I need Lunch ideas!

sonjalucia

Today is meatless Monday for me:

3 cups of baby arugula salad
1 tbsp of Zorba's Goat yogurt tzatziki and 1/2 fresh lemon juice
1 pkg of New Zealand Kiwi Mussels (steamed with 3/4c. water, dill and lemon juice)
1/4 pkg sunrise firm Tofu

That with a partly skimmed mozarella string cheese and 2 plain rice cakes is heavenly!

ahamm002

Lean Cuisine and other frozen meals are garbage! Loaded with sodium and unhealthy carbs, processed meats...yuck!

^^this


Just start eating salad for lunch! At first you'll really miss all the refined carbs and whatnot, but over time you'll start to really enjoy the salads.

Donnaakamagmid

my favourite lunch is a soup & sandwich!

Buy some low sodium soups or make your own in bulk & freeze it.
My favourite is called Fall Harvest Soup:

2 Tbsp butter or oil
1 Large onion, chopped
2 Large leeks (white part only), chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Large potato, peeled & diced
1 Cup chopped celery
1 Cup chopped carrots
1 Medium butternut squash, peeled & diced
1 Large tart apple, peeled & diced
5 Cups of chicken stock (I use vegetable because I am a vegetarian)
1 Tsp thyme
1/2 Tsp ground allspice
1/4 Tsp nutmeg
salt & pepper

Saute onion, leeks and garlic in butter in large pot over medium heat until soft. Add potato, carrots, celery squash, apple and stock. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add seasonings.

Puree mixture until smooth in blender or food processor. Return to pot and heat well, but do not boil.

Serve piping hot, garnished with minced chives or green onions.

Yield: 6-8 servings

looks like baby food, tastes like heaven

MUST try this, yum.

molly_grue

I eat a lot of eggs lately. I nuke them in the microwave for 45 seconds rather than cooking them in a pan. I usually put them on pc thin buns.
greek yogurt is great for lunch. I like to put a tablespoon on pumpkin seeds in mine.

cowgirlup327

You can make some great lunches if you're willing to do a bit more prep the night before (or maybe even just a couple of nights a week).

- Cut up some chicken breast and cook in a bit of olive oil and garlic. Can have enough for a few days to add to salads or steamed veggies (I like to get the Green Giant Healthy Vision frozen veggie package - low on sodium and fat...adding chicken gives you your protein).

- Quinoa (protein) with summer squash/zucchini, carrots, broccoli cooked with it. Sprinkle on a little parmesan cheese. 1 cup of quinoa (dry) makes a huge amount!

- Set aside a portion of the previous night's dinner to have for lunch.

- On the weekend, make a batch of chili, chicken soup, etc. and freeze in 1-2 serving size containers. Thaw the night before so you'll be able to have for lunch the next day.

- Hummus with raw veggies and/or crackers, low-fat string cheese, apple slices with a little peanut butter, raw almonds, yogurt with fruit/honey/oats/etc. are all great "extras" to add to a light lunch.

- Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean burgers are awesome. Microwave 1 burger (120 calories) for 1 min. 30 sec., chop up in a tortilla with a little shredded cheese or salsa. MSF and Boca have a decent selection of "burgers" that are great and lots of ways to eat them besides as a traditional burger.

LittleButMightyOne

Sometimes I want something sweet for lunch. I'll sometimes toast a piece of whole grain bread, add 1 tbsp peanut butter, a sliced banana and 1/2 tsp honey to the top. Delicious!

Also I like combining a cup of Fage 0% total plain greek yogurt with fresh berries and/or watermelon, and a couple tbsp of granola on top. A couple raisins in it are really good as they add a bit of texture and sweetness.

Salads are also great! I have noticed, though, that they don't fill me up unless I have both a healthy fat and protein in them. I like adding fish and avocado, and using balsamic or red wine vinegar as a dressing. Yum!

And I agree with the posters above who like sandwiches/soups too. Tuna salad sandwich on toasted bread is an old fave. A homemade veggie wrap with hummus, feta, and mixed vegetables is great too! And I like any "chunky" hot soup.

I will also sometimes have a meal replacement shake. I don't mean one from one of those scam companies. I make my own healthy one. You can add something sweet (banana/berries/tsp. honey)/something green (think spinach/kale)/protein powder/skim milk or a low or non-fat alternative like soy or almond milk.

Mariang83

thanks for the GREAT ideas!