non fast food options

[lbrowne]

In a pinch, what options would you consider OTHER than fast foods or frankenfoods? Foods to have on hand in the freezer or cupboard to throw in a cooler to bring along... or items to buy in the grocery store that don't need knives, forks, etc.... or ?

Was in a town with no "good" restaurants (aka, remotely Atkins friendly) and mostly fast food today. Looking back, if I had things in a freezer and prepped in the fridge I could have quickly packed a cooler. Worse, I hadn't eaten yet so truly needed something. A hard boiled egg with string cheese wasn't going to cut it. I'm analyzing now and getting ideas, but would love to see others input!!

~ Linda

[cleochatra]

Re: non fast food options

What a timely thread, especially with so many people travelling on the Labor Day Weekend!

I really like taking along cotto salami and sharp cheddar cheese, to make roll-ups with!

Also, grab some green olives, macadamia nuts (if you're that advanced in Atkins), pork rinds, celery, green pepper slices, mustard, mayonnaise, hard boiled eggs (you can make devilled eggs or egg salad to eat in your salami roll-ups), and chopped up lettuce and onion.

If you can prep things in advance you'll never need to guess what an ounce of cheese might be (by pre-slicing), or 2 Tbsp of onion (by using tiny tupperwares). Granted, this takes more prep, but when you're on the go, it's a lifesaver!

[softnred]

Re: non fast food options

What works for me is to cook up a crustless quiche/pie. The fillings are endless....spinach and mushrooms, chorizo, various veggies, chicken or turkey, etc. The basic recipe is as follows:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a pie plate. Fill the plate with your cooked (or mostly cooked) fillings. Most of the time I use cooked chorizo, then add some cheddar cheese on top. I've also used frozen chopped spinach that's been sauteed with mushrooms...but you can use your imagination!! Then beat together 5 eggs and pour over the top, tilting the plate to make sure the eggs are evenly distributed. Pop in the oven, and cook for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

When it's cooled completely, I cut it into wedges, put it in freezer bags, and stick them in the freezer. If you make these up ahead of time (say, on a weekend) then at any given time you can take one out of the freezer, let it thaw (I lay mine out when I get to work), nuke if you desire, then eat. The egg holds the fillings together nicely, so it can be eaten without utensils or a plate if necessary...

I also make BikerGoddess pizza and freeze serving-sized portions of it.

On Sunday afternoons of each week, I get out my containers and make 5 salads, one for each day of the week. I stack these in the fridge, then squeeze out my salad dressing into 5 snack-sized ziploc bags. It's easy to grab one and throw it in my lunch bag each morning.

In addition, when I think about it I roll up some deli turkey or roast beef, sometimes adding cheese. These are also good to grab in a pinch...

Hope this helps!!

~JoAnne

[Hinen]

Re: non fast food options

At a pinch, when away from home and needing something to eat, I go for cheese, its sliced or portioned and easy to eat with fingers, ditto for cold cooked chicken, packets of sandwich fillings, cheese and onion or cheese and bacon. Prawn cocktail/ prawn mayonaise is a favourite, its easy to wrap in lettuce if you want to be more balanced, I buy the bags of mixed, washed leaves. Keep some cutlery and tissues/kitchen towel in your car, you could get advanced and include some salt and pepper. (since starting atkins and eating more meat I now have dental floss in the car) Don't forget to have a drink of water first, you might be thirsty rather than hungry, I get a bit naughty about drinking enough when in the car for a while, trying to save time on pit stops, or not knowing where a loo is.
I know some of this food is a source of hidden carbs and stuff, I can't buy a sliced ham that doesn't contain suger in some form or another, its often hiding in the chicken too. You did say "at a pinch" I hope this is useful to you and translates okay.

[not2late]

Re: non fast food options

I was reading an old portuguese cookbook and in it the author wrote how as a little boy in the early 1920s he and his grandfather would take a train to visit relatives in someplace. Anyhow, he described the picnic basket they would bring: breaded cutlets, an egg dish similar to a frittata, hard boiled eggs, cheese, bread, cake, a bottle of milk, a bottle of lemonade and a thermos of coffee. They had no refrigeration or coolers like we do today---just a wicker basket lined with tea towels and napkins (they also ate off china plates and used real silverware and cloth napkins).

But that got me thinking.....if they were able to transport breaded cutlets, frittatas, milk, and cheese without an insulated container and ice, then we should be able to do the same thing especially when we have insulated coolers available? I suppose what I'm getting at is why do we limit ourselves to cold cuts when we travel? Maybe we should start thinking outside of that modern picnic box and use our 21st century technology to its fullest and bring real foods...