Spreggy

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:

1. Must be able to carry it in 2 jersey pockets, since the third already has breakfast in it. No racks, no exceptions.
2. There is no fridge at the office. The office is air conditioned.
3. 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.

jeffpoulin

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?

Pi}{ie

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

con

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.

LAJ

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

DataJunkie

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

LAJ

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

Spreggy

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.

DataJunkie

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

barturtle

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.

fuzz2050

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

JimF22003

Flavored tuna in single-serve packets.

slim_77

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

hanshun

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

trigger

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.

cyclehen

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

MNBikeguy

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.

Spreggy

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.

JTGraphics

If it were me and I don't like to starve for lunch it would be some good MRE's hot meals in 10 min. Video
Military Surplus has them cheap Pound Cake good!

slim_77

..no such thing.

they keep you alive. that is all.

JTGraphics

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

bragi

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.)

flip18436572

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

barturtle

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

cerewa

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.