School lunch

Veryana

I'm having little bit problems with logging my school lunch. Our school offers free school lunch which includes warm meal (potato, rice or pasta with sauces or warm soups), salad, bread (usually rye bread or crackers) and drinks (I take 2 dl of skimmed milk and 2 dl of water). My problem comes with logging the warm meal, they usually have stuff I have no clue about what it could be in calories. Stuff like sauces and soups are the biggest problem. Good example is kebab sauce, it has some kind of tomato sauce but it's very mild tasting for tomato sauce so it has something else in it too. It also tastes little greasy and has kebab slices in it. I can't find food equal to that from database and I have no clue of its calories. Other example is some kind of oven dish/sauce with salmon and cod mixed in it, it has cream in it and bits of both fishes and some kind of cheese. I cant find stuff equal to this one either and I can't tell how much there's fish on my plate since it's in so little bits and covered in sauce. So I'm eyeballing everything I'm taking and guessing amounts and estimating it little bit too high everytime since I'm not sure how much am I taking and I tend to guess amounts too small.

What would be a good way to deal with this? Or if I skip school lunch what should I take to school with me (no chance to keep it in cold, 3,5 hours in backpack)? My logging is good otherwise but it feels like estimating my school lunch makes it difficult and sometimes I get more calories than I thought I will which messes rest of my day, I have harder time in evenings to eat light meals and my exercises are in evenings so I need enough calories for one proper meal and small snack like slice of bread or fruit there.

CassidyScaglione

Find out the company that does the lunches... For my campus it is Sodexo, and they have all of their nutrition data available online.

Veryana

Oh, and I'm 5'7'' (172 cm) and 253 lbs (115 kg) and currently aiming for 1450 calories a day.

Veryana

CassidyScaglione wrote: »

Find out the company that does the lunches... For my campus it is Sodexo, and they have all of their nutrition data available online.

They don't have nutrition data available in their website for this

WickedZombieQueen

I take a lunch and snacks with me to work every day. I use an insulated zippered lunch bag and small plastic reusable cold packs. I put the cold pack back in the freezer and every night. My lunch sits under my desk and every thing stays cold until lunch. I do the same for my sons school lunches. Fairly inexpensive ones on Amazon. I believe they are called cool coolers.

Merkavar

plumcrze1 wrote: »

I take a lunch and snacks with me to work every day. I use an insulated zippered lunch bag and small plastic reusable cold packs. I put the cold pack back in the freezer and every night. My lunch sits under my desk and every thing stays cold until lunch. I do the same for my sons school lunches. Fairly inexpensive ones on Amazon. I believe they are called cool coolers.

I do the same but leave it in my car, doesn't work great on 40 degree days

Maybe just go with your best estimate plus 10% for unknowns like oils etc

Or school lunches would be fairly standard right, cheapest options, standard preparation. Maybe look at other companies that provide free lunches and find a similar product.

That's what I do if I eat pizza from a small business, match the pizza to a large chain pizza.

RodaRose

They have a contract with your school. Somebody has the contract and nutritional info. Ask questions.

rsleighty

Veryana wrote: »

CassidyScaglione wrote: »

Find out the company that does the lunches... For my campus it is Sodexo, and they have all of their nutrition data available online.

They don't have nutrition data available in their website for this

Ask the head of your schools food service department (an email link should be available) or email the company that provides the meals for your school. In order for a school to be reimbursed for a free school lunch their nutrition information has to meet government guidelines therefore the numbers exist somewhere. Just keep asking until you get what you need.

Veryana

plumcrze1 wrote: »

I take a lunch and snacks with me to work every day. I use an insulated zippered lunch bag and small plastic reusable cold packs. I put the cold pack back in the freezer and every night. My lunch sits under my desk and every thing stays cold until lunch. I do the same for my sons school lunches. Fairly inexpensive ones on Amazon. I believe they are called cool coolers.

That's actually a good idea. Thanks, I'll try this one

Veryana

rsleighty wrote: »

Veryana wrote: »

CassidyScaglione wrote: »

Find out the company that does the lunches... For my campus it is Sodexo, and they have all of their nutrition data available online.

They don't have nutrition data available in their website for this

Ask the head of your schools food service department (an email link should be available) or email the company that provides the meals for your school. In order for a school to be reimbursed for a free school lunch their nutrition information has to meet government guidelines therefore the numbers exist somewhere. Just keep asking until you get what you need.

I'll try to ask around. Thanks for help

cross2bear

I am a big advocate of making and taking lunch, and I recommend the freezer packs too. I feel more confident with my meals when I know exactly what is in them, and that I have weighed and logged them. I dont want to experience any additional anxiety over whatsinthis?!! Only when I am unexpectedly somewhere and really have no clue about what I am eating would I then have to resort to best guesses, but that rarely, if ever, happens.