Any work lunch ideas?
PinUpGirlAtHeart
Posts: 138 Member
I really need to start taking my lunch for work instead of buying it from nearby. Anyone have any ideas of quick, easy lunches that I could possibly make the night before? Any help would be much appreciated.
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Replies
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I make sure I do meal prep and bring into work. Both of these can be eaten cold or hot.
1) Chicken Fajita Lunch Bowl (251 calories - or slightly more if you use 1 whole chicken breast per portion)
This makes 4 portions, I make ahead on Sunday night. I eat this cold, but you could eat hot too
1) 2 chicken breasts, flattened, very lightly covered in olive oil, & coated in fajita seasoning (I make my own but you can obviously get ready made), then roasted in the oven. Could use 4 chicken breasts for more protein rich (1 in each).
2) 125g cooked basmati rice (or other rice) - I cool it in cold water to reduce any time spent at room temperature
3) Diced: 1/4 red onion, 1 red pepper
4) Can of sweetcorn, drained
5) Sliced cucumber
6) I mix the rice, pepper, red onion and sweetcorn together when the rice is cold, then add sliced chicken and cucumber.
It tastes a lot better than it sounds if you get the seasoning right. Easy for me to make ahead and bring to work!
2) Salmon, new potatoes, & broccoli (394 calories)
Again, I eat this cold but you could eat hot too.
1) Cooked salmon fillet
2) New potatoes (approx 180g), covered lightly in garlic butter
3) Cup of blanched broccoli (approx 2 or 3 mins). Lightly season with salt & pepper
4) Small amount of light mayo
Feel free to add me, happy to continue to share recipes etc.!20 -
I typically just bring a random mix of things from home but I want to get better about meal planning my lunches.
I love soup so I think I'm going to make a bit pot of minestrone this weekend. I like Ellie Krieger's recipe but I'm going to swap out farro for the pasta and maybe add in some extra beans. Another good option would be chili using ground chicken or turkey.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/minestrone-soup-recipe-1973378
If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, do yourself a favor and pick up some of their Tzatziki sauce. It's low-cal and really flavorful. I like to make wraps or salads with grilled chicken, feta, red pepper, red onion, cucumber, romaine, spinach, etc and use the tzatziki as the dressing. You can pick up some little dressing containers to store the tzatziki so it doesn't get everything soggy.6 -
1/2 cup of rice, broccoli or whatever veg to have around, paired with half a can of tuna and teriyaki sauce.
Under 300 calories and high in protein, I like to add some black beans for the fiber.2 -
Probably not the NIGHT before, but if you're okay with making things in bulk, try these:
Pickled daikon and carrot: http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/vietnamese-pickled-carrots-daikon/
Kimchi: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-easy-kimchi-at-home-189390
Pickled cucumbers: https://thelemonbowl.com/japanese-quick-pickled-cucumbers/
And then when you want to eat it, get some nice red leaf lettuce, grilled chicken and your favourite picked item and make lettuce wraps or a nice salad!4 -
If you like salads, try making a salad in a mason jar the night before. Start with your dressing first, then some beans, heart palms, cucumbers, beets, avocados, and top with lettuce greens. Lettuce should be last so it won't wilt. Close up the jar and keep in fridge. Good for 4 days in the fridge. Chick peas are good, spinach, mushrooms and green onions and tomatoes. You can bring the dressing on the side in a small jar.2
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Hey, there's a great app called smart recipes that gives you really easy recipes (breakfast lunch and dinner) and it tells you how many calories are in each meal. You can even add your favourite meals t your shopping list and it will make a complete shopping list for you! I love it.
Change4Life - Smart recipes21 -
I like to make salads. I cut and prepare all the greens and place them in a large bowl. I cut up and stash the other items like zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, tomatoes, green/yellow/red sweet peppers in individual zip-lock bags. I can quickly retrieve the items from the refrigerator before work and put them into a sealable bowl in the mornings and top with deli turkey for protein. I keep olive oil and balsamic vinegar at work to use for my dressing. I vary my toppings to add flavor, such as capers, spicy pepper rings, black olives and guacamole. This has lots of good vitamins, high in fiber, and low calories (usually 200-250 depending on what ones puts in there.)6
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You could also bring last nights leftovers, I do this often, Tonight making a Walking Off Weight recipe called "Stir fried Orange Chicken and Broccoli" sounds real good and will have left overs since only 2 of us are eating...anyway just a thought...5
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I have cut out of a lot of carbs so I never take bread to work. I wrap light cheese triangles in packet meat slices and keep a little light dip (like tzatziki) on the side, then eat cucumber or pepper strips on the side.2
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I cook half a chicken breast, green beans and tomatoes in a pan together and put some pesto on top. its an easy meal prep and you can eat ti hot and cold2
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Frozen bags of riced cauliflower/broccoli or cauliflower/sweet potato etc are great. Minimal calories and you can add whatever you want. Huge opportunity to bolster your servings of fruit/veggies without giving up a ton of flavor. Even exchanging a 200 calorie cup of rice for a 20 calorie cup of riced veggies with some of the recipes above would make a truckload of difference...
Convenience is key when youre busting out the door in the morning. Don't wait until the morning of. Make something healthy the night before and put some in a container for lunch right on the spot so it's ready...
Plus some of these above recipes look really good!2 -
April19942017 wrote: »Hey, there's a great app called smart recipes that gives you really easy recipes (breakfast lunch and dinner) and it tells you how many calories are in each meal. You can even add your favourite meals t your shopping list and it will make a complete shopping list for you! I love it.
Change4Life - Smart recipes
Downloaded...thanks April!2 -
Roast beef sandwich ( ~350Kcal)
- 2 slices of bread (i use low carb, high protein bread)
- ~100g Roast beef in slices (or anyway you like to cut it i guess)
- ~40g Cottage cheese
- Cucumbers
- Red or Yellow paprika
- Yellow or red onions
- Some Chili paste (if you like a little heat - can be skipped of course)
- Maybe some tomatoes if you like
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
Mix the cottage cheese and chili paste and then make layers of roast beef, veggies and cottage cheese mix.
Put some black pepper and garlic powder on each layer of roast beef (i usually have 2 layers of rb).1 -
Cottage cheese topped with cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, and kalamata olives.3
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Chicken salad in lettuce leaves. Fresh berries.1
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Can of chick peas, sweet peppers cut into chunks, celery, radish, cherry tomatoes, red onions (basically, whatever you have in the crisper that isn't leafy). Marinate in a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil, lemon juice to taste, black pepper and a hit of oregano. I add feta when I dish it out, I find it loses its flavour if just left in the marinade, but it's filling, healthy and the flavours have a nice spike to them :-) It can stay in the fridge and you can just serve from the container when it's time to leave for work.3
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You could also bring last nights leftovers, I do this often, Tonight making a Walking Off Weight recipe called "Stir fried Orange Chicken and Broccoli" sounds real good and will have left overs since only 2 of us are eating...anyway just a thought...
Could you share the recipe please it sounds lovely.1 -
I try to change up all the time. One of my favorites is an adult lunchables. Good lunch meat or sliced salami (the kind you get near the good cheese), fresh mozzarella, and then just things like olives, marinated mushrooms (or any marinated veggies) and sometimes a small thing of nuts. I also do spaghetti squash with either tomato sauce or pesto and either turkey meatballs or chicken sausage. I get a lot of ideas from Pintrest, and make my meals on Sunday.
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I usually make something on Sundays that I can take for lunches most of the week. Things like Shepherd's pie, chicken & veggies, or pasta. If you don't mind eating the same thing all week I find it the easiest. I pre-pack portions into containers so I can just grab in the morning. On week's I don't make anything I usually take salads, boiled eggs, deli meat, cheese, carrot sticks, cucumber. I try to keep healthy snacks in my drawer too like nuts, fruit cups and homemade granola.3
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Have you tried doing your own balanced break lunches?. Hard cooked egg, cheese, nuts, fresh fruit, pita chips with laughing cow cheese; clean eating too.5
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I do a lot of leftover freezing. For instance, maybe I make skinny mongolian beef for dinner, I have 2 servings leftover so I freeze them in freezer bags and spread them out flat to freeze. Then they store easily in an upright position in a box in my freezer for easy access. I do this for most dinners I make, and when I want a convenient lunch, I go through my frozen meals and take a bag with me to work. It's not much different than buying a healthy choice frozen dinner, except maybe cheaper and you can control what goes into it. Most things freeze well, just make sure you aren't allowing it to sit out for long. Serve, eat, then immediately quick-cool and freeze.3
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Hi, I too tend to cook on Sundays so I can either take leftovers for lunch or just heat up dinner when I get home. However, when I want to take a salad to work I marinate the tomatoes and whatever protein I am having (usually chicken or shrimp) in the dressing overnight. I put some lettuce, spinach or arugula in a sandwich baggie. Sometime I take extras in a snack bag like cucumber or red peppers cut up. Occasionally I throw some Feta cheese and Kalamata olives (sliced) into the container with the marinated vegetables (tomatoes or red peppers) and protein. I have a few other easy salads that I prep the night before if anyone is interested.1
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I make lots of soups - I like hot food at lunch - I find it more filling. Put the soup in containers, freeze and grab one on my way to work. I do the same with low calorie muffins, mini frittata.2
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I often take a variety of stuff that I can just grab the night before. A small tin of tuna with lemon and pepper, slice of bread (toast it at lunch time), carrot sticks, celery sticks and hommus and a boiled egg. I also pack an apple and a mandarin, or some berries or other fruit and a small Greek yoghurt pouch. I am on low cal at the moment and these little things consumed through the day seem to keep me satisfied, are easy to prep and take when in a rush, and even though they seem a bit 'boring', taste great :-)2
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I made a yummy and easy recipe that I thought I'd share. I kind of made it up so I don't have a link:
1 lb ground turkey cooked with low sodium taco seasoning
1 cup black beans
1 cup corn (I used frozen)
1 can low sodium diced tomatoes
2 zucchini, diced and sauteed
Additional seasoning to taste (I avoided more salt, but added some chili powder for extra spice)
I cooked up the turkey and zucchini in separate pans, then mixed in the other ingredients. It made a huge container of about 4-6 servings (depending on your appetite). I served it over cauliflower rice to keep the carbs down. Very filling lunch! Can serve with avocado on top if desired.
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I made a chicken salad today for lunch tomorrow and I think I struck gold. Lol
I blended 1 Oz Neufchâtel cheese, 1 tbsp mayo, 1/4 cup fresh spinach, black pepper & onion powder and added it to a drained 5 Oz can of chicken. Each portion is about 140 calories.
I divided it into two portions and will have one with 4 or 5 Milton’s multigrain crackers.2 -
MADgical72 wrote: »I made a chicken salad today for lunch tomorrow and I think I struck gold. Lol
I blended 1 Oz Neufchâtel cheese, 1 tbsp mayo, 1/4 cup fresh spinach, black pepper & onion powder and added it to a drained 5 Oz can of chicken. Each portion is about 140 calories.
I divided it into two portions and will have one with 4 or 5 Milton’s multigrain crackers.
This was so tasty!!!
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Here's my lunch prep this week (makes 4 lunches): Ranch-dip Turkey Burger Patties and Broccoli Coleslaw (about 430 calories).
Turkey Burgers:
Mix 1 lb lean ground turkey, 1 egg, 1/4 cup italian breadcrumbs, 1 grated yellow onion (squeeze the liquid out), 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, and spices (dried parsley, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper). Divide into 4, form patties with a depression in the middle for even cooking, and cook over medium heat (in 1 tbsp olive oil) for 7 minutes on each side.
Ranch Dip:
Combine 4 oz nonfat greek yogurt with 2 tsp of hidden valley ranch dip seasoning.
Broccoli Coleslaw:
Mix 6 oz nonfat plain greek yogurt, 1/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, and spices (garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, salt, and pepper). Stir well, then add 12 oz (1 bag) of broccoli slaw and mix to combine.
In each tupperware, place one burger with ranch dip on top, next to 1/4 of the coleslaw. This probably took me about 45 minutes on a Sunday. Not bad at all!2 -
You could also bring last nights leftovers, I do this often, Tonight making a Walking Off Weight recipe called "Stir fried Orange Chicken and Broccoli" sounds real good and will have left overs since only 2 of us are eating...anyway just a thought...
Leftovers are my daily lunches.1
