September 5, 2011

Tiffin Lunch #1

So I have been told by a friend trying to go vegan that her biggest difficulty is coming up with what to pack for lunch.
While her old lunches would have been sandwiches of meats and cheeses, becoming vegan (and gluten free) means adapting to different styles of packed lunches. (Especially if you want to also move away from processed foods!) So every monday and wednesday this month, I will be showcasing what I pack Matthew for lunches (as I am rarely out of the house at lunchtimes except for tuesdays, when I am a teaching assistant for a class in the afternoons. Otherwise, I am out before or after lunch, but tend to be here when my lunch is being eaten.

I pack Matthew lunches in a Tiffin, which is a 3 layered lunch box with a frame that snaps together to hold all of the layers together. It is made out of metal, and I got it in Chinatown in Montreal. However, you can buy them in a variety of materials and sizes online! Also, you can use bento boxes, or really any re-usable container for your lunches. I find the 3 layer tiffin to be useful as I tend to structure his lunch into 3 parts- vegetable, fruit, and a carb (to keep his energy a goin!) Since it is made out of metal, he has a little bowl he packs with it in order to microwave anything he wants heated up as well! :)

Without Further Ado:
Tiffin Lunch # 1

Layer 1:
on the bottom layer, I cut up apples, and dipped them in some lemon water (to slow browning) and then sprinkled them in cinnamon! 

Layer 2:
Layer 2 consisted of steamed corn on the cob and steamed carrots. I cut up the corn on the cop into little rings so it would fit. I also added a bit of vegan margarine, as well as freshly ground salt and pepper, to add a bit more flavor!

Layer 3:B
For the final layer, I put noodles, leftover marinara sauce, and frozen peas. Since this was for Matthew, and he isn't on a gluten restriction like I am, I tend to use Ramen noodles in his lunch, because A: He likes them, and B: They cook really quickly. I never use the sauce packets though, I put my own sauces (because they taste better!) He tells me it tastes very good with marinara! I added some freshly ground salt and pepper as well. 

And that's that!

Total prep time: Cutting the apples: 1 minute
Chopping and steaming the vegetables in the microwave: 3 minutes
Cooking the noodles and saucing them: 7 minutes

Total Time: 11 minutes. 

Make it right before you go to bed, and stick it in the fridge, and you're good to go for the next day!

4 comments:

  1. excellent idea - I love this! I can't wait to see more lunch time posts :) I struggle with finding quick, easy and healthy lunches too!

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  2. Just found your blog via FindingVegan. Love the background!

    Great photos, too. I look forward to seeing more lunchtime recipes this month! Thanks!

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  3. hmmmm... Yumyum! This surely looks delicious. Having all these foods would surely satisfy anybody's need!

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  4. Matthew, whom I pack lunches for, tells me they're quite filling, and delicious! So I guess the objective is filled!

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