Lunch Ideas for those of us who pack!

WifeofPJ

Hello all! In an effort to get back on track, and also curb spending, I have been packing my lunch to take in to work with me.

Aside from frozen meals i.e. Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, Michelina's Lean Gourmet, etc., what do you pack for lunch? I like to balance out the main course with a yogurt or apple. I am searching for other options for packing lunches.

I don't mind to prep for the week on Sundays. Let's share ideas!

I cook on the weekends somethings I will eat all week and keep them in the fridge, and others I will freeze in individual serving sizes and then take them out of the freezer. Get most of my recipe's from Skinnytaste.com.

H3TR0

Salad with mixed greens, unsalted, roasted sun flower seeds (for crunch), spicy chickpeas (also for crunch), 1/2 avocado, chicken, dressing - sometimes store bought, sometimes homemade. Baby carrots, fruit (apples, raspberries) and greek yogurt. This keeps me surprisingly full for the afternoon.

I hadn't thought of trying roasted sunflower seeds for crunch. That sounds tasty!

H3TR0

I like to buy packages of 9 boneless skinless chicken thighs and bake them with lemon pepper seasoning--that's great protein for three lunches. Often on Sundays I make carrot lentil stew or throw chickpeas, black beans, canned tomatoes and chicken stock into a pot with whatever seasonings catch my fancy that week and package that up in glass freezer to microwave or oven containers to pack for work. Way cheaper than Lean Cuisine and seasoned to my own taste. I often buy large bags of walnut pieces or other nuts and portion them into little baggies and keep them in the fridge to grab and go with. An hour or two on the weekends saves so much time on the weekdays when everyone in the household is working or going to school and activities. And I used to portion out ryvita crisps, but now I just keep the package in my lunch bag to save on the plastic baggies. And once a week, I just grab an avocado...

Thank you for your ideas! I love lemon-epper seasoning and it's something I'd forgotten about!

aquirico

My new favorite is a farro salad packed with veggies. It's protein, whole grain, veggies. A little goes a long way to filling you up at lunch time!

pkinblue

Many times a week I eat 1/2 avocado, small corn tortilla, diced turkey or chicken (I buy pre-cooked Jennie-O to save time) and a granny smith apple. Some almonds if I am extra hungry.

littlewitch1973

Salads with homemade dressing (greek yogurt with a little bit of a package of hidden valley ranch, or another flavor packet) with tuna sometimes! Great protein source!!
Cucumber sandwiches - this is little bits of meat between two slices of cucumber, or chicken salad or tuna salad on top of them (mixed with greek yogurt)
Yogurt
Buffalo chicken salad (AMAZING!)
pulled pork or pulled chicken
devilled eggs (great for breakfast too!)
egg salad

I dont get away from my desk for lunch - its either go to the cafeteria for my lunchbreak, or the gym - I choose the gym every time! I eat my lunch between conference calls at my desk. No one has complained yet!

dsjohndrow

I cook extra of whatever I am having for dinner - burger, chops, steak, fish, and veggies, or something like that lean cuisine except I make them myself with better ingredients. Then you can freeze them.

Jerrypeoples

6.5 oz of chicken breast (baked)
2.5 oz of steamed brocolli
1/4 cup of kraft shreeded mexican cheese
1 cup of uncle bens brown rice

i eat this m-th at work

heat it up 2 minutes in the microwave

DonPidgeon

I pack the left-overs from the previous day.

But I make a lot of food during the evening (one portion for me, one for my daughter, one for work and one for the freezer) so your mileage may vary.

Any particular meals that never get old?

Well... I cheat when it comes to planning food. I subscribe to a weekly food plan; so once a week a guy shows up with a bag of groceries and a receipt for 5 days worth of cooking.
Sometimes I cancel it the weeks I don't have my daughter and live of the left overs in the freezer from the previous weeks.

This cheat has a couple of major advantages a) never have to figure out what to cook b) I'm fairly certain my daughter gets a well rounded dinner every night and c) I cut down on the chances that I pick up a bag of chips when shopping hungry.

Tigg1011

bump for later

aquirico

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?

We went strawberry picking this weekend and made a salad very similar to this one for lunch. The maple vinaigrette was super easy to make and delicious on this salad! We added some grilled chicken to make it a meal.

1 T pure maple syrup
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T EVOO
salt and pepper to taste
Whisk!

bcattoes

I usually bring leftovers from dinner. Today was leftover quinoa salad from a cookout yesterday.

Sandwich wraps are my biggest go-to when there aren't leftovers or there is only leftover meat. A handful of leafy greens, meat or hummus, whatever veggies I find in the fridge to chop/shred and a vinaigrette, mustard or hot sauce dressing.

dbmata

Hello all! In an effort to get back on track, and also curb spending, I have been packing my lunch to take in to work with me.

I'll take leftovers from dinner the night before. Or, one thing I've been doing and really liking is taking a blender bottle filled with whey protein powder, coffee crystals and some PB2. Add water, shake, lunch. Boom.

I would have argued you this time last year if you had told me I'd be sated with that... but it's filling, and I'm good to go. Go figure.

Another thing I do is grill about 4-6 chicken breasts and keep them in the fridge as either snacks, or to take with lunch. I'll sometimes do a salad instead of my protein, etc.

kimjj1025

What a great post! I'm always wondering what to do for lunch too. The one thing that seems to work for me right now is on Sundays I chop up a lot of lettuce and then I add things that are "drier" like cherry tomatoes, seedless cucumbers and throw it in a gallon ziplock with a paper towel and it keeps really well for 5 days or more in my crisper. Then I just throw it in a container, dressing in another small container then I pick a topping. Sometimes it is left over chicken, fish, more veggies or shrimp. It makes it a no brainer for me.

When I get sick of salad then I do leftovers. I try to limit eating out to once a week as a treat with my co-workers.

kimbershep

Tyson grilled chicken breast (1) and a pack of any Steam Fresh veggies from Wal-Mart. I love the string beans, broccoli and sweet peas.

bagge72

This is what I have 3 days a week with a whole lot of Louisiana Hot Sauce on it.

Lunch
Perdue® - Ground Chicken Breast (Cooked), 3.99 oz
Minute - Instant Pre-Cooked - Whole Grain Brown Rice, 43 g (1/2 cup) as sold
Olivia's - Organic Baby Spinach, 1 cups (85g)
Corn - Sweet, yellow, frozen, kernels cut off cob, boiled, drained, without salt, 0.1 package (10 oz) yields

303 Calories 42 grams carbs 4 grams fat 37 grams protien, and then I have this for a snack with it, Cabot - Cheddar Cheese Sharp Light Snack, 1 bar wich is only 50 calories, and delicious.

myfrogs11

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."

I get that way about 3, and so I have protein then. Otherwise I want to eat EVERYONE'S dinner at dinner time. 3 pm snack time keeps me just eating my own dinner! I used to fight the 3 pm snack time, but not I just try better options.

amelia_atlantic

BUMP!
Will contribute later!

carriejmckinnon

My co-worker is also using myfitnesspal, and she brought in a (fake george forman) grill to keep at our office. It's nice when you are craving somthing warm.

*Low Cal Grilled Cheese: 2 slices Monks Genesee Rye bread (70 cal/slice) and 1 slice of Kraft Deli Delux America Cheese (70 cal) and I use a quick squirt of Pam on one side of each bread slice.

*Low Cal Quesedilla: Father Sams Whole Wheat Tortilla (80 cal.) 2 oz Cabot Sharp Extra Light Cheddar Cheese (120 cal.) , & Your Favorite Veggies! *plain greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream.

Some of our favorite work day snacks (things you can keep in your purse , desk, or office fridge) include:

Brother All Natural Freeze Dried Fruit Crisps (banana is the best!)
Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese wedges and Light Baby Bell rounds
Motts NSA Healthy Harvest apple sauce
Emerald 100 cal Pack Almonds
Slim Fast Snack Peanut Butter Bars
Quaker White Cheddar Rice Cakes
Celery/Carrott Stcks
Yopa 100 cal Greek Strawberry Yogurt w/Granola
Quaker Oatmeal Rasin 90 cal granola bar

And sometimes if I am looking to just add a little protine to my lunch, but am not interested in a whole sandwhich, I often pack 2-3oz of sliced ham or turkey in a zip lock bag, accompanied by some healthy snacks. Great low cal way to add some substance!

H3TR0

I normally pack my lunch when I'm putting dinner leftovers away, so in the morning I just grab n go. I also make soup (everyone in the pool) and eat for a few days, then freeze the rest in freezer bags. I bring cheese (bought a chunk yesterday, cut it into portions and ziploc it) for snacks, salad and that spray dressing to keep in fridge for the week so I always have a basic salad, some yogurts for snacks too. I always tend to get hungry about 3 pm, so I try to have some protein (yogurt, cheese, nuts) to last me to dinner, otherwise I'm STARVING! Today I had freezer soup (hadn't labeled so it was a surprise that it was broccoli cheese), salad and a tiny piece of homemade pizza from last night. A combo of all 3 things of how I prep.

Some of my favorite soups -
White chili - ground turkey, cannalini (sp?) beans, broth/water, kale, green chile, cumin and oregano, s/p, dollop of sour cream or yogurt on top (mash a bit of the beans up to thicken it up)

Lentil, sausage - sausage (anything you like turkey pork etc), lentils, tin of hot habanero Rotel, kale, broth/water, seasons to taste, bay leaves

Broccoli cheese - broccoli, bunch of other veggies, broth/water, cheese. I literally make a veggie soup with just veggies and broth/water, then puree it down and add a handful of cheese till you can taste the cheese. No flour or butter or other thickener.

*onion and garlic in all the soups too, guess that's just a given in my head?

Yum!!! I love white chili but I've never tried to make it before. Thanks for the post!