Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

So, fellow cycling commuters - what do you tend to do for lunch?

I am currently stuck between leftovers and going out to eat at lunch (CBD).

Does anyone have suggestions for healthy lunches which are able to be transported by (and survive) paniers/backpack?

Used to do leftovers. However, now I do not commute as much I have started putting on weight because I drive 3 days a week now (taking son to childcare). So....

500-750ml takeaway container stuffed to the brim with salad, mostly leafy greens, some sprouts, capsicum, avocado, carrot, tomato etc. < 5ml or so of dressing (flax seed or EV olive oil with a bit of balsalmic). Leafy greens are actually quite good for filling up on IME.
Some protein. I'm vego, so some tofu, a hard boiled egg or two or sanitarum vego thing (do not need cooking), quorn (1 x classic burger, microwavable) or mixed beans etc. A lot easier for omnivores, I guess. Meat substitutes tend to be high sodium.
A couple of pieces of fruit or a few nuts/dried fruit for snacks.

I had a chicken and vegi stir fry. Left overs from last night.

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I usually make me a sammich just because it's so simple to do with variety not only from the day before/after but also from dinner. Usually rotate through fillings through the week. Then have a hard container to transport it in so it doesn't get squashed or lose fillings. It's just annoying on days like yesterday where I forget to take it home, so the following day (today) I had to buy lunch.

On days when I have my showtime together, I take leftovers and/or make a big pile of salad and bring it in over a couple of days (substitute with soup/casseroles/curries in winter) plus whatever fruit is on hand and will fit in the trunkbag.

I also have a floating stash of backup non/less-perishable stuff like tins of beans+tuna, a spud or two and occasionally those microwave rice packet thingers, along with some porridge sachets on days warranting Breakfast v2.0. Admittedly the backup lunch stash tends to get trumped by the Asian food nook that my office window overlooks.

Leftoves usually - stirfry chicken, spag bol, roast chicken & salad, sausages in bread rolls...... or a simple jam / vegemite roll or sandwich are usuay what I bring.

Eat lunch early and also usually eat 4 peices of fruit for during the day. That said I am lucky like my Dad - eat almost anything and not put on weight.

I gave up carting stuff in. There is a great bread shop in town where I buy a salad roll. Sometimes I add chicken, sometimes I add a can of salmon.

DaveOZ wrote:I gave up carting stuff in. There is a great bread shop in town where I buy a salad roll. Sometimes I add chicken, sometimes I add a can of salmon.

I hate riding with a pack.

Usually I drive one day a week and cart work clothes and enough fruit, veg, lunches to last me the week. Every other day I'll try and get a couple of hours out riding on the way into work then just ride straight home after work.

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Sammich (usually ham, salami, cheese, tomato, avocado, but sometimes leftover roast chicken), plastic tub from supermarket, in the pannier rack with the rest of my stuff. I don't refrigerate and I haven't died yet.

Four whole fried chickens and a Coke.

Seriously, what's in the pantry or fridge? Am I hungry when I can get time off the panel? Dunno, whatever does or doesn't move me but there's often a banana at some time of the day.

I normally cook up a vego curry, or some brown rice and veg in batches and freeze it. With the curry I take a flat bread, with the rice I take a tin of tuna and a tomato to toss in. I intersperse those meals with leftovers as and when they become available.

I'm a creature of habit and also tend to take an apple, banana and muesli bar. I have some fruit/nut mix at work. I also make up a few days worth of a cold chia and oat porridge for breakfasts. I either eat that before I leave or on arrival.

Oh, and coffee. All the coffee!

I have a bread machine at work, in which I bake a loaf every day. I keep a few spreads like peanut butter, honey and vegemite to enjoy with lovely, hot, fresh bread. I take 2-3 slices off the loaf and leave the rest for others to enjoy (as penance for causing growling stomachs as it cooks).

I like to snack mid-morning and mid afternoon, so buy a week's worth of apples or bananas, and occasionally a bag of mixed nuts. I don't carry a thing on the bike - my wallet, phone and security pass go in my jersey pockets, as does the fortnightly batch of home roasted coffee beans.

Monday to Thursday is left overs generally with emergency supplies of pasta and sauce left in the freezer at work. Fridays we have a market open next door with heaps of good cheap food from around the globe.

I buy the sachets of pre cooked rice.. brown with quinoa oe chia seeds. I lov half that in a bowl (put the rest in fridge for next day) with similar amount of frozen mixed veg which by lunchtime has thawed as I take it in a small plastic container. Heat that in micro then stir in a tin of tuna. Season with hot chilli sauce, sea salt and pepper.
Dead easy to carry this in trunk bag, filling and pretty healthy I reckon.

Mulger bill wrote:Four whole fried chickens and a Coke.

Seriously, what's in the pantry or fridge? Am I hungry when I can get time off the panel? Dunno, whatever does or doesn't move me but there's often a banana at some time of the day.

"I'll have some toasted white bread please. "

Carrots and home-made hommus are my easy staple. Optional crackers if I want a toasty finish. I have sprouted mungbeans in the past and would drop them into the hommus to spoon/fork out.

Other extreme, I fancy peanut butter and raspberry jam brioche buns prepped at home for sides to morning and afternoon tea coffee (if I find brioche burger buns in the pantry.)



Tomorrow is Friday Chinese work routine treat for miegoreng, vegie fried rice or latest pref Sngapore noodle. I had a "homemade" sausage roll from the Hywicombe IGA that didn't let me leave the loo last Thursday night, so skipping the rich and varied animal or processed products agrees with me better.

eldavo wrote:....

Tomorrow is Friday Chinese work routine treat for miegoreng, ......

YES !

MieGoreng is my go-to all-in-one meal answer ...



A proper MieGoreng fixes everything..

Lunches are a difficult beast for me to master and stick to. I'm an electrician who spends most days going from job to job so don't have a fridge and 99% of the time no access to a microwave. Then when you factor in the self control needed (usually more than I can muster) to eat what I've packed instead of following my boss into sushi train/subway/some dirty smoking shop.

Lately I've been making a salad and vary the meat additive, some carrot and celery, an apple, little bit of yoghurt with some meusli and usually have a backup tin of tuna in there. Also been making an iced coffee to try avoid buying one from the servo. Trying to save money and lose weight. Those new Sistema containers with the dividers and knife and fork with the little dressing containers are quite handy. Also have to remember to freeze a bottle of water every night as to keep everything cold.

Commuting is new to me so getting used to leaving my Esky and work boots at work and remembering to bring the containers home in a backpack is also a trap if I'm not paying attention. As I get better setup I'm hoping to have a rack and bag instead of my crappy backpack.

Milpool wrote:I'm an electrician who spends most days going from job to job so don't have a fridge and 99% of the time no access to a microwave.

I saw tradie's trailer the other day with a microwave and a long lead. Go for it!

Sardines on toast with tomato. It has to be King Oscar sardines in EV olive oil and the bread usually home made wholemeal with lots of seeds but any will do in a pinch. No butter, just drizzle some of the oil and add the sardines and tomatoes. Salt pepper and a squeeze of lemon if available. I initially got the odd complaint about smell but it wasn't long before they were onto it themselves.

The key is the King Oscar sardines. Sardine brands vary a lot in quality.

Half a baguette with a variety of fillings. Typically cheese tomato and some leafy greens are standard with rotating 'hero' ingredient; salami, chicken, avocado, ham or egg. Today's is leftover roast lamb. Sauce can vary, but mayo or nuttlex are the main players. All shrink wrapped in cling film and stored in my bag until lunch time.

Leaf T wrote:Sardines on toast with tomato. It has to be King Oscar sardines in EV olive oil and the bread usually home made wholemeal with lots of seeds but any will do in a pinch. No butter, just drizzle some of the oil and add the sardines and tomatoes. Salt pepper and a squeeze of lemon if available. I initially got the odd complaint about smell but it wasn't long before they were onto it themselves.

The key is the King Oscar sardines. Sardine brands vary a lot in quality.

This is wisdom talking

I had a phase of similar (don't recall if it was King Oscar) when in CBD with supermarket nearby, but I haven't really been shopping for a long time, and forgot to bring these back onto the shopping list.

John West used to do sliced tuna with green peppercorns in olive oil, that was nice for a while, but can't find them anymore, so the sardines are an affordable nice alternative. The love/hate aesthetic is probably good also for keeping the price down, as opposed to avocado for example.

Leaf T wrote: The key is the King Oscar sardines.

+1 ... to be more precise, double layer King Oscar sardines. But, don't tell anyone, don't want the price going lamb shanks!