Easy Packed Lunch Ideas

monmay01

I am one of those people who has to pack the lunch the night before or else I will not bring anything and end up getting pizza or something else equally unhealthy with co-workers (who eat that stuff everyday and dont gain an ounce!) So for the past two weeks I have been eatting the same lunch -
A handful of fresh spinach topped with half a can of tuna
salt and pepper
drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and Maple Groves Farms fat free balsamic vinigrette (the best dressing in the world)
and if I am lucky a hard boiled egg minus the yolk

It fills me up and is tasty however I was wondering what everyone else packs for lunch.....

PoochPottery

I am one of those left over people! I do a lot of cooking on the weekends then pack up the left overs in individual containers and freeze for the week. A piece of fruit and yogurt and I am good to go! Big pots of soup are GREAT for this!

mnmdance

I'm also the same. If I don't have my lunch prepared. I head to the vending machine! Any ideas would be helpful:)

auroranflash

I try to make extra at dinner. I eat dinner, clean the dishes, and pack up what's left for my lunch the next day. Granted, I'm still getting used to this, but I noticed it saves money and food - the leftovers don't wind up getting old in the fridge and having to be thrown out. I hate that.

We've been having lots of omelettes, beans, and spiral ham at night so I'll just make extra and pack it up. I'm the type that can eat breakfast for dinner and not get sick of it. Luckily found a man who doesn't mind it either. Score

If omelettes, don't forget to add lots of herbs and veggies.

KacieHetrick

I put a bag of spinach in the fridge at work and then I just bring a granny smith apple and a clementine and I cut them up to throw on the spinach. I squeeze the juice from the clementine on the salad for "dressing "before cutting them up. Yum!

jonisteenhoek

I always keep cut, cooked chicken breasts in the refrigerator. This week I'm stuck on chicken caesar pitas. You could throw it on a salad, buffalo chicken wraps....so many possibilities!!

OLFATUG

I pack my lunch every night before I go to bed. I have a couple of cheap plastic containers with 3 compartments. I put lettuce in 1, pickles/onions/hot peppers, etc in another, and some kind of lunch meat in the third (turkey, ham, roast beef). I bring a wrap (Joseph's makes a really great 70 cal wrap: http://www.josephsbakery.com/p-10234-Flax-Oat-Bran-and-Omega-3-Whole-Wheat-Flour-Tortilla), and a bottle of mustard. I end up with a small calorie sandwich to get me through lunch.

In a pinch, these burittos tend to do quite well for me as well:
http://www.amys.com/products/product-detail/burritos-and-wraps/000071

PennyLane1114

Normally when I know I will be at work or school all day, I bring things that are easy yet healthy. For example: A sandwich you can make the night before on whole wheat bread with turkey or chicken, reduced fat cheese, and tons of veggies (lettuce, onion, cucumbers, tomato, etc). I'm not a mayo eater, but if you are, I hear the light stuff isn't bad. Also, I really like these mini rice cakes called Quakes and Fiber One bars for "dessert". Other things I bring sometimes are sugar free applesauce, nonfat yogurt, grapes, or leftovers from dinner the night before. Hope this helps!

ctlinj7

I bring my lunch everyday, and I know how it feels to need variety in my lunches this is usually what I pack
- Nature's Pride Nutty Oat bread, crockpot roasted turkey breast or tenderloin, lettuce, and Chipotle Mayo(only 45 cals)
-Grilled chicken salad - iceberg and baby spinach leaves, crockpot grilled chicken, shredded carrots, broccoli, a tiny bit of shredded cheese and Kraft Light Rasp. Vinegrette Dressing (2 tbsp)
-canned tuna, honey mustard, pickle relish and egg on Nutty Oat bread
-Apples, banana, strawberries
-popcorn
-Meal Shakes ( I have shakeology, but any type will suffice)
-Natural PB & J on Nutty Oat
-Steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots (or any veggies)
-Grilled Chicken Wraps - Crockpot grilled chx breast, whole wheat tortialla wrap, light ranch, lettuce, sprinkle of shredded cheese

I usually switch all those up during the week so I don't get burned out on one type of food

dnallen

I agree with keeping cooked chicken in the fridge as well as keeping a bag of lettuce in the fridge at work (although I prefer a head of green leaf lettuce). I cook two or three big main dishes on Sunday, and portion them out for lunches/dinners all week. Allrecipes has given me some great recipes such as beef and broccoli as well as ways to make homemade seasonings, rubs, and sauces.. I also like to make a container of turkey taco meat and keep whole wheat burritos handy. I can have a burrito in a pinch, or throw the meat on a salad and top with lowfat sour cream for a "Mexican" salad. I'm a single gal though, so if you have a spouse or kids who will eat whatever's in the fridge when they are hungry, this might not work.

kaetra

Pita or Wasa Crispbread, hummus and grapes
Chicken salad sandwich (with tart apple chunks is so good!)
California Roll
Banana, peanut butter, whole grain bread
Asian salad - leafy greens with mandarin oranges, toasted almond slivers and lemon-ginger dressing (grilled chicken chunks too sometimes)
Greek yogurt with fruit
Homemade fruit salad
Homemade cold pasta salad with lots of chopped raw veg and Italian dressing

We have a toaster oven, microwave and regular toaster at my work which makes it easy to warm a bigger variety of foods too like crisping up pre-cooked homemade chicken tenders, steaming veg, shredded BBQ chicken, chili, dinner leftovers, etc.