Quick lunch ideas with restrictions needed

goodmane23

I’m in the game of weight loss for somewhere around the 1,000th time in my life and in need of lunch ideas. I can’t have salad, dairy (including eggs), raw fruits, or gluten. Due to medication, I have to eat actual food, so shakes won’t work.

I’ve tried meal prepping, but I hate cooking. Leftovers aren’t always a given. I’m a teacher and only have 20 minutes for lunch, so it needs to be quick!

Thanks in advance!

Oup007

Given the restrictions, perhaps as snacks you can use rice or corn cakes (so gluten-free), with peanut butter or guacamole? I also often buy fermented cabbage ( easy to find here), which is very good for the microbiome. Don't know if it's ok regarding your restrictions. Oat flakes are also very filling and can be found gluten-free.
I eat a lot of rice pudding too, cooked with vanilla soy milk (good for protein).
It all depends on whether you want something sweet or savory, and how many calories or so you want your lunch to be.
There are lots of things that can be prepared in advance without requiring a lot of cooking.

mtaratoot

Beans. There's many options.

Humus on fresh veggies, but maybe you can't eat raw veggies because you can't eat salad. Then humus on crackers.

Bean "salad." Again, you may have to alter this to things you can eat. I soak dried beans, cook them until just done, then add in a bunch of chopped vegetables and some vinegar and oil. It's really good. You could make something similar with cooked vegetables. Cook a big batch and have it for the week or cook a BIGGER batch and vacuum seal/freeze some for another week.

Chickpea stew. You can vary the flavors each time. I like it with lots of ginger and curry. I add canned roasted tomatoes. You can also add something like tofu or tempeh. Freezes OK.

Bean soup. So many kinds. Soak beans, Cook along with some vegetables like carrots, onions, and celery. When tender, remove some of the beans and set aside. Use an immersion blender and puree what's left in the pot. Put the reserved beans back in for some texture. I rotate among black beans, mayocoba beans, and chick peas.

Thick Bean Soup or Dip. Similar to the above, but drain off the cooking water and use it for something else. You can eat this bean soup on crackers or chips.

You can also pre-cook some grains. Quinoa or millet are good options if you want a change from rice but need to avoid gluten. Polenta can be very nice. Even rolled oats will work. Add them to your meals or eat them alongside. Easy to cook in advance, and will last a little while.

Bonus is you can take a bunch of those grains, saute them up with some onion and garlic and any other veggies you want, then add some spiced up scrambled eggs and make a "grain pancake." This will last in the fridge a few days and is easy to transport and eat on the go.

loulee997

goodmane23 wrote: »

I’m in the game of weight loss for somewhere around the 1,000th time in my life and in need of lunch ideas. I can’t have salad, dairy (including eggs), raw fruits, or gluten. Due to medication, I have to eat actual food, so shakes won’t work.

I’ve tried meal prepping, but I hate cooking. Leftovers aren’t always a given. I’m a teacher and only have 20 minutes for lunch, so it needs to be quick!

Thanks in advance!

Schools never give you enough time to eat. I'm going to list some options below. I'm going to list quick or frozen items.

Super Easy:
Salmon Packs. They are like packs of tuna but with Salmon. Doesn't need to be refrigerated.
Add some gluten-free crackers and some carrot sticks. Not a fantastic lunch but you have veggies and protein.

Star-Kist White Chicken Pack. No refrigeration is needed. Bring some gluten free bread. Make a chicken sandwich. Add a pack of dairy free pudding and celery sticks.


FROZEN MEALS AND SOUPS (DAIRY AND GLUTEN FREE)

AMY's Gluten Free Bean And Rice Burrito (dairy Free)

Gluten free and Dairy Free Vegan Broccoli and 'Cheese'.

Amy's Pad Thai Gluten Free and Dairy Free



Amy's Minestrone Soup Gluten/Dairy Free

Gluten Free Chicken Soup

Gluten Free Humus--it comes in multiple flavors: plain, garlic, red pepper, dessert/chocolate. Has protein and is made of roasted chickpeas. Add gluten free Snyders pretzels. It's a quick meal with protein.


AMy's Black Bean Vegan Gluten Free Enchiladas

PAPYRUS3

You've got some good ideas from the previous posts.

Just want to say...I'm a teacher and am lucky to have a moment to go to the bathroom...let alone have time to eat a decent meal (ha). I prep Bento-style boxes that I can snack on throughout the day.

My suggestion is to check out all the gluten-free, vegan, etc. products on the shelves these days. There are so many new and interesting products out there.

SafariGalNYC

Have you tried a prepared meal service? You tell them what you can eat and they make it and deliver a weeks worth (you choose) to your door. You can heat up the kit at work. Works great for someone who doesn’t like to cook or put effort in to prep.you can also choose cold options that need no heating.

wahmx3

Leftovers, be purposeful when cooking...always make enough to freeze at least one serving if not two. Casseroles, chili, lasagna, soup, meatloaf all freeze great. 5 out of 7 days a week are Leftovers from that week or pull from the freezer. I have a home daycare and little time to prep lunch for me.

lemurcat2

I would also say leftovers. That's what I do -- always cook enough for a lunch or two when cooking dinner and immediately pack it so it's ready to go. I know you said you dislike cooking, but what do you do for dinner?

Other than that, maybe the Vigo (or some other brand) beans and rice (just boiling water, really), perhaps? You could add in some spinach for more veg. I lived on those for part of my 20s before I learned to enjoy cooking. There are also plenty of decent quality frozen meals these days, but that could get pricey.