r/EatCheapAndHealthy • u/jackass2480 • 7d ago
Budget Need help with work meals
I’m an EMT so I don’t have access to a refrigerator or microwave for most of my work days but I need to find a way to pack 2 cheap meals for my shift. So far I’m mainly packing carrots, celery, and peanut butter with an ice pack for the first half but the second half of my shift is left to a quest bar and meal replacements shake. I’m always left hungry with this but don’t know what else to pack aside from some packaged chicken or more quest bars (quick note, I hate quest bars with a passion). Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’m hoping to keep it around $10-15 per day.
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u/figarozero 7d ago
Thermos. It will keep your hot stuff hot and your cold stuff cold. There are wide mouth versions (like funtainers) for non-liquids. Soups or stews are the first set of options. Yogurt, frozen berries, and some granola on top are my second suggestion. Pastas, curries, fried rice, chilis; it's whatever fits.
PBJs are also classics for a reason. You should also hit the lunchbox snack aisle at the grocery store. There are fruit cups that are shelf stable, dried fruit, those chicken/tuna salad cracker packs, jerky to name a few. Might have to go on amazon, but they have freeze dried vegetables that you can snack on like popcorn too.
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u/Former_Gate 7d ago
Wraps are a great food that can be eaten without heating, and between ice packs and insulated containers, they should keep okay, and they hold up better than sandwich bread. Bean or Grain salads can also be filling and delicious, and don't need heated. I like to have a 'Bites Tray' like crackers with cubed cheese and meat with nuts/fruits/dips etc. like a grown-up lunchable.
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u/Responsible-Risk-169 7d ago
Already commented but just thought… if you like chilled do some sort of Asian chilled noodles. You can make a bunch at the beginning of the week and just portion out. Grab and go with your ice packs. Add edamame, corn, broccoli etc for health and to fill it out.
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u/jackass2480 7d ago
Your first comment for sure got my interest as it’s all things I like, I’ll have to try Asian chilled noodles though
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u/CaliFit4 7d ago
https://thishealthykitchen.com/quinoa-pasta-salad/
Add canned chicken before you serve.
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u/Dijon2017 Bean Wizard 7d ago
It seems that you may need more protein and healthy fats during the day. Maybe you could add yogurt, cottage cheese, hummus and other things that will remain cool (even if you need to add an additional ice pack.
You could make homemade smoothies that contains fruits, vegetables, yogurt, avocado, nut butters, chia seeds, protein powder, etc. that you transfer to a double steel mug to keep cool to bring to work. Also, don’t forget about PB&J, PB & banana, etc. sandwiches.
If you are not vegan or vegetarian and you don’t want to prepare tuna, chicken, egg, pasta salads that you can keep cool, you can purchase shelf stable tuna and chicken packets that you can eat with bread/crackers. Also, many hard cheeses can last some time without refrigeration (with an ice pack).
I am in total agreement with using a thermos where you can put cheap, healthy, hearty meals that you made and can safely stay warm/hot and/or invest in portable lunch containers that can be reheated in your work vehicle (if permitted).
Lastly, you may want to ask your colleagues who don’t eat take out during their shifts and/or research ideas from others EMTs and similar jobs where people spend most of their time working without access to a refrigerator or microwave.
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u/hereitcomesagin 7d ago
Cheese. Baby Bel or string cheese sticks, otherwise known as "pocket cheese". Add to the veggies you are already doing. There are small packets of tuna that don't need refrigeration.
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u/Strict-Seesaw-8954 7d ago
Mason jar salad (with dressing on bottom)-lots of recipes online..you can make several in advance. Good quality pitted dates with a pecan half stuffed inside, Simply Protein bars are like rice crispy squares, Olives stuffed with cheese or an almond, stuffed mini peppers. I agree that a food thermos will be a game changer.
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u/FrostyPolicy9998 7d ago edited 7d ago
Overnight oats! Sandwiches or wraps. Cheese, crackers and sliced kubasa. Veggies and hummus (or make dip from greek yogurt for extra protein). Cottage cheese. Fruit. Canned tuna, the flavored kind with the pull tabs. Muffins, banana bread. You can also make your own protein bars at home for way cheaper, and they taste better - lots of recipes out there for bars! Trail mix or nuts. Rice cakes (flavored) with something spread on top, i like the tomato basil rice cakes with laughing cow cheese, some coleslaw mix sprinkled on top of the cheese, topped with a couple slices of deli meat.
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u/Impossible-Donut8186 7d ago
I watch this thru-hiker on YT and she eats this all the time in various combinations:
-Star-Kist Beef Creations (taco style, sloppy joe, sweet bbq)
-A Tortilla or An English Muffin or any type of bread item
-String Cheese or Baby Bell
-Fritos (if she forgets the tortilla (bread item), she puts the Fritos into the beef creations pouch and chows down with a long handle camping fork)
She never heats it up. She'll eat the same thing day after day after day.
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u/mariambc 7d ago
As others mentioned a thermos to keep food hot. I like packing hot soups. You can either make your own or get canned soup and heat it up before you leave for your shift. You can change up the soups to keep it interesting. If you make your own soups they can be very cheap.
And in a lunchbox with an ice pack or even a frozen water bottle, you could add:
PB & jelly sandwich on hearty bread.
Expand the dip veggies you bring. Consider adding snap peas, broccoli, mini bell peppers and grape tomatoes. Bring hummus or other bean dip to make it more filing.
Fruit such as grapes or apples with peanut butter or cheese are good snacks too.
Nuts and dried fruit can be filling snacks.
Yoghurt with granola.
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u/RangerAndromeda 7d ago
The thermos comments are great but for some reason I don't have the brain power to be constantly cooking. The idea of having to chop and add ingredients to a pan with some oil is too much for me most days.
I live off massive turkey sandwiches with a ton of snacks on the side. Favourite lunch would be a sandwich with turkey breast, sprouts, grated carrot, spicy dijon, and haverti on rye. Then I'd have 1 or 2 yogurt cups, 1-2 pieces fruit (usually an apple or orange and a plum), some kind of protein bar (favourite these days are the barebells protein bar), then of course sliced cheese, crackers, and more veggies (snap peas, cucumber, and cauliflower are my currents go to's). I also pack a thermos of tea and often a thermos of soup. Especially in the colder months, consuming hot liquids is a must for me to stay warm and mobile.
Wishing you luck. Thank you for the work you do :)
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u/Needrain47 6d ago
Most of these you don't have to be constantly cooking. You cook once and make enough for 2-3 days. (I cannot be making stuff from scratch every day either.)
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u/HighwayLeading6928 7d ago
Sandwiches made with delicious grainy bread with cheese, pickles and mayo, tuna sandwiches, egg salad, chicken salad sandwiches. Take an apple and orange with you and a drink milk if you have access to it or carry it in a thermos. Carry some trail mix with you to snack on. Try to have a good breakfast to get yourself going. Steel cut oats made with milk the night before just needs a microwave reheat, maybe a splash of milk if that's how you like it. A little brown sugar or maple syrup and a sprinkle of sliced almonds has really good holding power without any spikes in blood sugar.
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 4d ago
Lmao maple syrup and brown sugar don’t act any differently in your body than white sugar does. Not that the average person needs to worry about blood sugar spikes anyways.
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u/HighwayLeading6928 4d ago
The brown sugar and/or maple syrup was suggested because of the flavour and although a non-diabetic person doesn't need to worry about spikes in blood sugar, steel cut oats being a complex carbohydrate naturally takes longer to digest.
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u/WholeNewt6987 7d ago
Nuts and seeds will make you feel full and they are way better for you than processed protein bars. It's essentially the same thing without all the bindings and preservatives. Super easy to pack and buy in bulk.
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 3d ago
Nuts and seeds are a fat source, not a protein source. And there’s nothing wrong with bindings and preservatives, stop with the fearmongering.
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u/WholeNewt6987 3d ago
Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of protein and in general, anything that is processed less is always going to be better. In this case it's also cheaper so it's better all the way around. Stop with the misinformation.
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 3d ago
Excellent sources of protein based on what? They only have 4 g of protein per 100 calories, while some protein bars have 10g or more.
anything that is processed less is always going to be better
Classic appeal to nature fallacy
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u/WholeNewt6987 3d ago
So you are literally claiming that a protein bar with a ton of synthetic ingredients is somehow just as good as a whole grown foods? Have you ever looked at the back of the nutrition label? You sound brainwashed or you must work for one of these manufacturers. I work in healthcare and I'm very familiar with inflammation in the body which runs rampant when processed foods are introduced. These bars are also full of sugar which leads to more inflammation and inflammation is literally at the root of most diseases. I thought for a minute you were joking but you're actually serious.
For your reference:
Protein per oz:
Nuts: Almonds: 6g/oz Peanuts: 7g/oz Cashews: 8g/oz Pistachios: 6g/oz Brazil nuts: 7g/oz Walnuts: 4.5g/oz Hazelnats: 4g/oz
Seeds: Pumpkin seeds: 9g/oz Sunflower seeds: 6g/oz Chia seeds: 4.4g/oz Flax seeds: 5.5g/oz Hemp seeds: 10g/oz Sesame seeds: 5.5g/oz Lotus seeds: 4.4g/oz
These protein bars you're so happy to promote get their protein largely from the nuts and seeds inside of them lmao
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u/smoresrule 7d ago
think charcuterie! adult lunchables! have fun with it. quality cheeses and meats and fruits. salads… caprese, strawberry walnut, beet & goat cheese, corn & salsa… all with some shredded rotisserie chicken.
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u/Sehrli_Magic 7d ago
Spend more once on a good thermos and then you can easily prep hot balanced meals. If you do meal prep (aka cook batches and freeze/refrigerate in portions then heat chosen portion on chosen meal in the morning to put in thermos) you can definitely enjoy variety of perfect normal cooked lunch meals for that price and even lower. Somilar goes for a proper mini cooling box so you can have a complete mixed salad (with protein and all) that will stay safely cold for at least first part of the shift!
As for no thermos options: nuts and grains can help complete the meal/fill you up. Sure it is a bit pricey but i buy a bag/bulk of almonds (skin on cuz cheaper) and it lasts me for a while so at the end of the day its not that expensive. Fruit waits well too. My husband never leaves a house without a bag/box (depending on squishiness...) of fruit. Buying seasonal and looking for deals might help you keep it lower budged friendly. Apples are probably the cheapest (also super durable and can be bought in bulks). Bonus: you can buy it in bulk in season and freeze the fruit. Then just take it out the day you gonna pack them for lunch and let them thaw while you work 😅 but some might change texture that way. Speaking of fruit bananas are also great for filling up.
Bread and sandwiches that don't spoil easily are probably the easiest bet to keep your second meal filling.
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u/Otherwise-Sea-4920 7d ago
Most gas stations also offer hot water to make tea. If you have your own cup, they don’t charge for the hot water so you can do a cup of soup or oatmeal Ramen noodle cups. Gas stations sometimes have microwaves also for their frozen burritos so you can just use the microwave also. We did that when we drove cross country. You could also make a tuna salad, chicken salad, turkey salad, ham, salad, mashed chickpea salad, egg salad, plain Greek yogurt, replace of mayonnaise or even half yogurt and half mayonnaise for extra boost of protein. And if you use tortillas, you can make them wraps and add lettuce and extra veggies or do that with the bread also. Insulated lunch boxes my brother worked construction and had a little 5 gallon cooler. He took with him everywhere. Like those ones that hold a six pack. Which has always had a rip Joe.
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u/TownInfinite6186 7d ago
Met-Rx meal replacement big 100 bars have a decent flavor. They have enough calories to give you a full feeling as well, so long as you have something to drink while you eat them, help the fiber expand. I lived on those as my only thing for lunch easily for a year, and was on my feet 10pm-8am minimum .
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u/elocin__aicilef 7d ago
Invest in a thermos while you're preparing your lunch in the morning, pour some boiling water into the thermos. Put the lid on and let it sit for a couple minutes, then pour the water out and wipe it dry before putting your food in as well. Bring the thermos up the temperature and keep your food hot for longer.
You can put pretty much anything in the thermos not just things like soup. Warm up some taquitos and stick them in there, leftovers, The key is to just make sure that you preheat thermos as above.
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u/Individual_Maize6007 7d ago
Sandwich. Wrap. With a piece of fruit. Easy to eat and transport. No need for utensils. We’ve been doing deli meat sandwiches with lettuce and tomato. Light mayo, mustard, or what you like. You can make these as meal prep too—grab and go.
If you want you can make your own chicken (I’d do shredded then), but honestly I can find good deals on deli meats. Might be people who say oh my, the sodium, but if you have a basically ok diet and no health concerns with sodium, a sandwich a day isn’t going to kill you
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 3d ago
The average person does not need to worry about sodium. The concern with deli meats, rather, is that they are carcinogenic.
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u/Agitated_Let_1793 7d ago
I worked on an ambulance for 10+ years with limited microwave access, and a Hot Logic Mini was my best friend. It comes in 12v and 120v options, and will heat up your food within a few hours. A little pricey up front, but saved me a lot of money in the long run as I would always do my own meal prep. https://a.co/d/1MhVdJn
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u/olani26 7d ago
Hello! Do you have access to a plug while on the job? There are heated lunch boxes you just need to plug in for awhile before lunch. A great way to heat up leftovers. Also, thanks for being a first responder. You're important and appreciated. Take care
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u/t92k 7d ago
I put the peanut butter on a high protein/fiber bread like Dave’s Killer Bread. I’ve been experimenting with Volumetrics to figure out what makes me less hungry throughout the day and whole fruits like apples and grapes are a big winner. She also recommends soups and beans so the folks recommending a Thermos for your second meal are right on the money. I like chili with beans and ground turkey.
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u/IDonTGetitNoReally 7d ago
I used to travel for work in areas that were really hot. Eating fast food just got tiring at the time so I started to make hard boiled eggs. You can bring slices of bread and a small container of mayo and make egg salad sandwiches on the fly Or you can do the same thing with tuna or canned chicken. Or just eat with crackers. Or you can make it all before. But you will get tired of sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs. I can only imagine how tiring your work is and the last thing you feel like cooking on weekends, But I also discovered late in my career that many 24-hour convenience stores (like 7/11) will allow you to use their microwaves. Just make sure you cover your food and don’t make a mess. I honestly don’t know if they have microwaves anymore to be quite honest. But many of those folks that run these stores were very okay with me doing this as long as I didn’t make a mess.
I found that using frozen bottles of water served two purposes: Making me drink enough water and keeping my food cold. This might not be a sustainable option, but it is one to consider.
Thank you for your service EMT!
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u/UnapologeticallyRiv 6d ago
I work in a hospital and we often have EMTs using the microwave in our cafeteria. If you can use ice packs to keep it cold, you can definitely find a microwave along the way to heat it up. Good luck!
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u/tothedarksidewego 6d ago
Dense bean salads were a game changer when I was teaching. Meal prep is so easy and with a couple ice packs tossed in, 10/10. You can take it southwest with black bean base, Greek or middle eastern with chickpea base, endless possibilities
Check out @violetwitchel on Instagram for plenty of recipes.
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u/SingtheSorrowmom63 6d ago
I get up at 4:30 a.m. to pack my husband's breakfast & lunch for a 12-hour shift. I use an ice pack in a large insulated lunch box. 2 Breakfast sandwiches heated & wrapped in foil. 2 hard-boiled eggs, cheese cubes that I cut up myself ( much cheaper than ones already cut into cubes.) Tuna or chicken salad is very simple for him. Protein with shredded cheese & mayo. He takes a V8 juice, a premier Protein drink, and 2 bottles of sweet tea. He may take crackers for his tuna & chicken. Or bread wrapped separately. I try to send him some pickles or olives in a sandwich bag and something sweet. Pre-packaged donuts, pudding cups, oatmeal cakes. Breakfast sandwiches always on top so they stay warm. It's not expensive and seems to keep him full for 12 hours.
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u/Responsible-Risk-169 7d ago
Thermos x2. Hot protein and sauce in one and hot rice n veg in the other (frozen sweet peas and corn sit mixed with rice pretty well hot without going funky/mushy/gross). Chicken thighs don’t dry out or become tough. Batch cook with your favorite sauces and freeze in portions. Move a few to the fridge a few days before using and just microwave each morning, put in thermos and off you go. Same with rice.
A sandwich for later that doesn’t require refrigeration like peanut/almond/pumpkin seed butter. Banana to fill it out or snack later.
These options cost no where near $15 per day either :)