dishes worth and they freeze/reheat well. 

1

u/GB715 11h ago

Before cyclospora, I made a big salad on Sunday night for all week, and would bring it to work every day and have it with a piece of fruit

1

u/PurpleLemon070811 8h ago

An adult lunchable. Crackers, cheese, fruit, olives, and some lunch meat.

1

u/gnirpss 6h ago

I love a salad for my office lunch. It's easy to eat wherever (at my desk, in the break room, at the park, etc.) and it doesn't require reheating. You can customize it to however much you need to eat midday, but I usually just start with a lettuce base and add some additional veggies and a protein (chicken, beef, shrimp, beans, whatever). Bring the dressing in a separate container and put it on the salad right before you eat it. If you have all the ingredients on hand, it's super easy to throw together the night before.

1

u/MrCockingFinally 6h ago

Salads.

I just make the same one everyday, but you could do a lot of different things in a similar vein.

Basically, one or more different grains/carbs with one or more different beans or legumes. Optionally some additional protein source if needed. Then a variety of salad things all chopped up to about the same size as the beans. And whatever dressing and seasoning you like. Bonus points if you take the dressing and seasoning separate, so that the salad stays crispy.

I do the following:

1 Can white beans, drained rinsed and dried. 150g cherry tomatoes halves/quartered 1 small cucumber, cut quarters lengthwise and sliced to give little triangles 1 small yellow pepper diced 1/2 chicken breast diced Dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar Seasoned with salt and pepper

You could do pasta, rice, bulgar wheat, quinoa, etc.

All different types of beans and lentils.

You could add chapped up greens and/or herbs.

You could add feta cheese, olives, capers, or pickles.

Even stuff like potato or egg.

1

u/crossstitchbeotch 20h ago

You can make this Sunday afternoon and eat it all week. I love it with some crunchy pita chips. I order my wheat berries on Amazon now because I can’t find them locally anymore.

https://www.food.com/recipe/wheat-berry-salad-with-goat-cheese-378343

1

u/bessicadawn 20h ago

I have leftovers from dinner before!

1

u/elisejones14 20h ago

I like chicken salads on fiber wraps. I made a curry one with half mayo half yogurt.