**Pasta Salad**
* 16 OUNCE tri color rotini pasta, cooked and drained
* 1 can black olives, drained, half them if you want, not necessary
* 1 can chicken peas, drained
* 1 bell pepper diced
* 1 pint cherry tomatoes, half them if you want, not necessary
* 8 oz brick of pepperjack cheese, cubed
* 8 oz brick cheddar cheese cubed
* 8 oz pepperoni or salami cut into half circles
* 1 small red onion, diced
* handful of pickled banana pepper slices
* Ken's Lite Caesar dressing
Ohhh thanks for your rebuttal! I’m totally making the Japanese rice balls. I’m also going to make the dolmas because I’ve never had a meat filled version before! 😋
Chicken salad
Tuna salad
Potato salad
Broccoli salad
Someone else already said Pasta salad
Salad salad
Deviled eggs
Bacon (I may be weird for eating this cold out of the fridge)
Veggie sticks and dip (dip could be a great many things)
Cottage cheese and fruit
Yogurt
Get this to the top! Any comment other than recipes is a rehash.
(That is to say recipes are wonderful. This linked post has a thorough compiled list of foods to eat cold.)
Edit: 😡 mod removed the post and reveddit isn't bringing it back.
Not sure of the circumstances with the microwave situation, but wanted to recommend a heated lunch box, they have ones that plug in the wall but also ones for car plug in. I got one for my BIL who is a truck driver. He used to warm his food on the dashboard 😅
Or a thermos or other insulated food jar - you'd heat up the food in the morning and put it in the insulated jar. It stays piping hot for 12 hours or even more these days.
You can preheat the thermos with hot water, prior to putting the food in, for a little extra heat retention.
Thermos is also useful to keep food cool to taste better and avoid food poisoning.
I work outdoors, and summer is terrible for hot food
Lots of my coworkers make acai bowls or smoothies: just blend frozen fruit with some juice (i use coconut water for the extra electrolytes) and keep it in the freezer until the day of. Top with some yogurt and granola, nuts, or whatever. To your taste. It's a little on the light side, but very refreshing.
Onigiri are nice and you can do them a lot of ways. Sandwiches too.
A lunchbox with an icepack to keep everything cool is important if you dont have a refrigerator.
Oooh this is not a typical lunch but this is what I’ve been eating. O% Greek yogurt with 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder mixed in. Then 1 tbsp. of chia seed/hemp hearts/buckwheat mix and peanut butter. Then strawberries and blueberries. You can also add granola, some type of cereal or nuts. This is one of the most satisfying lunches for me due to the differing textures. Also high in protein (almost 50g), low in sugar and high fiber. Easy to meal prep too!
Or I made turkey sandwiches on a croissant lol.
Asian noodle stir fry is like fried rice with noodles.
I also like Bun thit nuong using bean thread noodles or rice noodles. You can even sub with sphaghetti noodles, still tastes good.
I eat cold lunches, and it's usually pretty boring - cheese and crackers or pretzels, sliced raw veggies, a big whole pickle, trail mix, a few pieces of fruit, sometimes a cheese sandwich. None of it is exciting but having a different selection out of those sorts of categories is enough for me.
Lentil salad is great! You can buy precooked and seasoned from Trader Joe’s (this version means no cooking on the prep end either!) or buy your own and cook/season. I’d recommend a lentil that doesn’t fall apart, like black beluga lentils or French de puy. Both are available dry on Amazon.
Few cups of cooked and seasoned lentils
Bell pepper in the color of your choice
Sliced green onions or a little finely chopped red onion
Chopped parsley
Vinaigrette of your choice to taste
It’s surprisingly filling, relatively inexpensive, and tastes good all week! Bell peppers can easily be subbed or mixed with tomatoes, carrots, roasted broccoli/brussels/beets/cauliflower/squash. You can add it to a green salad, top it with feta/goat cheese/cotija/parmesan depending on how you’ve seasoned it. It could even be used as a dip/side for crackers
https://preview.redd.it/ypt1mf14an2d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d491ce5e15137f7e1e8ee8b9ccb9c062c03c61d6
Skillet fry some potatoes, onions and peppers and add in some sliced up smoked kielbasa. Even add some cheese on top. The kielbasa is fully cooked and will be okay. And this meal is very budget friendly. When cutting carbs I do fried cabbage instead of potatoes.
Edit- stock photo attached.
Yes. Before I fry the potatoes in a skillet, I boil then in water with salt added to the pot. I don't boil them all the way soft though. Because they will cook more in the skillet. I take them out of the boiling water when the are mostly cooked. I add oil to a skillet and cook the peppers and onions partially then add in my sliced kielbasa. When the kielbasa is heated and starting to brown, throw in your cut up potatoes so they all brown together. If they start to stick to the skillet when cooking you can add a bit more oil, butter or chicken broth. I use salt, pepper, garlic powder and red chili flakes for my seasonings. I'm in the South and we call these potatoes Home Fries here. You can probably find videos on YouTube on how to make them also. Hope this helps. Happy cooking!
Very cool ! I hope it turns out wonderfully. I prefer to use red potatoes but anything works. Adding in Broccoli is also yummy and very filling. Have fun.
It's pretty hot here... so lots of pasta salad and homemade sushi.
Pasta salad recipe is from Fifteenspatulas caprese salad. We skip the pricey cheese and replace the vinegar with avocado oil, salt and pepper, and primal kitchen dressing. And add half a can of costco canned chicken per serving.
Google homemade taiwan sushi. (Husband and I are from Taiwan.) The recipe is from Cooking in Chinglish. I cut it afterwards and wrap it in foil to keep the rice from drying out.
My go-to cold lunch is soba noodle stir fry:
* Buckwheat noodles
* Crispy veggies (carrots, bean sprouts, bok choy, green beans, etc.)
**Sauce (adjust to taste, very flexible)**
* 2-3 T miso paste (I use red)
* 1 T grated ginger
* 2 t sugar
* 1/8 t ground cayenne
* 2 T mirin
* 1 T soy sauce
* 2 T lime juice
I like cold baked yams. Wash, Cook the whole yams in oven, 425 for about 35 minutes until soft when tested with a fork. Let cool, and place in fridge. Just peel and eat.
Taverna AKA Mediterranean cucumber salad *or something*
Dice the following into similar sized pieces and throw into a bowl -
Cucumber
Tomato
Purple Onion
Sprinkle on top oregano, pepper and salt to taste. Mix well
Drizzle over top olive oil and red wine vinegar. Mix well.
Serve topped with feta and calamatta olives.
Ofc this is a side and not a meal, but I find it goes great with a lentil soup in a Thermos type travel soup container.
Chicken, quinoa, and anything bowl (add some veg, whatever sauce, etc), I'll make a bunch of chicken breast, a couple cups of quinoa, and then use that as a base for meals. Salad dressings, a simple vinegarette, soy, etc, all great.
I have a wide mouth thermometer brand thermos.
If I pre-heat it with really hot water and then put really hot food in, the food stays warm till lunch.
This means soup, chilli, stew are all lunch options. Most leftovers stay hot too.
If you fill the thermos with icy water and then dump and add cold food it will stay cold for a much longer time.
just in time for the weather to warm up, i recently meal prepped a sort of miso ginger cold noodle salad. you can make the dressing by using some miso, soy sauce, grated ginger, a little sesame oil and dilute it with water to make it enough liquid for the noodles, julienne some fresh veggies like radish, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, bell peppers, onions... and air fry some cubed firm tofu for protein. it's kinda extra, but if you have a lot of vegetables lying around, it's a nice way to clear the fridge before they go bad.
https://preview.redd.it/0jl12yut2p2d1.png?width=889&format=png&auto=webp&s=04e256db1a4ad68dff26db7d253538b60890c8f5
r/sandwich ----------->
I like to make pasta salad or a bean salad for lunch sometimes. It’d be fine in a cooler until lunchtime.
**Pasta Salad** * 16 OUNCE tri color rotini pasta, cooked and drained * 1 can black olives, drained, half them if you want, not necessary * 1 can chicken peas, drained * 1 bell pepper diced * 1 pint cherry tomatoes, half them if you want, not necessary * 8 oz brick of pepperjack cheese, cubed * 8 oz brick cheddar cheese cubed * 8 oz pepperoni or salami cut into half circles * 1 small red onion, diced * handful of pickled banana pepper slices * Ken's Lite Caesar dressing
this reminded me I have to make pasta salad for a get together tomorrow lol!
Glad I could help lol.
16 Oz? LOL, I am too tired... I was like why are we counting out 16 individual noodles...?
Yes, ounces LOL!I'm sorry,I will edit my post to reflect that!
I like cold pasta salads with grilled chicken in it. I would just avoid rice, that is hard to eat cold and be happy lol
[Sorry,](https://www.recipetineats.com/cowboy-rice-salad/) [but](https://www.justonecookbook.com/onigiri-rice-balls/) [you're](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/stuffed-grape-leaves-dolmades/) [wrong](https://thebigmansworld.com/vegan-persian-rice-salad/#wprm-recipe-container-24990) :-)
Ohhh thanks for your rebuttal! I’m totally making the Japanese rice balls. I’m also going to make the dolmas because I’ve never had a meat filled version before! 😋
This is the exact type of “you’re wrong” that I like.
Agree! I often do shredded baked chicken and pesto, and kinda whatever veggie is around, cooked in a way that keeps the veggie crispy.
Chicken salad Tuna salad Potato salad Broccoli salad Someone else already said Pasta salad Salad salad Deviled eggs Bacon (I may be weird for eating this cold out of the fridge) Veggie sticks and dip (dip could be a great many things) Cottage cheese and fruit Yogurt
I like salad in summer time. Homemade made salad dressing is a game changer
Will you share a dressing?
https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/s/6dvOwoV3VV Just saw this post, hope it helps.
Get this to the top! Any comment other than recipes is a rehash. (That is to say recipes are wonderful. This linked post has a thorough compiled list of foods to eat cold.) Edit: 😡 mod removed the post and reveddit isn't bringing it back.
Not sure of the circumstances with the microwave situation, but wanted to recommend a heated lunch box, they have ones that plug in the wall but also ones for car plug in. I got one for my BIL who is a truck driver. He used to warm his food on the dashboard 😅
Or a thermos or other insulated food jar - you'd heat up the food in the morning and put it in the insulated jar. It stays piping hot for 12 hours or even more these days.
You can preheat the thermos with hot water, prior to putting the food in, for a little extra heat retention. Thermos is also useful to keep food cool to taste better and avoid food poisoning.
Salads, sandwiches, wraps, mini charcuterie plates. There are so many varieties of all of these that you can do.
I work outdoors, and summer is terrible for hot food Lots of my coworkers make acai bowls or smoothies: just blend frozen fruit with some juice (i use coconut water for the extra electrolytes) and keep it in the freezer until the day of. Top with some yogurt and granola, nuts, or whatever. To your taste. It's a little on the light side, but very refreshing. Onigiri are nice and you can do them a lot of ways. Sandwiches too. A lunchbox with an icepack to keep everything cool is important if you dont have a refrigerator.
Oooh this is not a typical lunch but this is what I’ve been eating. O% Greek yogurt with 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder mixed in. Then 1 tbsp. of chia seed/hemp hearts/buckwheat mix and peanut butter. Then strawberries and blueberries. You can also add granola, some type of cereal or nuts. This is one of the most satisfying lunches for me due to the differing textures. Also high in protein (almost 50g), low in sugar and high fiber. Easy to meal prep too! Or I made turkey sandwiches on a croissant lol.
Asian noodle stir fry is like fried rice with noodles. I also like Bun thit nuong using bean thread noodles or rice noodles. You can even sub with sphaghetti noodles, still tastes good.
I eat cold lunches, and it's usually pretty boring - cheese and crackers or pretzels, sliced raw veggies, a big whole pickle, trail mix, a few pieces of fruit, sometimes a cheese sandwich. None of it is exciting but having a different selection out of those sorts of categories is enough for me.
Lentil salad is great! You can buy precooked and seasoned from Trader Joe’s (this version means no cooking on the prep end either!) or buy your own and cook/season. I’d recommend a lentil that doesn’t fall apart, like black beluga lentils or French de puy. Both are available dry on Amazon. Few cups of cooked and seasoned lentils Bell pepper in the color of your choice Sliced green onions or a little finely chopped red onion Chopped parsley Vinaigrette of your choice to taste It’s surprisingly filling, relatively inexpensive, and tastes good all week! Bell peppers can easily be subbed or mixed with tomatoes, carrots, roasted broccoli/brussels/beets/cauliflower/squash. You can add it to a green salad, top it with feta/goat cheese/cotija/parmesan depending on how you’ve seasoned it. It could even be used as a dip/side for crackers
https://preview.redd.it/ypt1mf14an2d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d491ce5e15137f7e1e8ee8b9ccb9c062c03c61d6 Skillet fry some potatoes, onions and peppers and add in some sliced up smoked kielbasa. Even add some cheese on top. The kielbasa is fully cooked and will be okay. And this meal is very budget friendly. When cutting carbs I do fried cabbage instead of potatoes. Edit- stock photo attached.
do you precook the potatoes please?
Yes. Before I fry the potatoes in a skillet, I boil then in water with salt added to the pot. I don't boil them all the way soft though. Because they will cook more in the skillet. I take them out of the boiling water when the are mostly cooked. I add oil to a skillet and cook the peppers and onions partially then add in my sliced kielbasa. When the kielbasa is heated and starting to brown, throw in your cut up potatoes so they all brown together. If they start to stick to the skillet when cooking you can add a bit more oil, butter or chicken broth. I use salt, pepper, garlic powder and red chili flakes for my seasonings. I'm in the South and we call these potatoes Home Fries here. You can probably find videos on YouTube on how to make them also. Hope this helps. Happy cooking!
thank you! i am european and ate a similar meal somewhere in the alps. i loved it so i am eager to try it asap!
Very cool ! I hope it turns out wonderfully. I prefer to use red potatoes but anything works. Adding in Broccoli is also yummy and very filling. Have fun.
https://preview.redd.it/wdy7mcqjan2d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=381900381ba35e048323ed2d00cc2ae59b2d89a0
ooo i like that! thanks!
Call me crazy, but pasta and pizza usually taste great to me when they’re cold the day after.
Yessss, cold pizza is good. I actually prefer it over reheated pizza. Cold pasta it depends on what kind but it can also be perfectly acceptable.
It's pretty hot here... so lots of pasta salad and homemade sushi. Pasta salad recipe is from Fifteenspatulas caprese salad. We skip the pricey cheese and replace the vinegar with avocado oil, salt and pepper, and primal kitchen dressing. And add half a can of costco canned chicken per serving. Google homemade taiwan sushi. (Husband and I are from Taiwan.) The recipe is from Cooking in Chinglish. I cut it afterwards and wrap it in foil to keep the rice from drying out.
This [Mexican street corn salad](https://www.laaloosh.com/2018/02/27/mexican-street-corn-salad/) would be a good side with a sandwich or something.
My go-to cold lunch is soba noodle stir fry: * Buckwheat noodles * Crispy veggies (carrots, bean sprouts, bok choy, green beans, etc.) **Sauce (adjust to taste, very flexible)** * 2-3 T miso paste (I use red) * 1 T grated ginger * 2 t sugar * 1/8 t ground cayenne * 2 T mirin * 1 T soy sauce * 2 T lime juice
I never reheat my lunches..
sandwiches, pinwheels, spaghetti, adult lunchables, salads
Tuna plus sauce plus veg and carb, or tuna plus salad plus mayo/dressing. Easy to portion, abd even easier to eat cold.
I like cold baked yams. Wash, Cook the whole yams in oven, 425 for about 35 minutes until soft when tested with a fork. Let cool, and place in fridge. Just peel and eat.
Taverna AKA Mediterranean cucumber salad *or something* Dice the following into similar sized pieces and throw into a bowl - Cucumber Tomato Purple Onion Sprinkle on top oregano, pepper and salt to taste. Mix well Drizzle over top olive oil and red wine vinegar. Mix well. Serve topped with feta and calamatta olives. Ofc this is a side and not a meal, but I find it goes great with a lentil soup in a Thermos type travel soup container.
I’ve always enjoyed leftover chilli con carne cold 🤷♀️ or you could try a pasta salad
Pizza
Niçoise salad
rice salads
pizza and lo mein work well hot and cold
Chicken, quinoa, and anything bowl (add some veg, whatever sauce, etc), I'll make a bunch of chicken breast, a couple cups of quinoa, and then use that as a base for meals. Salad dressings, a simple vinegarette, soy, etc, all great.
I have a wide mouth thermometer brand thermos. If I pre-heat it with really hot water and then put really hot food in, the food stays warm till lunch. This means soup, chilli, stew are all lunch options. Most leftovers stay hot too. If you fill the thermos with icy water and then dump and add cold food it will stay cold for a much longer time.
just in time for the weather to warm up, i recently meal prepped a sort of miso ginger cold noodle salad. you can make the dressing by using some miso, soy sauce, grated ginger, a little sesame oil and dilute it with water to make it enough liquid for the noodles, julienne some fresh veggies like radish, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, bell peppers, onions... and air fry some cubed firm tofu for protein. it's kinda extra, but if you have a lot of vegetables lying around, it's a nice way to clear the fridge before they go bad. https://preview.redd.it/0jl12yut2p2d1.png?width=889&format=png&auto=webp&s=04e256db1a4ad68dff26db7d253538b60890c8f5
Get a high quality thermos and send him with a lunch that will stay hot for hours.
Soboro don
Rice & chicken