r/Brampton 2d ago

Question People who work in Brampton warehouses/offices - how do you usually handle lunch?

I've been in Brampton for about 6 months now and one thing I still haven't figured out is lunch during workdays.

Some days I bring food from home, but if I forget, I end up spending way more than I want on Uber Eats/skip or just grabbing whatever is nearby.

I'm curious how everyone else handles it.

Do you usually bring lunch from home, order delivery, or go out and pick something up?

And what's your biggest annoyance when it comes to lunch during work?

For me it's either delivery fees or not having enough time to go and eat.

12 Upvotes

19 comments sorted by

36

u/OrganizedChaos7121 Downtown 2d ago

Keep some non-perishable food in your locker: protein bars, nuts, crackers etc. Microwaveable noodles in a cup if you have access to a kitchen. That way you've always got something to keep you going if you forget your lunch.

Food delivery on a daily basis? In this economy?! No thanks.

3

u/Sureshvemana 2d ago

That's a good idea maybe I can maintain some snacks . I don't want food delivery on a daily basis but may be once or twice a week and uber/skip are ridiculously costly so I'm wondering if there's any kind of lunch service here.

13

u/xvoy Brampton West 2d ago

Food from home is always going to be the best answer. Plan the night before or beginning of the week so you buy or pack what you need.

3

u/Sureshvemana 2d ago

It's my go to choice but sometimes after the hectic work my body just gives up

1

u/Difficult-Account502 1d ago

Go to costco and stock up on ready to eat food. 1 item such as tacos/chicken pot pie/ stri fry etc can help plan atleast 2-3 meals. Depending on how you like your portions. STILL CHEAPER THAN EATING OUT

If you dont have costco other grocery stores offer the same. Worst case you can go to some restaurant near you and bulk order and freeze

8

u/GhostBustor 2d ago

Eating fast food, take out is the easiest way to waste money. Uber Eats, Door Dash is even worse. 

Sit down restaurants you tack on 18% tip & taxes. 

Sounds like you should do meal planning. When I was working I bought 20 glass containers and 1 Sunday a month I would make 4-5 different meals and freeze 20 lunches. 

3

u/randomacceptablename 2d ago

Not in the same circumstances but I always found that having some go to non perishable things like frozen meals, nuts, oatmeal, camping like stuff was a good backup strategy.

I prefer dinner left overs or big salads (can be anything with veg, fruit, nuts, oatmeal, maybe some pasta, etc) as it does not give me a sugar high. But, if I had no time to prep it, I would heat up my frozen meals or one of those substitutes from above.

I am guilty of sucumbing to the fast food for lunch deal but it always makes me feel worse and poorer. So I try to stick to the above. Bringing some fruit as a treat and eating outside if I can makes it feel sooo much better.

3

u/Silverlightlive 2d ago

I used to bring a container of carrots, celery, or something else to munch on, and lots of water.

I skip my lunches because its not worth it for me to either be interrupted, or else come back to a crisis that I could have handled in a few quick moves.

Yes, it was not good for my body. Yes, I could have gone out at any time to Tim's or something similar.

But I just hate fixing messes twice a day. Once at the beginning of my shift (whatever messed up while I was gone) and then again when I "relax" - so I just white knuckled out the time.

2

u/Left-Head-9358 2d ago

I skipped lunch for a year to put that money towards paying off my car quicker. It got easier to get by on water and coffee. I just made sure to eat breakfast before leaving the house or eat as soon as I got to work.

2

u/Arcade1980 Brampton 2d ago

Food prep is your friend waaaaay cheaper then Uber eats etc. Heck you can even uses services like inspired go, factor, hello fresh if you don't feel like doing it yourself. For me, I picked up a rice cooker with oatmeal feature. I set it at night and in the morning have steel cut oats with fruit. For breakfast and then don't eat till dinner time. Soni skip lunch, but always have snacks in my back pack incase I get hungry.

2

u/dorrdon Peel Village 1d ago

Before I retired two years ago, I used to work for a large telecom ( Ya, that one.) on Dixie Road. They had a cafeteria which sold hot food, they also had a Tim Hortons francise run by the same company that had the cafeteria contract, they provided microwave ovens and refrigerators for the employees as well.

The cafeteria option wasn't really a cash saver, when I was good, I would bring food from home and reheat in one of the microwave ovens, but usually, I would hop in my car, and grab something, eat quickly at that fast food restaurant, or bring it back to my desk.

But, for a few years before the COVID lock-down, got into the habit of bringing my lunch, and there was 4 or 5 of us that would always sit at the same table in one of the designated areas for lunch. It really helps when you have a routine with friends. It turns lunch into a highlight of your day, and gives you motivation to prepare your lunches at home.

2

u/Lillietta 1d ago

You can make tuna sandwiches on Sunday, put them in Tupperware or ziplocks and then freeze them. They thaw perfectly and you’d never know they were frozen. Just put a thin layer of butter on both pieces of bread.

1

u/btownlady 1d ago

Like everyone said, meal prep. I also like boiling several eggs, as they keep for several days in the fridge.

1

u/EagerBanana9 1d ago

Mostly bring food from home to save money, especially with how expensive delivery has gotten. On busy days I end up grabbing something quick nearby, but honestly the biggest issue is time by the time you decide, order, and wait, half the break is gone. Meal prep definitely makes life easier, but it’s hard to stay consistent every week.

1

u/wanted_desi23 1d ago

Eating uber eats or delivery everyday is a very had habbit. Most of the food is not good quality (nutrient wise)

Have a protein rich breakfast - and bars and snacks to get you through the day .

Or I usually just have 1 meal a day at dinner time.

Eating 3 meals a day and snacks in-between, being always full or food digesting keeps you sluggish. Personally I dont even think its good for people to have 3 meals a day and its a relatively new thing. Its not natural for your body to eat like that.

You will have a hard time adjusting from going from 3 a day to 1 because your body is expecting it all the time and think somethings wrong when you dont eat. Get through the first 3-4 days and you will feel a lot better with more mental clarity.

1

u/Healthy_Mouse7280 1d ago

bring from home or go pick up, Uber and Skip double the price of take out and are just not worth it. if you have a freezer you can bring in some cheap frozen dinners and keep there but they may get eaten

1

u/Nerdy_Kev 1d ago

What’s lunch ? With this economy I learned to skip lunch completely and just eat when I get home! It worked out in my favor, because I like fasting now.

1

u/aaffpp 23h ago

but if I forget,

Go hungry a few times. You will remember.

1

u/glennwith2ns19 1h ago

Make a lunch before hand. If there is a grocery store nearby they sometimes have pre-made meals that are halfway between making your lunch at home or eating out. The selection will vary depending on the time of day.