Daytime work people... What do you eat?

2kidsandatrip

As I begin once again on my weight loss journey I am perplexed at the things that I could be or should be eating for breakfast and lunch while at work. I understand that I need to eat something that will keep me satisfied, but everyone's immediate go to seems to be eggs and while I enjoy an egg here and there it is not a feasible option for everyday. I would love to hear your suggestions on options for breakfast as well as some suggestions of what people eat for lunch at work, things that are healthy other than just bringing salad to work everyday.

beemerphile1

Weight loss is about calorie restriction, not what exact foods you eat.

My diary is open.

Need2Exerc1se

I don't eat breakfast. But there are lots of options other than eggs. High fiber cereals, greek yogurt w fruit, smoothies (all the rage right now), leftovers from dinner, peanut butter on toast, tuna salad, whatever you enjoy.

For lunch I usually bring leftovers because I cook yummy healthy dinners. When there are no leftovers I usually bring a salad (often topped with leftover meat/fish, beans, hummus or some type of protein), a sandwich wrap (basically the same thing that put in salads only wrapped up, pb or hummus with crackers or vegetables.

festerw

I had bacon and eggs yesterday for breakfast, today I had 4 slices of toast with peanut butter, tomorrow I may have chili. Lunch yesterday was a brisket sub, today it's oatmeal.

Whatever fits in your calorie goal is what works.

jemhh

I agree; eat what fits your calorie goal.

Today's breakfast was overnight oats with raspberries and blueberries, boiled eggs, and coffee with milk.

Lunch will be a bunch of spinach with roasted chicken thigh and avocado mixed in plus some salad dressing.

I ate the same thing yesterday and will probably do it again tomorrow.

PiSquared

I cannot get out of my own way in the morning. I go basic and eat a small bowl of cereal in the morning with skim milk in the morning. I usually eat generic store brand version of Special K. It works for me. I also pack a banana to take with me to work as a mid-morning snack.

For lunch, I generally take a tupperware of last night's left overs from dinner. And generally another piece of fruit. If I have no left overs, I may make a quick batch of rice and beans, or a leafy green salad topped with cooked chicken.

akern1987

I work 6am-3pm everyday. I live an hour from my job, so I'm up at four, and understand your plite with this. What's been working for me is a smoothie for breakfast that I make up the night before (I have a magic bullet so I blend it right in the cup and put a lid on it to grab out of the fridge) and for lunch I either take leftovers (I've been cooking vegetarian for a January clean eating challenge so that's helpful, but just use whatever you've got in a lunch portion) or I grab a progresso ready to serve light soup (black lentil is a really great choice-GF and vegetarian). Snacks I usually grab either a greek yogurt with granola or a string cheese. Good luck, and just remember to keep it all within your calories and you will be fine!!

BethAnnieT

The three things I have for breakfast, alternating, are:
- Greek yogurt with granola
- pre-made oatmeal w/ raisins, nuts, etc.
- pre-made breakfast burritos (with no potatoes). I spend a couple of hours on a weekend every few months and make like 24 breakfast burritos, wrap in foil individually, and store in the freezer. Everything is measured and weighed while I'm cooking so it's a total no-brainer. (contents are whole wheat tortilla, egg, cheese, breakfast sausage and/or bacon and red enchilada sauce and/or roasted green chile. I'm having one of these for lunch today!

cwolfman13

I brown bag my breakfast, lunch, and snacks pretty much daily. I love eggs, so I eat eggs for breakfast along with either beans or oats or toast pretty much daily.

It's winter and I make a lot of soups and stews throughout the week so lunch is usually leftovers and I usually have 1/2 an avocado pretty much every day. I also like to make various roasts which make good leftovers as well. If it's not leftovers, it's usually a sandwich or a big salad or something.

MizMliss

I work in an office, I am a creature of habit so I generally can eat the same thing every day FOREVER.
Breakfast is: Oatmeal with nuts & berries, yogurt with granola or a smoothie
AM Snack: piece of fruit (apple w/pb or banana)
Lunch is: Salad w/chicken, veggies, nuts, fruit or chicken/brown rice/ veggie
PM snack: Carrots & hummus or apple w/pb.
Dinner: protein/veggie/starch (brown rice or quinoa)

I switch this basic recipe around depending on season/weather. The AM & PM snack make ALL the difference in the world.

Good luck!

lucys1225

For breakfast I make a big egg white and roasted vegetable (heavy on the vegetables) casserole topped with barbacoa chicken and salsa. For lunch I usually have either soup or leftovers (rarely).

2kidsandatrip

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and for taking the time to respond.... A few people have mentioned smoothies... if you drink smoothies, do you make them and home and if so what do you put in them? Do you put in any protein to make it to the next meal?

bebeisfit

My usual breakfast is either oatmeal, raisins & milk or shredded wheat, blueberries and milk. But sometimes I have leftover soup. very filling and especially nice in the winter.

Sabine_Stroehm

cwolfman13 wrote: »

I brown bag my breakfast, lunch, and snacks pretty much daily. I love eggs, so I eat eggs for breakfast along with either beans or oats or toast pretty much daily.

It's winter and I make a lot of soups and stews throughout the week so lunch is usually leftovers and I usually have 1/2 an avocado pretty much every day. I also like to make various roasts which make good leftovers as well. If it's not leftovers, it's usually a sandwich or a big salad or something.

Pretty much this. I don't always have eggs, but something protein/fat. Then brown bag my lunch and snacks.

Today I brought string cheese, and raw green beans for a snack. Lunch is chicken breast, blue cheese, black beans, spinach and green salsa in a low carb wrap.
Mid afternoon I might get a decaf tea latte.

Here4Ponies

2kidsandatrip wrote: »

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and for taking the time to respond.... A few people have mentioned smoothies... if you drink smoothies, do you make them and home and if so what do you put in them? Do you put in any protein to make it to the next meal?

This morning I made a smoothie with non-fat plain Greek yogurt (store brand, 5.3 ounces), 4 oz 1% milk, 8 grams vanilla protein powder, and 150 grams frozen strawberries. Had 1 ounce of almonds on the side. I put the smoothie in a Blender Bottle but any kind of wide mouth beverage bottle works. Enjoyed on the drive to work.

Lunch was 3 ounces ham steak and 85 grams spinach dry sauteed and seasoned with ground mustard and garlic powder. Put that in a plastic container and reheated it at work. Topped with 14 grams Parmesan cheese. Had an apple and 8 ounces of 1% milk (carried to work in a Ball freezer jar) on the side.

I'm not fond of eggs or green salads either. My diary is open although I only started logging again this week.

ahamm002

Agree that eggs really aren't feasible every day. Greek yogurt is a good quick alternative. I usually eat a fage 2% plain greek yogurt (20 grams of protein) and some veggies or nuts, and coffee. That generally keeps me full until lunch, and even then I'm still not so hungry that I have an urge to over eat during lunch.

I find it's easier to meat my calorie/macro goals when I eat very healthy during breakfast and lunch, and leave myself extra calories for dinner and late night.

murp4069

I tend to sleep as late as possible in the mornings, so I eat breakfast at work - no eggs for me! I'll either mix up a protein shake in my office (I like GNC Lean Shake in Rich Chocolate), or I'll bring a low calorie greek yogurt. For lunch, 90% of the time I bring a Lean Cuisine or other low calorie frozen meal. Occasionally I'll bring leftovers. For snacks, I have carrots with light ranch and mixed berries that I package myself on the weekends and weigh so I know the calories. This keeps me completely satisfied at work and I start getting hungry just when I get home and get ready for dinner. Like some others I like to leave myself extra calories for dinner because that is when I am the hungriest and have the least control over the calories (husband does most of the cooking since I work later).

Lorleee

Personally I think eggs are super easy and practical - boiled eggs can be carried easily and don't even need to be refrigerated. If they're not an option though I'd still stick with something high protein to keep you full. For lunches I usually just bring leftovers from dinner the night before - chicken and veggies, chili, turkey meatloaf, etc.

Sued0nim

I batch cook at the weekend and take lunch to reheat ..generally around 350-400 calories (so chicken stew and rice, veg stew, rice and cheese, squash risotto, salmon fishcakes and salad etc) plus a Greek yogurt and berries for an additional 170 cals

Sometimes I buy pots from supermarket like thai coconut curry or lentil samba or pulled pork and chorizo and eat over salad leaves ..around 350-400 cals

For breakfast quick cook porridge and honey and banana (200), or egg white scrambled with cheese, mushroom, ham, spinach on toast for 230

amandamandahubbard83

I typically eat cereal for breakfast. The serving size is enough for me. Then lunch I take a minute to research options. If I crave sushi I look up the calories before I go get it. I look up what options I can have if everyone goes out to fast food. I just try and be
Realistic. I don't typically snack though. I try and save alot of my calories for dinner.

seltzermint555

I can't stand eating in the office (pet peeve when others prep, cook, snack all day...so glad that does not happen in my workplace)! But I get it...not everyone can eat breakfast and lunch at home. I do though. So breakfast is anything from yogurt with oatmeal and fruit, egg taco, cereal with almond milk, to a veggie and sprout omelet with Sriracha or steel cut oats with nuts. Lunch is usually something easy but good (to me anyway) like a tuna Panini, lentils, beans, rice, taco salad, or quick stir fry.

This thread is making me feel very grateful to have a two mile commute and standard 8-5 workday.

Rdsgoal16

I need to break it up every few hours or I will binge, I start with a cheese stick, a turkey stick. A couple hours later its carrots or protein shake, two more hours its usually chicken. I am usually good till dinner then 200-300 calories and off to workout. got to admit love me the eggs and they are easy. my diary is open, although you will scoff at the calories, I am under doctors care and it is working without feeling flat or tired. but then again 35 days in!
Rob

lyttlewon

This morning I had a 4oz yogurt, and instant oatmeal.

Lunch was leftovers from Sunday's dinner

For whatever reason I have no time in the mornings, so I keep instant oatmeal in my desk for "emergencies". I try to make a fruit smoothie in the morning, so I can drink it on my commute. Sometimes I make overnight oatmeal, and just grab it before I leave. This week it hasn't worked out. Kids have been super slow in the mornings due to coming back from winter break.

Lunch is usually dinner leftovers.

jennsavage3

I do make up some "breakfast brownies" on the weekends...I use my brownie pan and mix up some eggs, some kind of protein/meat, bunch of veggies I have left in the fridge and maybe some low fat cheese and bake them. I then have small, portioned eggs I can freeze/use during the week for lunches...just heat up quickly in the morning and on my way. Other times I have plain greek yogurt with protein powder (and sometimes some natural peanut butter) or a protein shake. Lunches I LOVE to make up a big pot of homemade soup on the weekend and have it for my lunches all week. I could eat soup every day of the year lol! If I don't have my soup, I can bring leftovers/salad, etc, for lunches. I do SO much better when I spend some time meal prepping/cooking and planning on the weekends. Good luck!

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yesimpson

I tend to eat either yogurt & granola, a protein shake, fruit, or porridge at my desk on weekdays. Plus coffee. And then a salad, sandwich, soup, a ready meal, or a jacket potato for lunch.
We all eat at our desks in my office, and our fridge and microwave are in our main workspace, so no worries about food smells, because we're all equally guilty.

dawnemjh

I usually bring either oatmeal or Greek yogurt with some fiber one mixed in or cottage cheese mixed with berries. You could also make smoothies or a sandwich. If you have a microwave you coud make pretty much whatever you want

callsitlikeiseeit

when i worked for someone else i rarely ate breakfast.

now i eat something but mainly because i need the energy for the gym lol

if i eat at home i eat yogurt, oatmeal, english muffin with peanut butter, whatever feel like making.

a LOT of the time i grab breakfast on the road at mcdonalds and will get a fruit and yogurt parfait cup or eat a half a sausage egg and cheese mcmuffin and give the other half to my dogs (they like those days LOLOL)

Ayebee299

I eat breakfast, lunch and snacks at my office. I just cannot wake up in time to make breakfast at home, even just to blend a smoothie.

My breakfasts are usually one of these- an egg casserole made with cottage cheese that actually heats up nicely in the microwave (I'll bake it on the weekend), a veggie burger with cheese no bun, or miso soup in a jar (using the water jug's hot water spout). I'm not big on breakfast foods!

Lunches are either leftovers from dinner or a big kale salad with beans and whatever veggies and fruits I need to eat in my fridge. I do sometimes feel bad that I eat curries for dinner so often and then reheat them at work... oh well.

I don't really snack much but I do sometimes keep a tub of hummus and carrots in the office fridge in case of hunger.

Speckle38

For breakfast, I usually eat low fat natural yoghurt, fruit and granola OR 2 slices of wholegrain toast with whatever topping I choose.
For lunch, I often take leftovers from dinner, or I'll take bread and fresh ingredients to make a sandwich at work. I keep a few things in the fridge too, like cream cheese spread. We have a fruit bowl, so I just eat fruit from work for snacks. There are usually bananas and whatever fruits are in season. The other girls keep frozen Lean Cuisine in the freezer for emergencies as well.

2kidsandatrip

GuitarJerry wrote: »

Why are eggs not an option?

Eggs are not "not" an option, I enjoy eggs here and there, but I find when I eat eggs everyday I get bored of it quickly and end up eating things I shouldn't be, but also because I have high cholesterol so I try not to eat much of the yokes and there is just only so much you can do with an egg white as an everyday option.