Work Lunch

angf0679

All my life through school (I went to a small private school that had hot lunch only once a week) and work life my go-to lunch has been a peanut butter and jam sandwich. I got it from my dad. He had that for most of his packed lunches in his 45 year career as a truck driver.

I am loosing my taste for peanut butter and jam sandwiches. 😭 I make a half sandwich and can only eat half of it lately. The only other sandwiches I make are egg salad and chicken (or turkey).

I am at a loss right now as to what to make for my lunches! I am a self-proclaimed picky eater who is afraid to try new things.

springlering62

could you experiment enough with new foods to change up your chicken? Mix it with some BBQ sauce? Spread some Thai chili sauce on your bread or wrap? Mix it with some mayo, cinnamon, diced apples?

What do you feel happy and comfortable eating?

If you like peanut butter, have you tried a Thai peanut butter satay sauce? That would be an amazing chicken sandwich!

You like jam? Could you roast a meat with some? We like a little orange marmalade whipped with some Dijon and sage, spread on a tenderloin, and roasted. Diced, it makes a tasty sandwich? Lots of meats roast well with jams and jellies and a little salt and/or pepper to offset the sweet.

tulips_and_tea

Great sandwich variations offered by @springlering62. As a picky eater, what else do you like to eat? Lunch doesn't have to be sandwiches. If you like rice or pasta, then there are endless variations by adding different proteins and vegetables.

ONUnicorn

You say you are a picky eater, so maybe these won't work for you, but I recently discovered something called GardenCups. They deliver a box of pre-made salads every week. They are SO EASY and really good to grab one and take it to work.

They're around 400-600 calories per salad. They're more expensive than PB&J, but cheaper than DoorDash. Use an insulated lunch bag and an ice pack and you don't need access to a fridge or microwave. There's no prep time. They literally couldn't be easier.

ridiculous59

The entire time I was losing weight my lunch was pretty much the same every work day: In the warmer months I would make a big bowl of salad on a Sunday and then every day I'd grab some and put it in a container for my lunch. I'd have a side of protein like hard boiled eggs, leftover meat from the previous night's dinner, a can of tuna, etc. In the cooler months I'd make a big pot of soup on a Sunday and have that every day for lunch, with some kind of side protein.

You say that you're a picky eater, so by making the soup or salad yourself, you can include whatever foods you enjoy.

nossmf

Do you have access at work to a refrigerator and microwave? My work lunch for the last 15 years has been leftover dinner, saved in Tupperware and reheated two days later. Because I ate it at dinner, I already know I like it, or at least tolerate it if it's a recipe my family enjoys but I don't, lol.

yirara

My office lunch has always been a bread roll or bread with whatever I put on, various fruits and veg to snack on, and lately some additional something with higher protein, either a bar or simply a lower fat snack salami. At home I often eat small cheeses that come it at 11g protein per 48kcal for two. Very tasty, and a bit of additional protein, though they get yucky when left out of the fridge too long.

angf0679

@ONUnicorn I'm in Nova Scotia. GardenCups looks great, but doubt I could get it up here.

@nossmf Yes to both things - though I don't use the fridge.

I didn't change to PB and blueberry jam instead of strawberry, and that was yummy. I think part of my "picky eating" is afraid to try new things. I don't do any type of seafoods at all. I have done chicken salad sandwiches and egg salad. I have done chicken wraps and I put salsa on them, but wow those calories add up when you add chips and salsa with that as a side dish. I do tend to keep my lunches something simple.

springlering62

I recently fooled around with broiling corn tortillas. I sprayed a gram or two of olive oil on them (Misto is great for this) and rubbed them against each other to distribute the light spray of oil. Then I cut them into eights and broiled til golden brown and flipped and did the other side.

They were quite good! Next time I’ll salt more season them with Tajin or something.

They were half the calories of an equivalent serving of “regular” chips, and a good way to use up the extra tortillas that seem to hang around forever. They were also still crisp the next day.