Lunches to take to work?

jamie1888

You can have a cooking day on Sunday where you pre-cook your food for the week. You could also do the same for dinners. Cook a few chicken breasts, turkey patties, fish (any lean proteins that you like), roast and/or steam some veggies and make a big batch of quinoa, potatoes, etc for your carbs. Then just assemble small meals in storage containers and you have meals ready for the entire week. Soups & stews also pack and keep well all week.

annavt09

deli turkey slice and spinach wrapped in low carb tortilla
carrots
fruit

OR

sandwich rounds w/ 1 Tbsp peanut butter
carrots
fruit

These are both quick and easy. On the weekends, I divide my fruits and veggies into ziploc baggies so I just "grab and go" in the mornings.

Emancipated_Tai

For lunch, I always make Grilled chiken or fish..and then have veggies on the side. You can also make a salad out of it.
Be sure to have snacks, the vending machine is NOT your friend! I always bring two pieces of fruit like an apple, banana, blueberries, ect. I also bring yogurt and cottage cheese, which I like to mix together. Try other options like nuts, granola.. I also keep a jar of peanut butter at my desk in case I have a craving for something. Hope this helps!

didyb

On days that I work, I have the same lunch... everyday. Chobani Yogurt, small can low sodium V-8, piece of fruit. I also have the same breakfast. (cereal, milk, coffee)... everyday. That way, the food can be entered in MFP under meals... and also, you just know what you're going to have. For me, it has helped relegate food to a basic necessity, rather than a treat or a celebration. I know it sounds boring, but it has really helped my mental attitude towards food.

LastMinuteMama

Lots of great ideas so far!

I have a mini fridge at work that I keep stocked with yogurt, fruit and cheese. I also keep cereal on hand, Kashi-Go Lean & soy milk.

In my desk, I always have a bag of walnuts & almonds.

In my car, I keep a bag of Quaker Oatmeal Squares in case I'm running late...then I can have a couple handfuls....keeps me from hitting the drive thru.

For lunches, sometimes it's cold cuts with or without bread. Maybe over a salad.
Tuna
Leftovers
Soup
Chili
Anything you can make a big batch off and can reheat throughout the week.

Good luck at you new job!

EuroDriver12

i work an 8-12hr shifts i pack

-165g of mixed veggies
-156g of chicken breast
-3tbsp of flax seed
3 of those meals for work.. eat 1 every 3 hrs

mgero212

I get subway each day for work because sometimes I don't feel like making my own lunch. I get a footlong and eat 6 inches for breakfast and the other half for lunch. I usually get the turkey breast on whole wheat with no cheese, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers and light yellow mustard. 6 inches= 290 calories and its filling

jodi_bannister

I either have wraps with tons of salad, fruit with yogurt and muesli, leftovers or occasionally sandwiches. I get bored quite easily normally so I try to take things that I can make different every day. (Different veggies, fruits etc) I also take fruit or nuts and a yogurt for snacks. Experiment a bit and be creative. Good luck with the new job

Nayinva

I was on a gluten free diet there for a while, and I did alot of stir fry. I usually did Shrimp and I found this gluten free stir fry sauce that is amazing.
I also did a lot of homemade soups, My Friend turned me on to http://gluten-free-reality.blogspot.com/2008/06/100-gluten-free-foods-you-can-eat-now.html
Its a site that list some common gluten free items, so I would just go downt he list and create meals. For example
Tyson Chicken tenders, Apple Sauce, and a veggie... For snack at work I would do Act !! popcorn.

I wish you the best at the new job and with the lunches... need anymore idea contact me...! LET US KNOW HOW IT TURNS OUT!!!

Brandilynnrose

I often like to make a large dinner early in the week and eat the leftovers for lunch. Eggplant or zucchini lasagna (Made with thin slices of eggplant or zucchini instead of noodles and made with low fat and fat free cheeses and lots of fresh spinach). Chili made with 96% lean ground beef. Veggie soup with quinoa. Stewed chicken tacos (use the soft corn tortillas and fresh veggies, low fat cheese, and low fat sour cream for toppings). Black Bean soup. These are all meals I have made that are low fat and the leftover hold up well for lunches.

I also change it up a bit so I am not always eating leftovers or the same thing day after day by eating things like salads, hummus and naan bread and veggies, fruit salad, yogurt, low fat potato salad, and wraps.

Where I live they also have a great store called Fresh and Easy that has awesome pre-packed meals. I pick one of these up as a treat a couple times a month, and they are actually cheaper than eating lunch out (even at a fast food place.)

kaisap

I make an entire spaghetti squash and boil 3 chicken breasts on Sunday. Add a little bit of your favorite low-calorie hot sauce, spray butter and sea salt. Pre-portion your meals and you're set for the week.

magoch

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.

+1 to this --- I work at home now (consulting), but when I worked in an office (18+ years) here's what I'd keep in my drawer for instant heathy lunches (breakfasts & dinners):

- brown rice (the pre-cooked kind that comes in a bowl)
- cans of salmon and tuna (I'd heat up the rice, then add in the salmon or tuna with some light soy sauce + chives)
- dried chives
- cans of sardines or kippers (watch how they are packed -- e.g. not in too much oil,or at least in olive oil, and make sure you throw out the can somewhere you won't offend people
- wasa crackers (for eating with the sardines or kippers)
- walnuts and dried fruit (in pre-measured bags I did at home) for snacks

I was also able to bring in a little dorm fridge (some offices let you, some don't), and that greatly increased what I could keep around.

keeshonds2

I detest sandwiches that you make and then they sit in the fridge all day.

If at all possible, I make 4 servings of dinner and then pack 2 of the servings for lunches the next day. I grab one and the husband grabs one. I make sure to portion them out before we eat so there's no chance of seconds!

I also try to keep around things I can grab & go: a pouch of tuna with some crackers, prewashed salad fixings & grape tomatoes, low-sodium soups, Laughing Cow cheese wedges, apples, oranges, pre-portioned nuts, that kind of thing. Anything to keep me from visiting the cafeteria or snack machines here at work.

jenn5686

I usually bring some turkey, tuna, roast beef w/ low fat cheese and make lettuce wraps...sometimes I grab a small soup to go with it from the deli downstairs from my office...sometimes I also bring salads or leftovers from dinner

It's crazy to watch how much junk my coworkers eat (pizza, fries, candy, mcdonalds, pasta - like every day!! Doing that is what made me end up w/ 10 lbs to lose in the 1st place!!

jamie1888

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

^ ^ ^ This is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

cccgrillo

My favorite lunch is turkey chili. It's so easy to make and quite versatile, plus you can just add whatever you have in the pantry. I top w a dollop of plain ff Greek yogurt.

Here is my rough weekly meal schedule:

Mon- grilled chicken salad
Tues- turkey wrap, w spinach, peppers, red onion, horseradish for a kick!,
Wed- tuna (made w 1 tsp lf mayo/Greek yogurt), add lots of fresh veg, I eat on celery or make a wrap out of romaine lettuce
Thur- same as Tues
Fri- chili day. (I make a big batch and freeze into 1 cup portions, take out night before and it is ready to reheat by lunch).

I also like to add some fresh peppers, carrots, celery w light laughing cow cheese. An apple/banana w 1 T natural peanut butter.

cccgrillo

I also like to boil up a dozen eggs on the weekend to keep on hand for quick breakfasts, (I eat 2) or snacks (1)