Lunchbox Looky-loos

I think a lot of us have found that taking a lunch saves us from the perils of the cafeteria, both bad food and bad choices. Yesterday was a good proof of that for me.  For this last stretch of work, on the days I took my lunch to work I was able to get in my fruits and vegetables and eat good sources of protein while the one day, yesterday, I didn't pack a lunch and ended up with a ham sandwich. Not that that part was bad but a croissant? Why didn't my mouth say "wheat bread, please"?  Instead I said "mayo, yes please.". Grrrrr...  And then I had macaroni and cheese on top of it. Grrrr...

But on the other days I'm glad to say this is what I ate:

Chicken Finger wrap, bing cherries, sharp cheddar cheese, cucumber sticks, baby carrots.

The wrap looked like this:

Looks like fish sticks, doesn't it? It's chicken fingers. I didn't like using the ones with breading but I was in a hurry and I'd run out of breadless tenders. Next time I'll put the tomato and lettuce in separte baggie and put it together at work.  The tomatoes made it a little soggy but other than that it was good.  From bottom up, the layers are:  light cream cheese, Harry & David onion pepper chutney, lettuce, cherry tomatoes halved, and chicken fingers.

Small tuna, sharp cheddar, melba toast, raisins, zuchini sticks.

Comments

[Steamy Kitchen]

you are so good at bento! I make such a mess - make too much food and when I try to cram it all in....not so pretty.

[Butta Buns]

That definatly puts the Lean Cuisine and apple I brought in to shame.

[MyKitchenInHalfCups]

All that just came right out of your mouth with no promting from you . . . right! Funny but it's a beautiful lunch you've make.

[Mehgan]

That's so creative! I love that you use a bento box, it's the adult version of my Hello Kitty lunch pail I had when growing up. I NEED to get one now! These days, all I use is Gladware and a plastic shopping bag (bad, I know). Where'd you get yours?

[Alisha]

Hey, I recognize those chicken fries... :-)

Love the lunches you've come up with. That's one of the hardest meals of the day for me -- maybe if I start packing them I'll get better about eating healthy instead of waiting until I'm so hungry I'm dizzy then I don't care what I eat.

[Mehgan]

LOL, nevermind G, I found where you got yours. I'm so getting one! It's on my "Mehgan's Wish List of Kitchen Gadgets" now.

[Glenna]

Ebay?

[Mehgan]

Oh, no I just looked at your previous posts where you mentioned that you got it on eBay. I need one that's around 700ml, and a lot of the sellers don't give measurements in volume, just height x width x length. I'm going to keep looking though.

[Glenna]

I'm trying to imagine that much by imagining 60 ml syringes lined up...hee...I think that's bigger than mine. My lunch box is from ebay from a seller named Tokyo Gift. It was a great transaction; I'd buy from them again. But my lunchbox is small. It seems smaller than it is. BUT when I really measured it, it comes out to a total of about 2 1/2 cups, about the size on a generously spooned up dinner plate. So for me that's perfect. To be honest, I rarely finish everything in it so it's more than plenty for me. It's deceptively filling when I'm eating the right foods, if you know what I mean.

[sher]

I LOVE chicken wraps!

[Glenna]

Sher--LOL! Me too. So easy and not as heavy as a regular sandwich.

[Glenna]

Alisha--You cracked me up! Yep, you recognized them, all right! You're funny . Seriously, I really do eat better when I take my lunch. I know that what's in that little bag is all there is for the time I'm there and that way I never even go into the cafeteria.

[Glenna]

Jaden, Yeah, yeah! LOL! I try to cram it in too. That's what kitchen towels are for! Hee.

BB--Actually my friend Ashley ate a Lean Cuisine pizza next to me and it smelled really good.

Tanna--exactly. I have no excuses.

[Muffin]

I need to get a bento box. I love seeing all these cute little lunches! And sure, I usually come home to eat, but with a cute little lunch like this, I'd gladly take my lunch to a park and show it off! hehehe..

[Muffin]

I need to get a bento box. I love seeing all these cute little lunches! And sure, I usually come home to eat, but with a cute little lunch like this, I'd gladly take my lunch to a park and show it off! hehehe..

[Muffin]

I need to get a bento box. I love seeing all these cute little lunches! And sure, I usually come home to eat, but with a cute little lunch like this, I'd gladly take my lunch to a park and show it off! hehehe..

[Glenna]

Andrea--I think that's a great idea! It's so fun to go to the park and even though plastic Glad bowls are practical, there's something romantic (in the big sense) of having your own big girl lunch box. I think that's winner of an idea.

[almost vegetarian]

What wonderful ideas ... and so much more attractive than the yawn, sigh, been-there-done-that sandwich. I have ideas ...

Cheers!

[Glenna]

AV--Thanks so much! Yeah, I don't like boring lunches either. Yawn.

[Lisa]

Nice lunches! I hear you, about the cafeteria at work. Actually, we have a lot of good choices, but often I find myself going for the mac and cheese with a side of potato salad! I try to make one big thing to take every day for lunch, on the weekend. Sometimes that works, other times . . . it's a crap shoot!

[Meeta]

I love this idea. It looks so organized. Fantastic!

[Glenna]

Lisa--Yes! I see you've been eating off my plate! Add a baked potato with tons of butter and sour cream to that and you have the rounded out all potato/pasta meal!

Meeting--Thanks so much!

[Jill]

Hi Glenna,

Where do you find the chicken fingers? I don't think I've seen them anywhere, but I was probably looking at the "sinful" food rather than the healthy yummies that you find.

I love getting updates to your blog. Everything looks so gorgeous! Makes me ashamed of the junk I eat each day.

Jill
jslack@rameypricecutter.com

[Alisha]

Glenna, I wanted to point you to another blog I read: http://www.lunchinabox.net/ She packs 2 bento lunches almost every day (a preschooler and an adult) and shows them. I love looking at what she comes up with and keep hoping it'll inspire me. (So far, not yet but maybe once school starts up again).

[Glenna]

Jill-- Chicken fingers...you wanna tell her, Alisha? Just kidding. Alisha and I talk Schwan's all the time. We get them off the big yellow trucks. I will defend Schwan's to the last breath. They really have good products even if they are expensive. Gene uses those for sandwiches all the time.

Thanks so much for the compliment. I really appreciate it. I wish I could inspire myself to eat less junk. We were so busy all I ate tonight was 2 jalapeno poppers on a napkin as I ran by the cafeteria. My nice lunch sat in the fridge all night long. busy night. It's too easy to grab whatever's handy.

Alisha--I alreayd go there alot. I like what she does too!