Lunch Ideas for those of us who pack!

alimarie53

I do a chicken breast packed with lots of veggies! For snacks I will have some hummus with celery, tomatoes, or snap peas.

venturaroo

Bump for later

katinachaos

Hummus and veggies are always in the fridge at work so if I forget a "real" lunch, I still have something. I've been trying to just snack on 100-200 calories when I get hungry throughout the work day instead of having a whole big breakfast or lunch.

Hard boiled eggs
String cheese
Cucumber salad (cucumbers, rice vinegar, red onion, splenda and red pepper flakes)
Yogurt
Quinoa salad (I make a bunch and portion it out over the week)
Low-sodium lunch meat (I'm discovering how timing my protein intake affects whether or not I get super hungry or not)

And leftovers! I usually hate them but 1) they are cheaper and 2) I don't have to input all new food into my tracker, so it's lazy, lol.

I've also been snacking on sliced English cucumber with salsa, rather than tortilla chips.

joyincincy

One of my favorite lunch items is sardines in mustard sauce with Nut Thins crackers (gluten free). Easy, high in protein, and filling. Lots of great ideas on this post!

H3TR0

I have the 4cup pyrex dishes with the leak proof lids. I use those for salads with a little grilled chicken. I make my own dressing - 1.5t dijon mustard, 1.5t olive oil, 6T seasoned rice vinegar, 1/2c chopped shallots. Shake it up and add some to your salad at least an hour before you eat so it can soak in.

Leftovers are easy - I often just do a protein and veggies because I get a ton of carbs throughout the day.

Wraps - my favorite is garlic hummus, tomato, cucumber, red onion, grilled chicken.

On a lazy day with no groceries - tuna salad and saltines

Random assortment - a bunch of snacks, all at the same time (cut up fruit, hard boiled egg, veggies, hummus, etc)

I try to pack a 2cup pyrex of veggies each day. I usually make a big batch of roasted veggies and use it throughout the week. I do broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower most of the time (little salt and pepper, olive oil, bake at 400 until it starts to get crispy). Sometimes I eat this with lunch, sometimes as an afternoon snack. Other easy to roast veggies are asparagus, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, beets.

Bean and cheese burritos - I make flour tortillas on the stove and refried beans in the crockpot, then combine with some shredded cheese, wrap, freeze. I let it defrost in my lunch bag from morning til lunch time. Message me if you want either recipe.

My diary is open and I log Mon-Fri - feel free to check it out.

And now I am craving a burrito haha! Messaging you so I can learn your ways!

JBsCrazyGirl

I make a protein shake/smoothie the night before and freeze it. By the time lunch comes around it is perfect!
Just dont forget it in the freezer :laugh:

H3TR0

chicken salad, sometimes I make my own lunchables with a few crackers, lunchmeat, and low-cal laughing cow spread, sugar free pudding, salad with my homegrown veggies. I like popcorn instead of chips most of the time. Fresh fruit. Sometimes something as simple as a bowl of cereal or a ham and cheese omelet (I have a dish that I can make one in the microwave).

*edited becasue I apparently cannot talk on the phone and spell at the same time.*

Haha, I love your edit (: And I like the idea of doing lunchables your own way, I hadn't thought of doing the laughing cow spread with it! Thank you for sharing!! :bigsmile:

Lili0817

It looks like you eat very little. Are you on a temporary calorie deficit? 1,200 is very few calories and you often have calories left over, but it looks like it's working for you very well and you've lost a lot of weight so Congratulations on your sucess.

H3TR0

Two lunches:

---

$1.99 for a pack of 6 whole wheat pita bread (90cal/slice)
$2.50 a container of hummus (pick your flavor)
$4.00 a container of tabouleh (where available)
$1.00 yogurt
$1.99 for fresh strawberries (in season now, pretty cheap)

I've never heard of tabouleh, but I googled it and it sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing!

blink1021

sandwiches
leftovers from the night before dinners (I just make a little extra to take in the next day)
hard boiled eggs
bagel thins
raw veggies
fruit
yogurt
fruit cups
100 calorie bars and packs
cheese/crackers

nxd10

Smart and delicious low carb tortillas (50 calories) with roast beef (60 calories) and lettuce/cukes/whatever (negligible)

Tea with no sugar

Orange or pear (100)

Candied ginger (30)

H3TR0

My food diary is open and I pack a lunch almost every day, I am eating around 1200 cals a day. I find inspiration from looking at Bento Box lunches on Pinterest and the web. I believe that if food looks good it is more filling and makes my day/lunch happier.I also find I eat more veggies and fruit if I am making my lunch "pretty".
I also always have a "emergency" snack for the afternoon in case I get that "starved" feeling.

Lunches this week are:
Today- Chicken wrap with lettuce and sundried LC cheese, cherry tomatoes, mini pepper slices, half a banana and a orange.
Wed- Nacho dip (refried beans, greek yogurt w/taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, chives, olives), tortilla chips, pineapple & strawberries
Thur- Chick-salad in a pita with lettuce, apple and carrots
Fri- Crackers, chicken lunch meat, cheese, turkey pepperoni, orange and pineapple

Do you have measurements for the nacho dip?? It sounds so yummy! I must try!

And I agree, when it's pretty, I'm more inclined to love it!

challenger9509

Wraps with lunch meat and cheese
Sandwiches
Big salads
Lots of raw veggies
Pre-cooked chicken

This is what I usually pack too!

H3TR0

I pack a chicken breast, 2 cups of veggies, a bag of fresh fruit, and no salt seasoning for the chicken.

Any particular veggies that you love with chicken?

H3TR0

I do a chicken breast packed with lots of veggies! For snacks I will have some hummus with celery, tomatoes, or snap peas.

Ahh snap peas, a favorite!! Thanks for sharing (:

H3TR0

Hummus and veggies are always in the fridge at work so if I forget a "real" lunch, I still have something. I've been trying to just snack on 100-200 calories when I get hungry throughout the work day instead of having a whole big breakfast or lunch.

Hard boiled eggs
String cheese
Cucumber salad (cucumbers, rice vinegar, red onion, splenda and red pepper flakes)
Yogurt
Quinoa salad (I make a bunch and portion it out over the week)
Low-sodium lunch meat (I'm discovering how timing my protein intake affects whether or not I get super hungry or not)

And leftovers! I usually hate them but 1) they are cheaper and 2) I don't have to input all new food into my tracker, so it's lazy, lol.

I've also been snacking on sliced English cucumber with salsa, rather than tortilla chips.

What times of day do you find work best for protein intake? I hate when I get to a point where I think, "yep, I'm going to eat my hand."

BL_Mark

I sit behind a desk for a living, so I don't like to bring leftovers from the night before so I tend to have a lighter lunch. Today was just a simple hot dog and a serving of Pop Chips. I also had a morning snack and I'm about to dig into my afternoon snack - baby carrots. But I'll usually have a sandwich wrap, ham, turkey, roast beef lunch meat wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla... usually holds me pretty well, especially if I know I have an afternoon snack coming too!

I'm a desk-er too and I try not to eat too "heavy" throughout the day since I have less of a chance to work it off... those trips to the printer don't level out much. I haven't tried the Pop Chips-- is there a favorite flavor you like?

Do you eat the baby carrots solo or is there a good dip to have them with?

Thanks for sharing!

I like the BBQ... kinda taste like Pringles and they have a really good satisfying crunch like a real potato chip. But they're baked.... I've only found bags that have 3 servings, but a serving is 23 chips for 120 calories, which is a lot of chips once you start counting them out. Because really, all I REALLY want is that salty crunchy.

I used to do Ranch dip with my baby carrots but I've gotten out of the habit of that too. I realized the empty calories weren't worth it, so just started eating them plain. Feel free to add me to have a peak at my food diary. I think it's pretty well rounded... ALL except for this last Sunday when we were at a birthday party and I decided to treat myself because I had the available calories.

Yeah, I used to bring leftover dinners from the night before but they tend to be heavier, like spaghetti, baked chicken, etc... since changing my eating habits I don't get that 2 o'clock food coma where I sit and watch the seconds tick by!... lol

H3TR0

One of my favorite lunch items is sardines in mustard sauce with Nut Thins crackers (gluten free). Easy, high in protein, and filling. Lots of great ideas on this post!

Do you have a particular brand of Sardines you prefer? The last I bought were a bit "smelly" ... which makes me "that girl" at work when everyone is wondering where the putrid smell is coming from. I'd hate to be found guilty of stinking the office up again!

Scottish_charlene_84

Salad with cheese or meat, sandwich or wrap, bread for toast and beans, small pasta pot, soup and crackers

pkinblue

This week I made this chicken salad for sandwiches to take to work -

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/01/pistachio-cinnamon-chicken-salad.html

It's excellent! I also ate a salad with lunch today, made with 50/50 spring mix, some sliced strawberries, a little feta cheese, some honey roasted sliced almonds and a little bit of poppyseed dressing.

I snack a lot at work. Larabars, raw fruits and veggies, nuts, greek yogurt.

That chicken salad sounds yummy--am so making that tomorrow (baseball game tonight--no time to cook anything)