Low calories office lunches

ksaville30

Hello everyone I’m new here but excited to give this a go and see if I can loose a stone for health and self worth. I work in an office 5 days a week so need some low calorie ideas for pack up lunches please. Can anyone help?

aggiemcilwraith293

Hi, feel the same. Only starte today so I would love some advise.
I like finger food, like crunchy carrots or dry fruit. Need to lose 10k so need a lot of help

xoxvassyxox

Here are some ideas of what I eat for lunch:

Salad with a can of tuna is my go to!
Quinoa roasted veggies salad with chicken-good for dinner as well
Brown rice with grilled chicken and veggies
Fried chicken/veggie rice
Greek chicken salad with low fat balsamic dressing
Left over grilled/fried fish with rice and veggies
Zucchini and sweet potato fritters with salad
2 Boiled eggs with a slice of multigrain toast, rocket leaves and a teaspoon of mayo

perseverance_is_everything

Here's what I had today. I started with greek yogurt w/peanut butter, granola, and raspberries. I usually dish it out and eat on the way to work, but you can add it to an individual cup of yogurt to make it more portable. For snack, I had string cheese and a hard boiled egg. Lunch was chicken sandwich on Dave's bread with Havarti, lettuce, and mayo and an apple. Afternoon snack was an english muffin with natural peanut butter and honey and a few pieces of cut up banana. And always lots of water though the day.

I mix it up a lot, but that's just today. I work in an office too, so I'm always trying to find easy portable food. I usually keep some baby carrots separated into bags at my desk in case I get hungry, and our office always has fresh fruit in the break room.

amywmorris497

A very low-cal lunch I often take to work is spaghetti squash with marinara sauce (sometimes I add ground turkey to the sauce) and Parmesan cheese and a salad. I also keep tortillas on hand to make veggie wraps or quesadillas and I’ll have fruit and baby carrots on the side. Another option is some sort of homemade soup with crackers. And sometimes when I cook a big dinner on a weeknight, I’ll immediately set aside a portion to take to work the next day, so it’s all packed up in the morning and I just grab it out of the fridge. I get bored eating the same things everyday so I like to mix it up!

shbarbor

Great ideas here! I usually make a batch of hard boiled eggs or steel cut oats portioned out for the week & eat an egg or the oats at work for breakfast. For lunch my favorite & most frequent is mixed salad with sliced red onions & a tasty strong cheese like feta, gorgonzola, goat, or blue cheese. I add whatever else if available, tomatoes, cucumbers, leftover chicken or canned tuna etc. Then I take a home-made vinaigrette & use as little as possible but usually 1 Tbs. For snacks I like an apple or home-popped popcorn (our office installed a popcorn machine - did I need that? So I pack some popcorn so I don't feel left out but have healthy popcorn instead of the machine popped with all the salt & oil or whatever is on that stuff!)

gallicinvasion

The key (when I was at a calorie deficit) has always been “how can I make this as satisfying as possible, and still make sure it’s below 500 calories?” Satisfying means “it tastes amazing and the portion feels big to me.”

Best solutions I’ve found:
1. Veggie chili (you can add chicken or ground turkey if you want)
2. Chicken tacos (you can find awesome low-cal chicken taco filling recipes, and use two small corn tortillas as a vehicle for the delicious filling)
3. Spaghetti squash and turkey meatballs with either marinara sauce or a low-cal alfredo (Theres this awesome alfredo recipe I use that has olive oil, cornstarch, milk, Greek yogurt, and Parmesan cheese, instead of lots of heavy cream and butter)
4. Cabbage/onion/zoodle stir fry with honey sriracha sauce (you can add protein if you wish, I sometimes make turkey meatballs with scallions, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes to go with this meal)
5. Winter squash and chipotle blended soup

You’ll have to try a few recipes to see what tastes great to you and still gives you a big enough portion to feel satisfied at a low calorie goal. Prioritize the flavor profiles you know and love so that you’re looking forward to your lunch every day. Sites like skinny taste.com are good starting points. Let us know what you find!

riffraff2112

Preparing meals is not difficult at home, the problem lies in those busy days when I either don't have a moderate plate of leftovers and/or ran out of time to bring a healthy lunch. In the old days, I would have cafeteria or vending machine options that can derail my budget in a hurry. In my desk I now leave plenty of cans of tuna, chicken, soups, protein bars, protein powder, that can get me through the day.

yayamom3

https://www.skinnytaste.com/greek-chickpea-salad/ I've been eating this (without the onions) for almost 2 years now. Yes, I love it that much.

alteredsteve175

Lots of good ideas here. I usually make a salad at home and add a protein source - tuna, leftover chicken, steak or ground beef or something similar. When I am on the run, I will grab a salad kit in a bag and a can of salmon or tuna. I like lots of volume so this my preference.

Some folks mentioned meal prepping. Cook something that you like to eat and can prepare in bulk. Then weigh out and freeze some portions. I do this with jambalaya and chili. Grab and go and reheat in the microwave.

I also buy jerky and nuts in bulk and weigh out portions. I keep them in a cooler along with boiled eggs and string cheese and protein bars or shakes. I try to always have healthy options at hand - that keeps me away from the office treats (most of the time - HAHA! )

stephaniek511

I've been stuck on quinoa bowls lately because they're easy to make in advance, filling, and versatile. I make up a batch and mix in salsa or canned tomatoes, add a protein (chicken, beans, or salmon), and throw in veggies. I like that I can warm it or eat it cold (as I'm dashing to a meeting). I like to throw in a handful of spring mix but find I need a bit of dressing to go along with it.

I will say that whatever you go with, it's so much easier to stay on track by taking lunches - the portions eating out just aren't conducive with most calorie counts...unless you have willpower...which I do not.

TayaCurragh

I work in an office and my lunches tend to be salads, soups (homemade or tinned), leftovers, or batch meals such as chilli, bolognese, meat&veg etc. Sometimes a cold lunch like veggie sticks with pitta and hummous,

lorrpb

You can keep a few frozen entrees on hand like Lean Cuisine and add a side salad or yogurt for under 500 cals. Just check the label to find the right balance of cals and protein for your needs.

acpgee

I typically bring 200g of thawed frozen vegetables with some leftover protein from the night before.

RCPV

If you have a slow cooker or instapot, cook up a large batch of soup on the weekend. Google skinny soups and pick your favorites. Crush some Ry-Vita or other low-fat and calorie crackers on top.

PAPYRUS3

Meal Prep for the work week: that's what I found to be the key to staying 'on track'. You don't want to be in a situation where your desperate and grabbing something.

You can google 'meal prep for 1 week' etc., and find what entices you.

Also, to help you from wandering into the staff room and nibbling on all the 'crap' that seems to always be calling our names, keep healthy snacks in your desk. Portioned out nuts/seeds; portioned nut butter and crackers; individual oatmeal packages; roasted chickpeas; homemade energy/protein balls or protein bars. etc.,

Personally, I wouldn't bring in tuna (smelly) but I will eat boiled eggs (only in my own working room). I'd love to bring in sardines/fish etc., but my co-workers would kill me I'm sure...

If your office has a freezer that you can utilize maybe make up some veggie/egg 'muffins'. Grab and heat them up when you need.

Meal prep is kind of a pain, but it's worth it. I spend my Sunday afternoon making them up. Takes time, but sure is worth it.

Good luck

zimborunner

Egg / veggie muffins made ahead. I always keeps boiled eggs in the fridge. Cut veggies in baggies with portioned hummus (Costco). Make your own protein balls (store in the freezer), great for a sweet afternoon pick me up. Salads you can keep for 2 to 3 days - couscous ; quinoa ; broccoli. Homemade soups, pack and freeze in portions. I often pack left over dinner for the next day lunch.

katelynntavano

yayamom3 wrote: »

https://www.skinnytaste.com/greek-chickpea-salad/ I've been eating this (without the onions) for almost 2 years now. Yes, I love it that much.

I just needed to say that I tried this and I cannot get over how good this is!

weatherking2019

I pack my lunch the night before.
Usually Salad with protein. Sometimes it's Soup.
I make it for myself and my BF. It's a habit. Planning ahead helps a lot.

serindipte

My go-tos:

• Progresso soups
• Large salad with turkey or chicken
• Long grain & wild rice with pork or chicken and mixed veg
• Turkey sandwich or wrap, sometimes with chips, other times with raw veg or sliced apple