What do you bring for lunch (that is healthy)???

LovahLaura

This has always been tough for me and I usually end up bringing a sandwich, chips and a piece of fruit. Or a hot dog with the same sides I just listed. Or I go out and grab something real quick.

I have a boring office job but eating in the lunch room is no problem so healthy suggestions would be great!!!

Edithrenee

I have a boring office job to and i hate staying there to eat lunch!! I cant wait to hear suggestions. Even when i bring food it taste like crap in a crappy place lol

Grimmerick

I like tuna, I put it on a bed of lettuce with some pico de gallo (too lazy to cut up tomatoes and other veggies) and add some light ranch or balsamic vinaigrette. YUM, bring some mint gum though pico de gallo has onions in it

taco_tap

I like those steamer things in the frozen food section. They are usually pretty low in calories and a lot of companies make them now so you should have a good selection.

Snacks I bring peanuts, triscuits, laughing cow light cheese. This always changes for me, but right now, that's what is in stock.

thetiwi1890

Wholemeal pita and hummus....amazing! And very good source of folate, protein, iron and vitamins.
Or carrot sticks and hummus! Yum!
♥

TruckerChick

It's mostly going to depend on how much time you want to spend on making your lunch.
What I used to do when I had a boring office job was make a little extra dinner the night before, and packaged the left-overs so they were easily microwaveable at the office. Since I make very healthy dinners, I had an easy to carry healthy lunch that took very little time to put together.

helma123

I usually bring a healthy choice or weight watchers frozen dinner & an apple. Quick & cheap & not too many calories.

engineman312

healthy sandwich, on sandwich thins or wheat bread, and a piece of fruit.. measure out everything, including mayo or mustard. for snacks sometimes i bring nuts and raisins, or yogurt and granola.


just bring what you like!!

trouthunterz

I usually make either a chili on Sunday for the work week or I will buy chicken or turkey breast and cook it on Sunday and make sandwiches during the week along with snap peas or carrots and celery.

Kelly_Wilson1990

Homemade tuna or chicken salad.

Hj723

It's mostly going to depend on how much time you want to spend on making your lunch.
What I used to do when I had a boring office job was make a little extra dinner the night before, and packaged the left-overs so they were easily microwaveable at the office. Since I make very healthy dinners, I had an easy to carry healthy lunch that took very little time to put together.

This is your best bet! I have the office job and do this almost everyday. I don't have a few things in the fridge in case I change my mind, but usually nothing more than fruit and veggies and sandwich stuff.

Artemis_Acorn

Cottage cheese paired with fruit or tomatos. A nice cold can of low sodium V8. Tuna sandwich on whole-grain bread. Fresh Greek Salad. Hummus with veggies to dip. String Cheese. Greek Yogurt. Hard-boiled egg. And if I go out for lunch, I usually do Subway with whole wheat bread, roasted turkey, lots of veggies and honey dijon dressing.

Pocket_Pixi

I usually bring my left overs from the night before, and just warm them up, and than add some kind of fruit, cheese or nuts.

Corrie62

Today in my lunch bag was a Tomassa Sensia frozen meal (290 cal??? about), an orange, 20 red seedless grapes and 1/2 srving of pop chips. Ate the meal and orange for lunch...rest for mid day snack

Yesterday was 1 cup V8 Tomato soup (1/2 box), an apple, an orange, 3 puffed rice crackers (suzies brand) with 2tbsp light philly...again some I ate for lunch rest for snack.

Tomorrow will either be similar as today with either left over soup or mini can of tuna.

I am curious to see other ideas

melelana

Burritos or tacos are good options... a little lean meat, avocado, and salsa does it for me. Using greek yogurt in place of sour cream is yummy too.

AddA2UDE

I usually stick with 2 or 3 staples for a month or two and then change to something else. Makes it simple. Right now, I am using these three items:

Bowl of rolled oats to start the day - 300 calories

Eat Good Look Great Pure Protein Bar - Chewy Chocolate Chip, 1 bar (50g) 200 18 5 20 170

Michelina's Lean Gourmet - - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, 1 package 180 20 6 10 800

All three are at Wal-mart, are cheap and are low calorie. And, they take the hunger pangs away enough to get by for 3 hours or so. I usually have one of each at some point throughout the day and that leaves me about 900 calories for supper unless I workout and and more to eat. This plan works for me for whatever that's worth.

megz85g

i usually have leftovers from the night before or else i make something on sunday ( a pasta bake or casserole etc) that is for lunches for the week

holly_v

my new thing is oatmeal with half a package of instant breakfast powder.

i also like spinach wraps with cream cheese

or salad with feta and avocado

toast tuna and cheese

low sodium nachos with salsa

pauterson

1. Sandwich (you can do so much with this)

a. 45 cal bread, ham, laughing cow swiss wedge, sliced tomato; pop into toaster to toast bread then put all ingredients onto bread and microwave for 10 sec. wa-la ham & cheese melt
b. 45 cal bread, last nights meatballs & ragu, yum, yum, yum
c. veggie sand - kind've like subway - avocado, sprouts, tomato, onion, pickle, etc.


2. Frozen meals (Try to only do these 1 or 2 days out of the week so you dont' intake so much sodium)

a. lean cuisine - lasagna is YUM!
b. marie calendars - steamers are great!
c. make your own - neat thing is you can always make a meatloaf and freeze some in smaller portions

3. appetizer style

Sometimes I want to just have a few little things as a meal such as cheese stick, almonds, apple and an oatmeal cookie. OR - I'll do a mexican inspired spread with tortilla chips (black bean artisian recipe tostidos are my fav!), black beans, chicken breast, lettuce and salsa (almost to make nachos).

4. Salads

a. Chopped salad - egg whites, avocado, tomatos, onions, shrimp, ranch dressing, etc. YUM


Always try to get in 6 meals per day at 200-400 calories each (depending on your caloric needs). Snacks are good - IE: trail mix, fat free cheese, rolled oats, jerky.... Focus more on protein than MFP recommends too and you'll see better results.

Good luck!

it_be_asin

I make cheese and salad sandwiches at work, and change the bread and the salad each week. It keeps the taste interest up, and I can make it at work in my lunch hour. Downside - yeah, I eat the same sandwich for a week at a time.

Dona_Maria

Ohh, I'm going to have to copy some of your suggestions. I'm trying to eat 200-250 every two hours or so. It's been working good, but I can see myself getting bored and so many things have lots of calories not enough fillers to make it for a few hours.

RunConquerCelebrate

I cook healthy meals the night before and bring that for lunch.

Queen_JessieA

I pack lunches for my three kids daily because one has a life threatening peanut and tree nut allergy. I am ALWAYS looking for new things to keep them from getting bored!!

Some of their faves:

- Ole flour tortilla (whole wheat or spinach ~ 12 grams of fiber, 74 cals...), Laughing Cow cheese wedge spread on, slice or two of deli meat, 2 whole leaves of green leaf lettuce....my 6 year old tears it up!

- Cereal w/ milk (I know, but they like it )

- tuna salad (home made, low fat mayo, squirt of mustard, chopped pickle for relish...yummers!!) w/ whole wheat Ritz crackers

- boiled egg (instead of a sandwich)

- Salads (their faves are Greek - lettuce topped w/ kalamata olives, feta and tomatoes...and some sliced chicken if I have any left over; my version of Wendy's apple pecan chicken salad (minus the pecan ) - lettuce topped w/ 1/4 sliced apple, blue cheese crumbles, grilled chicken, dried cranberries...you can buy the dressing sold under Marzetti Simply Dressed (pomegranite).

- Left overs are a big hit, too...my boys will be taking vegetable beef soup tomorrow!!

dmpizza

I like those little premade tuna and cracker packs.
I also sometimes bring a small(2 ounce) container of some kind of cereal.
I work in an expensive area, so forgetting lunch is a $10 mistake.

RB12000

we prepare lunches on Sunday, and its always a meat (i do around 2.5 to 3 oz), veggies, and a carb.

This week, i made salsa chicken (chicken, salsa, cream of mushroom soup, homemade taco seasoning in crockpot) for my meat. Split in to lunches, added to each around 1/2 cup brown rice, a little bit of black beans and corn, and when I get to work I buy a little salad to go with.

Another fav is bbq chicken, broccoli & carrots, and brown rice or oven roasted potatoes (with no oil and ms. dash)

HugznKiki

I usually try to do Smart Ones Weight Watcher Meals, but now that I know I have to reduce my carb intake, I have to start looking at other options!!! Thanks for the suggestions!

LovahLaura

Thanks everyone for all of the amazing and tasty ideas and tips!!! I LOVE the cottage cheese with fruit idea b/c I do that at home alot as well as the hummus idea, I also eat that at home. I like the tuna sandwiches tip as well...I sometimes bring that for lunch but then I'll forget about that idea.

I'm very tempted to print out this topic to keep it for reference!!!

RNewton4269

Didn't bring my lunch today. Going to the gym to workout for 30 min then going to run and grab something from home probably.

morganadk2_deleted

Greek Dressing - Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tbsp (olive oil)
Australian - Avacado Fresh, 59 gram
Co-Op - Sweet & Baby Leaf Mixed Salad, 50 g
Tesco Responsibly Farmed - Smoked Salmon, 100 g
Morrisons - Wholefoods spelt lentils and brown rice, 60 g
Apples - Raw, with skin, 1 medium (2-3/4" dia) (approx 3 per lb)

noneya2010

I like to bring left overs from the night before. Also, I will make a batch of chicken salad (using greek yogurt instead of mayo -- with just a few T of mayo added) and cut up chicken breast, grapes, walnuts, onion, and sometimes celery. I also chop up raw zuchinni, cucumbers, etc. and put the chicken salad on that. One whole chicken breast makes enough for 2 servings and it's very filling.

My favorite "eating out" lunch is swinging by Kroger's and getting some california rolls. They make them fresh every day and they are good and a great healthy alternative to eating out.

Also, several of us in the office keep LC or WW meals in the freezer for when we don't have time or forget our lunches.

marquesajen

Maple roasted brussel sprouts, oatmeal with raisins/dried cherries/maple syrup/coconut, green beans with caramelized onions, hummus and veggie sandwich, stir fried veggies over rice, leftover pasta, leftover pork tenderloin, babybel cheese wheel, banana, cut up fruit, apple slices with crunchy peanut butter or almond butter, homemade soup (especially winter soups!), and greek yogurt with homemade jam and shredded unsweetened coconut and ground flax.

I try to satisfy the sweet and salty and savory cravings with my lunches and I bring a protein bar if I'm short on calories.