Training & Nutrition - LUNCH CHALLENGE: Jersey pockets-no fridge-no nuke

Here's a challenge to get out the best ideas you've had for the commute-to-train season that is fast approaching. Winter is losing its battle with the approaching Spring, and soon each morning will start off with taking the long way to work, turning 5 miles into 30 miles. I am already all set on breakfast/recovery meals. What I need now is a healthy lunch at 11 and late lunch at 3 pm.
Here are the rules:

Must be able to carry it in 2 jersey pockets, since the third already has breakfast in it. No racks, no exceptions.
There is no fridge at the office. The office is air conditioned.
No microwave at the office.


So what healthy lunches can you come up with that meet the above? Stocking items in a filing cabinet is allowed, since there is always one day a week when I must drive to replace clothes or catch a meeting or some such. But no racks, fridge or nuke.

In that case, I'd go out to eat. I suppose you could pack some dried fruits and nuts in your jersey pockets, but for lunch every day? No thanks. Is a backpack off limits too?

Bean burrito your body heat will keep it warm, and itll give you some extra gas for the ride home ;)

Must be able to carry it in 2 jersey pockets, since the third already has breakfast in it. No racks, no exceptions.
There is no fridge at the office. The office is air conditioned.
No microwave at the office.
.

Ahhhhh, the Kobayashi Maru of the cycling lunch world. The only way to beat the Kobayashi Maru is to cheat.....I do, I carry my lunch in one of these every day as I ride up into the mountains on my bike to work.
http://rad.smugmug.com/photos/485204960_2DDdn-S.jpg

Ramen Noodles. Hoping you have a cup at work, and hot water out of the tap works just fine.

Ew
You would almost be better off not eating. Ramen noodles are disgusting with minimal nutritional value.

Unknown DataJunkie. When I was broke and starving, that stuff kept me alive.

Ramen Noodles. Hoping you have a cup at work, and hot water out of the tap works just fine.

Good point: we do have a water cooler with a boiling water tap. Instant soups and such are fair game, provided they meet the other rules. Gotta be healthy though, unlike Ramen. :)

Unknown DataJunkie. When I was broke and starving, that stuff kept me alive.

Same here. Hence the reason I can't stand them.
We would purchase cheap hot dogs and throw them in for meat. Yuck.

Anything that can be vacuum packed can be reheated in hot water, stuffed peppers, tamales, chicken tikka masala, fried rice.

For a cold lunch, veggie wrap.

Ew
You would almost be better off not eating. Ramen noodles are disgusting with minimal nutritional value.


Hey, sodium is an essential nutrient, and ramen has a phenomenal amount of sodium, so it must be healthy, right?

Flavored tuna in single-serve packets.

Um, you guys are too complicated. PBJ is your answer, all day long.

first thing that came to my mind was PB&J, you can't go wrong, throw some fruit in the other pocket and your golden

Pita Pockets - stuff one with lots of veggies and a little bit of oil based dressing and you're good. Stuff another with leftovers from dinner - quinoa and cous-cous are both really good cold, so a left over veggie stirfry mixed in with either of those grains would be another option.

Experiment and see how large a tupperware or glad-ware container you can fit in your jersey - pasta salad, tofu etc become options if you can carry them in a hard sided container. Would a thermos fit in your pocket? If so - soup, stew etc.

There is an organic company (can't remember the name off hand) that makes a reasonably healthy mac and cheese - you could probably make that with the hot tap on your water cooler at work. There are also some 'reasonably' healthy instant soups etc.

+1 for PBJ! With All-Fruit on a really hearty bread -- I love Healthnut :)
A not-too-ripe banana in the other pocket.

This seems like a trick question. :)
You need to plan two meals, adequate for fueling 30 mile days.
Yet fit in a pocket. No cooling or heating available.
There are plenty of solutions with no nutrition.
IMHO, if you want to eat healthy in this scenario, you're screwed.

I'd concentrate on getting microwave / dorm type fridge in your work environment. Then stock up on "real" food from the grocer. No daily carrying. Much less headache. Much healthier.

Wow, there are a lot of great ideas here. Let me run down a little more detail.

Last year was a banana or two in pocket, and in the filing cabinet I had protein powder & fruit juice (apple/berry stuff that keeps warm) for shakes, oatmeal packets, a cereal bowl and spoon, and PB&J fixin's. If I were stranded on an island with only PB&J and some reading material, I'd be good to go for years. But it occurred to me that it might not be a healthy choice to suck down two PBJs a day.

So I'm looking for room temp storage ideas that are healthy.

If it were me and I don't like to starve for lunch it would be some good MRE's (http://www.readymeal.com/) hot meals in 10 min. Video (http://www.readymeal.com/store/pages.php?pageid=2)
Military Surplus (http://theepicenter.com/cgi/order.cgi?page=mre_military_meal_ready_to_eat.html&cart_id=%%cart_id%%)has them cheap Pound Cake good!

If it were me and I don't like to starve for lunch it would be some good MRE's (http://www.readymeal.com/) hot meals in 10 min. Video (http://www.readymeal.com/store/pages.php?pageid=2)
Military Surplus (http://theepicenter.com/cgi/order.cgi?page=mre_military_meal_ready_to_eat.html&cart_id=%%cart_id%%)has them cheap Pound Cake good!

..no such thing.

they keep you alive. that is all.:lol:

Then you haven't had any lately some are not bad :) and if nothing else buy the MRE Chemical Heaters and use them for other things

But it occurred to me that it might not be a healthy choice to suck down two PBJs a day.

So I'm looking for room temp storage ideas that are healthy.

Two PBJs are unhealthy? Compared to what? True, PBJs are high-calorie and high-fat, but they're way better than most prepared foods, and at least they have a good supply of protein and carbs. Especially if you're doing 30 miles a day or more, two sandwiches, at about 450 calories each, aren't much to worry about. (I could get by just fine with one, but I don't ride as much as you do on my commute.)

Is there a reason you can't get co-workers to help with purchase of microwave and small dorm size fridge?

Then you haven't had any lately some are not bad :) and if nothing else buy the MRE Chemical Heaters and use them for other things


"Not Bad" is not that same as "good"

Here are my suggestions.

1. Sandwiches are good. if you like to use different kinds of bread, do so. Potato bread, multi grain bread, whatever. White bread isn't very healthy. Eating 100% wheat bread every day isn't great either because you need some diversity in your diet.
2. If you're gonna eat the food cold, using a tortilla (i.e. flat bread) might be to your liking. Tortillas also take up less space. If you are near a Trader Joe's, they have multi grain tortillas and also spinach tortillas for different taste and a bit of nutrition. Some things that I like to put inside tortillas: white bean dip, or black bean dip, or hummus (i.e. chickpea dip), or sunflower seed butter, or peanut butter. With the hummus or bean dips, bell pepper slices, cherry tomatoes, and spinach are all good additions.
White-flour tortillas are tasty as a sort of dessert if you put jam inside them. :)

Go raw and make salads.

1. Apples, oranges, etc. Will keep just fine. you can fit a couple in your pockets.
2. Veggies: Carrots (Leave the stalks on for the bugs bunny effect). Tomatoes, cucumbers Avocados.
3. Nuts! dense nutrition and tasty.
4. Protein: Foil packs of tuna, deviled ham, SPAM (yes, it comes in foil packs)
5. Raisins, craisins, dates.
6. Go to Sams club and get salad dressing packets.

Bring a knife and make salads of different combinations using the above.

Oh, and you can bring sllices of whole grain bread and mustard packets for spamwiches (yes, I went there)

Tuna was already said, but it is what I would take. They even have it in those pouches now in many different flavors. A pouch is way more comfortable to carry than a can. I would have a few bananas and a powerbar too.

you could take cans of beans or of rice pudding - or ziplocks. ham and cheese sarnies work well, cous cous would be great as well, just add hot water

Anything that will cook in boiling water can be done with a standard lightweight backpacking pot, boiling water (hot water tap) and a pot cozy (http://www.antigravitygear.com/products.php?cat=13). Commercial freeze dried meals work very well with this method. Also, consider various user made 1-pot or 1-bag meals. Freeze dried black beans, veggies, and tuna/chicken/beef (foil pouch version better than the can) can be heated up and then tossed on a burrito shell (along with some spices). Another option: get a vacuum sealer and make up lunches at home that just need to be reheated in hot water.

When we were kids we had a 50 bucks between 4 of us some bread and a jar of peanut butter and went on a 5 day trip to DC from Mi this many yrs ago ! So I vote for PB&J!!!!

I'd make a wrap in some flatbread. You can fit a good amount of chicken or other protein in it and the shape lends itself well to a jersey pocket.

Really thou I like my food so just buy a Stanley lunch box and bunge it on you or the bars and eat :O)))) Or find a job were your allowed to eat like a human .

Go raw and make salads.

1. Apples, oranges, etc. Will keep just fine. you can fit a couple in your pockets.
2. Veggies: Carrots (Leave the stalks on for the bugs bunny effect). Tomatoes, cucumbers Avocados.
3. Nuts! dense nutrition and tasty.
4. Protein: Foil packs of tuna, deviled ham, SPAM (yes, it comes in foil packs)
5. Raisins, craisins, dates.
6. Go to Sams club and get salad dressing packets.

Bring a knife and make salads of different combinations using the above.

Oh, and you can bring sllices of whole grain bread and mustard packets for spamwiches (yes, I went there)

I really like this idea.
But the problem is I don't see how any of these suggestions are going to consistently fuel 30 mile days.

leave a loaf of bread, some PB, and a small thing of Jam (it will keep a few days at room temp) at work. Also you could leave some canned tuna at work. If they have ice at work, get a small insulated lunch bag that could use to keep stuff cool that you carry in...

I really like this idea.
But the problem is I don't see how any of these suggestions are going to consistently fuel 30 mile days.

I fuel 56 mile commuting days on similar foods.
Plus I am pondering going all raw while my pollen allergies are going nutty to see if that helps.

I wouldn't worry about it...you are gonna get laid off soon anyway.

That is amazingly helpful.

I fuel 56 mile commuting days on similar foods.

hmmm... Perhaps I need to re-examine why I have 15 extra pounds.... :)

Keep a tub of peanut butter, loaf of good whole grain bread and honey at work. I find honey superior to jelly in a sandwich with PB. Slice up a banana with it and you have one of the best sandwiches ever.

Does it have lot's of sugar and fat? Yeah, but the PB fat is the good kind and you just rode 30 miles, so who give's a rat's arse about a little sugar and fat?

Beef jerky, raisins, walnuts. Pack them in plastic bags and it takes up very little space.

If you're willing to sacrifice some room, add a piece or more of whole fruit.

Ziplock full of pasta should do it (and feel funny too in your pocket).

I keep these things at my desk (mostly brought in on car days):
PB, whole wheat crackers, pudding (the kind not requiring refridgeration), instant milk, raisins, peanuts, craisins, dried apricots, Health Nut/wheat bread (just enough for the week), apples/oranges/bananas, oatmeal packets, coffee, trail mix (craisins, peanuts, pumpkin+sunflower seeds, cashews), fat-free Fig Newtons, powerbars, cinnamon, black pepper.

On bike days I make PB+banana sandwiches at work, sometimes with craisins or raisins too.

I get to have coffeemaking equip at my desk and my beverage of choice is a cafe latte made with lots of (ugh) nonfat instant milk with some sugar-free flavored syrup added to mask the funny taste. While I do nuke the milk at work, it wouldn't bother me to have it at room temp.

Since I have the microwave I also keep some nukable soups in the desk pantry. I fix the oatmeal up with raisins and cinnamon, great stuff.

My long commute days are 34 miles roundtrip, haven't lost weight yet. :(
Short commute days are 18 miles roundtrip.

Japanese curry in one pocket (the one that comes in the foil pack that you can reheat with hot water) and ziplock bag full of rice in the other. Leave plate and utensils at work.

Wheat Tortilla + Peanut Butter (preferably organic or something like earth balance peanut butter) + honey (or agave syrup) + rolled around a banana = awesomeness.

An excellent high-protein sandwich that travels well is an omelette sandwich. Cook up some potatoes, onions and veg, add some scrambled eggs and cook until firm, then cool completely. You can cut an appropriate-sized bit of omelette to stick between two slices of bread (or in a sliced roll) and store the rest in the fridge for a day or two. I got hooked on these while cycling in Mallorca this spring. You get protein, fibre (if the bread is whole wheat), veg and carbs, it's not at all messy and it's quite filling. If you're going all out, add some cheese.

Don't knock it till you try it! ;)

You can make crappy pb&j sandwiches or you can make healthy ones. Get quality peanutbutter (or almond butter, even better), multigrain bread and good jam with no HFCS.

The pita pocket idea is great idea also. You can stuff it with just about anything.

cliff builders bar and lots of water!

I don't touch the stuff, but no one has mentioned Hummus.

My vote is for quality nut butter and jam and whole fruit. Keep a candy bar in reserve for the ride home if needed.

I know tuna has been mentioned, but you can buy the little packs that are instant tuna salad. It is a single serving can of tuna, some crackers, a small packet of lf mayo and pickle relish. Mix it all up together, add a little black pepper (from the filing cabinet), and you are good to go. Some carbs, some protein, and a little fat.