Working women and Lunch

Confuzzled4ever

last nights dinner
egg, mustard, spinach (or power green i have today), celery mushroom mashed together.
tuna
oatmeal

open diary and i log everything and I bring lunch to work everyday.

Stage14

Most nights, we cook a protein and simply cook enough to take for lunch the next day as well. I pair this with raw veggies or fruit, and sometimes wild rice. On days when we don't have leftovers, I either bring a mixed green salad and just make sure my afternoon snack includes extra protein, or I bring a sandwich.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I always make enough dinner that I have 1-2 servings of left overs for lunch. Also good old fashioned sandwiches and can of soup.

Hairhacker

Great ideas! I am somewhat boring, I do lots of sandwiches or salads or lean cuisines with extra veggies.

LB2812

I try to pre-plan as much as possible for all my meals, when I don't I end up grabbing not so healthy food I tend to spend sunday or monday making as much food as possible to last us a few days. For instance this week for lunch everyday I'm having pasta with veggies and a soy-meat item (specificallyy I sauteed eggplant, spinach & mushrooms in a little olive oil & italian seasoning for the veggies part, but that alters depending on what I bought!), the "meat" item varies too... my husband might get chicken, I might use beans, we might do shrimp, etc. I could of done rice instead of pasta as well. Basically carb/veggie/protein and something that will last a few days Also, if I make a big enough batch of the veggies/sauce I can freeze half of it and have that ready for lunches another week!

I also break it all up into even tupperwares so that I can just grab one everyday and I already know what my calories are in each one.

I try to do the same for snacks and dinner prep too. all at once I'll try to chop up veggies, fruits, etc. cook/prep whatever I can so that it is ready to go as a snack or for use in cooking dinner. It takes a lot of time to do all this at once, but it's so nice not having to do it everyday.

girlfd

What is the difference between being a stay at home mum and a working mum when it comes to lunch?

the difference is that I only have a microwave to heat things and a tiny fridge at work. At home I would have a full fridge full of stuff and an over, toaster oven, coffee maker, and microwave

kayleighlang5

Hey there! I'm sure you might have read similar suggestions, but here's my intake!

As a full-time post-bacc (and a full-time artist) I find it hard to have time to make a home-cooked meal for myself (let alone with children-- wow you must be a busy woman!)

I think preparing ahead of time is the vital key here. Try to invest in something like a crockpot (great for soups and healthy too!) so that you can make something that will last you. I think tupperware is definitely your best friend too, here-- you can also make some delicious veggie side dishes too! I'm sure you can find a ton of clever, fast, and satisfying ideas online!

But if you do want to go out, that's fine, too-- but obvious don't do it every day of the week. Maybe once a week or once every other week. And when you do be conscious of your serving size (since you can't really control that in a restaurant). I usually tend to cut my meals in half and request for a to-go box at around the beginning of the meal. If you're like me, looking at food in front of you is bad news, even if you're full!


I hope these recommendations help!

Kayleigh

kayleighlang5

What is the difference between being a stay at home mum and a working mum when it comes to lunch?

the difference is that I only have a microwave to heat things and a tiny fridge at work. At home I would have a full fridge full of stuff and an over, toaster oven, coffee maker, and microwave

Yeah, resources and time are definitely limited. While I'm certain a stay at home mom does her fair share of work, she doesn't have the resources to really make anything that isn't microwavable, either. It's a lot more complicated.

girlfd

I really apprecioate all the constructive comments and ideas. I have had a hard time getting back on track with planning out meals. For a while I sat down and planned the weeks dinners and shopped for the food and knew everyday what we were having and even had a few optional meals at the ready. Guess I hadn'tconsidered expanding the amt I make for dinner so that I have enough for leftovers! my co workers have talked about all of us eating a quick lunch then going for a walk to get in some exercise. maybe I will start packing my mp3 player and taking a walk. i do not have a job that I sit down 8 hrs a day. Some days I am at a desk 8 hrs sme days I am on my feet runnign around or driving around for all 9 hrs I am at work.

PS I have nothing against stay at home moms. I have been a stay at home mom. But the reality of it is you can throw food in teh crock pot, you can throw things in the oven, or in a pan and cook it with the kids at home. Working moms don't have theluxury of doing that. most have the option of eatin out or eating something nuked or right out of the fridge. Don't just assume that everything coming out of another person's mouth( or fingers) is malicious. it is more about the logistics. I know plenty of moms that stay home and are extremely busy but face it you main job is taking the best care of your children as possible and feeding them properly and at ther appropriate time si is and should be a priority. you can mak time to make food at home

Joehenny

We are all here for a common goal - to get healthy and stay that way. If we were able to afford me being a stay at home mom, I would in a heartbeat but alas I have to work full time to support my family. I have been trying to make healthier choices but sice my co workers like to eat out several days a week I hav ebeen eaing alone and need more lunch ideas. (I don't mind eating alone it is the only quiet time I get and I spend my lunch hour reading ) I am looking for ideas of good healthy lunches I can pack to take with me. I would like to avoid frozen meals that I have to microwave. Any ideas are welcome. I need to expand my taste uds

Chicken breast and veggies or turkey and veggies. I like my lunch simple and bland. Easy to eat on the fly. I save the good stuff for dinner. At lunch and at work you're just trying to hold over.

stephiehampshire

We are all here for a common goal - to get healthy and stay that way. If we were able to afford me being a stay at home mom, I would in a heartbeat but alas I have to work full time to support my family. I have been trying to make healthier choices but sice my co workers like to eat out several days a week I hav ebeen eaing alone and need more lunch ideas. (I don't mind eating alone it is the only quiet time I get and I spend my lunch hour reading ) I am looking for ideas of good healthy lunches I can pack to take with me. I would like to avoid frozen meals that I have to microwave. Any ideas are welcome. I need to expand my taste uds

Sorry if I am repeating I havent read through the other posts!

My lunches depend on the weather and how much exercise I am planning for that day but here are a few ideas:

Salad, lots of raw vegitables and salad with grilled chicken and peri peri dressing
Soup, try to make home made soups out of vegitables
Rice with chicken or lean meat with raw vegitables and soy sauce
Noodles with chicken or lean meat with raw veg and soy sauce
Jacket potatoe without butter, with chicken or tuna and cheese or beans
Wholemeal Pita bread stuffed with tuna and salad
Cous Cous with chicken (cooked in garlic and roasted onion and pepper with spices)
Home made Sushi

shelleycolton

Some great ideas here; preparation is key for successful lunch for me; I make my shaker salad.

150g Cous Cous - any variety
60g Cooked Chicken - I cook up two breast on sunday with any marinade i fancy for the week, pesto, thai curry, fajita spices etc. Half a breast each day.
Cherry Toms
Pickled Beetroot
Olives (if I have them)
Feta cheese (if I fancy it)

Mix together and shake it balsamic vingear. Yum.

Confuzzled4ever

Today it's either a protein bar or tuna or oatmeal. Depending on a few different things.

Carmella9

weight watcher soup easy and very low cal!

GingerLolita

I also bring lunch everyday as a college student. My school doesn't have a cafeteria (which I'm thankful for, since I lost the Freshman 15 while all my friends eating buffet-style elsewhere gained it) and many students choose to eat lunch out daily, but I know that anything I make myself will be healthier and cheaper. I get some of the best recipes from cookbooks and many of the newer ones have sections devoted to pack-able lunches. I really like the Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook (which offers great kid-friendly options, although I find the recipes delight for myself) and Cooking Light's Fresh Fast Food 24/7.

emergencytennis

What is the difference between being a stay at home mum and a working mum when it comes to lunch? I pack the kids' lunches and then eat much the same myself. Everything is plus a piece of fruit or carrot sticks...

Edgells four bean mix, a couple of handfuls of bag salad, Red Kelly's salad dressing.

A couple of cups of cous cous made with diced onion, diced carrot, frozen peas and chicken stock.

A burrito made with some beef mince, some capsicum, some cheese and some salsa wrapped inside a tortilla, baked the night before.

A chicken salad and avocado sandwich.

Chicken mushroom pasta in white sauce.

A piece of corn microwaved and wrapped in foil, with some naan bread, goat's cheese and olives.

Tomorrow looks like: left over steak and salad sandwich One kid will take an onion omelette.

Darn, your kids have it real good. Chicken mushroom pasta for lunch? Yum.

Not that exciting - it is just leftovers recycled for lunch.

Edit to add

As is the cous cous, burrito and the previously fessed-up-to steak and salad sandwich, as well as the samosas the kids are taking tomorrow.

MorissaW

I try to make enough dinner to take some for lunch the next day.
Sometimes I repurpose what we have. So if we have fajitas or tacos, I will make it into a salad the next day. That way it doesn't feel like I am eating the same thing over again.

I have 4 children and a husband. We both work full time and lead pretty busy lives. It takes some time to get into the groove of making your lunch or at least making sure you have the right things at work to make something. Once you get it down, it is a easy peasy. As some others have mentioned I like to do prep work on Sundays. I try to carve out about 2 hours (so that I don't have to spend my whole "off" day in the kitchen!). I make a lot of chicken breasts and then cut them up and seperate into baggies for freezing. In the evenings my husband can get them out, defrost them and use them for dinners (salads, fajitas, chicken pasta, quesadillas, homemade Chinese food (I buy a kit from Aldi and add chicken), BBQ chicken wraps, homemade chicken pizza and more. I usually make myself a few single serve baggies as well just in case there is not leftover dinner I can grab one of those baggies and make a salad for lunch. On Mondays I try to bring in some lettuce, a few tomatoes, a cucumber and a few advocados. I also keep salad dressing here. That way I have NO EXCUSES to eat crap!!!

RenshiG

I keep it pretty simple. Usually a protein I pre-fix, a vegetable in batch, some fruit. Things I can easily split into 3 meals.

My lunches are generally small since I eat 5-6 times a day. My 10:30 & 4:30 snacks today are 1/2 avocado w/ lemon juice, 50g chicken breast, 1 banana each. It allows me to use the same "batch" of chicken and the rest are natures pre-packed foods. (I keep a lemon with the avocado so it doesn't get brown by the afternoon after I cut it in the am).

For actual "lunch" today I am having a chicken breast and 2 cups of spinach. I like herbs and spices so while it might sound gross I actually really like it (hope my co-workers don't mind a bit of garlic.. heh). I also prefer keeping it really low carb. If I want carbs I usually add 2-4 oz. of quinoa (quick to make almost like oatmeal and easy to portion and pre-fix... was just too lazy this am lol) or a fruit to it like the bananas for the snacks.

Another lunch/snack combo is tuna with avocado (if the avocado is really ripe you can mush it really good and it is an awesome mayo sub!!), sweet potato with cottage cheese (haven't had that in a while.. hmmmm... maybe tomorrow), chicken breast with any veggie of the day (california mix, spinach, kale, green beans), hard boild eggs!

I am not too keen on warm fish for lunch.. plus co-workers tend to complain about the smell esp since I tend to eat at my desk. I like stuff I can split easily to get snacks out of it too for the day. Makes it a lot easier.

mygrl4meee

To the person who asked what the difference is to staying at home or being a working mom when it comes to lunch there is quite a big difference. Working moms or dads have to plan their meals even more cause we can't just cook something to eat. It needs to be already prepared and then we have to pack it and then there is the issue of needing to keep our food at a safe temp. Its not a lot of work but it is different compared to being at home. There is some advantage to working and packing lunch though. I can't on a whim decide to eat junk that I didn't plan for and no matter what I do I can't pack ice cream. It melts. Darn. Lol

climbing_trees

Two handfuls of spinach, half a can of tuna, a scoop of hummus (my favorite is the spicy), a scoop of feta cheese crumbles and top with fresh tomatoes! I could eat this every day