Need ideas for packing my lunch

[ZHeather]

I'm in college and there is absolutely nothing I can eat in the cafeteria, so I was wondering if anyone had ideas of what I could pack for my lunch?

[kadi]

Hormel makes some "natural" cold cuts, I've not tried the ham, but I'm ok with the turkey. That would make good sandwiches. Baby carrots are good for crunch on the side.

A 4oz knudsen cottage cheese, homemade zucchini bread & a pear or pear bar from the ICN shop is a good portable lunch.

I often buy a $5 footlong from Subway (turkey or roast beef, italian bread, lettuce, bell pepper, carrots) & 2 packages of Classic Lays Chips. That divides into 2 lunches for me. I'll buy it the night before work & put it in my bag in the morning.

[mary124]

Thankfully i can eat the food in the cafe.; as its very plain and blah, they usually have chicken of some sort or baked potatos. From the snackbar I have more options. If I take my lunch it is hormel 'naturals' lunch meat. I usually eat the ham. If i am lucky, i might be able to take left overs --but with 3 men in the house that doesn't happen too often unless I am cleaning and putting up the food. sorry I didn't help all that much; but there are food options- you just have to do some research.

[jenjen05]

Like Kadi, I'm a $5 footlong Subway girl.

Boar's Head makes a lot of meats and cheeses without preservatives in them as well that I use with Nature's Own white bread.

Myself and a lot of others on here also do well with Frito's if you like those.

I find I can also eat Gerber Graduates fruit snacks. I know someone else who flares horribly from them though. :-(

Some of the Gerber Graduates Lil Entrees are good too and IC friendly. They don't need to be refrigerated and microwave in 30 seconds! All are preservative free!

I know I sound like a weirdo for telling you to eat toddler food, but it's actually really good. It's what I eat in a pinch when I have no time to cook.

For another sweet I also eat Gerber Graduates fruit strips. They're yummy and I find I can eat the strawberry one without a problem! They also have no preservatives, no artificial sweeteners, and no artificial flavors. Gotta love the Gerber Graduates fruit and veggie puffs too!

But of course, these might not work for you even though they work for me. Just have a little and see what happens to try it out.

Good luck!

[KarenAnne]

If these things agree w/ you: cottage cheese, string cheese, pears, pita pocket filled w/ vegies, american cheese sandwich w/ lettuce, leftover meatloaf sandwiches, leftover roasted turkey sandwiches, soup in a thermos, bagel & (brick) creamcheese, & there are things in the ICN Shop too.

[nottoc4]

Hard boiled eggs,Almond or Cashew Butter on preservative free bread,cream cheese sandwiches,Water crackers,Dutch Royale butter cookies(Blue round Tin Can)no preservatives.I'll try to think of more.

[Goldfinch]

My standard sandwich is turkey, lettuce and butter. Yes, Boar's Head maple glaze turkey is good. I also make a not-very sweet carrot-zucchini bread that's very healthy and sometimes put cream cheese on it. Sometimes I like sliced cucumber and radishes on a sandwich with lettuce and butter, but it doesn't travel well; if you don't pat the cukes try (tedious) it becomes a pretty damp sandwich in an hour or so.

If you can tolerate blueberries, can you tolerate blueberry jam? I used to love my peanut butter sandwiches with raspberry jam, but maybe blueberry would work. I can eat small amounts of blueberries, but haven't tried jam yet. Maybe I will soon. I miss peanut butter sandwiches. I never could stand pb & honey or pb & banana--far too sweet for me. PB & J on a dense whole wheat bread seems to last for hours in foil.

[bjt]

I bring my lunch to work every day... usually simple stuff-- leftovers from the night before (if you have access to a microwave) or a bagel & some cheese (munster & monteray jack are ok for me), a sandwich made with a wrap (flat tortilla things or flat bread) with cream cheese & cucumber, cheese and avocado, smashed chick peas & olive oil, etc. Anything that can get too soggy, like cucumber, I pack separate in a little plastic container or in saran wrap and then I add them to the sandwich right before I eat them.

I bring pears and/or pumpkin muffins (I made at home) for snacks.

hope that helps.

[BrandiWine]

I take my lunch to work eveyday,, i make a spread i got off the forums for my sandwiches (its a dip recipe on the forums)

ITS really good i just add more milk to thin it out. (hate dry sanwiches) and use natural oat bread *also got from forums bread has no preservatives or artifical flavors*
and an all natural turkey breast luncheon meat stuff without preservatives or additives (if u have to ask the deli person)

other ideas (things i take depending on time)

teddy grahams *honey* flavor
sliced cucumbers
now raw brocolli and or carrots with my *fake ranch recipe* (see forums) cant spell
fritos
pears (as others suggested)
or left overs from the night b4

[kadi]

If you decide you want a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, try almond butter - generally more IC friendly. There are acid free jams for sale in the ICN shop linked at the top of the page.

[valkay18]

Thanks for posting this question! I am newly diagnosed, and am having major issues packing my lunch! I have no idea what to pack. I found a "natural" lunch meat, and have packed a slice of American cheese with it on some white bread that appears to be IC-friendly. Without the mayo I'm used to, the sandwich doesn't taste that great.. :-(

I also packed an almond butter and blueberry jelly sandwich, and honestly, it didn't taste that great. I am used to PB&J's, not almond butter. The blueberry jelly wasn't too tasty either. I guess I will have to get used to it! Another thing I get in the cafeteria is a grilled cheese w/American cheese and white bread. I take a couple preliefs just in case that white bread has something in it that isn't IC friendly.

Other than those things, I am at a loss... I'm looking for some ideas too.

[michreev]

I've never been a big lunch person (I'm a teacher so I rarely have time to sit down and eat...it's more likely that I stuff food in my face on the run) so I have always tended to just bring a bag of snacks to munch on during the day. Some things that work for me (not sure they work for everyone):
*pears
*string cheese
*popcorn (used to get microwave bags but they have preservatives so I use my air popper at home and bag it up)
*entertainment crackers from Trader Joe's with mozzerella slices (surprising amount of flavor)
*carrots/cucumber slices
*under-ripe banana
*kettle corn from Trader Joe's (SO yummy...fulfills that afternoon sweet craving I always get hit with)
*almonds
*honey granola bars from Trader Joe's (not sure if everyone can tolerate granola)
*cereal: I like Joe's Oh's.

I've just recently been able to reintroduce peanut butter (hooray...I am SO grateful) but wasn't a huge fan of some of the liquidy natural versions I found. Turns out Skippy makes a natural version now (available in Target of all places) that just has peanuts and salt. It's great, less soupy than some of the others which works for packing it in a lunch bag and not dealing with leak-through.

[Cortana-mana]

I adore almond butter and blueberry sandwiches or almond butter and honey sandwiches. I make my own cinnamon bread and it is amazing!!

I really enjoy Mara Natha Creamy and Roasted natural almond butter. Others are not a tasty.

I eat a lot of leftovers. I love to cook and my husband is "too good" for leftovers. It is a perfect arangement!

[bluetou]

Hey there Cortana mana...I would love your cinnimen bread recipe it sounds tasty!!

I am the QUEEN of almond butter! I LOVE IT!! I even put it on my homemade chicken burgers!!

Do you mind sharing your cinnimen bread recipe! :)

THanks!
Peace
Blue
:pray:

[carole]

I don't know if you have access to a microwave or not so I gave you several suggestions. You can also pack a cold pack for the food that needs refrigeration that opens up more options.

-Dip and Pita chips(lots of dip recipes on this forum)
-celery with cream cheese
-hard boiled eggs and cut-up veggies
-Sandwiches made with Nitrate Free meats. I love this with fruit(of course safe ones)
-Cumcumber sandwich
-Banana sandwich(I love these just cut the banana only just before you eat it)
-Bagel with fried egg and cheese(I make it the night before and just heat in microwave)Can add Nitrate free Bacon if you can tolerate it.
-salad with your favorite toppings and can add chicken
-homemade or can soup without problem ingredients w crakers
-homemade hamburger pattie with fried veggies or you can have a burger(or you can do chicken or turkey burger)
-I am also ok with Nitrate free weiners so I'll have that with cut-up veggies
-I am also ok with Nitrate free Bacon sometimes I'll do bacon and eggs
-I love a Gala apple with mozzerella cheese as a snack(you can use whatever cheese you can tolerate and if you are ok with Gala's if not you could have a pear)
-If you can tolerate Vegenaise(it is found at your local Health Food store I use the Organic gold label one. I have not had any problems) then you can do eggsalad sandwiches,pasta,chicken or potato salad, Deviled eggs and I also use it as salad dressing.
-chicken wings with a homemade sauce(with no problem ingredients) can have this with a salad or garlic bread.
-cold plate as my mom would call it an assortment of cold cuts(Nitrate Free) veggies,cheese,crackers and don't forget your Bubbie's pickle.
-Hummus(without problem ingredients) with crakers,chips or bread

I hope this helped if you want any more ideas just let me know and I'll add more. I just didn't want to write a novel...lol
-

[emeraldjules]

-chicken wings with a homemade sauce(with no problem ingredients) can have this with a salad or garlic bread.
-

So what homemade sauce are you using on chicken wings??? I'm all ears :smile tee

[carole]

Garlic chicken wings. I got the recipe from this site. I added honey to make them honey garlic. They were really good.

Garlic Chicken Wings
1 package Tyson® Fresh Chicken Wings, about 2 lb.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
or 1 tablespoon margarine
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, chopped

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with salt.

Melt butter with olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, turning occasionally, 10 minutes or until browned. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute longer.

Transfer chicken mixture to baking pan. Bake, turning once, 20 to 25 minutes or until done (internal temp 180°F).

[emeraldjules]

Thanks Carole!