Looking for Ideas for High-Protein Lunches to Bring to Work

onsugarhill

I have an office job in NYC and generally get take-out for lunch. I try to pick healthy options, but I recently adjusted my macros and I'm aiming for much more protein than I'd been eating. I'm finding it difficult to come up with affordable healthy options.

I don't really have time to cook during the week. For dinner, I generally cook a large meal on the weekend and eat it at least 4 days during the week. I do love to cook, though, and I could cook two meals on weekends, one for lunches and one for dinners.

Do you have any recommendations for high-protein meals that are easy to bring to work? I have access to a refrigerator and microwave. I don't eat seafood and don't enjoy many vegetables, but I make myself eat them. I try for at least 1-2 servings of fruits and/or vegetables at lunch.

Here's what I've come up with so far:

- brown rice, beans (cooked with onions, carrots, and celery), and grilled chicken
- some sort of vegetable soup with a salad with either grilled meat or boiled egg (or both)
- cottage cheese, baby carrots, nuts, and fruit
- Cobb-inspired salad (includes boiled eggs, chicken, and sometimes bacon)

I'd really appreciate any suggestions!

sarah5423

I have an office job too but luckily don't have many places to eat out around me so I'm forced to take lunch to work as well as my breakfast and snacks! :-) my go to at the moment is making a large spinach, mushroom frittata with egg whites on a Sunday, I divide it up and eat it throughout the week along with a chicken salad. You can add in any veggies you want, peppers, onion, tomato etc I even put some pumpkin in. Once portioned out you could freeze them and re heat in the micro. My snacks are generally greek yoghurt and berries and I make up a batch of oatmeal and have small portions as a snack. Hope this helps

pattycakes10117

I work in an office as well. I eat almost everyday out. Either getting too costly or I don't want to eat that much for lunch. We have a new office with a Star Bucks lunchroom....very nice...with sofa....so I have been taking Progress Soup, Turkey sandwich...water.
Then when I am done and since it is cold out....I sit and read my Kindle FIre. I just thought....maybe I should take my stretch band and do some stretches while I am sitting at lunch time.
I too run into problems knowing what to eat at lunch. My down fall for sure.

slimcakelady

Since you like to cook on the weekend, I wanted to share this bean soup recipe from Biggest Loser cookbook called "Broke Bean Stew." Its absolutely delicious, and I've been eating two 1-cup servings for lunch. See nutritional info after the recipe, but basically you get 8 grams of protein per serving. Also, I've included a link to Kaylyn's kitchen for egg muffins (http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2006/10/egg-muffins-revisited-again.html). You can also make 12 of these over the weekend, which will give you enough to eat two for breakfast each morning. They last and reheat well. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 can (28 ounces) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
3 cans (15.5 ounces each) chickpeas (or kidney beans, black beans, white beans), rinsed and drained (or 4-1/2 cups cooked beans)
4 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped kale or Swiss chard
Instructions
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in 4-quart saucepan. Add onion and saute about 5 minutes, until softened but not browned. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Do not brown garlic.

Add spices and tomatoes and simmer about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups (2 cans) of beans and 2-1/2 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.

Place remaining beans and broth in bowl of food processor or in blender. Add cilantro and puree until smooth. Add mixture to stew. Add spinach and heat just until wilted. Stir well and serve hot.
Nutrition information (per serving)
Calories: 160
Protein: 8 grams
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Fiber: 7 grams
Fat: 3 grams
Saturated fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 330 milligrams

alvin0012

I have an office job in NYC as well and I know how expensive it is to eat out for lunch everyday. I prepare my meals during Sundays for about 2 hours of cooking and packing them into individual "daily" containers. My favs are grilled or baked chicken with brown rice or with sweet potato / cottage cheese, blueberries and almonds / Tilapia, brown rice / grilled beef and broccoli. I choose which days I want to eat and pack them for that day. During the week I don't have to worry as to what to eat the next day since everything is all packed. They are all easy to bring to work.

onsugarhill

Thanks so much for the suggestions, guys! I have a lot of new ideas. I'm sorry for the late response - I posted just before I left the office on a Friday (dumb) and didn't check back in until now.

I'm really excited to make some egg muffins - I've been eating Greek yogurt a little too often for breakfast lately and I don't want to get tired of it.

Alvin - great idea on pre-packaging everything. I made rice and beans on Sunday and portioned it out, and it's made mornings much faster. I'll add some healthy snacks when I'm making next week's lunches.

I'd love any more ideas!

kaylind

how many calories are in the egg muffins? thanks for your reply.

Since you like to cook on the weekend, I wanted to share this bean soup recipe from Biggest Loser cookbook called "Broke Bean Stew." Its absolutely delicious, and I've been eating two 1-cup servings for lunch. See nutritional info after the recipe, but basically you get 8 grams of protein per serving. Also, I've included a link to Kaylyn's kitchen for egg muffins (http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2006/10/egg-muffins-revisited-again.html). You can also make 12 of these over the weekend, which will give you enough to eat two for breakfast each morning. They last and reheat well. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 can (28 ounces) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
3 cans (15.5 ounces each) chickpeas (or kidney beans, black beans, white beans), rinsed and drained (or 4-1/2 cups cooked beans)
4 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped kale or Swiss chard
Instructions
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in 4-quart saucepan. Add onion and saute about 5 minutes, until softened but not browned. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Do not brown garlic.

Add spices and tomatoes and simmer about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups (2 cans) of beans and 2-1/2 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.

Place remaining beans and broth in bowl of food processor or in blender. Add cilantro and puree until smooth. Add mixture to stew. Add spinach and heat just until wilted. Stir well and serve hot.
Nutrition information (per serving)
Calories: 160
Protein: 8 grams
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Fiber: 7 grams
Fat: 3 grams
Saturated fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 330 milligrams