Packed Lunch Help

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donnamj82
donnamj82 Posts: 3
in Recipes
I'm looking for ideas for food to take to uni for my lunch. It has to be lowish in calories but filling at the same time (e.g pasta and rich dishes). I already take weetabix for breakfast which keeps me full till lunch but need something to stop my stomach rumbling from lunch to home time. There is a microwave available in my main campus but not in the 2nd campus (if that helps).

Thank you in advance

Replies

  • julieucla
    julieucla Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi!
    I pack my lunch too, and I try to bring something that fits a good nutritional balance. For example, today I had 1/4 cup quinoa (yesterday it was brown rice) mixed with 1/2 cup black beans, and chopped veggies and steamed spinach. I added yummy spices and microwaved it up and it was delicious!

    Think of it this way:
    1/4 cup serving of starch (rice, pasta, bread,etc.)
    1/4 cup fruit OR 1 cup veggies
    1 serving protein (usually 3-4 oz)
    1 serving fat (no more than 15 grams)

    Things like rice and beans can be prepped the night before and heated up easily. Fill up on low calorie, nutritionally dense foods like raw veggies, with a handful of good fat like almonds for a snack :)

    Good luck!
  • lwright311
    lwright311 Posts: 69 Member
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    I like fresh snacks like lowfat cheese cubes, baby carrots, apples, etc. I frozen microwave meals like Lean Cuisine and Fresh Express.
  • hungergames324
    hungergames324 Posts: 240 Member
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    taco salads!
    sandwiches
    leftovers from dinner
  • heatherpg47
    heatherpg47 Posts: 211 Member
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    Clementines
    Bannanas
    Coleslaw with the mistable italian dressing
    Grilled chicken
    Left overs

    Usually I take my left overs from dinner in tupperware. For snacks, fruit, veggies, or premeasured almonds/nuts.

    The key is variety.. that way you are less tempted to fast food and junk food.
  • pixish
    pixish Posts: 79 Member
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    Leftovers are good :) I have a little lunch bag that I put some little frozen water bottles in to keep anything cool until I need to eat it, (or put it in a thermos if it's leftover soup or chilli!)

    Lately I've been filling a container with frozen vegetables (usually a stirfry mix, or broccoli) and adding a teaspoon of chicken stock powder, a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce, half a teaspoon - 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and a teaspoon of garlic and ginger. I usually make it at night and leave it in the fridge until morning, then at work I add about a cup of water and heat it in the microwave. I realise that is only good to you if you have a microwave though :) the fibre from the vegetables really fills me up though! You could put it in a thermos I suppose though, I haven't tried it so I'm not sure if the vegetables would be soggy or not :)


    Plus - this is so quick to make. It's my lunch when I don't feel like making anything :P I also seem to feel better and have less cravings if I have a heated lunch rather than just a sandwich.
  • rrowdiness
    rrowdiness Posts: 119 Member
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    My lunch fits into my backpack to take into work, it's a 25km bike ride each way so weight and space is at a premium!

    I'm on 1500cal / day + exercise and avoid carbs where possible, and this sits at about 800 or 900 calories and is very filling.

    protip: reusable containers from the $2 shop, buy $25 worth of various sizes.

    2 x boiled eggs (breakfast)
    2 x rashers cooked bacon (breakfast)

    12 rice crackers (snack)
    25g cottage cheese (snack)
    Vege pack - sliced carrot, celery, green beans, cucumber (snack)
    30g almonds (snack)
    1 x can tuna (emergency snack)

    1 cooked chicken sausage (lunch) OR 4 x cooked chicken drumettes
    Small tub Mixed salad (tomato, lettuce, feta cheese, avocado, olives) (lunch)

    Herbal teabags
    Protein powder for shake if needed (shaker takes up heaps of room though)

    Plastic fork

    *edit* All these are prepared at the same time as dinner the night before, and chucked into the fridge in a plastic bag, so I'm not running round like an idiot at 6am. That way they stay cool all the way into the office. If I'm driving in I'll put them into a mini cooler bag.
  • kristelpoole
    kristelpoole Posts: 440 Member
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    I usually bring leftovers, so tomorrow I'll be having cous cous with grilled asparagus, grilled tofu, and kalamata olives with a little butter, evoo and lemon. I'll also bring a small apple for a snack. I try to think of one dish meals I can heat up easily. :)
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    In a pinch, canned soups can be good. Many comes with pull off tops too, so no can opener required. Homemade soup is obviously an even better option.
  • mapnerd2005
    mapnerd2005 Posts: 363
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    When I cook, I'll make extra and package it up to put in the freezer for quick prep lunches. If I make spaghetti, I'll make enough for dinner and then enough for 2-3 lunches, and in the morning while my coffee is brewing I'll boil the whole wheat noodles (I like the healthy harvest ones, but boil them a minute or 2 longer than the directions so they're a little softer). Throw the noodles and the thawed sauce in a container, microwave until warm and hot lunch!
  • marcyveta
    marcyveta Posts: 1
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    Hi,
    I pack my lunch too. I prep it the night before so I can grab and go in the morning.

    Usually it's left over chicken breast or tilapia. I normally add a salad, a piece of fruit, and yogurt. That way I have my lunch and snacks readily available.
  • Roboartist
    Roboartist Posts: 99
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    -Hummus, pita and loads of fresh veggies. Fresh fruit.

    -Cook a bunch of chicken at once and slice up into lunch sized portions to go with a mixed greens salad and your fave dressing. Add a dinner roll or slice of bread. I like to grill up chicken.

    I pack lunch for my two adventurous eating kids every day, these are the favorites as are leftover chili or stew in a thermos.
  • donnamj82
    donnamj82 Posts: 3
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    Thank you very much for all your idea's, I will be making sure that I try most of these x
  • Calantorntain
    Calantorntain Posts: 172 Member
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    Calorie dense foods like pasta often aren't very filling over time.

    Here are details about the awesome lunches I make for myself. Super easy, super delicious, and super cheap. The only caveat is that there's a fridge at work where I can keep a couple bottles of salad dressing.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/795756-my-lunch-is-bringing-sexy-back
  • donnamj82
    donnamj82 Posts: 3
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    Thank you very much x

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