Eating out for lunch

CatMHWH

Hi All
Just a quick question in relation to lunch ideas. Because of where i work, i have to eat out for lunch everyday, its too far to go home and there is no facilities to bring lunch in and eat it, unless i eat it at my desk which i dont want to do - what are the best options for eating out - soup, wraps, sandwiches salads? its just so hard to know the calorie content of a wrap when i cant see the amount of chicken etc going into the wraps. has anyone any suggestions for what to do at lunch because i normally eat half my daily calories at lunch and all on just a sandwich which isnt great.
Thanks

sandeefr

I eat allot at Jimmy Johns, Subway or places where you can get a pretty close calorie count.

Jesea

Panera has calorie counts right on the menu

fj211

I will try to have a game plan going into a lunch event...know what the calorie content is supposed to be on something relatively healthy and then I might modify what I order by removing a portion of the meat or asking for any condiments on the side.. Also, consider removing one piece of bread from a sandwich.

livestar

Chipotle Salads!

Schwarzeaugen

Fast-food doesn't have to be awful. Just look up calories before hand -- the problem comes with sodium, but if you drink lots of water you can try to counter it.

Skeemer118

Same here. I pack a cooler every day with ice packs & leave it in my car. I go to my car to eat & listen to podcasts. Just sayin' that it can be done.

Leigh_b

Many chain restaurants have their nutritional information available on their websites. I have to eat out at least two days a week because of my job as well and I usually do research ahead of time to know where I am going and what I am going to get so that I know it will fit into my daily total. Panera is one of my favorites. When I end up going to a place that doesn't have nutritional information available or a place my coworkers chose and I did not have a chance to plan ahead I always go with soup and salad (minus anything crunchy - croutons, breaded/fried chicken - and the dressing on the side.

sandeefr

Ok where are Chipolte salads? Sounds yummy.

lmalaschak

Same here. I pack a cooler every day with ice packs & leave it in my car. I go to my car to eat & listen to podcasts. Just sayin' that it can be done.

This is a great idea! Sounds relaxing actually (unless it's 5 degrees outside).

lewandt

I eat at my desk everyday then i take the hour off and walk. I look forward to that walk and the fresh air. I get a good 3 miles in usually. It almost takes off the calories from my lunch.

If you don't want to eat at your desk, i would search the internet for the restaurants you have by your office and see if they have nutrition for their food. If not, i would go with grilled chicken like a grilled chicken salad, light or low cal dressing. Any steamed veggies, soups, baked fish.

I went into Panara Bread the other day and i was really impressed. They had calories on all their food choices. Made it so much easier to choose something. I wish they all did that.

arl29

I try to only eat lunch out once a week, two times at the most. I bought a bunch of Nutrisystem meals (180 - 250 cal but not great tasting) at Big Lots and I keep them at my desk. I also bring a few Lean Cuisines to work so that I have some options. I LOVE making it through the entire day and having calories left over for a good dinner! I normally eat breakfast around 8:00, lunch around noon and a few snacks throughout the day. If I work out after work, I tend to have 700-800 calories left for dinner and a snack. YUMMY!
Burger King's salads are pretty low in calories and you can get a pretty good Subway sub (turkey, vegies, no cheese or mayo but mustard) for 280 calories. I try not to venture out for lunch though because I can lose control of my car and end up at McDonald's getting a cheeseburger and fries.:laugh:

Skeemer118

Same here. I pack a cooler every day with ice packs & leave it in my car. I go to my car to eat & listen to podcasts. Just sayin' that it can be done.

This is a great idea! Sounds relaxing actually (unless it's 5 degrees outside).

You know, it actually is. I even kick my shoes off from time to time. It's my time away from the hustle & bustle. Once I got in the routine of throwing food into my cooler it's not a hassel at all.

michmill98

I usually eat lunch out every day. I've found that I need to get away and clear my mind! In our old building, I could get away with bringing my lunch and a book as I had a real office so I could close the door. In our new building, I'm part of the cube farm and there are some co-workers who automatically think that just because I'm at my desk I'm available to answer their questions!

Since there's generally a group of us that go together, I'm not always able to pre-research the restaurant we're going to. That and the fact that we tend to go to a lot of local places vs chains makes it even more difficult to look at nutrition info. So I try to make the best choice wherever we go and then look for something similar in MFP.

Since my husband works out of town during the week, I generally make lunch my "big" meal and then I can adjust supper to fit into my remaining calories/macros. So I try to keep greens, eggs, and whole wheat pasta in stock at home. If I need more protein at the end of the day - a quick scramble or veggie omelet is on the menu; if I need more carbs - pasta; if I'm close on calories - salad with lowfat protein.

michmill98

Same here. I pack a cooler every day with ice packs & leave it in my car. I go to my car to eat & listen to podcasts. Just sayin' that it can be done.

This is a great idea! Sounds relaxing actually (unless it's 5 degrees outside).

You know, it actually is. I even kick my shoes off from time to time. It's my time away from the hustle & bustle. Once I got in the routine of throwing food into my cooler it's not a hassel at all.


Eating in the car is okay -- as long as you're not in Houston in 100+ degree heat and parked on an uncovered surface lot!

jared767

Hi All
Just a quick question in relation to lunch ideas. Because of where i work, i have to eat out for lunch everyday, its too far to go home and there is no facilities to bring lunch in and eat it, unless i eat it at my desk which i dont want to do - what are the best options for eating out - soup, wraps, sandwiches salads? its just so hard to know the calorie content of a wrap when i cant see the amount of chicken etc going into the wraps. has anyone any suggestions for what to do at lunch because i normally eat half my daily calories at lunch and all on just a sandwich which isnt great.
Thanks

I use nutritionix calculator. It's an application you can find at www.nutritionix.com.

It's got more than a hundred restaurant that will allow you to build your meals. As you add or remove ingredients, it will automatically show you the nutrition facts...hence, you will be able to choose the right food/ingredients for you.