What's for Lunch?

The cafeteria at my workplace offers some selections that fit my diet, but they’re pricey. There are a number of fast food and chain restaurants nearby that could do in a pinch, but their cost and the time required make those options unacceptable, too. Packing a lunch is my best option, but I've had to learn a few tricks to make that a part of my routine. Taking leftovers is the simplest choice, but we don’t always have them. My solution is to grill a large batch of meat or poultry and freeze it in meal-size portions.

We buy London Broil in the large, extra savings package when it’s on sale. I season them with a 50:50 mix of coarse ground black pepper and Kosher salt.

I brown them over direct heat for approximately 2 ½ minutes per side, turning them three times for a total of about 5 minutes per side.

Once browned, I move them to the side and allow them to cook via indirect heat until the internal temperature reaches ~137F. While they’re cooking, I can cook some other meat – country style ribs, for example.

When done, I place them on a cooling tray for approximately 30 minutes. (I find it amusing that we use our old jellyroll pans for meat preparation and cooling ...)

After the meat’s rested for half an hour, I move it to the refrigerator and leave it there until the next day. Once it’s fully chilled, I dice it into ½ inch pieces.

I portion this cubed meat into snack-sized zip lock bags. I’ve calculated my per-meal protein requirement, based on Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades’ Protein Power Lifeplan, to be the equivalent of 4.25 ounces of cooked meat. Your portion size may vary.

I then place the individual portions into a labeled gallon size zip lock bag and place it into the freezer.

My typical lunch consists of a salad with one of these meat portions. They usually thaw by lunch time (I pack my lunch in an insulated bag with a re-freezable ice pack). If it hasn’t, 10 seconds in the microwave does the trick.


In addition to lunches, these handy portions make breakfast easier. While I defrost a portion of cooked beef in the microwave, I sauté some onions in lard or clarified butter. Once the onions are nicely browned, I add the beef. One the beef is heated, I add 4 eggs and scramble the whole mixture. This makes 2 breakfast portions.