Easy Lunch Ideas...I'm all hummus-ed out!

faithfulrose

I've been eating a lot of hummus over the past few months because it is so low calorie, delicious, and I can make enough for the whole week at the same time. However, I've just reached the point where I don't want anymore for awhile. I need some filling lunch ideas in the 300-400 calorie range.

They also have to be very fast and easy. I have 11 month old quadruplets and don't have much time to fix meals or eat them.

Thanks for your help!

TavistockToad

salad? buy a bag of mixed leaves & boil a load of eggs at the start of the week and then throw in some lean meat and a bit of salad cream each day!

boys4rmine

some lunch options I have done are:
-tuna with cut up pickles and a little mayo put on rice cakes
-refried beans topped with salsa topped with a little bit of cheese (eaten on it's own or with a few rice crackers)
-salad is always my choice to take to school (I'm a K teacher)
-homemade soup (homemade butternut apple squash is my new fav) And with soup you can make and freeze in individual containers
-same as above I also do a huge SLOWCOOKER pot of chili super simple to throw together and then put in small containers for easy defrost and heat up meal)

hope this helps...cause seriously 11mon old quadruplets????? You are super mamma!

pankybinky

Hi!..Wow, you must be VERY busy with quadruplets..fair play to you!. I found this recipe last week and I've made it for lunch & dinner..it's very simple and uses cupboard ingredients:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4803/spaghetti-with-tuna-capers-and-chilli

I just changed the portion size of the pasta and it was quite low in calories.

I also like pittas filled with prawns, salad leaves and home-made low fat Marie Rose sauce. Or some sardines/mackerel in tomato sauce mashed up on some toast.
As Boys4rmine says, homemade soup is great and you can add some pulses to get more fibre & fill you up.

This is a great thread, can't wait to get some ideas!

thickmomma0519

you could always do a sandwich with some sort of vegetable i.e. raw carrots or brocolli. Just limit what you pile on it. Also I highly recommend special k protein bars and shakes. They actually taste like their digestible. I have 3 small kids myself and I am constantly on the move.:ohwell:

Elizabeth_M

I get a huge whole-wheat pita - not the name brand ones - those are saturated with fat and calories. I get the big, flat ones like Byblos. Make our own pizza sauce, using crushed tomatoes, a little bit of olive oil and some spices. Lots of veggies, and measure out 1-2 ounces of mozz cheese. It works out to about 300 calories, maybe a little more. It's huge and delicious, and I don't feel deprived. I make one to eat then and then another for the next day to re-heat.



Ok, and quadruplets? Kudos to you - I am sure you are kept super busy!

soozy84

I normally have the following lunches. Gets a bit repetitive but I know the cal count in each so tend to stick to them. Always looking for new ideas though.

A small bowl of homemade vegetable soup and 3-4 low calorie crackers (25cals each) with light philly cheese and a scraping of chutney or some roasted veg. I also have a yoghurt. Doesn't take much effort and it's tasty.

Prawn salad - for the salad I use 1/2 bag of mixed salad with cherry tomatoes and spring onion. I make a dressing with some extra light mayo, a bit of ketchup, a dash of worcestershire sauce and a drop of lemon juice.

Goat's cheese salad. Same salad as above but I make an olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lime juice dressing. I normally chuck some pine nuts in too.

Smoked ham and mature cheddar cheese sandwich (low cal bread - 50 cals a slice). Sometimes put some branston pickle on it too. Normally have a packet of low cal crisps and a diet coke too.

4 crackers with philly cheese & chutney, a few olives, 2 slices of prosciutto and random veg sticks (normally peppers and carrots)

HeidiHoMom

I make a lot of homemade soups or tuna salad sandwich made with light mayo and cucumber.

I also have cooked chicken breast strips on hand and I make wraps with that, tzatziki, cucumber and lettuce with cayene pepper on it.

roro73

I buy a rotisserie chicken at the beginning of the week. The first day I usually just eat a breast & some veggies..yum! The rest of the week i use it for salads, quesadillas, tacos, soup & homemade pizzas. All using low cal, whole wheat ingredients. It's so versatile & cheap...at SAMs club they're only $5.

PDVanG

I agree with the tuna people... Fantastically low cal if you limit the mayo. The pizzas sound great, too!