Give my lunch a makeover please!

chauncyrenayCHANGED

Booooo. My lunches are so boring. I need to make them more exciting stat.

What are some of your favorite snacks or lunch items that you take to work?

There are so many tempting, yummy places to eat around my workplace, and I feel like I eat the same thing every day.

Help me, before I give into temptation!

missikay1970

i had this today:

whole wheat tortilla (large size, but only 1)
filled with fat free refried beans
fat free cheddar cheese
1/2 avacado
diced tomatoes & onions

wrap like a burrito and heat in microwave. SO DELICIOUS and hit all food groups!

toysbigkid

chicken salad , white breast meat and mix with but go very light, fat free mayo, walnuts, grapes, celery, onion, dill and salt and pepper then on a wheat bun or Arnold sandwich thins, I make this for hubby, he loves it. I'm vegetarian

toysbigkid

tuna salad is also good and filling, just go very light on the mayo

soccerella

what do you typically eat for lunch?

i tend to have the same thing every day (some form of turkey and cheese sandwich), but i like adding in

Granola thins (80 cals)
just for one broccoli and cheese or cauliflower and cheese (4o-60 cals)
lauging cow cheese (45 cals) and wheat thins (half serving)
something like beef jerky (if you like it) is high in protein, but only about 80 cals

MelanieSpicegurl

At work we have :
A basic spring mix salad with sardines ( I know.. don't knock it till you try it !!) for protein ( or Big (frozen ,but thawed) pre-cooked Shrimp )
Lighthouse Light honey Dijon dressing 1 TBLSP only !! or salsa is great too ..
and add a few nuts to crunch it up ..
with 1 cup unsweetened Chocolate Almond milk
We also eat rice cakes with peanut butter ..

Do you like the desert Tofu?? they are great too . my fave is banana .. 100 cal

SusanMcAvoy

I had sardines in tomato sauce with basil on wheat bread today.... only 200 calories. It's full of Omega 3's. Watermelon chunks are a great snack. 8 ounces are only 27 calories. If you have a Whole Food Market near you, look for Arctic Zero. The coffee flavor is delicious!! Only 150 calories a pint!

7funnygirl7

Rice cakes with peanut butter, Greek yogurt, hard boiled eggs in a salad with slivered almonds, peanut butter & banana on a wrap, cottage cheese with cucumbers & tomatoes, Salmon or tuna mixed with a bit of mayo on ryvita crackers, a veggie wrap???~ Just some ideas. Hope you find something new that you like

chauncyrenayCHANGED

Wow, ladies. All of these are great ideas! Keep them coming! I'm making a grocery list as we speak.

MelanieSpicegurl

Rice cakes with peanut butter, Greek yogurt, hard boiled eggs in a salad with slivered almonds, peanut butter & banana on a wrap, cottage cheese with cucumbers & tomatoes, Salmon or tuna mixed with a bit of mayo on ryvita crackers, a veggie wrap???~ Just some ideas. Hope you find something new that you like

Almost the same as me .. except I can't eat yogurt .. but we eat the same way !! I live on peanut butter and rice cakes, boiled eggs and cold fish of some sort !! lol !!

PhenomeNae

Louis Kemp has these crab delights snack packs, it's imitation crab with a dipping sauce for only 170 calories and no fat, they're so good... pair that up with some Pepperidge Farm crackers, a salad and you're good to go.

marie_2454

I work 2nd shift, so my "lunch break" is around 11:30pm lol so I end up taking more snack like foods, but lately I've been taking a vitatop muffin, grapes, and some Kroger light white chocolate raspberry yogurt mixed with strawberries and 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips

jacqui1612

Soups are always good. If you buy them be careful of the sodium in them as it can be really high. And try to stay away from the ones in cans, go for ones in the bowls.
Plus it's really easy to make your own. Pumpkin and sweet potato are my favorites.

The sweet potato one I make I use a magic bullet and make a single serve:
1 sweet potato - cut into cubes and cook in microwave
chicken or vegetable stock - 1 cup or so
Herbs and spices that you like - I use Dried mixed herbs and cumin
Put it all in the bullet and blend it up. Add more stock or water to make it to the consistence you like. Serve with a nice bread roll. It's about 155 calories for the soup so you can afford to have it with bread and its delicious and a big serve. And the best thing is that you can make it in advance and heat it up for lunch.

Hope that helps

amurph25

Lots of days, I eat left overs for lunch... but if not then usually some sort of combination of these!

-some sort of sandwich
-celery (with or without peanut butter)
-carrots
-oranges
-apples
-crackers
-salad
-soup
-string cheese
-yogurt

fitsporazzi

bumping all these yummy meals

MaybeAMonkey

Today I had carrots that I dipped in hummus, one peeled kiwi, and my "topless sandwich" (one slice of multi grain bread + one slice colby jack cheese, toasted in the toaster oven so the cheese slightly melts, topped off with mesquite turkey breast), with a glass of water. This was about 375 calories and held me over until almost 4pm and that's when I usually have a very light afternoon snack (fruit or a treat).

Peta22

Some really great ideas.... I will be back to checkin at lunchtime!

Lleldiranne

Do you have access to a microwave? I love to take leftovers from dinner the night before.

Sandwich on whole grain (mustard, no mayo, meat, cheese).

Yogurt and granola.

I will sometimes "splurge" on Lean Pockets or frozen burritos - one makes a good lunch.

I try to always pair the above with fresh fruit and/or veggies. My favorite is red or yellow bell pepper (sliced at home). Apples travel well.

7funnygirl7

Hummus and veggies, Pillers turkey bites, bean salad, low fat string cheese, whole wheat noodles with sauce?~ some more ideas

iqnas

bump

mbvan

great ideas!

Goal_Seeker_1988

bump

hollyg123

Bump! I eat at home since I don't work, but these all look easy enough for me to make along with whatever my youngest son is eating

Koorogi

I made something really easy if you happen to like curry and lentil soup, which could be prepared at home and then reheated easily for work. I hate eating a whole can of soup and then being hungry later. So instead I prepared one serving of Sadaf's #1 fine Bulgur (which only took like 2 minutes) and then poured a can of Wild Harvest Organic Lentil Soup (from Albertsons). Next I added in about 1 TBSP of Curry Powder and 1/2 a TBSP of Garlic Powder (added a LITTLE salt to taste as well). Viola! I only ate half a serving, which came out to only 202 calories, rather then the 240 if I ate the whole can of soup, and I was much fuller due to the fiber from the bulgar! To make it a meal, I ate one slice of Squaw Bread, with 1/2 TBSP of country crock (+calcium version) and 2 1/2 slices of turkey. I even worked out and am not hungry yet, though I know I need to grab a snack. The entire meal hit only 355 cals and had 14g of fiber.

Drawberry

Try topping sandwiches with new veggies. For example, I like to mix my sandwiches with combinations of cucumber,different kinds of lettuce, tomato,onion,green pepper, hot pepper, and cheese. I also put pepper and Italian herbs on mine. You could get whole grain Italian bread or hearty rye, and pop it under the broiler with mozzarella cheese,tomato slices, and basil leafs just long enough to melt the cheese.

I cannot tell you how much I LOVE salad. If I could afford it, I'd get one every day. Mix romaine lettuce and with 'mixed greens' lettuce, chop up cucumber, cherry tomato, red onion rings, carrot shavings, and toss together with salt and pepper. BUT WE'RE NOT DONE YET! OH NO! After seasoning the veggies, sprinkle on some toasted almond slivers, some homemade low-fat croutons, a sprinkle of low-fat or fat-free shredded cheese of your liking add some Italian herb seasoning and sprinkle on a little olive oil, balsamic, or even poppy seed dressing. Just enough to coat the lettuce but not so much it's floating at the bottom of the bowl. You could top it with some chicken grilled in Italian marinade as well.

Take half a chicken, and slice it into strips. Cook it up in a pan until golden brown and add a dash of Kikkoman stir fry sauce. Add in some onions and green peppers until the onions are clear. Take half a bowl of steamed sticky rice or brown rice and top with a few slices of chicken and lots of veggies. You can take the left over chicken and veggie and make an Asian salad out of thinly chopped cabbage and romaine lettuce, top with almonds and sesame seeds.You could even put all that salad mix in the form of a chicken wrap.

You can use hummus as a sandwich spread with some of that Italian grilled chicken and tomato. Or even make a meal out of it by bringing some toasted pita bread (i make my own with store-bought pita) and your favorite veggies to just dip into the hummus. It's surprisingly more filling then you might think. You can also get different flavored hummus like garlic, or hot chili pepper. Hot chili pepper hummus as a sandwich spread could really boost up a normally bland sandwich.

Taking mini pita bread (the un-toasted kind) you can take some slices of block mozzarella cheese (the best kind!), some sweet tomato slices, and basil leafs to make a no-heat caprice pizza. Just remember not to take the biggest slices you can :P but using mini-pita should help prevent you from slopping on too much cheese.

katy84o

I had a Field Roast Chipotle Chorizo Sausage (it's vegetarian wheat grain) on a piece of rye bread with mustard and romaine, ate it open face so that I only ate 1 pc. of bread! It was really yummy and if you like spicy food the chipotle chorizo sausage is for you!

itsafrappe

i typically have been taking leftover of what i made for dinner the night before. this week ive had chicken fajitas on low carb tortillas. i slow cooked the chicken in my crock pot so no oil was used to cook it. i sauteed yellow squash, green peppers and onions for the veggies and made guacamole and had some multigrain chips with it. guacamole is awesome and super good for you in moderation of course. ive also had rice and veggies, or rice and beans. a turkey wrap with romaine and cheese on a low carb tortilla is quick and easy. for snacks i usually have an orange and a cheese stick. i have discovered vitamin water zero "squeezed lemonade" flavor and i love it. zero calories and tons of vitamins. i wont lie sometimes i have a monster energy drink but its the no sugar no calorie kind. they are loaded with b vitamins which help with weight loss and just make you feel good.

juliesummers

My favorite lunch (all the veggies are raw):

spinach
onion
mushroom
zucchini
tomato
garlic
broccoli
beans
1/4 avocado
Trader Joe's South African smoke seasoning
(all cut up and mixed together. For "dressing" I just use the jalepeno "sauce" from the beans I get.)

busymnmom

bump

busymnmom

I've been bringing kipper snacks to work

sarahbetherck

I'm in love with Flatouts wraps -- only 100 cals (some even less), lots of protein and nice and big! I spread a litte mayo mixed with Sriracha if I'm feeling spicy or Trader Joes Cilantro Chive Greek Yogurt Dip on and then load it up with leftovers from the grill, chicken, steak, pork tenderloin and then spinach, arugula or (my new fave) thinly sliced raw brussels sprouts tossed in a little EVOO, salt & pepper, sometimes some red onion too. Crazy yummy and you can put anything you want in there. I use them for breakfast with eggs, sausage....too!