Lunch ideas

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I am terrible at preparing my lunch at home, so buy during the day... getting tired of subway, and just realized that the potbelly wreck salad has over 570 calories... what do YOU eat for lunch?! Good recommendations?
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  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    i like liquid lunches.
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
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    Salad with grilled chicken - LOVE It. Turkey and swiss on Sara lee 45 calorie bread, malt o meal, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, fruit and yogurt . . . it all depends on how hungry I am. Sometimes just pita chips and hummus
  • cutchro
    cutchro Posts: 396 Member
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    I bring from home 99.9% of the time... Either homemade soups, salads or Lean Cuisines.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    When I don't feel like making anything, I will have a Lean Cuisine (or similar) and add stuff to it, like chicken/vegetables (you can make a huge plate for +/- 300 cals). Same with soups. I like the Progresso vegetable soups with extras to bring it to a hearty stew-consistency.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    I cook a ton of protein (chicken/steak/pork) every Sunday. Portion it out into 100g/3.5oz/whatever portion size ziplock bags. Grab a bag out of the fridge and roll with it.

    Today? 200g of grilled chicken and a baked sweet potato. Tomorrow? Maybe the same, maybe not. It really comes down to what your preferences are... but prepping a LOT on a single day can save a ton of time and you know exactly what you're getting.
  • palmerar
    palmerar Posts: 489 Member
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    I pack, it is just more accurate in calorie counting. If you don't have enough time in the morning do it the night before, if it's what to bring make an extra portion of dinner and bring the left overs. If I have to buy I will at least go some place that posts calories, like Panera where even if the count is off at least I'm eating vegetables, and whole grains when possible. I highly recommend giving packing another shot.....it personally saves me a ton of money. DO some serious recipe searching on cookinglight or pinterest.
  • chooriyah
    chooriyah Posts: 469 Member
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    I tend to bring leftovers from the dinner the day before. Easy to make a little extra, and heat up a small portion the next day. Means I waste less food too.

    Otherwise I like to have lentil soup, salad and hummus.
  • cljabusc
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    leftovers with fresh veggies on the side :) and i eat out for lunch on fridays, usually go to a sandwich shop (not subway or quiznos) and get a wrap or egg salad.

    After every meal when i'm cleaning up i take 5 minutes and pack a lunch for the next day. then i don't have to worry about rushing around in the morning to throw something together.
  • daj150
    daj150 Posts: 815 Member
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    I personally make my lunches nowadays. But when I was too busy to prepare lunches, I ate lean cuisines. More carbs and sodium than I wanted, but since I was, and still am, trying to lose weight, as long as I am in a calorie deficit, I am still losing weight. But I am focusing more on the macro stuff, what goes in, so I try and make all of my meals now if I can. Tough finding the time, but I am mostly making it work.
  • suemar74
    suemar74 Posts: 447 Member
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    My favorite go-to lunch is Turkey Taco Soup (basically taco soup with ground turkey). It freezes really well, so I make up a batch or double-batch, divide it up and freeze it. Then if I'm in a time crunch in the morning, I'll grab one out of the freezer and go.
  • Dark_Roast
    Dark_Roast Posts: 17,689 Member
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    If I can make them the night before, things go much smoother for me in the morning. I ask my husband to grill extra chicken and I freeze it in 4 oz portions, and we buy lots of frozen veggies. That way if I haven't made something previously, I can grab a bag or two of frozen chicken and some frozen veggies and I'm done. It might be boring, but it's healthy and fills me up. And I'm not late!
  • Latona38
    Latona38 Posts: 111 Member
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    Campbell's Soups. I just got an entire weeks worth of soups for $10.50. Their not the same as progresso but not as pricey either! All under 100 calories per serving!
  • HotAshMess
    HotAshMess Posts: 382 Member
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    I suck at packing lunches too. I always forget to take it, or leave the tupperware in a desk or the car. But I'm trying again.

    Soup is good food. Try finding someplace nearby with soup and salad lunches. Or just salad....and not the kind so loaded with crap that it's a TON of calories, or order it without cheese and croutons ect. The premium ceasar salad (no chicken) at McDonalds is 90 calories. Heck...get two if you want.

    We order chinese a lot. Check the "vegetables" section....or ask for something steamed. Avoid fried rice, crab rangoons and egg rolls.

    Check out local soup and sandwich places. Sometimes, they deliver.

    The local grocery store near my workplace has a huge deli with sandwiches and salads and sushi....is there something like that near you?

    Don't prepare your lunch....keep stuff at your desk. Like....take some fruit with you and leave it there, eat by the end of the week. I keep meal replacement bars in my desk, along with some 90 calorie snack type stuff for when I crash.

    Regarding subway...Italian bread has the least calories. Try eating off their healthier menu... I love their website.
  • Shook765
    Shook765 Posts: 117 Member
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    Hummus and cucmbers, salad, leftovers from night before dinner, lean cuisines, greek yogurt and fruit.
  • kmcintosh12
    kmcintosh12 Posts: 18 Member
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    Spring salad mix with a rotisserie chicken. It lasts about 3 days and is very filling.
  • emmajayneduff
    emmajayneduff Posts: 35 Member
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    Recently I've been having a WW soup, salad and a WW wholemeal pitta or beans on toast or tuna in WW wholemeal pittas.

    I do find lunches the hardest!

    xx
  • rob1976
    rob1976 Posts: 1,328 Member
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    i like liquid lunches.
    Same here. My wife uses our NutriBullet to stir up some kale, spinach, fruit, and flaxseed for a healthy, easy-to-transport lunch.
  • aepdx
    aepdx Posts: 218 Member
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    Nearly every day I bring a salad for lunch. I prepare all the fixins on Sunday so it will only take me about 1 minute in the morning to put it all into a container. I usually have: Spinach, hard-boiled egg, yellow bell peppers, peas. The egg fills me up, the veggies nourish me. I like to cook bulk lentil soup and bring that to work too. Soup and salad from around 350 calories if that. I also bring a lot of fruit to work to snack on throughout the day.
  • ami5000psu
    ami5000psu Posts: 391 Member
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    This is really tasty and filling. Makes for a good lunch if you make it then freeze it in portions.

    http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/01/crock-pot-3-bean-turkey-chili-3125-pts.html
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
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    I always bring my lunch from home. Today I had homemade vegetable soup and some grapes. :)