What do you take to work for lunch?

UrbanLotus
UrbanLotus Posts: 1,163 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone, for those eating around 1200 calories, what do you take to work for lunch? i'm pretty busy so for the 3 weeks I've been on MFP, I've take a Lean Cuisine meal, plus some fruit or veggies on the side. Obviously this isn't the best thing - what do you all take? Aside from sandwiches...I'd like to take some lower calories stuff as I prefer to have a bigger meal at dinner, so maybe keep it around 300-400 calories.
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Replies

  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    Homemade soup, sides of veggies, fruit and yogurt.
  • Chari_Jan
    Chari_Jan Posts: 157 Member
    I eat a can of albacore tuna with light mayo, relish and mustard with Nut Thins pecan crackers. Very high in protein so you remain full for a few hours. I also make homemade protein bars that I eat for snacks during the day and some fruit maybe.
  • unknownsample
    unknownsample Posts: 10
    Is taking stuff required for budget reasons? I've been getting a Subway footlong, eating half of it at noon, half of it at 4, having a can of tuna when I get home at 7-8, then making it through the rest of the day by snacking. Admittedly just started, but so far so good.
  • oleskyjan
    oleskyjan Posts: 3
    Mostly take progresso light soup, vegetables and fruit,
    At least for the winter time.
    Not sure what the plans will be for later in the warmer weather.
  • AngelsheriHackley
    AngelsheriHackley Posts: 67 Member
    Try baked chicken or fish and veggies, lean cuisines are a treat because they are high in sodium
  • JESSJESJ
    JESSJESJ Posts: 121 Member
    salad greens, and chicken breasts? its lots of volume.
  • samlankford
    samlankford Posts: 334
    salad, greek yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, low sodium v8, unsalted nuts, berries, grapefruit, apples, "kind" granola bars, quest protein bars, protein drinks, grilled meat, raisins... have to mix it up, otherwise it gets BORING!!!
  • Nessiechickie
    Nessiechickie Posts: 1,392 Member
    Today was a bad day but for a snack I had one hard boiled eggs and orange.
    Lunch was a store bought salad with cheese/bacon/chicken and Cesar dressing.
    After lunch I'm having a can of Campbells veggie soup.
    :)
  • Dino924
    Dino924 Posts: 47 Member
    Today I had leftover salmon and cut up veggies with light ranch. Have cottage cheese for later.

    Whole wheat pita chips and hummus, not the healthiest but very filling to me.

    I ususally just switch it up every week, but it varies between turkey sandwhiches, salads (usually with feta and chicken), leftovers, or tapas style lunch (crackers and cheese, veggies, fruit etc).
  • amyford25
    amyford25 Posts: 85 Member
    I have to switch it up as well, but my go-to lunch is the Taylor Farms veggie tray. It has broccoli, carrots, almonds, cheese and a little ranch for about 370 cals. Love it!
  • ashleyh3156
    ashleyh3156 Posts: 177 Member
    lean meat veggie soups, cheap and easy and i make mine around 10 servings for about $5
  • lem_orc29
    lem_orc29 Posts: 179 Member
    For a long time, i would do two or three tablespoons of hummus and a huge bag of chopped veggies for lunch. It's really amazing how quickly it filled me up!

    I did get kind of bored with the same thing day in and day out, so I started mixing it up a little. Lately, I've been doing a 2oz chicken breast, 1/2 cup Uncle Ben's rice, and two servings of some kind of vegetable. Usually ends up being around 250 calories. I really like to roast my own baby carrots...but if I'm strapped for time, I'll just do the steamable frozen veggies.
  • F1uffy123
    F1uffy123 Posts: 121 Member
    I really mix mine up.

    Either wraps, sandwiches, rolls, yoghurt and fruit, stir fry from the night before, pasta from the night before etc

    Tommorrow im taking a chicken stir fry i had tonight. it was delicious and huge for about 500 cals
  • thingal12
    thingal12 Posts: 302 Member
    I eat anything I want. If I plan to eat out during lunch, I have a lighter dinner and breakfast. If I bring my lunch from home it's normally very healthy (calories calculated already, generally 300 calories or less).

    Typical Foods: Tuna sandwich, Taco Bell Tacos without cheese, Steak and Cheese sandwich, Fruit, Yogurt (plain, nonfat), Kashi Cookies (very filling & 130 calories), Nuts (pistachio, almonds), Vegetables steamed or stewed with lamb or beef.
  • rodafer
    rodafer Posts: 63
    Today I mixed a small packet of tuna, a handful of fresh spinach and a pickle to roll up in a flat-out wrap. I also brought baby carrots and a string cheese. Sometimes I use fat free miracle whip to mix with the tuna.
  • slywon
    slywon Posts: 85 Member
    Baby Spinach (2 cups)
    Red Onion
    Slivered Almonds (1 Tbsp)
    Dried Cranberries (1 Tbsp)
    Raspberry Vinagrette (1 Tbsp)

    This is a yummy salad. With it I would have soup of some kind that is usually under 250 cals. for 2 cups. I also have 3 cups of water. Stuffed full when done.
  • Angel37615
    Angel37615 Posts: 87 Member
    Holy Moly... I work in a kitchen...so eating is easy and dieting is hard. I found a nice meal of a grilled chicken breast, steamed veggies and skim milk comes in under 300 cals and fills me up. Also Oscar Meyer has 98% fat free bologna, (25cals) weight watchers 2% cheese (40 cals) and Nature's Own has 9 grain bread with 40 cals per slice, makes a nice 150 cal bologna sandwich!
    :)
  • gerrielips
    gerrielips Posts: 180 Member
    Progresso light soups (or better yet, homemade soups) are great...hooray for the office microwave! Today I had a homemade soup with beans, kale and peas and 3 ounces of leftover chicken from last evening. It has lasted until 3:30pm and now I'm snacking on yogurt and a piece of fruit. the 3:30-4:30pm hour is a killer for me.
  • racheljonel
    racheljonel Posts: 400 Member
    usually a lean cuisine! I think they are pretty tasty and very convenient! Sometimes I'll have a piece of fruit or a salad with it.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    For 392 calories I have a hot turkey and Swiss sandwich on whole grain ciabata bread with spinach and a side of raw carrots. I keep all the ingredients in the office fridge and I heat it in the toaster oven. Nothing wrong with sandwiches.
  • Christie0428
    Christie0428 Posts: 221 Member
    Every sunday we make a large batch of grilled chicken or taco meat or chili and I always bring a serving of that with a large salad. If you put the chili or taco meat on a salad it is really yummy and filling - think taco salad.

    When I make the chili or taco meat I use TONS of veggies so you get e large serving for relatively low calories. the batch of chicken chili from this week, 2 cups is 274 calories.

    I avoid processed foods, the quality of the food and the chemicals/preservatives are no good.
  • jacque930
    jacque930 Posts: 122 Member
    Not sure what your work is like but we started something at our work last spring and it is still going on!

    4 of us got together and said, we are going to loose weight. A couple of us used weight watchers and a couple used MFP.

    So the idea came, each one of us cook lunch 1 day a week for 4 people. 4 days a week and you only have to worry about 1! The 5th day we are on our own (We work a 5 day work week).

    Whatever is brought for lunch has to be healthy but really its open. We all share recipes, find them on WW, Skinnytaste, etc. Or we even make family favorites and try to lighten them up with lower calorie ingredients such as low fat cheese or greek yogurt in lieu of sour cream, lean meats, etc.

    The other key is portions. We eat the proper portion. Typically we have a main dish and a side of vegetables, fruit or salad. The side item was not required but we have been incorporating in a side each day even if it is just a can of green beans and add garlic salt.

    Lower calorie recipes and Portion Control have been key. We all eat slower and less food than we use to and have found to be full each day.

    Not everyone can do this but if you can and you have any questions, feel free to send me a message and/or friend me!
  • UrbanLotus
    UrbanLotus Posts: 1,163 Member
    You guys take chciken breasts to work? How are they cooked? I would think they would get dry if microwaved the next day... Though grilling and putting them on a salad is a great idea, i could keep a bottle of dressing at work

    Yes I should make some soups! Unfortunately I don't eat tuna so that doesn't work for me, and I usually don't have time to leave the office to pick up Subway (and would rather bring food from home anyway).
    Angel - I make similar sandwiches (love the Nature's Own bread!), I guess I would like something hot in the winter but I will go back to sandwiches in the summer :)
  • shellielane
    shellielane Posts: 4 Member
    I bring salads and chicken breast - boring, I know. Or I bring whatever I had leftover from dinner the night before. I also bring baby carrots and hummus to snack on. And, I make a "parfait porridge" which you will find on the FoodBabe's blog. It is just oats with almond milk plus frozen fruit (which thaws by the time I eat it).
  • ronitabur
    ronitabur Posts: 178 Member
    PB & J:

    Light on the PB
    Sugar Free Smuckers J
    and Sarah Lee Delightful whole wheat bread

    Then fruit, string cheese, triscuits, etc. for snacks
  • irjeffb
    irjeffb Posts: 275 Member
    I keep a stash of Clif bars, both the energy and the protein ones, in my office. I also try to have some fresh fruit and greek yogurt there as well, but those work better if you have your own mini fridge.
  • happyfrogg
    happyfrogg Posts: 86 Member
    Usually I do leftovers from the night before (assuming facilities like a fridge and a microwave aren't an issue). In fact, I tend to cook extra servings of everything so I always have something on hand. On Saturday, for example, I made a big pot of sausage and veggie minestrone, which comes to about 280 cals a serving. The recipe makes so much soup that even though three people ate it Saturday night (and two people had seconds!) there was still enough for lunches yesterday and today for my husband and myself-- plus there's still about 1.5 servings in the fridge for another day! If you get bored easily, try freezing your leftovers and rotating them so you're not eating the same thing multiple days in a row. Personally I'm totally fine with eating lasagna for dinner and then for lunch the next day, but I know some people want more variety than that.
  • CakePlate
    CakePlate Posts: 27 Member
    I try to take left overs from the night before if I have them, but sometimes that doesn't work. Today I brought some cut up vegies and 8 ounces of grilled chicken breast. The beauty of the chicken is I can eat it right out of the baggie cold if I don't have access to heat it up. My favorite, Costco Basil Pesto Talapia..160 calories per fillet, so you can have two and some veggies. Cook at home or you can microwave at work. People get jealous when I bring it. It makes 1200 calories looks easy :)
  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member
    I usually eat a flatout flatbread, 4 oz. of some type of low sodium lunch meat, mustard and fresh or frozen vegetables. Very filling and within your calorie range (depending upon what vegetable and how much). VERY FILLING!
  • liz827
    liz827 Posts: 193 Member
    Today I had 4 oz crock pot teriyaki chicken breast, 1 cup snap pea stir fry mix and 1/2 cup brown rice. Tomorrow I'm having a salad (lettuce mix, tomato, colorful pepper blend, cucumber, carrots) and either 4 oz low sodium turkey breast or a can of tuna or a leftover chicken sausage on the side. This week for dinner I'm making the honey chicken I found here on MFP and I'll pair that was 1/2 cup brown rice and a cup of deluxe stir fry veggies and bring it for lunch.

    I'll usually bring left overs, soup or a big salad.

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