Breakfast/Lunch Ideas for a Commuter

potuschris

I live in the suburbs and commute into the city everyday. Given the time I get up and leave for the office everyday, I often end up eating breakfast and lunch at work. I have certain things I often grab and eat at work i.e. oatmeal, carrots. However, I feel like I have the same few things that I continue to eat. Just wondering what sort of things some of you pack for breakfast and/or lunch during the week.

SpaceMarkus

When I was working full time I would make up Shakeology and take it with me. It worked really well as a quick, mobile breakfast. I used to use EAS Meal Replacements but they seemed to have changed their formula back around 2006 and I lost my appeal for them.

Kirabelly

I make a shake every morning with 0% fat greek yogurt, frozen fruit, milk or coconut or almond milk, and no sugar added carnation instant breakfast. I change up the kind of fruit and the the carnation flavors to keep it interesting. Usually it runs under 300 calories for 20 oz. and I am FULL.

nadiB

Try Fat free Yogurt for breakfast

MB_Positif

I do the same as you...go through my diary and see. I love variety so there's always something different! Add me as a friend and I can share more info...can't write much now...I'm at work!

Alissa_Sal

Breakfast - I almost always bring a yogurt and 1/4 cup granola
Lunch - depends on if you have access to a microwave. If so, I like to bring leftovers from dinner (in smaller sizes). I also bring a sammy and some carrots, or a salad and cottage cheese

thumper44

I can never eat breakfast before I go to work. Bad habit I guess.
Some idea's
I always take fruit.
I have made up egg white burritos, and take a few and heat them up at work.
Take dry cereal and milk in a container.
If I go out for breakfast at work I get a toasted western on brown, no butter.

Cook a lot more on weekends/sunday and you can have lunches already set up.
I cook extra chicken/pork so I have it handy during week.

fudgebudget

I make a Subway run a few mornings a week when I'm running low on time and have a hectic day ahead - if I get a foot long breakfast sub (only $5 if you get the ham and egg) then I can eat half for breakfast and the rest for lunch, so I don't have to leave work. This works best if you have a microwave and don't get lettuce on it.

kjpersich

One of my favorite breakfast ideas is a yogurt parfait. You can make it the night before and freeze it. It's almost like eating ice cream for breakfast.

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup frozen blueberries (Or any other fruit you want. I calculated the calories with blueberries)
2 tablespoons of Bear Naked Fit Vanilla Almond Crunch

300 calories and it's loaded with protein!

froggy15

Oatmeal or yogurt with fruit for breakfast and some granola or kashi cereal mixed in; for lunch sometimes a frozen dinner (Lean Cuisine) high in sodium, but an easy way to count calories or I walk next door to the grocery store and make up a salad at the salad bar.

BeachGurl815

I'm addicted to a pkg of plain oatmeal, 1 TBSP of peanut butter and sliced up banana mixed in. I eat it almost every workday at my desk.

That yogurt parfait posted above sounds really good also!

jernigan51

For breakfast I usually have a Fruit & Yogurt parfait, $1 at McDonald's, or 1-2 packages of instant oatmeal, and black coffee. For lunch, I generally have Smart Ones or Healthy Choice Steamer, they're really pretty decent and have lots of different types.

shiseido_faerie

I also eat breakfast & lunch at work most days

Breakfast:
-Yogurt with Granola & Frozen Fruit (by the time I get to work the fruit is not frozen anymore but the yogurt has been kept cold!)
-Cereal & milk (transported in seperate containers!)
-Oatmeal
-Fibre One Peanut Butter Bar and an Apple
-Sometimes i'll make up an egg sandwich on an english muffin, wrap in wax paper and it doesn't get soggy and can be re-heated once I get to work. I cook the egg in the microwave and it takes about 1 minute to pull it all together.
-I too keep Carnation instant breakfasts on hand

Lunches:
-any kind of leftover dinner (I often cook a little extra specifically so i'll have it!)
-Melba toast (no salt) with light garlic & herb cream cheese and some fruit on the side
-Peanut butter & crackers (if your work isn't nut free!) or cheese & crackers if it is!
-salad (they make those containers where you can store the dressing in the lid)

I'm usually more of a grazer after breakfast until dinner so my lunch ideas aren't necessarily helpful lol. I bring that sort of stuff with fruit or raw veggies and snack away.

TeaBea

Cottage cheese & a no sugar added fruit cup.

Tuna salad on whole wheat (or pita)

2% cheese stick (or yogurt) whole grain crackers & fruit ........ I like looking at all the ideas here

savannahgro

i hate eating early morning, I hate waking up early in the morning.

So I usually eat a Cliff bar and coffee (255 calories) on my way into work and then have a mid morning snack of almonds (150). Lunch usually differs but typically includes some sort of smart ones/lean cuisine, fruit/veggie and sometimes a 100 calorie pack of pretzels or something. Depends on how/what I feel for. Then before I leave work, if I am hungry and plan on working out before dinner, I usually have some sort of granola (natures valley is my go to, 2 pk of crunchy granola or a granola square)

27strange

I eat lunch and breakfast at work in the office a lot of days. The best investment in helping me more easily do this was buying a dorm size fridge for my office (not possible for everyone I realize, but my office let me). I was so tired of having to share the break room fridge with everyone and always had things go missing...pieces of fruit, milk, snacks, etc. So getting my own little 2.5cu/ft fridge is so awesome. I have it stocked with water bottles, yogurts, fruit, carrot sticks, protein shakes, salad, deli meat, and so forth.

potuschris

Definitely a lot of ideas so far. Thanks everyone! When I get home I'll have to look through what everyone has posted again, and start working on a new grocery list.

kjpersich

Oooh, I forgot to tell you my easy lunch!

2 cups Birds Eye frozen broccoli
6 frozen meatballs
1/2 cup blackbeans

395 calories, 23 grams of protein

Throw everything in a tupperware container. Drizzle with a little olive oil, Cumin powder, Crystal's hot sauce, and creole seasoning. By the time lunch rolls around everything is thawed. Takes 2 to 2.5 minutes in the microwave to heat. It's better for you than prepackaged frozen meals and tastes better anyway.

marquesajen

Mini frittatas made in muffin tins. Super easy to grab and eat either cold or microwave real quick. It's high in protein and you can add meats, cheese, veggies to the mix. You could make your own breakfast bars/granola bars too, there's alot of recipes online that are good.

Rae6503

Hard boiled eggs and protein mix for breakfast (I have a blender bottle). Lunch for me is often some salad mix thrown in a bag and some left over meat (steak, chicken, taco meat), or left overs (I cook extra and immediately put the left overs into single serving containers so you can just grab them).

kjpersich

Oooh, I forgot to tell you my easy lunch!

2 cups Birds Eye frozen broccoli
6 frozen meatballs
1/2 cup blackbeans

395 calories, 23 grams of protein

Throw everything in a tupperware container. Drizzle with a little olive oil, Cumin powder, Crystal's hot sauce, and creole seasoning. By the time lunch rolls around everything is thawed. Takes 2 to 2.5 minutes in the microwave to heat. It's better for you than prepackaged frozen meals and tastes better anyway.