Quick, packable lunch ideas needed!

newcs

I'm a carb junkie so I'll make a big batch of pasta (pasta + tomato sauce + lean meat + veggies) and portion it out for the week. I also like cooking up a few chicken breasts, plain sweet potatoes and steamed veggies and then portioning those out. I got a leak proof lunch bag (Lock&Lock) and use that with their containers, pyrex or small mason jars to pack all my food (breakfast, lunch, snacks)...it makes it a lot easier and I won't have a repeat of the "milk in purse" incident of earlier this year.

rachellangdon1974

I pack my lunch every day, and I too struggle from time to time with ideas, but here are a few (basically what I have had this week..)

Monday- Progresso lite Santa Fe Chicken soup- 1 cup
with 1tblsp lite sour cream/pinch of cheddar/5 saltines
sliced apple w/peanut butter

Tuesday- I didn't pack, but I ate healthy
Subway Kids Turkey sub with tons of veggies and fat free honey mustard
Baked Doritos

Wednesday- I brought a medium potato- cleaned it then wrapped in a wet paper towel in micro..cooked about 6 minutes
added 1tblsp lite sour cream, pinch of cheddar cheese, and added salsa.
sliced up a fresh medium sized peach

Today- I brought 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, a peach to slice up, 10 Triscuits and a string cheese to slice up to eat with the Triscuits.

We have a full sized fridge at work, so sometimes I just throw everything in a walmart bag, then prepare it at work. Like..I will grab the lettuce, cucumber, tomatos, dressing, etc and then chop/throw it all together at work because I just don't have time at home.

gddrdld

I'm a carb junkie so I'll make a big batch of pasta (pasta + tomato sauce + lean meat + veggies) and portion it out for the week. I also like cooking up a few chicken breasts, plain sweet potatoes and steamed veggies and then portioning those out. I got a leak proof lunch bag (Lock&Lock) and use that with their containers, pyrex or small mason jars to pack all my food (breakfast, lunch, snacks)...it makes it a lot easier and I won't have a repeat of the "milk in purse" incident of earlier this year.

LOL...I feel ya on the "milk in purse" incident.

lporter229

I usually have leftovers from the night before, but the best investment I ever made was my Foodsaver. Whenever I make things like beef stew or chilis or even enchiladas, I freeze the extras in individual portions in the foodsaver bags. Thaw the night before or even grab and go in the morning. They are usually thawed and ready for microwave at lunchtime. Just as convenient as Lean Cuisine but much tastier and more filling!

Luanneburns

Individual size cottage cheese and fruits.:happy:

Danielle817

bump

jojigirl

Hi, not sure what type of eating you are doing, but this is what I've been bringing lately:

4-6 oz of cooked chicken or pork tenderloin (I eat this cold, with spicy mustard)
1 oz of cheddar cheese
1 dill pickle
1 cup of mixed fresh pineapple and strawberries for "desert".

It's so good!!

madregore

I do a "salad jar" on Sunday for each day I need to take my lunch. Take a wide mouth masson jar and fill it with cherry tomato, carrots, celery and what ever else you want to add. Just make sure it is not stuff that has a high water content, like cucumbers, I pack those seperate. Then put the lettuce in, sometimes I use spinach, red leaf or green leafy lettuce. I keep a bottle of dressing in the office, so I don't add the dressing. Look this up on Pinterest, I got the best ideas. If I do this on Sunday, we eat salads all week, my husband has even taken a couple. Good luck, today is my first day to start logging my progress.

wonderish

Ive been eating 5 corn thins with 2 wedges of laughing cow herb, as well as some thick sliced cucumbers! I've enjoyed it so far this week!

kelly_e_montana

I'm not sure about tapioca. Mine have the following ingredients: rice flour, water, and salt. The calories are listed on the back. It's all in English. The sodium is high but I don't have any health issues around sodium. Each sheet is about 62 calories. I generally only use a couple of ounces of meat (i don't use Vietnamese ham--no Asian markets where I live) and the rest of my stuff is lettuce, peppers, cukes, etc. so the cals are low. You slice all the stuff super thinly and then put them in the wrappers. I modified this from Vietnamese salad rolls, which I guess could have rice noodles in them. I omit them due to cals and put in more veggies. Here is a video on how to make spring rolls and then just omit the parts you don't like or the bits that are too high cal for you:

I also use spring mix or spinach instead of iceberg. I'm all about nutrients.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VsV3wgBIow

lauren3101

I normally save a lunch sized portion of my dinner the night before if I can. Then it's just a healthy microwave meal. :-)

da_llama

I never have time, so I make an extra portion of dinner the night before and just take that, take a flask of soup (especially in winter), or if youre fed up of sandwiches then try wraps. I take some salad, sliced meat and 2 deli wraps and have them. They feel better than sandwiches i think

tpelotte

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amytag

How about the frozen single or double servings of veggies? Much better nutritionally than the frozen meals, and cheaper. Today I'm having a double serving of Harvest Veggies (green beans, red peppers, and potatoes) with a container of cottage cheese and an apple.

I'll also make my own Lunchable with deli sliced turkey, laughing cow, and pretzels or Special K cracker crisps.

Hogscliffe

a mixed salad, lettuce, baby tomatoes, cucumber diced, butter beans or kidney bean- help with filling you up
then top with bacon back chopped up with balsamic vinager or tuna or chicken cooked in herbs cubed, or strong cheese- cubed but definately weighed as it is v high in cal but gives fab flavour, gorgonzola, ducletta, stilton etc

really simple to prepare:)

kbooth

I pack lunches for my husband and daughter...here are some ideas from what I pack them.

Tuna fish pitas
Chicken salad roll ups (roll ups with burrito shells)
Ham and cheese sandwich on Arnold's sandwich thins (100 calorie)
Peanut butter and jelly roll up
Salsa and chips
Fruit (sometimes fresh, sometimes canned)
Veggies (usually send along ranch for dipping for the kids)
Salads (put a squirt of salad dressing in a snack sized ziplock to be applied when ready to eat)

rebasporty

On Sundays I try to cook up some chicken breasts (skinless - boneless) and put them individual containers so they are ready to go the whole week - can put on salads or steam up some veggies for a side! I try to do alot of preplanning on Sunday - so my lunches are good to go for the week! I also plan on my dinners - sometimes I will make extra so there is enough for lunch the next day!

This is what I do as well...I find that it keeps me on track and that way I have no excuses to use the cafeteria at work. I also bring Greek Yogurt with fruit or cottage cheese with veggies.

Treece68

I always make more for dinner that is need for 2 people and then I put the leftovers in Tupperware and freeze them and take it to work so everything is already made up. Some times we (my boyfriend and I) will take Saturday to make several meals so we are stocked up for the week and for the week on lunches. I rarely eat out or bring just a sandwich.
Preparation is the key!

Angie__1MR

Make your food the night before.

Treece68

I always make more for dinner that is need for 2 people and then I put the leftovers in Tupperware and freeze them and take it to work so everything is already made up. Some times we (my boyfriend and I) will take Saturday to make several meals so we are stocked up for the week and for the week on lunches. I rarely eat out or bring just a sandwich.
Preparation is the key!

Today i have chicken breast, broccoli & potatoes, tomorrow I think homemade turkey pot pie. I also spend a lot of time putting in my recipes into MFP so I get an accurate calorie count on things I make regularly .

junipearl

My packed lunch today consists of:
- one snack size Greek Yogurt
- 12g almonds
- 10g cashews
- 2 plain rice cakes with 1 tbs peanut butter and quarter of a sliced banana on each (other half of the banana went to my man's lunch below)
- 100g peeled mini carrots
- 100 g sliced cucumber
- 30g feta cheese
- 25g spinach
(really you can use whatever snackin veggies/salad accessories that particular person will eat)
- half a cliff bar

My bf's packed lunch is the higher-cal version of mine:
- millet-chia bread (gluten free) with the PB & Bananas instead of rice cakes
- flavored rice cakes (rather than just plain) to snack on
- leftovers from last nights protein-filled dinner instead of the salad
- same snacks but in higher quanities (50g of almonds, cashews and peanuts, etc.)
- some added things include the Ensure or Boost nutritional drinks, the motts flavored apple sauces


Also the healthy choices frozen meals are more nutritional than most of the other ones you can find if you are really in a pinch.
leftovers or quick easy salads are your best friends otherwise.

LuckyMe381

lunchable, peanut butter sandwich, starkist lunch packs, slim fast...all very quick and filling

kristengraham

*bump*

determined136

I make a big batch of turkey chili and free it in 1 cup portions. Pop it in my lunch. It keeps everything cold and is a great source of protein and low in calories. Message me if you want the recipe