[Kirachan]

hello, I am in school and because of scheduling issues I only have 15-20 min to eat between classes, problem is I don't have access to a microwave or fridge so I would need something that i could eat at room temperature. I used to just grab a candy bar out of the vending machine (big no no) or take a special K bar (sadly, a no no). any ideas? (recipes or premade products are OK). oh btw, I am still on phase 1

[amasam]

I would start by buying an insulated lunch bag to keep things cold. Not being able to heat soup or leftovers will limit my ideas, but here are a couple:

For phase 1:
lettuce, lunch meat, cheese roll ups
fat free yogurt
cut veggies with hummus
salad w/ lots of veggie, hard boiled egg, dressing on the side
celery w/ peanut butter or a soft lowfat cheese
cheese stick and some nuts

Phase 2 will be easier when you can add some whole grain bread, whole grain salads and fruit.

[jetsetter]

Check out the recipe boards for cold salad ideas. My first thought is meat and cheese rollups or something similar. Perhaps hard boiled eggs. You could also use a thermos if you want a warm meal every so often. They'll keep things hot anywhere from 3-8 hours (or longer) depending on the quality.

[Kirachan]

thank you both, i will see what i can find as far as keeping food cold/warm. I think I could easily do the salads. and soup is always yummy

[Ruthxxx]

To keep thingsd cold without buying and insulated bag, use a frozen wee carton of V8 or tomato juice. It may be thawed by lunchtime but you can drink it. There are also very small freezer packs.

[Happy Apple]

You know, in Jr. High I would take a packed lunch and Mom (God love her) would always pack it. She would freeze the little cartons of yogert the night before and then wrap them in foil when she put them in the lunchbox. By lunch time they were partially thawed and I could stir them up. They had lots of little ice crystals through it -it was was so good, ha! I may have to try that again! Like someone else mentioned, I do a lot of meat and cheese roll ups, with an apple and maybe some nuts.

I'll be honest (and this is probably OT), a lot of it is a mind game to me. I play mind games with myself. I used to think "everyone's staring at me, the fat chick on a diet, wondering how long till I start porking out on junk again." Now I spread it out like it's a picnic or imagine I'm on the left bank of Paris eating European style, or maybe at a winery in Northern California. I pretend it's all very natural people are staring because they wish they were having a picnic, too! lol! And you know what - in the end I found out the stares are mostly in my mind, hahaha! Am I paranoid or what?! lol!

Good topic - and thanks for the memory of my mom.