Lunches to take to work?

Frappuzzino

I start my first job on Monday and am looking for lunch ideas!
I can't see myself eating a sandwich everyday, and I prefer to stay away from gluten.

Any ideas?

Frappuzzino

Anyone?

LittleMissNerdy

Fruit, Veggies, Salad, Yogurt

MissJenn33

I usually pack my self left over dinner. If not, then make it super easy and pack a salad with some grilled chicken. I ALWAYS pack good snacks too. An apple, a WW string cheese, a greek yogurt and a 1/4 cup of trail mix.

juliemaplehurst

Not sure about the gluten free thing, but if you have a microwave handy loads of healthy food in the pre cooked isle these days, or you could just take in a portion of last nights dinner from home.

This is what I am doing for my OH and the pounds are just dropping off him as all temptation is left at home........and of course that good old thing portion control..

Good luck with the job.

kcragg

I take my lunch to work everyday. Usually salad with either tuna, salmon, chicken, cottage cheese and sometimes brown rice or quinoa. I also take almonds to snack on and a natural low fat yoghurt.

Prepare your lunch the evening before work or even make enough food for your evening meal so there is some left over to take to work for your lunch too.

kettrickenx

Salad and fruit. Protein shakes are another easy option.

iplayoutside19

Salad
Soups
Fruit
Veggies
....anything you would normally eat at home.

SoDamnHungry

I eat a sandwich thin a lot, but sometimes have a Chef Boyardee Ravioli cup for 200 calories with some veggies. I have yogurt and a special K bar as a snack, too.

EinTX

I ususally make a pot of soup or chili on the weekend and then rotate, Soup one day, Sandwich the next, salad then back to soup. Cottage cheese and/or fruit are usually my snacks. I keep at my desk some snack size fruit cups and plain instant oatmeal just in case I forget my lunch or miss breakfast. I get tired of salad to often but can really enjoy it if I keep it to once a week. The black bean chili I made this week gets better each time I have it.

Blees87

I agree with salads, yogurt and good low cal snacks, like string cheese and whole fruit, I also really like good whole grain crackers with low fat cream cheese, yum!

You could also try wrapping up your fave sandwich toppings in a corn tortilla: I used to do low-sodium turkey, low fat cream cheese and salsa in a corn tortilla. Low cal and delicious.


I'm also a leftover person, so I will just pack up leftovers from the night before.

Tiff587

My personal favs are

lots of salad with either - Tinned tuna (in brine not oil) I have with tomatoes and low fat mayo. or sliced chicken breast.

I also make leek and potato soup, only 120 calories, thick and keep me full for ages
500 grams Potatoes
400 grams Leeks
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 veg stock cubes

Put all in pot simmer until all soft then blend, job done.

AmberJslimsAWAY

I take salads, leftovers (If I can eat them) or like today, I put frozen shrimp and some other stuff in my container, I'll microwave it at lunch and make shrimp tacos!

bennjammin

I prepare my lunches for the upcoming week on Sunday since free time during the week is limited. I usually prepare four or five one-gallon bags with the following: iceberg lettuce, spinach, broccoli, green beans, two to three hard-boiled eggs, 3.5oz portion of lean meat (I prefer steak), and pre-cooked lentils. Boring but simple, you get the picture. I keep a tub of whey protein and various cans of food for emergencies (e.g. tuna, spinach with no salt added, beans).

cln714

Check out allrecipes.com. There a bunch of make-ahead lunches ideas.

bennjammin

Oh, I love my nuts (almonds, peanuts, mixed).

soehlerking

congrats on the new job! ditto what everyone else said--sometimes i make a whole grain quesadilla the night before with grilled chicken and low-fat cheese, then just reheat it at work. or i have lean pockets, but that's my secret shame--waaaay too much sodium for an everyday lunch. you'll come up w/ more ideas once you find out what tools their kitchen has.

fuhrmeister

I like making a big pot of soup and taking it throught the week. Rachale Ray's Black bean Stoup and salsa Stoup are gerat and I think they are both gluten free.

A nice big salad with chicken or peperoni on top is great

I also take leftovers form the previous night and I alwuy bring berries or a piece of fruit.

if you are at a desk stash things like 100cal natural nut packets, naturae vally granola bars or other healthy snacks to keep you away from teh vending machines.

Good luck!

SuzyQq02

My favorite work lunch is a faux taco salad... black bean veggie burger over lettuce using salsa and/or guacamole as dressing. Yum. (Not sure about the gluten factor in veggie burgers, but I would assume there are GF options or you could make your own at home.)

I also bring lots of soups. I either make a big batch on the weekend or buy individual microwave bowls.

miss_jessica_marie

Im big on soups. However, watch Sugar intake. Some of the soups (esp. red-sauced soups) are very high in sugar intake. And make sure you account that twice because most cans of soups (Chunky, etc) are 2 servings, not 1. Campbells has many varities of soups. My fav. is Ham and Potatoe Also, there are many Healthy Request soups that are total 180 cal (90 per serving). Something to look into for sure!

SusanRenee35

It's not something you'll want to do everyday but I love taking lean cuisine's or the smart one's...there are some super yummy meals that are quite filling if you have one with a piece of fruit after.

I love making yogurt parfaits, we buy the frozen fruit and then put some fat free vanilla yogurt or source yogurt in the banana coconut pineapple flavor & then top with a 1/4 cup of speciak k for the crunch

The snack packs of thinsations cookies or baked cheetos or sun chips are awesome too!

Good Luck at your new job!

Shelby814

I'm not sure about the gluten content either, but....

Salads: You can make something different every day with lettuce, baby spinach or spring greens. Chicken breast, tuna, salmon, ground turkey. Variety of veggies & fat free dressings.

Wraps: Use a low carb/whole wheat tortilla & use any of the stuff above.

Dinner left overs: Microwave them

Plain greek yogurt with fresh berries & granola

Cottage cheese & fresh fruit

Turkey, cheese & crackers

Tuna & crackers

LordBezoar

I like to take 2 cups of Almond Milk (or you could use Moo Juice, if you are so inclined) with 1 serving each of PB2 and Protein powder (I currently use the Herbalife kind, but that is just because we have it, I'm looking for a better powder.) I bring the almond milk in a shaker cup with one of the little metal balls and the PB2 and protein powder in a small container. At lunch, I mix them up and drink.

msudaisy28

I take my lunch to work almost every day. Most days its a salad (I make 3 salads on Sunday night for Mon - Wed and then another batch on Wed night for the rest of the week). If I'm feeling tired of salads I'll do soup (which I make myself in big batches and freeze in individual containers) or leftovers from dinner the night before.

I also keep an emergency can of Progresso Soup in my desk drawer and an emergency Lean Cuisine meal in the freezer in case I forget to make a lunch or end up at work later than I had planned and need to grab a quick dinner.

sfh0wrd

The other day I had a lunch that really hit the spot, and is super easy to pack.

-Tuna salad (made with 1 can of tuna, 1 tbsp of mayo, 2 tsp mustard, 3 tbsp of frozen green peas, salt pepper, and a touch of hot sauce, if you're into that)
-1/2 cup cucumber slices (dip into the tuna salad! I'm wheat free myself... cucumbers make good "crackers")
-1/2 cup grapes

Dessert: 1 tbsp semi sweet chocolate chips mixed with 3 tbsp walnuts.

Seriously, I should pack this (or a version) of this every day! Very good.

Or a salad with shredded chicken breasts, chick peas or red beans, avocado, tomato, cucumber, green onions, red pepper, and a easy balsamic vinegarette... just vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder.

laurenlind

I try to pack leftovers from dinner (which keeps my portion control at dinner in check because I have to have some left over for lunch the next day). If I don't have leftovers, I often make a salad- my favorite is also like a Tex-Mex salad- greens, red peppers, black beans, cukes, tomatoes, and some salsa instead of dressing- add an avocado for some healthy fat. Since you are new at your job, this would probably be weird for you until you get more comfortable, but I also keep a small Ninja blender at work and about 3 times a week, I have a green smoothie for lunch (spinach, kale, swiss chard, carrots, banana, berries, coconut water- and this is super easy to pack since nothing really has to be assembled, I just throw those items in my lunch bag and then do the prep/blending at lunchtime) and split it with a coworker/friend who is also on a path to health. People give us funny looks all the time, but we don't care- my green smoothie is doing wayyyyy more for my body than their takeout.

rebeccap13

I'm gluten free as well and I make wraps using bibb lettuce a lot. You can really "beef" up a salad too (add hard boiled eggs, 3-6 oz of lean protein, veggies) and there's a lot of variety so that you don't get burnt out on them. I also make a chicken or tuna salad that I just eat with a fork and have some carrots on the side. Larabars, bananas, grapes, homemade trail mix or almonds are my go-to "dessert" items.

kayleen_longworth

Stay away from precooked/microwave meals. Those usually have loads of salt in them (30%+!). Leftovers from supper/day before, what ever you normally eat.

squishycow7

I usually bring a salad w/ some sort of protein on top (be it lunch meat, leftover chicken breast, tuna, etc)

but when I was very low on groceries earlier this week I brought an oatmeal packet I could heat in the microwave and some packaged fruit (dole grapefruit cups)...

usually also a snack tags along just in case I get peckish. a granola bar or a piece of fruit, generally.



I try to eat a little lighter when I'm at work since personally I just end up eating whenever I get home!


hope all goes well at work

Italianyc84

if they have a microwave it's easy.

sometimes I bring brown rice with a little hot sauce and heat that up, then add avocado (cube it in the morning and put in a baggie with a little lemon or line) and a can of tuna. yummy and filling.

I also keep protein powder and a blender bottle at my desk just in case I don't have time for breakfast or lunch that day.

allison_42

This may seem silly and I originally saved this website for when my son is old enough to start but they have 171 ideas for healthy "lunch box" meals and a lot of them seem really tasty! I hope it brings you some good ideas

http://easylunchboxes.smugmug.com/The-Best-Lunchbox-System/Yummy-Lunch-Ideas/10136835_YSuyb#!i=696914291&k=YxmUd