PFer's, what are some easy meals to take to school?

[Flat]

This quarter, my class schedule has me on campus from early morning to late night. Since I am a poor student, I have been taking 3 peanut butter bagels in my bookbag to snack on throughout the day. It has now been a few weeks and I feel like I should add some variety to my diet. The problems are a) poor, b) I park over 2 miles away from campus and take a bus into campus and c) I have no room to take an insulated bag.

So far peanut butter bagels are all I can come up with.

 

[seycyrus]

Many campuses have a "commons" where there are eating areas. Sometimes they provide microwaves for student use. How about packing a can of soup?

 

[Topher925]

I eat a lot of banana's. They are $0.70 a pound and are full of potassium to help keep your energy up. Apple's are good too. Peanut butter bagels don't sound all that healthy to me.

 

[Danger]

You can't beat basic macaroni with a couple of cans of tuna or half a kilo of ground beef mixed in. It's simple, nourishing, tastes great, and you can eat it cold.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Last night my chef made pheasant under glass and there were some leftovers in the fridge this morning. I made a sandwich of it and brought it to work. No problems except of course for the glass which was unwieldy, but I managed. Tonight he's going to make peanut butter bagels. I suggest you sit near the water fountain.

 

[Astronuc]

Left overs - like pizza are fine. I bring leftovers to the office routinely.


During the summer, we make a macaroni and tuna salad, with mixed vegetables. It's quick and easy. Just make a cup or two of elbow macaroni, the drain and chill with cold water. Then add a can of tuna, several large spoonfuls of mayo, add mixed vegetables (peas, diced carrots, corn), seasonings and your done.

One can break up the bowl into individual servings for later in the week. Same can be done with any meal.

We do something similar with ground beef. There we brown the hamburger meat, add seasonings (e.g. Mrs. Dash), add crushed tomatoes, cook for a while, then add mixed vegetables.

 

[wolram]

Tortilla wraps, they are cheap and you can put any thing in them.

 

[mgb_phys]

Don't forget Ramen - the grad student's staple.

See here for more on Ramen and the glamorous life of an airline pilot.
http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/01/19/askthepilot217/

 

[rootX]

what are some easy meals to take to school?

Cup noodles
http://blog.photoshelter.com/noodle3.jpg

You just get some hot water.. but even cold water can work.


I mostly live on those/ramen .. There are many cheaper and healthier alternatives but they need more time

 

[turbo]

Carrots are very cheap vegetables, and they are crunchy and taste pretty good. You don't have to give up bagels or sandwiches to add variety. I often used to make peanut-butter sandwiches on home-made whole-wheat bread (very cheap!) and toss an apple or two into the bag with a knife. Open a sandwich, layer it with slices of apples, close it up and enjoy. Fresh fruits and vegetables are important sources of nutrients, and I always tried to eat carrots and apples (the cheapest "portable" choices usually) along with the "easy" stuff.

 

[mgb_phys]

Cup noodles

Cup noodles - there's posh.

 

[Chi Meson]

Avocados. Yes, avocados are a near perfect food. A ripe avocado can be cut in half, separated (with the pit stuck in one half, skin still on) wrap both halves and you have a sandwich spread for today and tomorrow. Tomorrow, you will have to scape a thin brown layer off the 2nd half, but underneath it's still good.

Put some dressing on your bread beforehand then put the slices of avocado on that at lunchtime. a plastic knife cuts it easily.
http://www.whosyourhoney.com/files/1929735/uploaded/Briannas.jpgAnother great food: hummus and corn chips. It's a complete protein combination!

 

[lisab]

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich...they're as good as you remember them. Maybe even better.

 

[physics girl phd]

In graduate school I used to pack myself two sandwiches (PB&J, ham and cheese, or even just plain cheese), a handful of nuts and dried fruit (homemade "gorp" using just the kinds of nuts and fruit I like), and a treat of some sort (junk-food crackers or chips, pudding or cookies). This is because I had the greatest little reuseable lunch containers that kept everything in compartments.

This kept me ok til I'd got home for dinner, after which I'd return to school or just work all night at home (spagetti was a big staple here, though I'd mix in potatoes with curry-sauteed veggies, etc.). Note: I did make sure to have a good breakfast in the morning (cereal, eggs and toast, etc.) before going to school.

I also found keeping the times that I ate consistent and well-spaced really helped my hunger, even if I never really got full. In your case you should probably pack a good lunch and a small snack or two (some fruit like an apple might work in addition to your bagel). If you have a "home base" like a student-lounge/study-room, department-locker or lab-zone, you might also be able to keep a box of dry cereal on hand (right now I eat a lot of "Life" "Total" and "Honey-Nut" cereal at my desk -- my ob/gyn says they are good for iron intake, which I guess is extra necessary when you're expecting, but also important for all women).

 

[Ms Music]

While tasty, bagels and cup o noodles are about as nutritious as tissue paper! I would definitely encourage you to find things that provide more nutrition, you need it with your stressful schedule!

All the fruits and vegetables that can easily be carried and consumed raw, prices vary with seasons. Buy what ever you can afford.

Dried nuts, fruits, and beef jerky. While expensive, drink some water with it and they feel far more filling. If you are consuming less, it isn't as expensive in the long run.

I'd strongly suggest figuring out how big of a price difference it would be to buy whole wheat. While the up front cost of bagels is lower, you get more sandwiches from a loaf of bread. May not be that much more expensive?

And a suggestion since you can't have an insulated bag, Freeze it. Yogurt, leftovers that would taste good cold (unless you have access to a microwave), and the macaroni and tuna leftovers suggested above will have a lower risk of forming bacteria before you can eat it. Just toss what ever in the freezer before you go to bed. With having a small space, I probably even try freezing food in a zip lock bag instead of a container.

I don't know where you are in the world, but here in my corner of the world, we have many small grocery stores or fruit & veggie stands that are Asian or Mexican ran, and although the produce doesn't look as pretty as the grocery store, they are half the cost. A bruised apple won't kill you. ;)