Lunch!! Getting bored with my Mason Jar Salads

CassieR6

Ok, I have asked before but I am once again bored with my lunch and wanna switch it up. I have been doing a salad in a jar thing while switching it up here and there. I am starting to get bored. I no longer crave them, I even sometimes skip it cause I just don't want it (plus my anti-depressant meds take my appetite away to an extent). So I am looking for fresh ideas, and I am in an office so some what easy would be nice.

Lizzy622

Sweet potato takes about 4 minutes in the microwave. You can top it with black beans and salsa or cottage cheese for protein.

tmpecus78

lean meats with grilled and/or steamed veggies.

booboo68

Right now I'm making a huge pot of vegetable soup.

sofaking6

Pita sammich w/cream cheese, cucumber and sprouts

bramble345

Steamed or roasted (with no oil) chicken with a big dollop of plain greek yoghurt and spicy salsa. Keep in separate pots and put together when your ready to eat.

sylkates

Lately I've been piling about as much raw chopped kale or curly spinach into a salad-bowl-sized tupperware container as would fit (practically) and then putting home-cooked rice and baked tofu on top of it. I then cover it with hot sauce and take it to work, where I microwave it just for 1:30, long enough to make it hot and to slightly steam the greens.

Last year I was doing a similar thing, putting a teaspoon of animal fat (chicken fat, bacon fat, whatever), a bunch of spices, some chopped up meat I already cooked, and a little salt, at the bottom of the tupperware container, covering all of that with as much kale as would fit, and then bringing it to work. I'd fill it about 1/3 of the way with water after I got to work and microwaved it to make a delicious 'instant' soup chock full of greens and all the spices I crave. Take that, Campbell's! The animal fat made it delicious, but since I only used a teaspoon at once, it wasn't that bad nutritionally.

I add rice now because I notice the carbs help me feel sated for longer, but they aren't a necessity for the recipe to work if you're trying to go low carb.

deksgrl

Uhm, well, what kind of foods do you like? What is your calorie budget for lunch? Kind of hard to make recommendations without that info.

CassieR6

deksgrl wrote: »

Uhm, well, what kind of foods do you like? What is your calorie budget for lunch? Kind of hard to make recommendations without that info.

Well I don't really budget for lunch but my whole day is 1400 calories. My diary is open. I like salads, wraps, sandwiches, and that kinda stuff. Not a big fan of fish.

ksarm

This is my go to lunch:

1 La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious 100 Calorie Tortillas - 100 cals
1 Wedge of Light Creamy Swiss Laughing Cow Cheese - 35 cals
2 oz of Turkey Breast - 50 cals
50g of diced cucumbers - 5 cals
A dash of mustard - n/a

Total = 190 cals

I usually make this and then add a bag of baked lays chips or an apple and it keeps me full for a good 3-4 hours.

deksgrl

CassieP16 wrote: »

deksgrl wrote: »

Uhm, well, what kind of foods do you like? What is your calorie budget for lunch? Kind of hard to make recommendations without that info.

Well I don't really budget for lunch but my whole day is 1400 calories. My diary is open. I like salads, wraps, sandwiches, and that kinda stuff. Not a big fan of fish.

Okay, then how about alternating the salad with a wrap or sandwich on the opposite days, and maybe adding some soup? There are those microwaveable ones, you could alternate the type of soup so maybe you don't get so bored with the salad and sandwich choices. Or make a big pot of soup on the weekend and freeze in portions. It's really all about the planning.

ancurtis

I usually take leftovers. When I don't have those (teenage son in the house) I take salads, wraps, Boca burgers, oatmeal, chicken salad on rice cakes, tuna salad on rice cakes, or a sandwich. I prefer leftovers as I like a hot meal!

kbmnurse

1/2 tuna sandwich on WW lite bread. Handful pretzels

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one of my favorites.

CassieR6

Thank you all so much! I like these ideas

mforrestall

My lunch this week has been brown rice with black beans and some spices (like chili powder). I heat the rice and beans and then scoop half an avocado on top. I havent added anything else but it probably would be delicious with additional veges, salsa, plain yogurt etc

missiontofitness

Shepherd's Pie mason jar; layer potatoes, ground meat of your choosing, corn, cheese if you like, and repeat.

PearlAng

Make a wrap. Get some turkey, chicken, etc and a low cal wrap (I use tumaro's garden veggie----60 cals for one wrap, plus a decent amount of protein and fiber) and load it with veggies like spinach, tomato, etc. You could also spread a laughing cow cheese wedge on it (35 cals). Pair it with greek yogurt and you've got lunch

IvyLuci

I cook meat in 1 kg batches (start with onions on oil, add veggies, meat, a bit of cream, spices) and freeze in smaller portions.
Then the night before I take out a portion and leave it in the fridge overnight to defrost.
I cook some veggies (usually cauliflower, brussels sprouts, or broccoli) and a couple of eggs and leave them to drain.
In the morning I put veggies in a tupperware dish, put the meat on top. When it's time to eat I microwave the dish for a minute, and add 1-2 hard-boiled eggs.
It comes out to around 400 kcal, you can vary the veggies, spices and the type of meat to keep it interesting.
It takes maybe an hour on the weekend to prepare the meat, and then maybe 15 minutes to cook/assemble.

Ludka13

A turkey and cheese sandwich. I get reduced fat cheese. Add sliced tomato, lettuce, red onion, any other veggies you like. You can put sandwich stacker pickles on it too. I use mustard instead of mayo.

I used to make my own miso soup to take to work. Put some chopped veggies and tofu in a wide mouth thermos. Add a spoon or two of miso. Add a little seaweed if you like that. Pour boiling water over the top and seal it up. By lunchtime you have yummy soup. Don't like miso? Put half a bouillon cube in there instead.

GoBrianGo

booboo68 wrote: »

Right now I'm making a huge pot of vegetable soup.

I have two cups of homemade soup and add 1-2 cups of water. That fills me up and I control the calories in the soup.

Sued0nim

I have a microwave and bring in tupperwares of food I've cooked at home / sometimes have something from a supermarket

This week
Monday
Homemade mushroom and pea risotto (350g), rocket salad (40g) and fresh raspberries (150g) - 387 calories

Tuesday
2 slices Leerdammer light, homemade minestrone soup and a rainbow feta and butternut squash salad from a shop - 570 calories

Wednesday
150g boiled basmati rice, 350g homemade turkey chilli con carne sprinkled with 10g cheddar cheese - 516 calories

Today I had an M&S Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Bun Cha for 384 calories and am currently scarfing down eating a pot of 0% greek yogurt for 97 calories

CassieR6

Love it guys! Keep it coming! I need ideas for when I go shopping Saturday!

Lizzy622

missiontofitness wrote: »

Shepherd's Pie mason jar; layer potatoes, ground meat of your choosing, corn, cheese if you like, and repeat.

Wow and you can keep using the mason jars. You can also do this with Thanksgiving left overs - sweet potato, turkey, veggies and a little stuffingto top off. Love this idea.

libbydoodle11

Soups, stews, rice dishes and pastas with veggies all fit into mason jars.

rogertoliver

Usually I bring a Healthy Choice Steamer bowl to work for lunch. Inexpensive (locally they are 2 for $5) and it's quicker for me to do this. Now that my extracurricular activities have slowed down for the winter, I'll be spending on afternoon each weekend preparing lunches for the week. I use to bake chicken breasts and add rice and setup 5 lunches for the week, but I'm seeing all of these other great ideas to spice up the weekday lunch doldrums. Thanks everyone!

dkeener_81

Best post EVER!! I've been looking for new lunch ideas too!!

sofaking6

Ludka13 wrote: »

I used to make my own miso soup to take to work. Put some chopped veggies and tofu in a wide mouth thermos. Add a spoon or two of miso. Add a little seaweed if you like that. Pour boiling water over the top and seal it up. By lunchtime you have yummy soup. Don't like miso? Put half a bouillon cube in there instead.

You're a genius.

My workday lunch lately has been, every day: Dannon lite n fit (toasted coconut flavor) with gluten-free granola (got some accidentally and I find it much yummier than regular). Very low cal. Banana for afternoon snack.

esjones12

I usually do a salad with chicken, egg or avocado. Or if I'll have some of whatever was for dinner the night before. So that would usually include brown rice and fish, some type of chicken, veggies, sometimes lean beef, etc.

To make it easy - if I know there will be leftovers, I just enter the next days lunch as I am cleaning up and/or measuring out and logging my dinner. Makes it quick and easy.

CassieR6

Thank you all so much for the great responses!!

nickatine

today I had quite an unconvential lunch large banana greek yogurt with almond butter and a lil bit of honey just over 300 cal with 20 grams of protein. quite filling.

jgnatca

I got the same way in September. I'd been making mason jar salads for a solid month, preparing fresh, fresh, fresh greens from my community garden. When the garden finished, I just couldn't face a bagged lettuce leaf for a while.

So I gave myself a seven day veggie challenge, to change things up a bit and help me fall in love with vegetables again. It worked. I can eat salads again.

http://jgnatbuzz.blogspot.ca/2014/09/seven-day-veggie-challenge.html