Lunch Ideas for those of us who pack!
Replies
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Hi:
I cook my lunch for the week on Sundays. recipes have 4-6 portions so I have enough for 5 lunches.
I usually have beans (black, kidney beans), lentils, chickpeas. There are many recipes in the Internet. I put the whole thing on a closed bowl and it goes to the fridge.
I separately cooked brown rice on one pot and quinoa in another pot. I cooked the quinoa with a couple of bay leaves and some chicken buillon. I also stored the brown rice and the quinoa in separate closed bowls in the fridge.
every night I get half a cup of the pulses (this week is Lentils with chorizo) in one tight lid container. Separately, I have 1/4 cup of brown rice plus 1/2 cup of quinoa in another tight lid container . sometimes, I take 1 cup soup in another container. I have replaced it with salad for the summer (tomato, cucumber and feta cheese). All four containers fit into my lunch box.
I am with you on this one. I love making soups. I will make lentil soup with veggies and add organic pink madagascar rice. I make enough for my daughter and I to have for days. She loves the rice and beans
The only problem with making large portions is that you get tired of it. 
So I freeze some so I can eat later.
On portion control: I like to serve myself in a remekin bowl, since I know that is about a cup of soup.
Great idea about portion control!0 -
today's lunch is:
3 slices of lunch meat
100g of zuccini
28g of herb goat cheese
2tbsps greek olive hummus
1/2 red bell pepper
TGIZS --- Thank goodness it's zucchini season
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I love brown rice. Leftover indian food/stews are awesome!0
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One silly question though-- I have always wanted to try plums, but I don't know how you eat them-- do you peel them, slice them, eat them with something or plain? I am plum-clueless
You eat a plum just like an apple or a peach or an apricot. Wash it and eat around the pit, or wash it and slice it up. I have never peeled a plum. 0 -
My diet is open for anyone to see. Check my Monday through Friday for lots of ideas.
Today was a can of sardines.
Last week I had jalapeno tuna - yummy!
I frequently have turkey & turkey ham on a 100 calorie deli flat, sometimes with a touch of light mayo or even (mmmm!) guacamole.
I also take leftover dinner (but a smaller portion) as a great lunch.
Often, over the weekend, I'll grill up a lb or more of chicken tenders and use them for lunches through the week, either sliced & thrown into a salad with a teaspoon of grated romano cheese or chopped up with some onion and a bit of light mayo for a great chicken salad.0 -
Me, too, more often than not. Plus I keep extra fruit, maybe some cheese sticks in the little fridge.My lunch is always leftovers from last night's dinner. It's a good way of keeping things healthy, home cooked, and saving money.
Hardest part is convincing well-meaning co-workers that I do NOT WANT to go out to lunch with them! Not even if they pay! Not even to sip tea/water while they eat the deliciousness! (Sigh. Again today)0 -
I make a chicken salad out of canned chicken with light mayo, chopped up apple, craisins, celery, carrots, etc. and I put it in a pita bread. Another idea is a tuna salad made however you like to season it, I put curry in mine and raisins along with mayo and other veggies and put it on top of a baked sweet potato...the flavors are really nice together. You can cook a sweet potato in the microwave in about five minutes, just don't forget to puncture it first!
another idea is canned soups with side salad and crackers. Also I do a lot of leftovers and sometimes I will get subway if I feel like treating myself but not very often.
I also keep 100 cal popcorn in my desk and bring greek yogurt mixed with sliced canned peaches and I bring some other fruits and keep them on my desk so I will reach for them first. :-)
Great ideas! I've never heard of putting tuna salad on a baked sweet potato but now I'm super curious, I must try it!!0 -
WOW!!! good for you. Since I try to cook healthy, I prefer to eat leftovers for lunch.
Even if I cook bake chicken for dinner, I will make a bake chicken delicious on a wheat roll, leafy greens and
tomatoes.
For snacks I eat nuts almonds or walnuts and fruit, water with lemon. Or to keep it real an occasional soda....
Bad Girl but the truth.0 -
Bumping for when I have a chance to look more.0
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I'm so boring, but it works for me. I usually have 2 oz of chicken breast, grape tomatoes, baby carrots and some red grapefruit. That is my work lunch. I mix it up on the week-ends, but stay fairly consistent during the week.0
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One silly question though-- I have always wanted to try plums, but I don't know how you eat them-- do you peel them, slice them, eat them with something or plain? I am plum-clueless
You eat a plum just like an apple or a peach or an apricot. Wash it and eat around the pit, or wash it and slice it up. I have never peeled a plum.
Thank you! :flowerforyou:0 -
My diet is open for anyone to see. Check my Monday through Friday for lots of ideas.
Today was a can of sardines.
Last week I had jalapeno tuna - yummy!
I frequently have turkey & turkey ham on a 100 calorie deli flat, sometimes with a touch of light mayo or even (mmmm!) guacamole.
I also take leftover dinner (but a smaller portion) as a great lunch.
Often, over the weekend, I'll grill up a lb or more of chicken tenders and use them for lunches through the week, either sliced & thrown into a salad with a teaspoon of grated romano cheese or chopped up with some onion and a bit of light mayo for a great chicken salad.
I hadn't thought of putting guac on a sammich, that sounds delish! Thank you for the ideas!0 -
WOW!!! good for you. Since I try to cook healthy, I prefer to eat leftovers for lunch.
Even if I cook bake chicken for dinner, I will make a bake chicken delicious on a wheat roll, leafy greens and
tomatoes.
For snacks I eat nuts almonds or walnuts and fruit, water with lemon. Or to keep it real an occasional soda....
Bad Girl but the truth.
Your post reminded me of these delicious brown wheat rolls from Aldi that were great with a little meat and lettuce on them. Thanks for reminding me of this delicious meal!0 -
I'm so boring, but it works for me. I usually have 2 oz of chicken breast, grape tomatoes, baby carrots and some red grapefruit. That is my work lunch. I mix it up on the week-ends, but stay fairly consistent during the week.
Do you eat the grapefruit plain? I haven't had grapefruit since I was a kid and I remember the bitter-beer face it gave me, but I have considered trying it again as an adult. Is there a secret to making it taste a little less bitter without just dumping a cup of sugar on it and calling it a day?0 -
I always pack lots of fresh fruits & veggies for snacks... and sometimes maybe some hummus to dip the veggies in. For a main course it always varies... a lot of the time it's just leftovers. Other Ideas besides leftovers...
1. Hard Boiled Eggs
2. Salads with Bolthouse Yogurt Dressings (only 45 Calories for 2 TBSP).... you can load these up with tons of veggies and low cal cheese, eggs, etc.
3. Whole Wheat Pita sandwiches... I'll use Hummus or Tzakiki instead of mayo
4. Oatmeal (loaded with fresh fruit)
5. Shredded chicken salad... I'll boil and shred a bunch of chicken over the weekend, then mix it up with greek yogurt instead of mayo and add different spices or fruits & veggies. I made it a couple weeks ago with crushed pineapple, cinnamon, scallions, and garlic... Yum-O!0 -
I always pack lots of fresh fruits & veggies for snacks... and sometimes maybe some hummus to dip the veggies in. For a main course it always varies... a lot of the time it's just leftovers. Other Ideas besides leftovers...
1. Hard Boiled Eggs
2. Salads with Bolthouse Yogurt Dressings (only 45 Calories for 2 TBSP).... you can load these up with tons of veggies and low cal cheese, eggs, etc.
3. Whole Wheat Pita sandwiches... I'll use Hummus or Tzakiki instead of mayo
4. Oatmeal (loaded with fresh fruit)
5. Shredded chicken salad... I'll boil and shred a bunch of chicken over the weekend, then mix it up with greek yogurt instead of mayo and add different spices or fruits & veggies. I made it a couple weeks ago with crushed pineapple, cinnamon, scallions, and garlic... Yum-O!
All of that sounds delicious! And I hadn't thought of subbing greek yogurt for mayo, but thank you for sharing! Great ideas 0 -
In the summer I love spinach salad with strawberries, goat cheese, pecans, red onions and maple viniagrette.
Is the maple vinagrette something you find in a store or do you make it?
I buy Yummies in a Jar Muskoka Maple viniagrette. No oil so fat free and also quite strong so I only need 2 T for 40 calories. Very regional to southern Ontario though. There are lots of recipes on the internet for similar dressings.0 -
I take food to work 95% of the time. I make a big pile of roasted chicken breast or turkey breat, portion it out and freeze. Themn i make a big salad, add the portion of chicken and zap the chicken when i'm ready to eat. I like having something hot mid day.
Sometimes I'll have tuna and egg, or feta cheese instead of the chicken.
someties i'lll roast one or 2 whole chicken, no skin, then take the meat and shred it and freeze and have that instead of the other protein.
Lately I've been making a crunchy cabbage salad-easy to make and lasts for almost a week0 -
---Homemade soups
What kind of soups? Do you have any recipes you could share?
Here is this week's soup. I like it spicy - so you may want to reduce the chili flakes.
Oil - Olive, 2 tablespoon 239 0 27 0
Celery - Raw, 3.5 cup chopped 49 10 1 2
Carrots - Raw, 1.5 cup, chopped 79 18 0 2
Onions - Raw, 2 cup, chopped 134 32 0 3
Garlic - Raw, 6 tsp 25 6 0 1
Generic - Crushed Red Chili Pepper Flakes, 6 teaspoon 48 0 0 0
Spices - Basil, dried, 3 tbsp, leaves 16 4 0 1
Bell Pepper - Raw, 2 cup 92 18 0 2
Aylmer (Canada) - Diced Tomatoes, 2 container (3 1/5 cups ea.) 318 76 0 13
Aurora - Bouillon Mix Chicken, 2 tablet 60 4 4 4
No Name - Chick Peas (540ml Can), 1 container (2.2 cup (250 ml) ea.) 475 78 9 22
Green Beans - Raw , 1 cup uncooked 34 8 0 2
Ital Pasta - Alphabets, 130 mL (85 g) dry 300 63 1 11
Zucchini - Raw, Sliced, 2 cup sliced 36 8 0 3
You'll need a large pot as this made 18 cups. The bowls at my office hold 1-1/2 cups - for a total of 159 calories.
Saute celery, carrots & onions in olive oil at medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes or until they start to soften slightly. Season with salt & pepper. Add garlic (careful not to burn); cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add chili flakes, basil & bell peppers, cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add 1 litre of chicken bouillon and 2 cans of diced plum tomatoes with juice. Drain & rinse chick peas; add to pot. Bring soup to boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Add green beans & pasta; simmer for 5 minutes; add zucchini, stir in well (ie submerge) and turn off heat. Residual heat of of soup will finish the cooking. Adjust seasoning as desired.
I bring the soup, a slice or two of a good rye or pumpernickel bread (and a tsp of butter), carrots & celery sticks and an apple (which i eat as a snack mid-afternoon). Lunch for around 400 calories.0 -
In the summer I love spinach salad with strawberries, goat cheese, pecans, red onions and maple viniagrette.
Is the maple vinagrette something you find in a store or do you make it?
I buy Yummies in a Jar Muskoka Maple viniagrette. No oil so fat free and also quite strong so I only need 2 T for 40 calories. Very regional to southern Ontario though. There are lots of recipes on the internet for similar dressings.
Sounds great, thank you for sharing!0 -
I always have left overs (smaller portion) from the night before.0
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I take food to work 95% of the time. I make a big pile of roasted chicken breast or turkey breat, portion it out and freeze. Themn i make a big salad, add the portion of chicken and zap the chicken when i'm ready to eat. I like having something hot mid day.
Sometimes I'll have tuna and egg, or feta cheese instead of the chicken.
someties i'lll roast one or 2 whole chicken, no skin, then take the meat and shred it and freeze and have that instead of the other protein.
Lately I've been making a crunchy cabbage salad-easy to make and lasts for almost a week
Is there a particular method to freezing it? I have been having bad luck with things getting freezer-burn lately and I'm hoping to avoid it!0 -
I have 2 slices of whole grain bread.
then 3 servings of lean turkey meat.
lettuce
and water
10 almonds.0 -
---Homemade soups
What kind of soups? Do you have any recipes you could share?
Here is this week's soup. I like it spicy - so you may want to reduce the chili flakes.
Oil - Olive, 2 tablespoon 239 0 27 0
Celery - Raw, 3.5 cup chopped 49 10 1 2
Carrots - Raw, 1.5 cup, chopped 79 18 0 2
Onions - Raw, 2 cup, chopped 134 32 0 3
Garlic - Raw, 6 tsp 25 6 0 1
Generic - Crushed Red Chili Pepper Flakes, 6 teaspoon 48 0 0 0
Spices - Basil, dried, 3 tbsp, leaves 16 4 0 1
Bell Pepper - Raw, 2 cup 92 18 0 2
Aylmer (Canada) - Diced Tomatoes, 2 container (3 1/5 cups ea.) 318 76 0 13
Aurora - Bouillon Mix Chicken, 2 tablet 60 4 4 4
No Name - Chick Peas (540ml Can), 1 container (2.2 cup (250 ml) ea.) 475 78 9 22
Green Beans - Raw , 1 cup uncooked 34 8 0 2
Ital Pasta - Alphabets, 130 mL (85 g) dry 300 63 1 11
Zucchini - Raw, Sliced, 2 cup sliced 36 8 0 3
You'll need a large pot as this made 18 cups. The bowls at my office hold 1-1/2 cups - for a total of 159 calories.
Saute celery, carrots & onions in olive oil at medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes or until they start to soften slightly. Season with salt & pepper. Add garlic (careful not to burn); cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add chili flakes, basil & bell peppers, cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add 1 litre of chicken bouillon and 2 cans of diced plum tomatoes with juice. Drain & rinse chick peas; add to pot. Bring soup to boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Add green beans & pasta; simmer for 5 minutes; add zucchini, stir in well (ie submerge) and turn off heat. Residual heat of of soup will finish the cooking. Adjust seasoning as desired.
I bring the soup, a slice or two of a good rye or pumpernickel bread (and a tsp of butter), carrots & celery sticks and an apple (which i eat as a snack mid-afternoon). Lunch for around 400 calories.
Well, I just drooled. This sounds delish!0 -
I have 2 slices of whole grain bread.
then 3 servings of lean turkey meat.
lettuce
and water
10 almonds.
Do you put any sort of dressing/spread on the sandwich to keep it from being too dry? I love turkey, but sometimes it can be a bit dry. Do you aim for deli lunch meat turkey or a cooked rotisserie type turkey?
Thank you for the idea!0 -
I eat about the same thing every day. Yawn, but whatever.
1) Light Flat-out wrap (any flavor)
2) 1-1.5 servings of deli meat turkey or chicken (the kind in the recloseable containers)
3) 1-2 cups spinach
4) mustard - wrap up ingredients 1-4.
5) Dannon light greek yogurt, any flavor
6) 1/2cup (70 g) ish of blueberries
7) 1cup (200 g) ish of strawberries; mix items 5-7
Sometimes I swap out the fruits for other berries, or an apple, but I aim for 350ish cals, 30+ g protein0 -
I eat about the same thing every day. Yawn, but whatever.
1) Light Flat-out wrap (any flavor)
2) 1-1.5 servings of deli meat turkey or chicken (the kind in the recloseable containers)
3) 1-2 cups spinach
4) mustard - wrap up ingredients 1-4.
5) Dannon light greek yogurt, any flavor
6) 1/2cup (70 g) ish of blueberries
7) 1cup (200 g) ish of strawberries; mix items 5-7
Sometimes I swap out the fruits for other berries, or an apple, but I aim for 350ish cals, 30+ g protein
I've never tried those wraps, but sounds delish! Thank you for sharing :bigsmile:0 -
I usually bring a smaller portion of leftovers from the night before, plus a piece of fruit. Sometimes I'll do a large batch of soup or chili and freeze individual portions that I can grab when I don't have leftovers.0
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Do you have a good turkey chili recipe? I haven't tried it before because I haven't found a good recipe!
This is my recipe, guaranteed to please!
Homemade 3 Bean Turkey Chili
16 oz. ground turkey
1 can dark red kidney bean, undrained
1 can garbanzos, undrained
1 can black beans, undrained
1 small can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes in juice, undrained
1 medium onion, diced
3 TBSP chili powder
Brown the meat. Toss everything else in. Cook on the stove on low for 30 minutes or 5 hours, your choice - the longer, the better!
Edited to add: it makes 12 servings (1-1/4 cup) at 193 calories each.0 -
I do weekly food prep on Sundays so I can bring my lunch for work as well. I switch it up so I don't get bored so, depending on the week, I will make a big pot of turkey chili, some sort of soup or stew, enchiladas, other casseroles, pasta dishes, etc. then portion it out in tupperware containers for the week. I will also chop up a bunch of veggies and put together a little side salad to go with whatever else I've made (again, in tupperwares for the week so they're ready to grab and go) and I leave salad dressing in the work fridge. I also make sure I always have healthy snacks--apple or some other fruit, granola bar, yogurt, carrots and hummus, etc. Another easy one is to buy a rotisserie chicken from the store. Sometimes I will portion that out for the week or just do it as needed since it's already made and so simple. Since I'm often not in the mood to cook a big dinner after work, I will also prep for dinners by making another big batch from the above list or having recipes prepped to throw in the slow cooker in the mornings.
Edited for typos.
Do you have a good turkey chili recipe? I haven't tried it before because I haven't found a good recipe!
Ooo, I do! This is my favorite: http://www.elliekrieger.com/turkey-chili0
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