I apologize if this has already been done before, but I was merely curious:

What do each of you eat for lunch during the days you commute?

Do you pack lunches?

Are there any types of food you feel you must have/must avoid?

What methods of packing/transport do you use, if you pack a meal at all?

I myself typically use a Mr Bento and bring some basics with me...boiled eggs, small salad, carrots, small bowl of soup...perhaps even a few sweets, as well.

So, how about it, fellow commuters? What's your food for the road?

My commute it generally less than an hour, so there's no need to eat on the bike. I eat breakfast when i wake up, which is a good hour before I hop on the bike. I do like a good shot of caffeine before I ride.

Sorry, I meant to ask what it is you bring for lunch/break on workdays. I've edited my post to clarify. I also take a good shot of caffeine with me (thermos in one bottle cage; water in the other).

Breakfast before a ride. Lunch in the office. Dinner after I get home.

Lunch is usually a sandwich (home made bread), plus a couple of pieces of fruit, plus yogurt (with home made jam) plus something sweet like dried fruit or cookies. The problem is that I usually eat it well before noon, so my stomach is grumbling madly by the time I start my ride home at 530 or 6.

But then it's only 2.5 miles each way. I can do that on an empty stomach.

I fitted a rubbermaid container on my rear rack so I can bring my regular lunch box and daily newspaper. I eat the leftovers. there's the container.

I bring a regular lunch in a "cooler bag" and toss it in my pannier. I have a longer ride so I eat a decent amount during the day. Its usually a mix of protein, carbs, water and yes sweets. Today I have a couple small PBJ's, a ham sandwich, fig newtons, a granola bar and banana. Yesterday included a nice boiled chicken breast. Some days are healthier than others, LOL. I may not eat it all, but at least I have it so I don't bonk after a long day at work.

The only thing I avoid is something too salty or too large in size.

I do try and spread out eating my lunch throughout the day. Riding 11 miles home late at night on an empty stomach kind of stinks. I generally pack a sandwich, a V8, some sort of snack (chips, crackers, pickle etc) and a salad. Probably once a week I eat out for lunch. I also like weak green tea in my water bottle.

Nice setup! I must admit, I'm mildly disappointed to find out you don't ride the lawnmower in your avatar. ;-)

I pack my clothes, lunch and laptop in a Chrome messenger bag on my back. I have a huge storage ziploc bag of oatmeal at work and a bag of coffee grounds (I bring these in about once a month or so, its my heavy bag day ). When I bike in, I make a green drink w/ice and put it in my polar bottle then bottle cage. On my back, for food, I bring a small bag of almonds, cottage cheese in a frozen tupperware cup, greek yogurt plain, apple and a banana. I just snack all day on those items and drink my green stuff around noon.

Don't you see that The pic was taken in the middle of winter?
I'll try to fit a snowblower for next year

Down here in the Southeastern US, some of us don't even recognize the stuff; fewer still might even think you ride to work amid mountains of cocaine.

Nice! Healthy, and spaced out over the course of your day, good portion-control! This makes me think I should bring more healthy snack-type foods along, like some yogurt-covered almonds or some cheese(s).

I dont find that I need to eat anything special or anything high caloric/carbs for weekly communting unless I ride longer distances on the weekends. When I do that, I need to usually eat more protein in the begining of the week to recover the legs a bit. I think it depends on your commute and how far you have. I have 22 miles RT with only a few slight hills and a lot of wind.

I do, however, try to stay away from foods that might make my stomach upset.

Southerners! Huh! ... and I thought their hair is blonde because of sun bleaching!

We cook 6 days/week and usually cook 4-6 portions. We eat two and store the other 2-4 in the freezer. We take two portions every day to work. We usually eat the remaining portions when we travel.

We love the standard IKEA 365+ containers as they're cheap, never wear out and tightly seal.

We probably have 12 or so of these:

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90066713/



quick cooking includes (usually with some german sparking wine):

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with fresh smoked meat from butcher and parma from Italy
Lax and Haricot verts.
Indian curry
Thai curry

Lecsó

We've been cooking a huge amount recently with a tajine which is great for veggies

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajine

Soups:

meat soup
goulash souppe with tarhonya
goulash with bones

haven't had a problem with spilling at all, especially if frozen (i just leave it on the radiator through the day and it thaws and makes the office smell nice and my colleagues jealous).

I can't ride 16km (40-45min) after a breakfast so I have a banana and protein shake when I arrive. The first few days, until my body adapts, I am burning-in-the-stomach starving when I arrive but it goes away. Because I also ride the same route home or longer if I'm training for something or heading out to camp, I don't skimp on lunch, at least not on quantity, I always want a healthy lunch. Rarely soup (a leaky container, even if into a ziplock that protects my clothes, is an annoyance), often leftovers from the previous supper (I try to make extra but with teenage boys, 2x the meal is not always enough). I prefer hot lunches, even in the summer. Sometimes, I'll make a family-sized meal later in the evening and take it all for multiple lunches (obviously, I don't mind the same lunch over multiple days). I have a great workplayce, oops, Freudian slip, workplace: a change room with a shower and lockers, an indoor bike enclosure, large lunchroom with 2 fridges, 2 microwaves, toaster oven, double sink but, on the other hand, they expect me to work for my wages, almost perfect!

i actually just bought a pizza oven when in Italy last week

https://www.amazon.de/G3Ferrari-1XP20...rds=pizza+ofen

however, i never have any leftovers

it's super heavy because of the solid stone that the pizza cooks on

We have a zillion small plastic containers at home and I'll put the entree in one of those, whether it's a sandwich or leftovers. That goes in my backpack along with a more durable fruit item like an apple, orange, clementine, etc.

There's a grocery store near work and we have a couple of fridges in the break room so I don't transport veggies or snacks. I used to eat more soup but for whatever reason I keep forgetting to buy some.

Once or twice a week I'll go out for lunch.

Sammich. Lately I've been really into roast beef. I make my own (cracked black pepper and thyme rubbed onto a roast) and put spinach and kale on the sandwich with swiss cheese and lots of horseradish. Then use Dave's Killer Bread (Good Seed variety) to contain it all. I cut it in halves and stick it in a small tupperware-like container, and chuck it in my trunk bag before I head off to work.

I work graveyards, so if I don't pack a lunch I don't get to eat.

chicken cutlet and baby carrots

2 boild eggs, Koolaid, salt and Tabasco sauce.

Hahahahaha...touché!

BTW I can relate with you having little-to-no leftovers...about 15 years ago, I was leaving my parents' fridge bare with the help of my brother, lol.

Thanks for the info, AF! Everything on this list got my mouth watering. If there's anything I love more than riding, it's eating.

BTW, loved the photo of the pizza oven on Amazon Germany's page that had it paired with candles and wine...classy!

Hahaha, you must not be as hefty as I am...that "meal" would only pique my stomach's interest.

Ugh...graveyard shift. I don't miss it. That roast beef rub sounds delicious.