I need healthy lunch ideas, pretty please

tbrault

Homemade Hummus, fresh sugar snap peas, & 1 cup of fruit....The hummus keeps you stomach satisfied.

frugalmomsrock

Oh my gosh!!!! I love the peanut butter and quesadilla idea!

I have a question about the pizza....do you cook tortilla first so it gets a little firm or just tortilla as is? And do you just put on cookie sheet? I've making pizza like this before and have failed

I just put the tortilla on a cookie sheet, add the sauce (you can't do too much or it's too wet), cheese, and toppings. It should be a nice hot preheated oven, and they about 10 minutes. They get just a little crispy, but still soft enough to fold like NY style pizza (without all the crust and grease lol)

JBeansie

I am boring and eat the same thing for lunch everyday. Once a month I splurge and go to Whole Foods (though it is easy to overeat there).

Lunch:
Two whole wheat pieces of Arnold's bread
Tabasco Coarse Ground mustard (2 tablespoons)
Two slices of Thin n' Trim turkey (or whatever low-fat/low sodium version they have)
A slice of provolone or munster cheese
1 cup of baby spinach leaves

I generally eat a snack before leaving work of:
1 gala apple
1 Chobani yogurt
1 serving of whole raw almonds (28 nuts)

And a Kashi bar before working out.

I consider this whole thing my "lunch" as I eat it over the course of 5 hours. Keeps me powered through the afternoon slump and helps get me jazzed up about exercising after work.

angel79202

I mix it up..a lot of days i do a wrap with grilled chicken and fruit, or chicken tacos..mmm...
tomorrow will be spaghetti squash with chicken and mixed veggies

kellybug123

I have to mix mine up some. I don't like eating salad a whole lot when it's cold outside. I'll usually take a lean cuisine, but keep an eye on the sodium in these, or a lean pocket or a can of soup as my staple. Have to watch the sodium levels in canned soup too. Then I bring along some string cheese, a fruit and a veggie. Sometimes I substitute apple sauce for the string cheese. Just depends. When it's a little bit warmer I usually throw in some hearts of romaine and baby spinach together for a salad and add tuna from a pouch and a bunch of veggies. Optional on the dressing. Starting out is the hardest and most overwhelming part because you have to look at all these labels and figure out how to balance everything. You'll be able to do it.

bigtone34

During the week when I work, I usually have a bowl of vegatable soup or some whole grain noodle type soup, A banana, an apple, and a granola bar. When Im home for lunch to make an egg white omlette with vegatables in it. and some whole wheat toast.

ash190489

Hello Holly.

I am pretty new to MFP as well, however I have been calorie counting for quite a few months using the Calorie King books.

I am no expert, however I find that if I have a bigger breakfast and lunch that it fills me up throughout the day more and therefore having less snacks and more protein and smaller meals for dinner. However, I resist myself to only having within a certain amount of calories in each section.

Breakfast I like to have approx. 200 - 300 calories. Porridge with honey, small bowl of cereal using skim/low fat milk, slice of toast (wholegrain) with spread or an egg or fruit and yoghurt. I barely ever drink fruit juice anymore as it usually is full of sugar. However I occasionally buy a brand here in Australia that is Nudie and it's 100% orange juice. Delicious!

Lunch: I have become obsessed with what we have over here in Australia are Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice and Weight Watchers meals and I ALWAYS check the nutritional information on the back to make sure it is about that 300 calorie mark. They are full of vegetables and tasty! They fill me up and they are generously priced (I always go for the brand that is on sale at the supermarket). However, if I don't have that I will make myself a 97% fat free leg ham or chicken (sliced & no skin) and salad sandwich. I jam pack that sandwich full of salad (only a small amount of meat - say 10-20grams/ 2-3 slices) or you can toast it too (watch the cheese though... it's 70 calories for 1 slice of 25% less fat cheese). Others I know like tuna sandwiches and yoghurt for lunch. Make sure your eating wholegrain bread. It is full of great grains and low GI so it fills you up for longer.

Snacks: I have truly become obsessed with almonds and other nuts lately. They are filling and full of all the good fats our bodies need! 25grams or almonds (approx - 20- 30 nuts) is only 160 calories! Low fat Yoghurt is always good for a snack - check the nutritional information though --- many yoghurts say they are low fat however they still have hundreds of calories! I go for yoghurts that are approx 60-75 calories per little tub. I also love Weight Watchers diced fruit - low in calories and delicious! Fruit is always a winner for a snack. 2 fruits per day if I can and as many vegetables as I can (which are usually are mostly in the healthy choice meals I have for lunch). I try to eat approx: 100 calories on snacks (if I am hungry or haven't had enough fruit/dairy or protein).

Dinner: I try to have approximately 300-500 calories. I try to avoid too much pasta or rice. I try to eat more protein and vegetables for dinner. Small amount of meat (100grams - palm of my hand sized) or either beef, chicken or lamb. I occasionally will eat a heavier meal as my partner enjoys a lovely ravioli which is full of calories, however I will always half/quarter my portion size (Ravioli is approx: 700 calories.. Just by halving it it only a 350 calorie meal (PERFECT!).

I am no saint. I go off the roller coaster. But I figure we can almost eat whatever we want on most days, as long as it remains under our calorie count. I am a school teacher and find it easy with lunch as I take fruit or yogurt for morning tea and lunch a healthy choice/lean cuisine meal. However I do need some chocolate here and there. A burger occasionally and tonight I am eating pizza as I baby sit some students (whoops!!!) Nonetheless, I ensured I burned off 400 calories today to compensate for tonights pig out! Low calorie jelly is delicious too.

It's probably extremely hard for you as you don't just have to worry about yourself, you have a family and I have my partner who is doing weights and exercise like crazy and wants to eat as many carbs and protein as possible and is ALWAYS eating & hungry!!!

Good luck on your journey. Trust me, I need it too! But have a look for those already made meals in your supermarket for lunch and look for 350 calories or less. And avoid fast food... it's tasty but doesn't fill you up for long and is full of hidden sugars that turn into fat if they're not burnt off. I always think to myself ... "Is it worth it... to burn that one Big Mac burger (495 calories) off I need to do go to the gym for an hour and a half or jog for 87.5 minutes" --- and that's just the burger!! Always drink low calorie drinks Pepsi Max in Australia is 1 calorie for one 250mL glass. And we have Diet Coke that contains no caffeine that's 1 calorie. A medium mcdonalds coke (410mL) is 145 calories!

:-) Good luck!

LMHinson15

I eat lunch at my desk most days, so I pack it all up.

I like the sandwich thin rolls (90-100cal), I put reduced fat cream cheese and a mess of veggies (bell pepper, lettuce, onion, tomato, etc). Makes a hearty sandwich for around 150 cal.

I'll take crackers and hummus or apple and peanut butter.

I like what someone said about preportioned left-overs, but I'm a big fan of leftovers anyway.

angiereeves33

Wow! Awesome ideas. I'm sitting here taking notes.

Holly, looks like you've got some grocery shopping to do.

Others hit on my lunch ideas. I do lots of spinach salads w/fruit or veggies. Like to add tuna too.

Good luck! Great question, and love the thread.

Stefanie7125

I love wraps!!! They have some very good low calorie flatbreads. Hummus, chicken or turkey, spinach, tomato, cheese and sometime a little onion. Very filling!

tmarie2715

Light tuna in water w/ spices (garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper), stuffed into celery or in two slices of 45 calorie Sara Lee whole wheat bread (I dislike mayo, but you could probably get away with some light stuff, too)

Quorn chicken cutlet, BBQ sauce, red onions, a La Tortilla Factory low carb high fiber wrap, with lots of sugar snap peas or baby carrots on the side

I also like veggie burgers a lot. Try them sliced up in salad, in a wrap, or like a real burger. Yum! Good luck.

Suzyspezzano

Check out GOOP 'do' she is talking about the cleanse 'clean', but she also has some good lunch recipes, smoothie recipes. Also, go to food52 healthy lunch recipes. Good luck!

mazie61

I like these high fiber low carb tortillas called Ole Xtreme Wellness High Fiber tortillas. They have 71 calories, 220 mg sodium, 8 g protein, 12 g fiber. They are really yummy too.

I put a little sandwich meat on them (I buy reduced sodium at the deli), spinach, and a mustard and roll up. Or I'll put some hummus and some peppers on and roll it up. I've also done grilled chicken breast, a sauce/dressing/mustard (in moderation), romaine or spinach, and roll up.

A lot of times, I have a protein shake. I'll usually use some avocado, berries, protein powder, almond milk, cinnamon, and spinach. They're really good and filling.

A sweet potato with just a little bit of Smart balance light spread, cinnamon (I like a lot of cinnamon), and a teeny touch of brown sugar (1/2 to 1 tsp) I mix it up together so that it's spread evenly. With a cup of milk or a yogurt.

A flat pizza. Use one tortilla, spread 1/4 c. spaghetti sauce on, sprinkle on 1/4 c. of either part skim or fat free mozzarella cheese, top with all the veggies you want, and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Sometimes I'll just have a Fit & Active 5 cheese lasagna (Aldi's version of a WW or Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine type meal). They're only a buck, and they're not as bad as they may sound. They actually have less sodium than some of the other brands.

A spinach and fruit salad: chopped spinach, berries of choice (I like sliced strawberries and some blueberries), halved grapes, sliced almonds, chopped red bell pepper, and some berry vinaigrette of choice (I like the Wishbone superfruit berry). It's good with some grilled chicken breast cut up in it too.

Peanut butter and banana quesadilla: a tortilla, spread with 1 TBSP of peanut butter. Cut a banana in thirds long ways and place on one half. Drizzle lightly with honey. Fold over. Heat in a pan so that the tortilla is slightly crisp-flip and repeat. Remove, cut in thirds (shaped like pie slices), and enjoy. These are SO GOOD. Also good with smashed black beans and some reduced fat or fat free cheddar cheese in it.

Sometimes I have something super simple: Greek yogurt and a piece of fruit.

Oh my gosh!!!! I love the peanut butter and quesadilla idea!

I have a question about the pizza....do you cook tortilla first so it gets a little firm or just tortilla as is? And do you just put on cookie sheet? I've making pizza like this before and have failed

I also love those tortillas! I like a crispy crust so I spray both sides with Olive oil spray and bake on a pan:happy: at 400 for a couple of mins, watch close or they will burn. Then I top with sauce, cheese and veggies and bake till done. My current new pizza crust is Josephs lavash wraps, they are only 100 cal for the whole thing(they are huge!) Also if you do use pepperoni, before putting on pizza, wrap slices in a paper towel and microwave for about 15-20 seconds, all that grease melts off.

jskaggs1971

I like salads. My usual lunch (as you'll see from my diary) is a huge green salad with the good stuff in it. I'm partial to the 50/50 baby spinach and salad greens mix. I add baby carrots and a small handful of chow mein noodles for crunch, tomatoes, and a good salad dressing -- I like the Kraft dressings with olive oil in them. Then, I top with a protein of choice, usually either a small chicken breast (or two, if I'm hungry/working out), or leftovers from last night's dinner. Celery is good for crunch too, and leftover taco meat with kidney beans makes a great taco salad that usually doesn't need dressing.

The trick with salads is to avoid the stuff that really ups the sugars/carbs. I try to avoid putting nuts, cheese, or dried fruit on my salads, because they really pack a big caloric punch, and I'd rather save the nuts for snacking if I feel snacky in the afternoon.

dadeys1

My wife and I have been on MFP since November. It has been very educational counting calories and reading labels. Our teenagers just roll their eyes when we measure/weigh everything. We have tried to cook more at home so we know how many calories are in a batch of something. The we measure out leftovers in separate containers so we know ahead of time how many calories tomorrow's lunch will be.

Some other things we've discovered are: buffalo chicken wraps--cook/grill chicken, dice it, toss it in a mixture of Frank's Red Hot and fat free ranch dressing, put it in a low carb tortilla with low fat cheese, lettuce, onion, etc. Very good.
Spaghetti using Jimmy Dean Turkey Crumbles and Whole wheat fettucine. We made this last night and it was 385 a serving (185 cal/cup of sauce, 200 cal/1.5 cup pasta). We could even have a reduced fat Pillsbury crescent roll (90 cal) and still be under 500 calories.

Some other things we really like:
- Special K Protein Shakes
- Sara Lee Thin Style Buns - 100 cal
- Laughing Cow chees wedges - 35 cal/wedge - they work as cheese or spread. We put it on lots of stuff: celery, pretzels, baked potatoes, bagel thins
- Keebler Right Bites - 100 cal - there's a variety of cookies and they are really tasty
- Progresso Light Soups - Various calorie counts but most under 100
- Mio (drink flavoring) - 0 cal and comes in a variety of flavors

Hope this helps! Stick with it and you'll get there.

caitles14

I love a BIG salad with chick peas or black beans and some reduced fat pepperjack cheese!

Queen_JessieA

Today I had a nice little spinach salad w/ grape tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumber and 1/2 cup of albacore tuna (canned). I used red wine vinegar and olive oil for dressing. I also had an apple and a sugar free chocolate pudding. It was super good

I also like soups (Bear Creek Minestrone is my FAVEEEEE!!) and weird things like pepperoni chips (turkey pepperoni nuked for 1 min or til crisp) dipped in a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese. 17 pieces of pepperoni is a serving. Then just add little odds and ends. It is actually pretty filling!!

raisingbabyk

I do a lot of leftover's for lunch. For a while I was cooking chicken in the slow cooker so i could shred it and using it for the week. I would make a lot of wraps (could even do lettuce wraps), salads, toasted sandwiches. A realy good salad I like at the moment is a spinach and romaine mix, feta cheese, cranberry's, cucumber, grape tomatoes, shredded carrot. Mmm

ShrinkingSusan

My favorite lunches at the moment consist of wraps made with whole wheat tortillas. Inside I am really loving hummus, thinly sliced turkey, and spinach leaves. So good! Or just a tiddly bit of pizza sauce, a little pepperjack and feta cheese, nuked just enough to melt the cheese, then fill with spinach leaves. Every bite is um um good!

My snacks are usually fruit, or veggies with hummus, cheese and crackers, or pretzels dipped in yellow mustard. For a nice salty and sweet treat, 1 bag of 100 calorie popcorn with a few chocolate chips and raisins tossed in. Runs about 170 calories or so.

lisjbxy9

Hey!
I do all of my cooking on Sunday for the week for my breakfast and lunches- makes it easier for planning purposes and helps eliminate snacking on the wrong stuff:)
I make turkey/chicken chili in the crock pot on Sunday and have a few lunches for the week, I like to add peppers, beans, spices etc. Turkey wraps with romaine, I also LOVE chicken fajitas but just use red onion and mixed sweet peppers cooked in coconut oil.
I saw a great idea on pinterest: Salad in a mason jar! Put your dressing at the bottom, add peppers, onions, mushrooms to marinate in the dressing, then layer with chicken, other veggies and the salad on the top, seal. Will last about 4 days! When ready to eat, shake and viola- salad! If you use a vacuum sealer, they say you can do this and it'll last for like 10 days! I'm going to try this for next week, love salads for lunch, but hate the it usually goes bad by the end of the week.
Hope this helps!