Purchasing Food at Work
Purchasing Food at Work
I work in the emergency room as a RN at night (7p-7a). Currently, I'm struggling with purchasing food at the hospital. I'm ok with spending $1 for coffee, but I'm not ok with spending upwards of $10 on a meal during the night. I do this at least 3-4x per week. The simple answer would be to bring my own food, but that's not always easy.
Does anyone else struggle with spending money at your job for food? How do you manage your spending? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Does anyone else struggle with spending money at your job for food? How do you manage your spending? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
- Crimsontide
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I take my lunch everyday. We have very nice break rooms with a couple of refrigerators and microwave ovens. It takes discipline to put your lunch together every night and remember to grab it out of the frig before leaving every morning but after 30 years it's pretty much a habit . I used to go to lunch a couple of times a week with vendors and salesmen but that leg-humping gets old and the free lunch is just not worth the trouble...
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Hospital food is frequently unhealthy.
You have a stressful job, for which you need fuel, but also could impact your eating habits health-wise.
Bring a healthy meal that does not require prep. There are healthy pre-made soups you can microwave; pair with fruit. Way cheaper than what you are doing and you may find you feel better.
You have a stressful job, for which you need fuel, but also could impact your eating habits health-wise.
Bring a healthy meal that does not require prep. There are healthy pre-made soups you can microwave; pair with fruit. Way cheaper than what you are doing and you may find you feel better.
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I struggle with this as well sometimes. I go through periods where I am lazy and don't prepare my lunch the night before. The cafe in my building is VERY expensive. A build your own salad typically costs me about $12.
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Hospital cafeteria food nowadays is excellent. Many hospitals contract out the cafeteria to Aramark, Marriott and places like that. The hospital my mom stayed in was highly rated for their food and I agree with the rating.
As for work lunches, I would bring a salad or leftovers. Or leftovers on top of a salad. I would make a week's worth of salads and put them in the fridge at work. I would make them in production line fashion into those black plastic dishes from the Chinese take-out place. If I didn't eat a salad that day, it would just stay in the fridge. If I went out for lunch, I would just take a salad home to eat for dinner or for the weekend.
It takes about 5 minutes to make 6 salads once the ingredients are at hand and costs less than $10 for them:
$1.25 Half Bag of baby leaf spinach (buy cheapest non-organic fresh spinach possible)
$2.40 pint of cherry tomatoes
$1.00 pint of self fresh-picked blueberries
$1.25 couple handfuls of chopped walnuts ($6 bag lasts a month in the freezer)
$0.50 half- bag of carrots, cut, peeled, fresh
$1.00 bag of croutons
$1.00 6 fresh mushrooms (this is the only item needing "food-prep", they are sliced as needed)
$0.50 salad dressing (bottle lasts about 6 weeks)
======
$8.90 Total for 6 salads, less than 5 minutes prep time.
Variations:
Add hard-boiled egg
Add string cheese
Add leftover sliced chicken or roast beef or BBQ
Add some [spicy] leftovers over the top: Chinese, Thai, Indian, Mexican
If fresh blueberries not available, then add raisins, craisins (various flavors)
As for work lunches, I would bring a salad or leftovers. Or leftovers on top of a salad. I would make a week's worth of salads and put them in the fridge at work. I would make them in production line fashion into those black plastic dishes from the Chinese take-out place. If I didn't eat a salad that day, it would just stay in the fridge. If I went out for lunch, I would just take a salad home to eat for dinner or for the weekend.
It takes about 5 minutes to make 6 salads once the ingredients are at hand and costs less than $10 for them:
$1.25 Half Bag of baby leaf spinach (buy cheapest non-organic fresh spinach possible)
$2.40 pint of cherry tomatoes
$1.00 pint of self fresh-picked blueberries
$1.25 couple handfuls of chopped walnuts ($6 bag lasts a month in the freezer)
$0.50 half- bag of carrots, cut, peeled, fresh
$1.00 bag of croutons
$1.00 6 fresh mushrooms (this is the only item needing "food-prep", they are sliced as needed)
$0.50 salad dressing (bottle lasts about 6 weeks)
======
$8.90 Total for 6 salads, less than 5 minutes prep time.
Variations:
Add hard-boiled egg
Add string cheese
Add leftover sliced chicken or roast beef or BBQ
Add some [spicy] leftovers over the top: Chinese, Thai, Indian, Mexican
If fresh blueberries not available, then add raisins, craisins (various flavors)
Last edited by livesoft on Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:07 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I eat breakfast and lunch at work every day.
Breakfast:
peanuts
yogurt
raw baby carrots
banana
Lunch:
sandwich
1 fruit
1 vegetable
I keep everything for breakfast at work. I can stock up for a few weeks with the peanuts, yogurt, and carrots, especially if they are on sale. If I miss going to the store, then no bananas that week. My DW makes my lunch every day.
Not much effort if you choose the right foods.
Edit: I keep cans of V-8 just in case I work late or need some additional food.
Breakfast:
peanuts
yogurt
raw baby carrots
banana
Lunch:
sandwich
1 fruit
1 vegetable
I keep everything for breakfast at work. I can stock up for a few weeks with the peanuts, yogurt, and carrots, especially if they are on sale. If I miss going to the store, then no bananas that week. My DW makes my lunch every day.
Not much effort if you choose the right foods.
Edit: I keep cans of V-8 just in case I work late or need some additional food.
52% TSM, 23% TISM, 24.5% TBM, 0.5% cash
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
They key is to find a meal that a) is less expensive, b) easy to pack / bring along, c) something you won't mind eating, d) relatively nutritious. Easier said than done. For the times I'm unable to go home for lunch, I have a stash of protein bars that I found that I REALLY like that meet all the requirements above (Clif Builder Bars). Coupled with a piece of fruit, yogurt, and a large glass of water, it's enough to compensate for a meal.
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I brought in my lunch about 90% of the days. I usually made a sandwich, had fruits and vegetable. Refrigerated it the night before, so 5 hours later it was still fresh. We had office refrigerators. You can also experiment with freezing sandwiches and let them thaw out until lunchtime in your desk.
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Leftovers from dinner.
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I make chili and then freeze it in appropriately lunch sized containers.
Drunken Roboticist
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
+1 on the Clif Builder Bars. I buy in bulk at BJ's, and I think they end up being a little under 75 cents per bar. I have one of those on most days. That, along with some cereal (with fruit) and a bagel or english muffin (I keep a jar of peanut butter at my desk to put on this) gets me through the work day and I focus on dinner when I get home. I also take a multi-vitamin every day in case this diet isnt fully nutritious.jimday1982 wrote:They key is to find a meal that a) is less expensive, b) easy to pack / bring along, c) something you won't mind eating, d) relatively nutritious. Easier said than done. For the times I'm unable to go home for lunch, I have a stash of protein bars that I found that I REALLY like that meet all the requirements above (Clif Builder Bars). Coupled with a piece of fruit, yogurt, and a large glass of water, it's enough to compensate for a meal.
I work in a city and got sick of paying the very high prices for lunch that has become the norm around here
"The problem with diversification is that it works, whether or not we want it to"
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
https://toddycafe.com/cold-brew/why-toddy-cold-brew
TS,
Cold brew your coffee and keep the concentrate in the refrigerator. Then, you can get good coffee quick. Plus, it saves money too. Or, get the cold brew concentrate from Trader Joe.
KlangFool
TS,
Cold brew your coffee and keep the concentrate in the refrigerator. Then, you can get good coffee quick. Plus, it saves money too. Or, get the cold brew concentrate from Trader Joe.
KlangFool
30% VWENX | 16% VFWAX/VTIAX | 14.5% VTSAX | 19.5% VBTLX | 10% VSIAX/VTMSX/VSMAX | 10% VSIGX| 30% Wellington 50% 3-funds 20% Mini-Larry
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Shouldn't that be: Not much effort if you choose the right DW.My DW makes my lunch every day.
Not much effort if you choose the right foods.
If you have refrigeration available, it's easy to make up a week's worth of lunches (leftovers, sandwiches, salads) and mix it up so you don't eat the same thing every day. I like to cook on weekends, so always make much bigger batches than needed and freeze the leftovers. Once the backlog of frozen leftovers gets big enough it's very easy to pull one out on the way to work. Instant healthy lunch. Mix it up with fresh salads and sandwiches on days you remember to make lunch the night before.
- dodecahedron
- Posts: 6607
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Brilliant fun and healthy way to make a week's worth of delicious and varied salad meals ahead of time so you can grab and go:
http://backtoherroots.com/2013/04/09/sa ... a-jar-101/
The key is the order of the layers you put in.
http://backtoherroots.com/2013/04/09/sa ... a-jar-101/
The key is the order of the layers you put in.
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Brown bag a sandwich or 2 and a piece of fruit.I did it through my school years and continued throughout my entire work life.
All the Best, |
Joe
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
One of the best purchases I've ever made for this purpose was a lunch-sized CrockPot. Make big meals (chilis and soups are easiest, meatballs in sauce, etc.), freeze in single-serving round plastic containers. Pop a meal out of the freezer, move it into the removable metal insert of the CrockPot, take it to work and plug it in. When meal time rolls around, you have hot, homemade food waiting for you.
http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPLC2 ... B006H5V7ZY
http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPLC2 ... B006H5V7ZY
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Make at home the night before -
Peanut butter and whole wheat sandwich and fruit.
Hummus and whole wheat bread and fruit.
Cheese and whole wheat bread and fruit.
Leftovers and fruit.
Repeat.
Peanut butter and whole wheat sandwich and fruit.
Hummus and whole wheat bread and fruit.
Cheese and whole wheat bread and fruit.
Leftovers and fruit.
Repeat.
“It’s the curse of old men to realize that in the end we control nothing." "Homeland" episode, "Gerontion"
- cheese_breath
- Posts: 11786
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Get yourself a big wide mouth thermos. I used to have one when I was working eons ago used it for soup, spaghetti, and the like. Make it at home and it stays hot for hours. Borrow a fork or spoon from the lunch room and eat right out of the thermos. Mine was plastic and worked great. I imagine the stainless steel ones they make today are even better. Here's an example..
http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Stainless ... QANZW2WMJ7
http://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Stainless ... QANZW2WMJ7
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I pretty much agree with what people have written so far. I've brought my lunch to varying degrees, depending on which job in my career I think of. I tend to eat a yogurt for breakfast. That's very easy to throw in my bag and eat at work. When I had a small refrigerator in my office, I would just stash a bunch in there. In addition to breakfast, I would sometimes have one as a snack. Speaking of snacks, I always try to have some fresh fruit around. Apples are "sturdy" and don't go bad so easily. Now that it's summer, though, I love having peaches (kind of fragile to carry), cherries, blueberries, strawberries to munch on. Sometimes I'll bring a container of cantaloupe from home, perhaps with blueberries sprinkled in. I may use a disposable leftover takeout container. Depending on the situation, I may toss it or take it home to reuse.
For lunch, sometimes I'll make a salad in a reusable plastic container that I bring home to clean. (I also keep some dishwashing liquid at work, just in case I want to rinse it out, e.g., when I might go out after work and won't want to take the container with me.) I also sometimes make sandwiches; at one point I would make a bunch of them and stash them in the freezer and take one out each morning before heading to work. The nice thing about that and the salads is that I don't have to be overly concerned about refrigeration.
Recently, I've been making a particular pasta recipe that includes tunafish (higher-quality tuna packed in olive oil). I had it for dinner the other night and saved the leftovers in a couple of smaller containers to take to work and the rest went in a larger container to have for dinner during the week.
I try to keep some roasted, unsalted almonds in a ziploc bag at work to snack on -- anything to avoid buying candy or other junk food which I love and can taste particularly good during a bad day at work!
Originally, I think saving money was a key motivator for brown bagging lunch. That's still a factor now, but I would say having the high-quality food I bring is a factor as well, as is saving time during the workday from having to go find lunch. Granted, a downside to this can be that you don't leave your desk (maybe not in your job but in mine), but I just try to address that separately by making sure to take a walk. And on bad weather days I'm happy not to go outside and just eat in anyway.
Edit: correct typo
For lunch, sometimes I'll make a salad in a reusable plastic container that I bring home to clean. (I also keep some dishwashing liquid at work, just in case I want to rinse it out, e.g., when I might go out after work and won't want to take the container with me.) I also sometimes make sandwiches; at one point I would make a bunch of them and stash them in the freezer and take one out each morning before heading to work. The nice thing about that and the salads is that I don't have to be overly concerned about refrigeration.
Recently, I've been making a particular pasta recipe that includes tunafish (higher-quality tuna packed in olive oil). I had it for dinner the other night and saved the leftovers in a couple of smaller containers to take to work and the rest went in a larger container to have for dinner during the week.
I try to keep some roasted, unsalted almonds in a ziploc bag at work to snack on -- anything to avoid buying candy or other junk food which I love and can taste particularly good during a bad day at work!
Originally, I think saving money was a key motivator for brown bagging lunch. That's still a factor now, but I would say having the high-quality food I bring is a factor as well, as is saving time during the workday from having to go find lunch. Granted, a downside to this can be that you don't leave your desk (maybe not in your job but in mine), but I just try to address that separately by making sure to take a walk. And on bad weather days I'm happy not to go outside and just eat in anyway.
Edit: correct typo
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I work 2nd shift (1 PM - 1 AM) in a mid-sized (roughly 250-bed hospital). Our cafeteria is very mediocre as far as both quality and selection. I would rate it poor as far as healthy selections go. There is a very overpriced cafe that has opened up and I have been saying I was going to start to bring my own food. Cafeteria discount dropped from 50% to 25%, then prices went up, now hospital is completely cutting out 3rd shift meal and cutting out 2nd shift meal on weekends with a push toward the cafe that is open 7 days/wk til 11 PM. The biggest reason I eat in the cafeteria is convenience and it was cost but cost is no longer an advantage. It used to be that you could get a plateful for around $2. Lately, it is more like $6 for some leftover dried out food. I may have to start bringing leftovers from home, frozen meals, or canned meat soon.
- Epsilon Delta
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
This will be different than lunch on a 9-5 job. I've worked 4p-1a for some months. That messed with my meal schedule. I wanted my main meal at the 8p break -- my usual lunch of bagel or sandwich and fruit just didn't cut it, and since it was my main meal leftovers didn't work, since there were no leftovers. I'd do baked dishes like lasagna or mac and cheese that I could freeze and nuke, but the cafeteria did get more of my business than usual.ny_rn wrote:I work in the emergency room as a RN at night (7p-7a).
Don't know how I'd fare with a 7-7 shift, but I'd try to eat a main meal before work and maybe pack same day leftovers and some fruit. On a 12 hour shift I'm guessing you have two meals or at least a meal and a snack. Perhaps concentrate on bringing a satisfying food for one and cut back to a smaller cafeteria meal, such breakfast food, for the other. Of course that won't work if they charge $10 for pancakes.
Any other shift workers want to chime in?
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
No personal experience, but this woman has blogged about she deals with it.
http://nomnompaleo.com/post/55156756199 ... ight-shift
http://nomnompaleo.com/post/55156756199 ... ight-shift
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Many years ago, I worked nights (10:00pm - 6:30) a number of months (almost a year) and I never did get the meals/eating balance and right. For a while, I ate 4 meals a day (and gained some weight). I would eat a big "breakfast" in the morning when I got off, often "lunch" midday, "dinner" in the evening - then a meal in the middle of the night. No wonder I gained that weight!
If I had it to do over again (or if the situation came up), I think I would try to find food to eat in the middle of the shift that was not a "full meal", but something like a piece or two of fruit (banana, orange, apple, grapes, dried fruit, etc.), perhaps some nuts and a small container of yogurt. Everyone is different - so what can get one person through along shift may not work for someone else.
If I had it to do over again (or if the situation came up), I think I would try to find food to eat in the middle of the shift that was not a "full meal", but something like a piece or two of fruit (banana, orange, apple, grapes, dried fruit, etc.), perhaps some nuts and a small container of yogurt. Everyone is different - so what can get one person through along shift may not work for someone else.
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
i make sandwiches every morning before i goto work.ny_rn wrote:I work in the emergency room as a RN at night (7p-7a). Currently, I'm struggling with purchasing food at the hospital. I'm ok with spending $1 for coffee, but I'm not ok with spending upwards of $10 on a meal during the night. I do this at least 3-4x per week. The simple answer would be to bring my own food, but that's not always easy.
Does anyone else struggle with spending money at your job for food? How do you manage your spending? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
2 slices of bread, mustard, and throw on 3 slices of luncheon meat (turkey, ham, pastrami, corned beef, etc).
add a fruit + blue ice pack.
throw it all in a small insulated bag.
takes literally 90sec from when i open up the fridge.
"Always be thankful for what you have no matter how much or how little" -EternalOptimist
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Why isn't it easy?ny_rn wrote:I do this at least 3-4x per week. The simple answer would be to bring my own food, but that's not always easy.
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I use a lunch bag to bring my own lunch (usually the dinner left-over) to my office. Although they have refrigerators at my work places, I do not use them as many other people use them. I use their microwaves to heat my lunch. I do not drink their free coffee (as I do not want sugar and I do not like coffee without sugar and milk), I drink my own tea (but use their hot water).
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
+1user5027 wrote:Leftovers from dinner.
We always make or buy more than we can eat the day before. Clean up just means preparing lunch for work tomorrow.
- black jack
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I work regular 9-5 hours, so I have no special advice for eating through the night.
As far as buying vs bringing, for the first several years at my office I bought my lunch (and often breakfast) from the on-site cafeteria or from one of the several restaurants within a few blocks. Eventually, I got bored and began to question the value of these meals.
So I started bringing my breakfast (I keep a bag of cereal and a bowl in my office and eat the cereal dry) and lunch (leftovers, sandwich, microwave a potato or frozen breaded fish patties from Costco, sometimes packaged microwave meals), lots of fruit (pick any three of bananas, grapes, apples, oranges, and in season strawberries, cherries, persimmons, peaches (wrapped in bubble-wrap for the trip to work) or nectarines (ditto). I keep a bag of roasted almonds and peanuts, and a bar of dark chocolate, in my desk for snacking.
Now I wonder why I bothered to buy my lunch; when I go out to lunch with colleagues I don't feel that I eat as well as when I eat my lunch from home. And although my menu is relatively sparse, I haven't gotten bored with the selection yet.
Bringing lunch is easy because our office has a fridge and microwave, but the fruits and nuts don't need any accessories.
As far as buying vs bringing, for the first several years at my office I bought my lunch (and often breakfast) from the on-site cafeteria or from one of the several restaurants within a few blocks. Eventually, I got bored and began to question the value of these meals.
So I started bringing my breakfast (I keep a bag of cereal and a bowl in my office and eat the cereal dry) and lunch (leftovers, sandwich, microwave a potato or frozen breaded fish patties from Costco, sometimes packaged microwave meals), lots of fruit (pick any three of bananas, grapes, apples, oranges, and in season strawberries, cherries, persimmons, peaches (wrapped in bubble-wrap for the trip to work) or nectarines (ditto). I keep a bag of roasted almonds and peanuts, and a bar of dark chocolate, in my desk for snacking.
Now I wonder why I bothered to buy my lunch; when I go out to lunch with colleagues I don't feel that I eat as well as when I eat my lunch from home. And although my menu is relatively sparse, I haven't gotten bored with the selection yet.
Bringing lunch is easy because our office has a fridge and microwave, but the fruits and nuts don't need any accessories.
We cannot absolutely prove [that they are wrong who say] that we have seen our best days. But so said all who came before us, and with just as much apparent reason. |
-T. B. Macaulay (1800-1859)
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I'm going to take the opposite approach and state that I don't struggle with spending money for food at work. I enjoy going out for lunch at work. I like the group of guys I work with and it's nice to take a break in the middle of the day to head somewhere in town to grab a bite to eat. It's a way to relax a little bit and talk about stuff that isn't work related.ny_rn wrote:
Does anyone else struggle with spending money at your job for food?
Yes, I spend 8-12 bucks a day depending on where we go. I consider it money well spent. Thai food yesterday, barbecue today, maybe cajun tomorrow. I know it doesn't translate directly to your situation since it appears you are faced with eating at the same place every day, but I don't consider it a waste of money at all.
I don't like food prep. This is an area of my life where I consider it money well spent.
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I'll come out of my lurker corner for this one.
I'm normally scoffed at at work for what I do. My wife bought me a rice cooker awhile ago. Then I buy bulk brown rice for about $0.55 per pound and keep a large bag with me. Then I find canned beans on sale for $0.45 per can. Overall, I spend about $0.15 per meal. Best part is is that it's 1) easy. 2) nutritious. 3) easy to pack since it's there for me every day, and 4) doesn't taste awful. I highly recommend it.
I'm normally scoffed at at work for what I do. My wife bought me a rice cooker awhile ago. Then I buy bulk brown rice for about $0.55 per pound and keep a large bag with me. Then I find canned beans on sale for $0.45 per can. Overall, I spend about $0.15 per meal. Best part is is that it's 1) easy. 2) nutritious. 3) easy to pack since it's there for me every day, and 4) doesn't taste awful. I highly recommend it.
- black jack
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Your post (mmm, barbecue) made me think of a couple of things:thewizzer wrote:I'm going to take the opposite approach and state that I don't struggle with spending money for food at work. I enjoy going out for lunch at work. I like the group of guys I work with and it's nice to take a break in the middle of the day to head somewhere in town to grab a bite to eat. It's a way to relax a little bit and talk about stuff that isn't work related.ny_rn wrote:
Does anyone else struggle with spending money at your job for food?
Yes, I spend 8-12 bucks a day depending on where we go. I consider it money well spent. Thai food yesterday, barbecue today, maybe cajun tomorrow. I know it doesn't translate directly to your situation since it appears you are faced with eating at the same place every day, but I don't consider it a waste of money at all.
I don't like food prep. This is an area of my life where I consider it money well spent.
(1) personality matters. I'm an introvert, so eating alone at my desk or on a bench outside is my preference; extraverts may prefer eating (out) with others.
(2) it's easy to overeat when eating out regularly. Often restaurants will appeal to customers by giving big portions (the incremental cost to the restaurant of a bit more food is tiny). I find this to be particularly true of Chinese restaurants. As a customer, I appreciate this; as an old guy trying to stay fit, it makes eating out a bit awkward (doggie bags).
Even in a cafeteria, the fact that I'm hungry as I make my selections inclines me toward taking more food than I really need.
But assembling my lunch the night before makes it easier (through experience) to select a reasonable amount for lunch.
I lost 30 pounds around the time I turned 50 after I started figuring out portion control. It wasn't all because of shifting from eating out to bringing my lunch, but that helped.
We cannot absolutely prove [that they are wrong who say] that we have seen our best days. But so said all who came before us, and with just as much apparent reason. |
-T. B. Macaulay (1800-1859)
- black jack
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
You cook the rice at your office? Not that I can point fingers, as I microwave my potatoes.davidlukewilcox wrote:I'll come out of my lurker corner for this one.
I'm normally scoffed at at work for what I do. My wife bought me a rice cooker awhile ago. Then I buy bulk brown rice for about $0.55 per pound and keep a large bag with me. Then I find canned beans on sale for $0.45 per can. Overall, I spend about $0.15 per meal. Best part is is that it's 1) easy. 2) nutritious. 3) easy to pack since it's there for me every day, and 4) doesn't taste awful. I highly recommend it.
How do you season the beans and rice?
We cannot absolutely prove [that they are wrong who say] that we have seen our best days. But so said all who came before us, and with just as much apparent reason. |
-T. B. Macaulay (1800-1859)
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Once I added up how much money I could save and use for something I got more joy out of (traveling) eating out became rare. I bring mine and may eat out 1-2x a month on slow fridays to kill time.
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
NY RN,
I am gonna have a little fun with this...
Do you ever work with new nurses or nursing students? At times they ask questions that are just so flippin obvious what the answer is. I am amazed at the plain site answers, the lack of critical or any thinking, the lack of simple problem solving. Many times when people turn to me and ask questions, my inner voice wants to say"
Pretend you are a nurse, what would you do?
It just smacks of sarcasm but really tries to tell them they have all the tools to answer their own query.
So my answer here for you, is kind of the same. You have a choice to make: Spend money or take food. Live with it.
I am gonna have a little fun with this...
Do you ever work with new nurses or nursing students? At times they ask questions that are just so flippin obvious what the answer is. I am amazed at the plain site answers, the lack of critical or any thinking, the lack of simple problem solving. Many times when people turn to me and ask questions, my inner voice wants to say"
Pretend you are a nurse, what would you do?
It just smacks of sarcasm but really tries to tell them they have all the tools to answer their own query.
So my answer here for you, is kind of the same. You have a choice to make: Spend money or take food. Live with it.
Pale Blue Dot
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Depends on the specific location where you work. In my complex there is a deli that sells pretty good made to order sandwiches for $5-$6 with brand name meats/cheeses. The operator gets very cheap rent in exchange for keeping prices low. They've gone up maybe 25 cents in the last 5 years. If lunch would cost me more towards $10, I'd probably bring my own. However, a homemade sandwich made to similar specifications (i. e. good quality stuff) isn't much cheaper than the $5 I pay, might even be a wash considering I sometimes have to throw out bread, meat, cheese, etc. if I bought too much and it gets old. Sure, I could make a cheap sandwich with store brand bologna and soon-to-expire white bread for like $1, but I wouldn't enjoy eating that, and I won't eat it.
Another key to saving money on meals at work is to just drink tap water instead of soda, iced tea, or anything else that comes in a bottle/can.
Another key to saving money on meals at work is to just drink tap water instead of soda, iced tea, or anything else that comes in a bottle/can.
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Very easy, as others have said, bring your own food. It's less expensive and should be healthier.ny_rn wrote:I work in the emergency room as a RN at night (7p-7a). Currently, I'm struggling with purchasing food at the hospital. I'm ok with spending $1 for coffee, but I'm not ok with spending upwards of $10 on a meal during the night. I do this at least 3-4x per week. The simple answer would be to bring my own food, but that's not always easy.
Does anyone else struggle with spending money at your job for food? How do you manage your spending? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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- arcticpineapplecorp.
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
ditto to all above (p.s. I brown bag it myself and have for 10 years...does become a habit).
I'm surprised no one mentioned Jack Bogle once said he thought the commissary at Vanguard was too expensive (for his tastes) and he would just pack himself a peanut butter sandwich instead!
I'm surprised no one mentioned Jack Bogle once said he thought the commissary at Vanguard was too expensive (for his tastes) and he would just pack himself a peanut butter sandwich instead!
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
Also should save time: a few minutes (or less) at home to make lunch vs. probably at least 10 minutes, and easily more, where I work to go out and buy lunch. And for me, I may be tempted while I'm out to pick up a little treat (cookie, etc.), to help me get through the workdayRunningRad wrote:Very easy, as others have said, bring your own food. It's less expensive and should be healthier.ny_rn wrote:I work in the emergency room as a RN at night (7p-7a). Currently, I'm struggling with purchasing food at the hospital. I'm ok with spending $1 for coffee, but I'm not ok with spending upwards of $10 on a meal during the night. I do this at least 3-4x per week. The simple answer would be to bring my own food, but that's not always easy.
Does anyone else struggle with spending money at your job for food? How do you manage your spending? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I used to work the night shift in a hospital, too. There weren't many places open at 3 am in the morning that one could go out and eat at. Actually, there weren't any places at all in the town where this hospital was.
So as already noted, the idea is to make all meals for work only once a week, then there is no daily struggle to contend with.
So as already noted, the idea is to make all meals for work only once a week, then there is no daily struggle to contend with.
Re: Purchasing Food at Work
I've been really enjoying the Graze service for snacks--you get four snacks sent to you weekly or every other week. They're interesting enough that they help alleviate boredom snacking as well as appetite snacking. I could make most of them myself, but 1) I don't, and 2) I couldn't achieve the same variety for their price point. You can get them sent directly to work, though I just get them in home and bring them in rather than losing them in organizational mail.
- White Coat Investor
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
You mean we're not supposed to just eat all the crap everyone brings in and leaves on the ED counters because they don't want it at home anymore?
#1 Best solution - Go work for a hospital that feeds you. Granted, they're far more likely to feed the docs than the nurses, but it wouldn't surprise me to see a hospital that at least gives a huge discount in the cafeteria for staff.
#2 Best solution - Talk those docs into buying the take out food every now and then.
# 3 Best solution - Pack a lunch. The worst hospital cafeteria I ever had was in the military. It was no kidding, open for breakfast and lunch, Monday to Friday. So about 10 hours a week out of the 168 hours the ED was open. The food was terrible, somewhat pricey, but in general, just unavailable. You could go across the parking lot to the bowling alley, but hours were limited there too. I had to resort to bringing lunch for years. It sucked, but it was either that or starve, which really sucked too.
# 4 Best solution - Steal everyone else's lunch out of the lounge refrigerator. This is a temporary solution, in that if you do it, you will only have a job temporarily. But you might eat okay for a week or two until everyone catches on and starts leaving food with weird dies and poisons in it in the fridge.
Personally, I can only eat certain foods after midnight, mostly breakfast kind of stuff. But that's because I only work nights intermittently. If I worked them regularly and had to bring my lunch, I'd just pack regular lunch food. Might want to pack two lunches if you work 12 hour shifts. I never could get through a 12 on one meal without being really hungry at some point in the shift.
#1 Best solution - Go work for a hospital that feeds you. Granted, they're far more likely to feed the docs than the nurses, but it wouldn't surprise me to see a hospital that at least gives a huge discount in the cafeteria for staff.
#2 Best solution - Talk those docs into buying the take out food every now and then.
# 3 Best solution - Pack a lunch. The worst hospital cafeteria I ever had was in the military. It was no kidding, open for breakfast and lunch, Monday to Friday. So about 10 hours a week out of the 168 hours the ED was open. The food was terrible, somewhat pricey, but in general, just unavailable. You could go across the parking lot to the bowling alley, but hours were limited there too. I had to resort to bringing lunch for years. It sucked, but it was either that or starve, which really sucked too.
# 4 Best solution - Steal everyone else's lunch out of the lounge refrigerator. This is a temporary solution, in that if you do it, you will only have a job temporarily. But you might eat okay for a week or two until everyone catches on and starts leaving food with weird dies and poisons in it in the fridge.
Personally, I can only eat certain foods after midnight, mostly breakfast kind of stuff. But that's because I only work nights intermittently. If I worked them regularly and had to bring my lunch, I'd just pack regular lunch food. Might want to pack two lunches if you work 12 hour shifts. I never could get through a 12 on one meal without being really hungry at some point in the shift.
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Re: Purchasing Food at Work
A few years ago, I almost always went out to lunch (regular day job), usually to a lunch buffet. It was certainly more costly than bringing something - but for my "mental health" at that job, I really needed to get away from the office during the middle of the day.