Need healthy lunch ideas

last_time

Hi everyone,

Could someone suggest some easy and healthy lunch ideas that are not too processed? This is my most difficult meal of the day. I feel like I don't eat enough or eat the wrong things and then I am starving by 3:30. I would like to get away from the nitrates in cold cuts, but that seems to be the easiest. I am curiois to hear your ideas.

Thanks!

Lil_Leah

do you like hummus?

i love it! sometimes for lunch i'll eat a serving of pita chips, and some baby carrots with hummus.

they have all sorts of flavors, and its filling - i think you're allowed 8-10 pita chips for 150cals, and around 14 baby carrots for about 40 cals. then 2tbsp hummus for about 50.

just a thought! :drinker:

pattitricia85

i like to bring in leftovers from dinner the night before sometimes. My favorite is vegetarian spagetti w/ zuccini, squash, mushrooms and olives. Also, veggie sandwiches are good too. I use cream cheese (or hummus) and add tomato, avocado, red onion, and sprouts. Its so good.

bates

for today, i baked some marinated bonless skinless chicken breasts in teriyaki and chili sauce with a cup of brown, and a cup of green beans

Chenoachem

Whole wheat pita pockets, favorite deli meants, hummus, sprouts and spinach. Side of Cherub tomoatoes and sometimes a small square of dark chocolate.

I also do some leftovers from dinner.

theatregoddess

This has been a bit of a challenge for me, as well. I'm not a big eater in the morning, so I tend to eat a larger meal at lunch. But if you don't mind eating in the morning, it may a good idea to eat a filling breakfast, that way you won't be as hungry come lunch time. And if you're moving the rest of the day, you'll burn off a lot of those calories you intake in the morning.

As for what I eat at lunch, I've been sticking to something like this:
-Sandwhich (wheat bread, turkey or ham, with or without 1 slice of cheese and a tbsp of Miracle Whip) OR Sandwhich (classic PB&J, but make sure you stick to the portion sizes on the nutrition label.)
-1 Piece of fruit (usually an apple) OR 1 vegetable (carrot/celery/etc)
-1 Bottled water (try to choose water over something like soda or juice)

Then I'll pack something like a Nutri-Grain Bar or some other granola bar and save it for a post-lunch snack. (Usually eaten around 3pm)

Ultimately, you should just try to keep it light. It should be just enough to satisfy your hunger, not make you completely stuffed. It's also better if you can make your own lunch instead of buying it from the local cafeteria/store/etc. That way you can actually look at the nutrition label on everything you are putting into your body, and know exactly what you are eating.

Here are some other food ideas that would make for a healthy lunch.
-Lowfat Yogurt (w/ or w/o granola pieces)
-Salad
-1 Cup of Plain Oatmeal (w/ or w/o some added fruit)

Hope this helps!

~Nicole =]

maz165

do you like hummus?

i love it! sometimes for lunch i'll eat a serving of pita chips, and some baby carrots with hummus.

they have all sorts of flavors, and its filling - i think you're allowed 8-10 pita chips for 150cals, and around 14 baby carrots for about 40 cals. then 2tbsp hummus for about 50.

just a thought! :drinker:

i was going to post the exact same thing! hummus has been a lifesaver for me. I have gotten in the habit of buying a container of hummus, bag of baby carrots, and bag of wheat pitas, bringing them to work on monday and just leaving them in the fridge at work all week. every day, i have my lunch already here and waiting. no prep time, so no excuses and no fuss. it's great. it helps if you have really delicious hummus at your disposal. on days when i'm extra hungry, i just eat more carrots! they're good for you and don't add a ton of calories. they're also pretty filling.

Wecandothis

I had this same problem too, but found a work around that takes time, but is well worth it.

Every Sunday I make a big pot of soup - Chicken veggie, or Beef, Veggie Chili that's healthy and low cal per serving. I put it in individual serving containers - the cheap kind you can buy at the store - ziplock or Glad - and put it in the freezer.

The first week all I had was that one type of soup - but I had made a large amount so I still had 5 containers left. The next week I added a different soup - so now I have a variety in the freezer for each lunch.

I do have access to a microwave at luch though, to heat it up.

RecliningFigure

I've been making quinoa salads for lunch. Bascially once or twice a week, I'd take the veges I got from the farm collective, and chop and roast them in the oven. Add them to cooked quinoa, and some spices including balsamic vinegar (whatever I feel like at that time). Then keep them in a big container in the fridge. I like it at room temperature, so by the tme I'm ready for lunch, it's the right temperature for me. I don't have time in the mornings to fuss around about lunch, so just being able to dump something into a container to take with me is about as much time as I can muster.

My most recent favorite mix: eggplant, zuchini, and onion with chopped basil at the end (in, of course, quinoa).