IDEAS NEEDED --- Healthy Store Bought Lunches?

Rannoch3908
Rannoch3908 Posts: 177 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I like to just drive over to walmart and grab lunch. I want to keep eating healthy but am tired after a couple months of making things at home (meal prep, making night before, etc - just over it).

I am getting kinda tired of their grab and go salads and soups.

What other things can I go and grab for a complete yummy lunch I can take back to work and don't have to make (microwave stuff is okay)?

Replies

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I like some of the healthy choice steamers ...
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Does the store have a deli?
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    Guac and jerky. Don't knock it til you try it. Grab some low-sodium crackers of your choice if you're going wild.
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 905 Member
    Pot o gold microwave meals are high protein
    Cheap abs quite tasty,
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    I agree with Dogmom - food prep and taking my own lunch would be far preferable to me.

    Can you do your prep on (say) Sunday, or on your weekend? It should take less time overall to food prep than to go to Walmart. Way cheaper, and less chance of Covid, too.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    I don’t eat cooked breakfast and lunch. This it takes 5 minutes mac to make and bag.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    What about a large bag of frozen mixed vegetables and a bag of pre cooked, sliced chicken breasts? Just portion out how much you want and microwave.
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    Or you can take the OP to heart, make a suggestion and still get a disagree (goes back to munching on her guac and jerky. Turkey jerky, actually).

    It's just people peopling 🤷🏿‍♀️

    Just another note @Rannoch3908, you may want to watch your weekly sodium intake when if you chose the ready-made/packaged food route. I think some Walmarts have a grocery section with fresh produce, so you may want to consider getting the majority of your lunchables from that section.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,739 Member
    ythannah wrote: »
    Gotta love MFP. Completely ignore the fact that the OP has asked for ideas for store bought meals and nag him to do what is preferable for them, despite the fact that he has clearly stated (twice) that he doesn't WANT to prep home made lunches.

    Can't help you with your dilemma, OP, as I'm pescetarian so I rely heavily on simple no-cook lunches like canned tuna or hard boiled eggs with raw fruit and veg that I can eat at my desk.

    Seriously.

    I'm not sure I can help, either, OP. I don't cook (Or eat out much) so my only suggestion would be either hit up a Subway or bring something simple from home like cottage cheese or yogurt and fruit?

    Or @DancingMoosie's idea was good. Or @MaltedTea's. Lunchables! :p
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Oh, I also like fruit with greek yogurt and some nuts. Easy peasy
  • jennicm1980
    jennicm1980 Posts: 2 Member
    I completely understand the not wanting to meal-prep. Sometimes on the weekends I get up, do the thing, get my week of meals ready, and it's great, but then on other days I just don't want to eat what I've prepped or I'm rushing out the door and just don't want to spare the extra brain power necessary to put together a complete lunch. On those days, being able to just grab something, toss it in a bag, and go is a lifesaver. With that being said, a lot of the frozen meals by Amy's are good-tofu scramble, veggie lasagna, green curry, black-eyed peas and rice bowl, etc. They do run high on sodium for some of them so you may want to keep that in mind. In the Wal-Mart I shop at, they've recently started stocking Kusari Kids ramen cups in the section near Chef Boyardee. They are surprisingly tasty and not too terrible on calories and sodium. I like them with some whole grain crackers or a bit of cheese. For that matter, some of the sippable soups by Campbell's or the canned soups from Amy's are great for grab and go especially if you pair them with some high fiber crackers or such or a handful of nuts or snack cheese squares for some extra protein.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    MaltedTea wrote: »
    Or you can take the OP to heart, make a suggestion and still get a disagree (goes back to munching on her guac and jerky. Turkey jerky, actually).

    I thought your suggestion was pretty good, actually. Jerky tends to be a decent protein source. I almost wish fish jerky was a thing, although it would still be a sodium bomb and I probably couldn't eat it anyway.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,739 Member
    ythannah wrote: »
    MaltedTea wrote: »
    Or you can take the OP to heart, make a suggestion and still get a disagree (goes back to munching on her guac and jerky. Turkey jerky, actually).

    I thought your suggestion was pretty good, actually. Jerky tends to be a decent protein source. I almost wish fish jerky was a thing, although it would still be a sodium bomb and I probably couldn't eat it anyway.

    They actually have watermelon jerky. I like turkey jerky but I can't eat it anymore. Which sucks. :)
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    edited December 2020
    Do you have a fridge and microwave at work?
    1. Buy a loaf of bread and package of lunch meat on Monday—several days worth.
    2. Rotisserie chicken & frozen veggies next Monday.
    3. Packages of tuna w/fixings.
    4. Instant oatmeal
    5. Single soups, Mac n cheese, etc.
    6. Frozen waffles, precooked bacon or sausage
    7. Soft tacos with rotisserie chicken
    8. ———
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Dogmom1978 wrote: »
    Not sure why the at home meal prep is so taxing...

    I make breakfast, lunch and dinner at home every day. I work 2 jobs (I unpredictable) and go to the gym 4-6 days a week.

    I’m sorry, but it Walmart by me is ALWAYS busy, so I would spend MORE time and definitely MORE money going there to get lunch every day.

    My Walmart isn't busy and is only a mile a way, but it would still take less time for me to make a sandwich, something I suggested on a previous thread by this OP.

    Intellectually I understand that some people don't want to take the 5 minutes but a part of me still doesn't get it.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Rannoch3908 wrote: »
    Yeah maybe I will try to do frozen stuff. I like the idea of fresher but I suppose frozen is okay.

    I like the idea of the jerky and guac as a snack!
    I like the idea of canned tuna or hard boiled eggs with raw fruit and veg as a snack too - yum.

    I heard Sproutts has pre-made lunches (they basically meal prep and sell it). Might have to check those out.

    I always see all that stuff in the deli counter like meatloafs, chicken breasts, salads, etc (see photo) - maybe I can just grab a couple things from there - is that all cooked and could be microwaved?

    xpdzvm6rgng4.jpg

    Yes, a case like this is of food that is ready to eat. Seems like your best bet.
  • suzij27
    suzij27 Posts: 199 Member
    Rannoch3908 wrote: »
    Yeah maybe I will try to do frozen stuff. I like the idea of fresher but I suppose frozen is okay.

    I heard Sproutts has pre-made lunches (they basically meal prep and sell it). Might have to check those out.

    I always see all that stuff in the deli counter like meatloafs, chicken breasts, salads, etc (see photo) - maybe I can just grab a couple things from there - is that all cooked and could be microwaved?

    xpdzvm6rgng4.jpg

    Is that photo your Walmart? If mine looked like that I might get lunch there too! The Walmart near me has fried chicken and other junky foods, very little if any prepared foods. It is hard to imagine getting healthy, ready to eat foods there which is why I haven’t got suggestions. Good luck finding more choices for your rotation.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited December 2020
    suzij27 wrote: »
    Rannoch3908 wrote: »
    Yeah maybe I will try to do frozen stuff. I like the idea of fresher but I suppose frozen is okay.

    I heard Sproutts has pre-made lunches (they basically meal prep and sell it). Might have to check those out.

    I always see all that stuff in the deli counter like meatloafs, chicken breasts, salads, etc (see photo) - maybe I can just grab a couple things from there - is that all cooked and could be microwaved?

    xpdzvm6rgng4.jpg

    Is that photo your Walmart? If mine looked like that I might get lunch there too! The Walmart near me has fried chicken and other junky foods, very little if any prepared foods. It is hard to imagine getting healthy, ready to eat foods there which is why I haven’t got suggestions. Good luck finding more choices for your rotation.

    I believe it's Sprouts, as that's what he mentioned in the post, and it doesn't look like any Walmart I've ever shopped ;)

    Sprouts is in 23 US states now, with the biggest presence in CA:

    https://www.sprouts.com/stores/
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,281 Member
    Does Walmart have ready made salad tubs or sandwiches?

    If so that's what I would get with maybe a tub of pre made fruit salad.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i dont work so.... you know. im home LOL

    hubby (who does not need to lose weight) takes soup (though he heats it in the morning and puts it in his thermos, or crackers/cheese/lunchmeat (like a homemade lunchables)

    I'm actually the one far more likely to go for convenience items from the store LOL

    walmarts deli has decent sandwiches (at least mine does). the lean cuisine spring rolls I go in stages of eating too. pagoda frozen potstickers can also be an obsession of mine.

    my sister (who doesn't cook at ALL), likes the cauliflower crust pizzas in the freezer section. there's also some sort of taco in the freezer section she likes.

    the produce section has premade salads and fruit mixes that are usually decent.

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