Packing Lunches for Work

Wish more people would respond to this. I struggle with this same problem. The best thing I came up with was baked fish, I used gordons skillet tilipia whatever you like, tropical salsa and quinoa with roasted veggies. Yum! I felt like I was eating fancy. By the. Way where did you get that cute lunchbox?

I would troll around Pinterest.com and see if there are any new sandwich ideas. I'm always a fan of hummus with veggies, cottage cheese (add Lawry's salt if you want it not so bland), Babybel cheeses, couscous, and soup! You could get a thermos and have things to dip in the soup in the cubbies...

Here is a link to "cubby based adult lunches": http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com/Littlelunches

Nothing says you can't make extra at supper and pack those cubbies when you are done. Who cares if you just have a little bit. Might as well use it up if you have it.

Hummus is another great thing I love to have with some carrots or whatever your fav veggies are to eat!

Good luck and do research the net..there are lots of great ideas!

My friend taught me this delicious lunch i make on the regular. First you cut up 3 pieces of bacon and start browning them, then throw in 3 cloves of garlic and some veggies like carrots and cucumbers. Let those heat up and then put a splash of white wine which gets the bacon flavor off the pan. Finally, put in a whole bunch of mustard greens, mix it up and then put a lid on it for a minute so it starts to wilt.

I usually have that on quinoa or boiled sweet potato. around 360 calories depending what you put it on and it's a ton of food.

I was thinking hummus and crackers. Yogurt. Sliced turkey and cheese rolled up and microwaved to melt the cheese slightly. With or without crackers. And of course, water.

*Meal Ideas:

-Sandwiches on wheat bread or sandwich thins

-Lunch meat with crackers & cheese (could be sliced cheese, Laughing Cow, veggie cream cheese)

-Pita pockets-- grilled chicken, avocado, lettuce, cucumber, splash of ranch (Bolthouse Yogurt one is amazing and only 45 cals/serving). Use different spices on the chicken & different sauces to make different flavor profiles.

-Lean Cuisine meal w/ yogurt, fruit, or veggies on side

-Bean & cheese burrito

-Leftovers from dinner

*Sides: I usually bring baby carrots, variety of munchy veggies (carrots, bell pepper, celery, cucumber) with dip, or fruit. I like the Special K Cracker Chips (Sour Cream & Onion flavor) for a treat if I'm craving chips (only 110 cals for 27 chips; 1/2 a serving is usually perfect)

*Snack/Dessert: I love the Trader Joe's Fiberful Rolled Oats & Chocolate Chips granola bars for a mid-afternoon chocolate fix (only 120 calories, 3.5g fat, 9g fiber)

Google bento boxes for some great suggestions of how to use a lovely compartmentalised box like that.

I'd go for:

something high protein, a chicken breast, sliced ham, some cheese or nuts. Or a boiled egg.
A variety of crunchy veg - carrots, peppers, cucumbers
Something a bit fancy - black olives, marinated artichokes,
And some fruit - strawberries, grapes, sliced pear, satsuma

I alot of times do what was suggested in an earlier comment.... leftovers from the night before,rice , chicken,salad. portions are useally 3-6 ounces 1/2 cup etc so fit pretty good in a plastice container. nuts for a snack. Mine isn't as well contained when I add salad and a container of measured dressing but leftovers are clean eating plus saves money on extra items for lunch.:bigsmile:

bump

Sometimes I make sushi for dinner and I pack a few for my son's lunch box for the next day. They are great as they are all fresh ingredients and not to mention delicious. And once you know how to make them there is an endless amount of ideas on what do put in them.

How could I forget... deviled eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!

trying to figure out how to add this to my topics... :bigsmile:

yummy! Im getting some great ideas, I hate having to figure out what to do for lunch. I do have to say that I found a great recipe on Pinterest that Ive been eating, its low carb, low cal, and low fat! I usually cook a few days worth at a time and freeze it in portions, much better than the sodium and carb filled frozen meals. I dont know what the exact recipe was, but Ill give you my version which is actually a shorter cooking time and omits the oil that the original recipe called for

Enchilada Chicken
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
taco seasoning (the one that you usually put in the taco meat)
1 can of enchilada sauce
1/4 cup of cheddar cheese
fresh green onions

-Dice the chicken breast and coat with taco seasoning, just use 2 tbl spoons or so, save the rest for later
-Cook the chicken in a skillet until its almost cooked through (this is where you were supposed to use oil, but I throw a little water in the oan and it does just fine)
-Once the cheicken is almost cooked, put in a baking dish and cover with a 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, and 1/4 cup of cheese
-Bake at 350 until bubbly, about 10 min
-top with green onions and enjoy!

I usually eat it with a tsp of light sour cream and some cucumbers

I really like whole weat tortilla wraps! they're usually better than bread
I like to pan fry a bit of turkey, spinach, tomatoes, paprika...sometimes I do scrambled eggs inside instead and I usually add some fresh veggies like cucumbers or lettuce to either one pretty quick. If you don't feel like frying, put the tortilla in a microwave and just add turkey ham and raw veggies.
Blueberries are a good snack, low calories, same with any yummy berries really...if you can afford the extra calories add a few spoons of yogurt. Cinnamon is really good with this too and will keep your sugar in check
Nuts and dark chocolate are a good option if you have a sweet tooth aswell