A friend of mine sent me a link to instructions on how to make the cutest lunch bag, the Back-to-School Lunch bag at the Purl Bee. I’m not going to be making it, because I already have two lunch bags: one I bought about 15 years ago and another one that I picked up off a ‘free to good home’ pile the last time I was visiting my mom in Seattle. But I liked the pattern, and I thought it would be right up you guys’ frugal alley!
The pattern also got me thinking about lunches. Usually I take leftovers; I always try to cook enough for dinner so that both my husband and I have something to eat the next day at lunchtime. Other times I make a sandwich (PB&J, ham & cheese) and take some yogurt- nothing very exciting, I’m afraid!
So help me out with some ideas- what are your favorite things to take for lunch?
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{ 11 comments }
This venture has gotten harder for me since I decided to lose weight. I used to take whatever leftovers we had and maybe whatever was in our snack drawer but now I need to pay a lot more attention. Because I want to be eating *something* I end up cutting up vegetables for snacking in the afternoon and taking a lot of vegetable soups. My favorite is cut up cucumber with salt. I find that if I have a lot of variety in my lunch I feel like it’s a much more decadent meal.
.-= Amber´s last blog ..Oyster Bay Alley =-.
Ooh I love frugal lunches!
Right now I'm having a salad of chickpeas, sprouts, tomato, cucumber served with a small slice of homemade pizza! Yummy!
.-= Frugal Trenches´s last blog ..A Giveaway! =-.
I like to jazz up my sandwiches to provide variety. Add different veggies like cucumber or bell pepper strips. Use creative spreads instead of mayo, like hummus or mashed avocado. Choose a tortilla, bagel, or lavash for your bread. I agree with Amber that variety is key to making a packed lunch seem exciting!
I pack lunches daily for 3 out of 4 of us. It is possible to get in a rut if you don't make an effort to keep it exciting. Usually we take leftovers or sandwiches. Rather than a sandwich, sometimes I mix it up and make wraps — tortillas, fave meat & cheese, shredded lettuce and veggies with a dressing. I've also used flavored cream cheese spreads in lieu of dressings. Hummus with pita bread. Tuna salad over a bed of pasta. Leftover taco meat works great with pasta too, add salsa and sour cream for dressing.
.-= Nancy´s last blog ..A Day at the Movies =-.
My husband recently changed shops at his job, so he now has no access to a microwave. We used to do the leftovers thing, but can't do that anymore. I tend to like to change up the breads I use for his sandwiches. I also change up the ususal tuna sandwich by mixing the tuna with italian dressing and providing him with a sliced hard boiled egg and some leafy greens to add. Kind of like a nicoise (is that spelled right?) salad but on a sandwich. Yum!
.-= Amiyrah´s last blog ..Quotable Wednesday =-.
My new favorite thing is a fish taco. I broil up some tilapia the night before and put it in a wrap w/ spinach and peach salsa. Simple and delicious!
.-= Amy Reads Good Books´s last blog ..I’m So Happy for You =-.
I’m with Nancy – hummus and pita bread! It’s filling and nutritious, and you can dress the hummus up in a number of ways. It doesn’t get yucky out of the fridge, and it’s easy to eat without dripping it all over your clothes. Plus you don’t have to worry about it getting cold if you’re eating at your desk and get distracted.
.-= Debra´s last blog ..See, mom? Video games ARE good for me! =-.
Love the lunch bags! I so want to make them, i’m just waiting for the perfect not expensive fabric
.-= Imene´s last blog ..Gratitude sunday =-.
Man! This post brings me back to my childhood, and my Mom caring enough to pack my lunches for me. It was usually a CapriSun, a salami and butter sandwich, a ziplock bag of potato chips, and sliced Granny Smith green apples! 🙂
.-= mike@401krollover´s last blog ..Great Stock Market Crashes | The Dot-Com Bubble =-.
When there aren’t leftovers for me to take for lunch, I like to buy it just down the road from work – at the supermarket! For less than $2 Australian (about $1.50 US), I can fill up on fresh fruit & veg. Normally 3-4 pieces are enough; take your pick of apples, bananas, tomatoes, carrots, oranges, celery, or whatever you like. Sometimes I buy a cheap loaf of bread, too, which costs $1 and lasts several days.
My favorite frugal lunch is noodles from the chinese supermarket and tofu (about $1 Australia), or i have toast and baked beans, or the absolute favourite is soup and bread.