Work Lunches

*image

I have the habit of falling into eating ruts where I will eat the same thing over and over again until I'm sick of it. And when I become sick of it, I usually never want to see it ever again until I have a long break from it. That habit on top of me being extremely picky makes it difficult for me to eat lunches daily, especially ones that require time and preparation. Since I work around the corner from my mom some days, I occasionally rely on her to take me out to lunch, but I feel bad doing that every day, so I've been trying to get creative with my lunches as of late to save some cash.

1. Pizza and vegetables

My office has a little kitchen area with a toaster oven, so if we had pizza the night before, I'll heat up a slice or two at work for lunch. I'll also bring a side of vegetables (usually carrots and cucumbers) with ranch dressing to have on the side.

2. Grilled chicken salad

A lot of grocery stores sell precooked grilled chicken that you can eat hot or cold. I like to romaine lettuce, matchstick carrots, sliced cucumbers, and grilled chicken on my salad. I'll add the dressing right before I eat it so the salad doesn't get soggy. It's filling, healthy, and easy to make for a girl who can't cook.

3. Grilled chicken wrap

Along the lines of the salad, the grilled chicken wrap can be made with a tortilla shell, grilled chicken, and whatever vegetables and spread you want to add to it. I buy pre made Southwestern grilled chicken (from Aldi), so I would just put that on the shell with lettuce and call it a day. It has really nice flavor, and again, is very filling.

4. Pepperoni and crackers

I'm not joking when I said that I had this for lunch every day for over a year. I started in the middle of my junior year and continued on until the end of my senior year. I'd have pepperoni and wheat thins, mixed berries, goldfish crackers, and the occasional chocolate chip cookie if my brother had made some during the week and miraculously didn't eat every last one.

5. Panera soups (at Target)

If I'm really desperate to get out of my food rut, I'll splurge a little on the Panera soups that they sell in Target. I'll either get the chicken noodle or macaroni and cheese (#ToDieFor) because they're easy to reheat and are very filling. It's an easy alternative to driving all the way from downtown to the Panera location closest the office and then back again. 

What's your favorite thing to bring to lunch?