easy office lunchs?

krazaegurl

Anyone have healthy ideas for easy low calorie lunches that will still fill me up? i work at an office so most people eat microwave everything! just need ideas! thanks!

Debadoo2018

I'd be interested too!

mrsjennifermaffei

Today my lunch consists of:
-mini whole wheat bagel with a teaspoon of peanut butter
-some sea salt pita chips
-mini babybel
-diet coke

Today it's not a lot but it will definitely fill me up. I have a mini fridge, toaster, and a microwave at my work. I typically bring either a frozen burrito to heat up, some ramen, a low cal soup, some dinner left overs portioned for lunch, or frozen/boxed meals like healthy choice, etc.

String cheese, veggies, fruits, crackers, 100 calorie snack packs...all make good little work snacks.

ionlyhavesporx

Spring rolls are tasty, healthy, easy to make and filling. This link is an awesome recipe and they keep really well. Once you make them once, you'll get pretty quick with them. Super healthy (~82 cal. each) and super filling. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vietnamese-fresh-spring-rolls/detail.aspx

howie4four

I'm not one to pack a lunch so I opt for a cliff bar or a smoothie or a protein shake. More expensive than brown bagging it, but easy and involving no thought.

wolosyks

Easy and cheap! Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers...Look them up. The variety is decent and they taste good. I prefer the Balsamic Chicken. Not your typical nuclear cooked lunch. It uses the steam of the sauce to cooke the veggies and protein. Only 250Cals!!!

Easy option for deskside lunch eaters like me!!!

Scott

hope516

Leftovers from dinner is always an easy choice for me

If you have a toaster oven like we do I bake chicken, or fish in and take either a bag of frozen veggies, canned, or even fresh veggies

I don't like plain sandwhiches so I make "gourmet" ones. I use arnold wheat thins (the bread not a cracker) toast them up, add a slice of low fat cheese, some lean turkey, 1/4 of an avacado sliced, and alfalfa sprouts...plus I add either a cucumber sliced as "chips" or celery sticks.

I also love wheat wraps made as the same as above except obviously instead of the bread slices I use a wheat tortilla. Pita pockets can be done the same way.

When I am really desperate and forgot my lunch I run to the local walmart or kroger and get one of the premade salads. I usually change out the high fat dressing for oil and vinagar and take out half of the cheese.

Hope some of these work for you...

melsinct

Some things I've eaten recently :

Soup
Avocado white bean spread on flax wrap
Salmon salad

EatingWell.com has some great ideas too.

hope516

Spring rolls are tasty, healthy, easy to make and filling. This link is an awesome recipe and they keep really well. Once you make them once, you'll get pretty quick with them. Super healthy (~82 cal. each) and super filling. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vietnamese-fresh-spring-rolls/detail.aspx

aweeeesome idea thanx :flowerforyou:

elliott82

I like to make some chicken and veggies and just microwave them the next day. My favorite is just shredding some chicken, adding fat free cream cheese and salsa and mixing it all together. You can eat it by itself or with some baked Tostitos or eat some veggies with it. Green Giant makes individual portioned veggies with sauce (broccoli and cheese is 45 calories) and I like to keep those in the work freezer. You can also buy microwavable edamame packs (individual size or a big bag) to keep for snacks.

busyPK

Since you have a fridge, toaster and a microwave you can pretty much reheat anything you made the night before. Soup and chili is easy and tastes good days after making it. Some people like sandwiches for lunch paired with some veggies. Leftover roast with carrots and 1 red potato is quite yummy as well.

TeaBea

I like to make some chicken and veggies and just microwave them the next day. My favorite is just shredding some chicken, adding fat free cream cheese and salsa and mixing it all together. You can eat it by itself or with some baked Tostitos or eat some veggies with it. Green Giant makes individual portioned veggies with sauce (broccoli and cheese is 45 calories) and I like to keep those in the work freezer. You can also buy microwavable edamame packs (individual size or a big bag) to keep for snacks.

I like the Green Giant veggies too ..... that reminds me. Baked potato with broccoli and cheese. Buy the individual plastic wrapped potatoes - top with Green Giant veggies - nice.

Baked sweet potatoes are good with cinnamon & 2 teaspoons brown sugar.

I like making a "salad" of sorts ..... shredded carrot, sliced celery, and 1/4 c. frozen peas. Mix in 2 TBL light Newman's Sesame Ginger dressing ..... nice sandwich on the side - Yum!

Cottage cheese with a pineapple fruit cup. Add a slice of whole wheat toast.

NYCDutchess

Quinoa with veggies and chicken.
Quinoa is filling and absolutely great for you!

dad106

I always bring:
Turkey or Roast Beef Sandwich
Some sort of Fruit(Apple, Grapes, Orange)
Chips or Nuts
Water to drink.

karen_thinmint

When I was good (my new office has a nice cafeteria that's not too $$):

Sandwiches: wheat bread, turkey, pepperjack, lettuce, whatever you like really (I don't like mayo, but i would pop it in the toaster oven so it was warm and gooey and toasty)

Salads: loads of lettuce (usual mesculin), shredded carrots, red onion, etc... And I would pack it in a tupperwear with the meat wrapped on top in plasticwrap or tinfoil (so it could be warmed...chicken, turkey, beef, whatever you have... I even used to under poach an egg and put it in the microwave for 10-20 sec), then just leave your favorite dressing at work in the fridge to use for next time too

Leftovers: easiest thing to bring, just make an extra serving at night

And add in: fruit, trail mix, hummus&veggies, or whatever snack you like if its not filling enough.

Not sure if that helps, its not really creative or anything

gorgeouss9

sushi & summer rolls (steamed).. i love the ones that whole foods makes.. they are low in calories and fill you up!

SickofBeingChub

I love using my slow cooker, i make a soup/stew and bring that for lunch all week.

nellieboo628

I like making a big pot of chili and eat that for the week. You can vary how you eat it...

alone
w/ brown rice
over a baked potato
with a tortilla

I like to take leftovers from dinner and pack a serving up for lunch. Also, you can buy a rotisserie chicken, so of the those green giant steamers, and some pre-cooked brown rice. You can one of those salad kits and top it off with your chicken. Voila!

krazaegurl

thanks for all the ideas! i just need to get creative and plan ahead, thats my problem.. not planning my lunch ahead... lol i'll def give these ideas a try tho!

katielynnwalsh

I usually take a sanwhich made with Weight Watchers bread for lower calories, natural selections ham, and mustard.. I usually pack an orage or apple to eat with it. I usually have a mid afternoon snack that consists of either fruit or fibre 1 bar. I eat a mid morning snack as well usually a banana and yogurt and this still leaves me with tons of calories for dinner time! Also, i sometimes pack soup Light tomato and take 7 crackers for a lower calorie lunch....tuna wraps made with weight watcher wraps. Salads are always good too, I find I need to have some kind of meat to fill me up! Howver, I find if I eat around when i wake up, 10am, noon, and then 3pm I stay full all day! Hope this helps

caroldot

I make wraps or roll-ups with a whole wheat tortilla. I spread hummus on it to replace the creaminess of mayo. Then add whatever I want. Today I did plain hummus, 1 slice turkey, roasted red peppers and some shred mozzarella cheese. It was so good! But you can do spinach, veggies what ever you like! I've even done a PB&J wrap before

And for my side, I like carrots for crunchiness like a chip but can't eat plain - need something to dip but get bored with hummus. So I just recently found this recipe and it was soooo good:

Take 1/2 packet of dry ranch dressing and mix into a small carton of plain greek yogurt. Stir a little and taste, you might want to add more dressing based on your taste buds. I mix in a small container and get a spoonful out all week for my lunches.

It tastes just like ranch dip. So good and you're getting so much protein! My kids have even been eating it and have no idea its yogurt!

jean1058

First off, I brought a complete set of REAL utensils to work (no plastic). I keep a nice sized ceramic bowl and small dinner plate in my desk. I think meals are more enjoyable if we take our time and make them presentable.

We have a microwave and a refrigerator available so our options aren't limited. Bringing food in is not only a great way to eat healthier, it is also MUCH less expensive. Some of my favorite meals are Select Harvest (reduced calorie or sodium) soups. I top them with a sprinkle of cheese or some other garnish (tortillas, onion, etc). On the dinner plate goes a 1/2 sandwich I've packed or maybe a nice tossed salad with freshly diced tomato and a hard boiled egg. There are so many different kinds of soup out there that I don't get tired of them. I limit myself to only one cream style soup a week. All the others are some kind of broth base. When soup gets old, I bring left-overs from dinner the night before (I always cook an extra chicken breast or ground beef patty). I pop a potato in the microwave and have a little salad on the side. I'm NEVER hungry iin the afternoons and have been able to stay out of the junk food the rest of my co-workers have a habit of eating around 3:00 p.m.

Good luck with your meals. Don't be afraid to experiment. I do have to mention I get the occasional complaint from co-workers when I cook broccoli (they think it is stinky)! I only do that once in a while though.

jenniferijulia

Bump! thanks for the great ideas!