healthy lunch ideas besides salads

lporter229

Now that fall is on it's way, it's a good time to make a giant pot of soup, stew or chili (easy to find good crock pot recipes for these too). Freeze them in individual containers.

Also, when I was single and on a tight budget my go-to lunch was to bake (or microwave) a sweet potato, top with a half can of black, red or pinto beans, a few tablespoons of salsa and a bit or greek yogurt or sour cream. Very tasty and amazingly filling.

beccabeccac

I also make open face avocado sandwiches with whole grain bread, spread with hummus, and top with sliced avocado (and a sprinkle of salt).

Sabine_Stroehm

Whole grain tortillas (or low carb, or whatever you fancy) with turkey and hummus, or whatever meat and cheese and mustard. etc. etc. etc.) Add some greens and you've got a hearty, healthy portable lunch!

higgins8283801

Wheat pita flat out

2oz turkey

1-2 tomato slices

A leaf of lettuce

2 tablespoons hummus

Sliced cucumbers.

Make your sandwich and enjoy.

xmichaelyx

1) Get a microwavable steamer.
2) Fill with tilapia, broccoli, cauliflower, and a little water. Add spices and lemon.
3) Cook for 2-4 minutes, depending on your microwave.
4) Eat.

meridianova

i follow low-carb, so i keep a head of lettuce (green, red, or iceberg depending on my mood), mayo, mustard, thin-sliced provolone, deli sliced meats, and shredded rotisserie chicken breast in one of the work fridges. most of that stuff fits in one grocery bag. every day i make a couple of lettuce wraps by spreading 1T mayo and 1t mustard on the face of the lettuce leaf, then layering the sliced meat, a slice of cheese, and about 1oz of the chicken breast in each leaf. wrap it up and it's a decent lunch for me.

usually two lettuce wraps are enough for me for lunch, and leave me enough calories for a good dinner.

colors_fade

Whole grain tortillas (or low carb, or whatever you fancy) with turkey and hummus, or whatever meat and cheese and mustard. etc. etc. etc.) Add some greens and you've got a hearty, healthy portable lunch!

This.

I eat a lot of tortillas for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast burritos taste great. Lunch wraps are tasty and you can cram a lot of fun stuff in them.

My job is sitting at a desk thinking all day. If I don't have some carbs, my brain doesn't fire as well. Tortillas do the trick.

TR0berts

Meat that's on sale - portion it out and freeze it.

Cook it up the night before and eat it like a leftover with some veggies.

NoxDineen

2 hard boiled eggs and an avocado is my current favorite easy and cheap breakfast or lunch.

Sabine_Stroehm

Whole grain tortillas (or low carb, or whatever you fancy) with turkey and hummus, or whatever meat and cheese and mustard. etc. etc. etc.) Add some greens and you've got a hearty, healthy portable lunch!

This.

I eat a lot of tortillas for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast burritos taste great. Lunch wraps are tasty and you can cram a lot of fun stuff in them.

My job is sitting at a desk thinking all day. If I don't have some carbs, my brain doesn't fire as well. Tortillas do the trick.

Tortillas and pitas. :glasses:

PugBug20

I know you said that you're tired of eating salad, but salad doesn't have to be boring. Instead of your typical garden salad, what about another kind of salad? Bean salads, chicken salads, tuna salads, quinoa salads, etc. are healthy, easy and fast to prepare, and can be eaten on the go. There are hundreds of recipes out there. Here are some of my personal favorites:

-Avocado and Greek yogurt chicken salad: http://www.organizeyourselfskinny.com/2014/06/18/avocado-and-greek-yogurt-chicken-salad-no-mayonnaise/
-Black bean quinoa salad: http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/cooking-with-quinoa/black-bean-quinoa-salad-with-basil-lemon-dressing-recipes
-Fiesta bean salad: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/04/fiesta-bean-salad.html
-Mediterranean chickpea salad: http://www.prevention.com/food/cook/20-low-calorie-salads-wont-leave-you-hungry?s=3
-Tortellini salad: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tortellini-pepperoncini-salad-10000001036181/
-White bean tuna salad: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/white-bean-tuna-salad-recipe.html

Other ideas:
-2 tbsp of nut butter and fresh fruit slices (e.g., apples, bananas, strawberries, etc.) on whole-wheat bread

-One serving of whole-wheat crackers (about 120 calories for most brands) with 1 oz of low-fat or fat-free cheese (calories depend on the kind of cheese you use) and 2 oz sliced turkey breast (60 - 80 calories for most brands). Just cut the meat and the cheese into bite-sized pieces and stack them on the crackers. It's like a healthy Lunchable for adults. You can also use turkey pepperoni instead of turkey breast, if you would like.

Also, one of the most delicious wrap recipes:
Spread 2 tbsp of hummus (60 - 80 calories for most brands) on a low-calorie tortilla (I like La Tortilla Factory's Extra Virgin Olive Oil SoftWraps, 100 calories per tortilla). Top with a handful of fresh basil (less than 1 calorie), 1/2 cup roasted red peppers (30 calories), 1/4 cup fat-free feta cheese (30 - 40 calories for most brands), and 4 or 5 sliced black olives (20 - 25 calories). That totals to about 250 - 275 calories depending on the brands you use. You can also add grilled chicken and/or other vegetables (e.g., onions, tomatoes, etc.).

Best of luck!

rmp968

I was getting ready to ask the same question when I saw this post. There are so many good suggestions. Now i just have to make my list and do a little shopping. I do so much better if I plan ahead and have all my meals planned out for the week. Less tempting for me to grab something out of the snack machine at work.

kefryar

Look at ohsheglows.com
She has a lot of amazing ideas for all meals, and it's all clean.

kittybitz79

Some items I do:

Carrot top pesto with whole wheat noodles.
Smoked brat with veggies.
Stir fry (grilled chicken, red peppers and a can of chow mein veggies)
Turkey jerky with carrot sticks

ivygirl1937

I try to eat really inexpensively, so I take a lot of soup. Depending on what kind you get, it's your protein and veggies and everything all in one and super fast to heat up and eat.

dakotababy

I just had tuna salad with lettuce on a burrito wrap (or you could use pita...or bread). Along with sliced banana, strawberries with vanilla greek yogurt on top.

It was amazing.

kasmamakas

What a great idea. I have a tupperware microwave steamer sitting in my cabinet and I never know what to do with it. I am definitely going to try this. Thanks for the idea!

Amestris

I usually meal prep on Sundays. I plan my lunches around the concept of a protein, starch and green vegetable. So this weeks menu was spiced rubbed chicken thighs with mint parsley pesto, roasted sweet potatoes, and spinach. I hope that helps.

husseycd

How tiny is tiny? And can you keep/use a George Foreman at work? I'm not very good at prepping food ahead of time, so I cook at work. Chicken thighs and veggies (or fruit which I did today) make a great, low calorie lunch. Every once in a while I mix it up and have fish or sausages or something.

tracylbrown839

Tuna salad sandwich - tuna, grapes, apples, celery, mayo, in a pita. And soup. Tomato, spring veggie, mushroom.
Egg salad - in pita or wrap (There are countless good soup and sandwich combinations)

Left overs from dinner.

Chicken and mango, red onion, - on a bed of greens (arugula and spinach is great) but since you don't want salad, you could serve with a side of rice with a few cashews. Fresh veggies and dip on the side. (Buy a prepared roasted chicken)

Eggs/omelet if you are at home - with mushrooms, red and green peppers, cheese