Hellobee Boards

I usually have leftovers from dinner. When we have more than a serving or two of something leftover, I'll throw some in the freezer so I can mix it up more down the line.

If I don't have any meals ready, I'll do yogurt with cereal mixed in and nuts, or PBJ. I also try to keep a can of soup on hand just in case I forget to bring anything.

My two favorites for lunch are chili and taco salad.

Chili can be made so many different ways and you can always bring a little baggie of tortilla chips, half an avocado or some shredded cheese to jazz it up further. I find chili to be really filling too – I don’t use a lot of meat in mine, but do use a fair amount of beans and tons of veggies.

Taco salad – lettuce in one container and then I heat up meat, black beans, diced jalapenos, onions and black olives. Top with hot sauce and olive oil (kept in a 3rd tiny Tupperware, a handful of chips and half an avocado. I always find this to be more filling that it seems like it should be and it’s a nice balance of protein and good fats and not too many carbs (just a small handful of crushed chips on top is plenty).

Both of these I make on Sunday, pack up into tupperwares on Sunday and then just grab each morning.

There are certain things I try to keep in my desk at all times so I'm not eating out every day.

Soup, microwave popcorn, Larabars, bags of nuts.

If I find a good deal, sometimes I'll also stock a few GoPicnic boxes (they're not cheap, but are still cheaper than eating out)

@madisonbee: Not sure if this counts as quick but i love making a good cesar sandwich. I put in spicy deli meats like chipotle chicken and pastrami and then pile on lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, cesar dressing and white cheddar.

@madisonbee: They're another thing I usually buy on sale or from amazon.

I have celiac, so most things are a little pricey for me. I prefer the taste of Kind bars, but they're not as filling as larabars.

I actually prefer for "desk snacks" to be things that aren't my favorite. If I love them, I'll constantly eat them and go through them really quickly.

If I can tolerate them but they're not my favorite, I'm more likely to save them for when I'm actually hungry and not eat them just because I'm bored and want a snack.

When I was teaching full time I bagged up cut up veggies and fruit on Sundays. I would take those with hummus, string cheese, crackers, nuts, yogurt, trail mix etc for snacky type lunches.

I also did stuff like a big crock pot of chili or soup and freeze in individual portions to take to work.

@madisonbee: a good way to keep it from getting soggy is use the cheese slices and lettuce leaves as a buffer. So the bread doesn't come in contact with anything moist. Then i wrap it in foil and put it in a ziploc. I make mine the night before

This chicken salad from Costco, a couple slices of wheat bread, and some raw veggies are my go to for lunches that are quick to pack.

I'm also a big fan of PB and banana sandwiches.

This time of year I like to make a double or triple batch of soup/stew over the weekend in a large Dutch oven and then heat it up for lunch. I recently bought this cookbook and love it - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1628601078/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sometimes I don't have much on hand but there aren't good food options that close to my office so I'll just pack things like nuts, cheese, hard boiled eggs, carrot slices, olives - stuff that we usually have on hand - works fine in a pinch.

@SLR: these are so good!!

I like those sandwich thin bread rounds. I add some turkey and salami or cheese. I heat it up just a few second sounds to melt the cheese and it's pretty good.

I have been really into salad kits lately... half the bag plus some protein on top is super filling even for this nursing mama.

I also have been making big batches of grain (bulgur wheat/ quinoa/ brown rice) salads with lentils or chickpeas in them and adding some cheese or other fancy toppings. Today I did bulgur, lentils, feta, peas, and mint but I also like it with walnuts and cranberries. I usually add some veggies or fruit on the side.

Oh yeah! I like making avocado toast. An avocado and a hard boiled egg and a slice or two of bread in the purse. We had a toaster at work and I could mash up the avocado and slice up the egg and then put some salt and pepper and hot sauce on it at my desk. Washed down with a hot cup of tea!

I like to buy a couple prepackaged salad kits (kale and asian) from costco and divide them out into individual portions for the week. I usually make shredded chicken in the crock pot/instant pot to add to the salads.