Lunches With Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid Food Storage Container

Most often, we are too busy at work to take a lunch break to get some nutritious foods. So our usual options would be to take a short, quick lunch from a fast-food or a food cart, or to bring food from home so you can eat on your desk while working.

I have been there, and done that. My heart has a quota on the greasy food it can take. Besides, in the long run, buying lunch can come out expensive. The best option then is to bring lunch from home. But then again, who has time to actually cook meals? I may have some tips to share with you on easy-to-make lunches which you can prepare the night before thus making it also an easy-to-make dinner.

I want lunch that is delicious, more to my taste and preference and will not break my budget. This article will give you a recipe that is easy to make and quite affordable. It will give you storage tips and even re-heating tips.

The Recipe: Chicken Fried Rice

I love this recipe because it has chicken, vegetables and rice so it’s a full meal in itself.

This serves 4, and costs as low as $1/serving.

Estimated preparation time: 7 minutes.

Estimated cooking time: 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

Chicken breast, chopped	¾ lbs
Soy sauce	1 oz
Vegetable oil	2 oz
Sesame oil	¼ oz
Onion, chopped	100 grams
Frozen mixed vegetables, thawed	½ lbs
White rice, cooked	32 oz
Eggs	3 pcs
Black pepper
Kosher salt

Preparation:

Mix chicken with sesame oil and soy sauce. Let it marinate for 10 minutes;
Cook the rice in rice cooker, set aside;
Prepare skillet by heating over medium-high heat;
Put the chicken and the marinade into the skillet and stir-fry for 4 minutes;
Remove chicken from skillet and set aside;
Pour the vegetable oil into the skillet over medium heat;
Sauté onions for 3 minutes;
Add in the other vegetables and cook for a minute;
Increase the heat and add the cooked rice into the skillet, stir-fry for 3 minutes;
Create a well in the middle of the rice, and put in the eggs;
Scramble the eggs in the middle of the rice until cooked;
Break the formed egg, and incorporate it into the rice and vegetables. Season with pepper and salt;
Cook until top is golden brown. Add in the chicken and combine all the ingredients together.

Best Way To Store The Cooked Food With Food Storage Container

Before removing the food from the skillet, prepare your containers for single serve. Put the food into each of them, and the remaining food in the skillet should only be enough for your dinner. It is wise to refrigerate the food, but only do so when it is has cooled down. Do not refrigerate hot food; it will damage your refrigerator.

I prefer to use RUBBERMAID FOOD STORAGE CONTAINER. I bought a set with 42 pieces, actually 21 storage containers and their lids. I have tried other brands, but I like this one best for these reasons:

The 42 piece best suits me as it has varied sizes – 7 cups, 5 cups, 3 cups, 2 cups, 1.25 cups and the smallest is for a half cup;
They term it easy find lids because the lids can fit different sizes, like the lid for a 7-cup can be used on a 5-cup. The lids are also stackable so when not in use, they can all be stacked high on top of each other;
Rubbermaid Food Storage Container is made of BPA-free plastic and is safe for freezer, is dishwasher-friendly and microwavable;
I love the square shape because it can maximize the space in the freezer, refrigerator or cabinet;
It also does not stain so even if orange pasta is stored in it for weeks, the container will not get an ugly orange discoloration.

You should see my freezer and refrigerator. It looks so organized, clean and beautiful with my uniform Rubbermaid Food Storage Containers. I store even left-over raw food, like half of an onion, so nothing is wasted.

To be safe, I always freeze the food, and not just refrigerate it. Always leave about half an inch from the top of the container because food, when frozen, expands. I have made it a point to cook for more than just one serving so I can store the other servings. Sometimes, what I cook on a Monday becomes lunch on Thursday. To keep track of what I have in the freezer, I have an inventory list outside, also with the date it was cooked.

In the long run, I would want to be able to buy a foodsaver vacuum sealer so I can also vacuum seal the food before storage. This way, food can stay for months. This is a great idea to store seasonal vegetables and fruits.

From The Freezer To The Office

Every night, after cleaning up, I go through my inventory list of foods inside the freezer, and already choose which one to bring to the office for lunch. I look for it, and put it at the very top of the stack, easy to reach during morning rush. The next day, I put it inside my lunch bag, preferably insulated so it stays frozen or at least cold until lunch time.

Here are a few re-heating tips using the microwave:

Stir your food around before putting it inside the microwave. That will make sure the heat will be evenly distributed. Do this especially if your microwave does not have a turntable. In this case, also cut the heating mid-way and turn your container around. Microwaves have specific ‘hot spots’ so if your unit does not have a turntable, only certain sides of your food will be heated;
I use the one-minute burst method. I stir, put in microwave for a minute, then stir it again, and heat for another minute. For foods that can’t be stirred, like meat, in between the minute bursts, you can flip it over so the other side will surely be reheated;
The RUBBERMAID CONTAINERS are microwaveable so you can pop it into the microwave without fear. It uses BPA-free plastic material making it totally safe.

The Delicious Life

Now I eat delicious meals during lunch, and I save so much time and money from it. I can just eat my $1 chicken fried rice while working on my table. I like it, too, that there are no left-over’s wasted in my kitchen. Now, when I eat in my parent’s house, my Mom wraps the remaining food for my future use. Of course, the minute I get home, I transfer it to my RUBBERMAID CONTAINER for proper storage.