Lunch @ work

I just started 'the raw lifestyle' in my holidays, which was great and i would love to pursue. We even bought a Blendtec! But I have a problem with my lunch at work. I just started working today and I made a really big green smoothie that was supposed to serve as breakfast and lunch. But after a few hours it went a little bit 'funny'... the taste was not so good anymore :( and now I'm puzzled what to do as an alternative. I wake up at 6, leave home at 6,45 and have just enough time to make this big smoothie. Its hard getting up earlier to make a salad... that will also taste bad after sitting in an office for a few hours.

There must be people here that have tackeled this problem... do you have suggestions? Thanks so much!

Belle from the Netherlands.

Comments

  • CalebCaleb Raw Newbie

    Belle I bring a salad to work with me every day and don't really have any problems, I make my salads the night before since I make a smoothie in the morning for breakfast. Your best option is to make the salad and put it in one container and use another small container for the dressing and put that on your salad when you are ready for it. I used to just put mine on the night before but certain dressings would just absorb into the leaves and it would be heard to eat. But putting it in a separate container and applying when I am ready works great.

    I have had good luck putting thicker dressings on the night before and leaving them on without a problem. I think you will be fine making them the night before.

    I also brings lots of fruit with me to work to snack on, sometimes nuts and on occasion (like today) I will bring some raw bread if I have any made. Here is just a sample of today's eatings :)

    - apple with almond butter for a morning snack

    - banana for a morning snack latter on

    - lunch was a salad with onion, olive, strawberries, mushrooms and walnuts covered in a raspberry vinaigrette (not a raw dressing today, I use them on occasion when I don't have a raw one or time to make, but I stick to vinaigrettes)

    - I also had a few slices of a raw wheat berry bread with almond butter on it

    -currently eating another banana (my peach was bad)

    -and I have another apple waiting on me for latter on today.

    I think the key is bringing snack food with you. That has been what has helped me sustain this diet the most!

    Hope that helps.

    Oh, and I sometimes make enough smoothie for breakfast and lunch and the lunch smoothie will be a little off in taste, but it won't kill you, I have drank smoothie that was in a cooler on a camping trip two days after I made it.

  • CalebCaleb Raw Newbie

    Oh, and one more thing. Only time I have gotten a "funny" feeling after eating something that was questionably bad was avocado. It had been on a salad for a dressing so I couldn't really tell how much the color had turned. Now if I make an avocado based dressing I make sure I eat it that same day or use a lot of lemon juice to get one more day out of it.

  • eechoeecho Raw Newbie

    Keep your green smoothie in an insulated bottle. I use

  • I work in an office as an answering service. So we answer phones all day and I usually bring several bags of fruits/veggies and keep it in the fridge or by my desk! One day I cut up and made my whole salad right at my desk. No doubt that the girls are talkin...but it's much healthier than ordering out (done daily at my work--yuck!).

    Today I brought 2 bags of spinach, several apples, several oranges, a bunch of bananas, and a bunch of grapes!

    Just bring what you can! It doesn't have to be pre-made if you're in a more relaxed setting.

    Good news!! A co-worker told me that she over-heard many ladies talking about eating healthier. They said I've inspired them to eat more greens and bring food from home instead of going out! I didn't know I was receiving that sort of positive feedback! Never underestimate being a healthy eater!!

  • Wow thanks for your advice!

    Today I made a smoothie and used some frozen fruit and ice cubes and I found a fridge somewhere in the office so that should make a big difference! If it doesn't work, I'll try a thermos (insulated bottle).

    And it's a great idea to make a salad @ my desk haha, I wonder what my co-workers would say. At least one was very happy that she was not the only one that didn't eat cookies anymore :)

    To make a salad in advance is also very clever, maybe I'll do that when I feel more experienced. One step at a time....

    Good on you chattanoog!!!!!

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    Hey BelleBelinda, try prepping for more than one meal at a time, and cutting up lots of veggies at once, or even making enough dinner to bring leftovers. So if you're slicing carrots to have with dinner, or sprouting lentils for a recipe, or making a batch of zuchhini hummus, do extra for the next day's lunch. A *tiny* bit of nutrients will evaporate from the cut surfaces, vit C being one, but it's much more time-efficient to throw stuff in a bowl the night before and grab it in the morning.

  • springleafspringleaf Raw Newbie

    I second what others have said: I would make your dinner and make enough for lunch the next day, maybe leaving off the dressing if nessessary. Also I get a recipe for brownies and then make them into balls which I use as snacks.

    On this blog http://www.2juicy.blogspot.com/ is a recipe that I use without the icing, I just roll the brownie mix into balls...

    Servings:

    Serves 8

    Delicious and moist walnut and date brownies from Jennifer Cornbleet.

    Ingredients:

    * 1

  • This is a good idea, I normally prepared extra cooked meals for lunch, but i can also try to bring raw leftovers :) and those brownies sound so yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... I will need a giant freezer for all this fantastic food... mmmmmmmm

  • I started eating raw since 1 month ago and holding on very well so far. For lunch I take the salad ingredients with me (spinach, tomato, lemon, avocado) and at lunch I prepare the salad by cutting or mixing everything together. It takes about 10 minutes to do that which is less than a trip to a nearby restuarant. Any liguids like olive oil I keep in separate jar and spray on salad mix. Also, I sprinke shelled hemp / sesame/ or sunflower seeds as desired on top of salad.

    Some people may start peaking at you but who cares. I am eating fresh raw nutritional food and that is what matters

  • I will make raw flat bread or crackers, and take bunches of those with me, and a sweet treat for afternoon. I am not 100% raw, so i will bring a raw dish like some zucchini ravioli or salad and have it with my cooked quinoa or amaranth. I also drink teas in the afternoon helps with the hunger.

    Also, anything you make with raw cacao (chocolate) in it will help control your appetite and give you the added benefit of activating the bliss centers of your brain!

  • this is an interesting post, being at work is probably the most difficult thing about staying raw for me. i really only eat fruit in the morning for breakfast so ill usually bring a big salad and i like to make a spinach dip with the leftover almond milk pulp, but it still doesnt seem to be enough on some nights. im constantly looking for new recipes that i can prepare to bring so i dont resort to eating cooked. still dont have a dehydrator, i think once i get one that will help with lunch at work.

  • I usually bring a really smoothie to work with me for breakfast - and it usually holds me over until 12:30/1:00. I also like to bring a really huge fruit salad to eat throughout the day. I'll also make a green salad, but I put the tomatoes (already cut up) and dressing in two separate containers and throw them together at lunchtime.

    Once in a while, I'll make a pate to top salads, crackers/bread, rolled in nori/lettuce, or just to eat plain.

    I'm a big fan of Rose Lee Calabro's "Living in the Raw Gourmet" - it has an amazing section on salads and salad dressings. I honestly think the book was worth it for all of the salad combinations she's got listed.

  • thx frances, i feel the same. My smoothie tastes completely yuk today, i am really looking forward to my new recipe book. and now i have to find a substitute. guess i'll buy myself a nice salad as a treat. Thanks!

    sillystarfish, pate sounds nice, do you use a dehydrator? I don't have one. I just bought Natalia Rose''s book, and i'll read that first but i've just added rose lee calabro to my wish list :) Thank you for the tip!

  • BelleBelinda: Sometimes if I want to make my pate into patties, I'll dehydrate them, but for the most part, I just eat them fully hydrated.

    Springleaf: I made these brownies you posted, and rolled them in coconut. After a night in the fridge, they tasted like fudge. delicious! I shared with some of the people I work with (all "meat and potatoes" people) and they are still raving days later. Thank you for sharing!

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