Office Workers - What do you eat?

You said that salad is out because you need to eat hot food, which I can definitely understand as it is freezing here in Iowa! But, you can make 'hot' salad, or at least warm. Keep the lettuce/green veggies separate, so that they are room temp, and then heat up whatever protein you want, corn, peas, tofu, sweet potatoes, etc (whatever you like) and dressing in a bowl and pour on top! Plus it makes it easy to eat different foods each day.

There are single serving size Crockpots out there that you could get and plug into your office area (if it's allowed, of course) or use the microwave at work.

I bring a salad - and it's almost always the same - mixed greens, mushrooms, peppers, 50 g of chicken, calorie wise Greek dressing. I might change up the meat and add other veggies if I have them. I also bring a yogurt and clementines or other fruit to take the edge off in the morning or afternoon if I need it. So far I haven't gotten bored. I will likely change up the veggies and the salad dressing choice if i find it's getting boring.

For breakfast - one egg (sometimes the real thing, sometimes Egg Beaters) scrambled with mushrooms and spinach and 15 g of shredded cheese. No toast or other carb, plus a coffee or chai tea latte, depending on my mood. I find if I have carbs like toast or 1/2 bagel in the morning, I get hungry sooner. If I start my day with protein, I don't. Sometimes I'll have a smoothie with fruit, milk, protein powder, if I'm pushed for time.

Supper is homemade something and usually the same for 2 nights due to leftovers. I love those nights when I don't have to think about what to cook! In the evening if I need a snack, I might have some cereal with a tiny bit of 1% milk and some fruit and/or that chai tea latte (if I didn't have it in the morning). I have a Tassimo and those lattes have just the right amount of sweet that it curbs my desire for anything else.

Definitely plan your meals out! We have lots of microwave and fridges around my building so it does make it a little easier for lunch.

Breakfast: I've been on an egg kick lately for breakfast, so I'll microwave 1 egg, 1 egg white, some pepper and put that on an everything thin bagel with a little bit of ketchup and 2 slices of low sodium turkey bacon. If I don't have that I'll have bowl of Trader Joe's apple cinnamon oatmeal or a shake. I usually have a banana in the AM with my breakfast too with a mug of green tea. I'll occasionally splurge on a specialty coffee too... they are my weakness!!

Snack: Usually consists of apple and cheese stick or maybe a protein bar if I'm not having it for my PM snack.

Lunch: Soup, leftovers from dinner or I'll get something out if I didn't bring anything. Today I have a leftover Weight Watchers chicken tender, 4 slices of turkey breast, 2 cups 50/50 salad blend, 3 mini Pero peppers, 2 tbsp sliced olives, 1/4 cup black beans, 1/4 cucumber, 1/4 cup green pepper and 2 tbsp of FF Ranch dressing. Usually I'll add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice but since I had black beans today I thought it wouldn't taste too good :ohwell: I'll add a can of tuna for protein if I don't have any protein left from my leftovers. If I need to eat out, I'll go to Wendy's and get a small chili and baked potato or Chick-Fil-A and get the chargrilled chicken & fruit salad and use 1/2 pouch of the honey mustard dressing... yum!

Snack: Today it's a cup of green tea and a nature valley bar with protein. Other days I'll have Oikos Greek Yogurt, or some oatmeal, a piece of fruit, some veggies or maybe a 100 calorie snack pack if it's just one of those days. I'll have 1/2 a serving of almonds too if I'm still hungry, that's about 11 almonds.

Since I take leftovers from dinner for lunch sometimes I'll give you some of those too. When I make baked chicken, I usually bake off however much I can fit on the tray that way I have left overs for the rest of the week. With the chicken, I dice and add to salads, add to a can of soup when I reheat and I shred it and make my own quesadillas to re-heat. If I'm lazy, I'll just take the chicken with a side of rice and veggie and not turn it into anything else :laugh: I also make turkey/lean beef burgers and have enough for lunch the next day. I either eat it with or without the bun or I'll crumble it up on a salad and make a taco salad. I make pasta occasionally and take that. Usually I'll take 1/2 a portion and add in a side salad with some extra veggies. With a jar of sauce, I like to defrost a box of spinach and add that in for some added nutritional value. Steak is always good sliced up and added to a salad or to make a quesadilla/taco.

I also like baking up a bag of shrimp and eating it throughout the week. I just made some lemon garlic baked shrimp and added it some salad for a couple days. Tilapia is fine reheated too.

I've been eating some of the same things lately but my diary is open if you want to take a look... feel free to add me too.

breakfast - small egg white omelet (I use liquid egg whites, one serving) with some kind of mix in (veggies or small amt reduced fat cheese). Usually I'll put it on a sandwich skinny or an english muffin so it fills me up and holds me until lunch. When I get sick of that, I do oatmeal and a piece of fruit.

lunch - as soon as I'm done cooking dinner, I immediately measure out 1/2 serving size of whatever I have (my dinner meals tend to have more calories) and put it in a container to bring to work and heat up. If we don't cook at home, I typically bring a salad or 1/2 sandwich and some fruit or veggies.

If I get hungry in the afternoon, I snack on a few pretzels or some fruit.

I think it's important to know your body and how you need to eat. For example, I get to work and eat breakfast at 6AM. By 10:30, I am ready for lunch because I work out in the AM before work and my body consumes my breakfast FAST. I don't try to wait until a regular "lunchtime." I just eat my lunch at 10:30 and then I am usually ok until I leave for the day at 4PM. I gave up feeling guilty about that a long time ago and just learned what my rhythm was and what worked for me. I tended to eat a lot more if I tried to wait.

I rarely eat out. Maybe once or twice a year and it will usually be a holiday luncheon or a celebratory luncheon of some sort. When those happen, I research the restaurant before we go and make my choice then. Usually it will be soup & a salad.

I agree with what a lot of others have said - planning is key, key, key. When I was in the midst of losing 150 pounds, I planned every single bite on Sunday night and I rarely wavered. Now that I've been in maintenance for 10 years, I don't necessarily have to do that b/c I've gotten used to shopping and cooking smart. But I always make sure to plan out my meals the night before so I know exactly what I have to work with. If I have the opportunity to squeeze in an extra workout during my assigned lunch hour, I count those as "treat calories" for the evening. Rarely use them but it's nice to know I can have a sweet or salty something if I absolutely have to have it.

Good luck!!

This morning had a poached egg and one half of a cinnamon-raisin English muffin, toasted. This week, I 've had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, at room temperature...

I have tea in the morning before work, maybe an apple or banana
Around 9:30-10A I have my breakfast, I like to bring frozen breakfast sandwhich -250 calories keeps me full really long. (watch Salt)
Lunch around 12:30-1P - I bring left overs from dinner or soup (watch salt) and sandwhich. It changes alot.
Snack: around 3-4pm- Greek yogurt most of the time and some low calorie hot chocolate.


I keep a drawer with some snacks in it thats low calorie in case I'm really hungry. I try to get more protein to fill me up.

I make "stoup" in the crock pot, portion it into ziploc bags and freeze. When I reheat at work I add at least a cup of water to turn it into a big bowl of soup.

That is a wonderful idea! Never thought of that! I will have to try

My rotating breakfast options:
english muffin, 1 slice fat free cheese, 2 slices lean turkey bacon, tomato: 188 calories
Oatmeal with half a banana: 200 cal
Thin apple slices, 1 serving mixed berry jam on a 50 g croissant: 248 cal
Croisant, fat free cheese, onions, tomato: 215 cal

Snacks:

Dannon Light and Fit yogurt: 80 cal
zip lock bag of pretzels: 110 cal
Apple or Orange: 80 cal
Pineapple or strawberries ( 35-50 calories)

Lunch is whatever left overs from the night before. This week it has been low-fat chili with black beans and brown rice: 265
Non-fried chicken cutlet, broccoli, brown rice, low-cal bbq sauce:287 cal
Tomorrrow will be a whole wheat wrap with my leftover chili, chicken, and rice : 318 calories

P.S. I should have noted -- dice the carrots really small, so they cook through in that short a time.

I keep healthy snacks in my desk like 90 calorie brownies, protein bars, you get the idea.

Lunch- usually healthy choice or smart ones

Dinner- PINTEREST! Love this site :-)