Fast Lunches @ The Office

Are leftovers from the night before an option? That's what I do (along with a nice salad). I put everything together the night before since I only take 15-20 minutes for lunch too.

I like...
- Chobani flavored Greek yogurt
- Apples or bananas with PB2 (powdered peanut butter you mix with H2O; only 45 calories per 2 T., made by Bell Plantation)
- Laughing Cow light cheese wedges on Ryvita Rye & Oat Bran cracker or GG Scandinavian Bran Crispbread
- Sargento light cheddar or string cheese sticks
- Raw almonds
- Sweet potato (cooked the night before and reheated)
- Broccoli slaw with Trader Joe's Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette dressing

WARNING: My husband calls the GG Crispbreads "shingles" (as in the roofing material, not the rash). They are pretty much inedible plain (very dry), but not bad with something on them. Only 12 calories but 5 grams fiber to help fill you up.

I'm a little OCD with this but I take one Saturday every 3months approx. and I go ALLL OUT! From shopping, prep, cooking to clean up it takes me about 9-10 hours. I prep all my lunches and I put them in the deep freeze. I get anxious when I don't have meals prepped. I know exactly the nutritional info for each container and MFP has made it easy to put the recipe in in bulk and then divide by how many containers you have. I started doing this about a year ago and I change it up and make about 5 different meals. So I can have a different one each day at work and don't get too sick of it.
If I get sick of it I go buy turkey and chz and lettuce and make wraps for something quick and different.
It's a lot of work in one day however all my meals are under $3 each and I know exactly what I'm eating and I LOVE IT! I usually end up with about 60ish meals...

Due to space I couldn't make 3 months worth at a time (although I love the idea) but I cook once a week and then have that for lunch every day.

This week it's vegies and quinoa and black bean burgers. Yummm.

In summer I tend to go the salad option but my salad has a boiled egg, cheese and avocado in it so it's quite substantial (if I wasn't vegie I'd have meat in there). Again I prepare it all ahead of time. My biggest tip would be to invest in really good quality containers if you want to do this. Tupperware is ridiculously expensive but it really is amazing, will keep cut salad fresh for a week and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

You said you cook diner for one, it wouldn't be any more time to cook diner for 'two', at least some nights - then stick it in some tupperwear for lunch the next day.

I'm a little OCD with this but I take one Saturday every 3months approx. and I go ALLL OUT! From shopping, prep, cooking to clean up it takes me about 9-10 hours. I prep all my lunches and I put them in the deep freeze. I get anxious when I don't have meals prepped. I know exactly the nutritional info for each container and MFP has made it easy to put the recipe in in bulk and then divide by how many containers you have. I started doing this about a year ago and I change it up and make about 5 different meals. So I can have a different one each day at work and don't get too sick of it.
If I get sick of it I go buy turkey and chz and lettuce and make wraps for something quick and different.
It's a lot of work in one day however all my meals are under $3 each and I know exactly what I'm eating and I LOVE IT! I usually end up with about 60ish meals...

Wowww that's kinda neat I like the idea though I would probably start out small and make one week's worth at a time. Maybe I'll try it! Thanks!

I would enjoy hearing what types of meals/foods you do this with. I use to eat prepared store-bought frozen meals, and found that all of the additives were not worth trying to eat these; and the amount of calories I ate for the amount of food I got was crazy when I compared how much more food I can get from a home-cooked meal. And at $3 each, it is comparative to what you would pay for the prepared store-bought meal. I have just started to make freezer meals for suppers, but am having a difficult time finding recipes that we enjoy.

Here is a high protein option for tuna-salad sandwich. Mix 1/2 cup tuna fish (in water) with 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese. Dependent upon how much carbs I want, I will simply eat the mix without bread, or I will spread it on 1 slice of whole wheat or a high grain bread, or I could spread it on 2 slices of the bread. Another option is to eat it on/with whole grain crackers. A great option is to eat it on/with a salad mixture. You could also add a fruit such as an apple, pear, or orange.

The mix may not sound good, but it really is (I guess as long as you like tuna fish), and it is filling.

My lunches are around 350-450 Cals. I'm working on trying to get the bulk of my Calories in before I work out at approx. 4:45 everyday. It's hard to change this habit of having a large dinner especially when you're eating with someone. So I am working on it.

I tweek recipes all the time to accomodate my losing body fat %. I am eating at my TDEE for the last 2 weeks and the next 2 weeks kindof to shock my body and then I'll drop 10% off and so on. Working on finding my plan that works for me....

Spaghetti freezes AWESOME and I LOVE IT! I've played around with brown rice noodles, black bean noodles (Not my fav), and spaghetti sqaush (a little too much water - nothing that parm. chz can't soak up good and proper though:)

Low Cal High Protein Meatloaf with roasted carrots and parsnips. Very dense and LOTS of fiber so careful My recipe is on my profile. I'll tweek this next time and add water or cottage cheese or something to lighten it up.

I did a Asain play on chick/cashews with lots of veggies and brown rice noodles.

I'm also just lately wrapping my brain around carbs and getting more than 100g a day. I've had to work up to this since I've been low carb for so long. But I can tell you this, with my workout routine, since eating more carbs (good ones) I am not passing out at 7pm because I have no energy, my workouts are stronger and more productive and I just have a better sense of well-being.

I'm trying 4 week cycles trying to find out what works for me. I'll post a pic tonight of my OCD freezer and some of the recipes are on my profile of what I've done. I also make my own protein bars. The last ones turned out like cardboard with choc. on them but am tweeking. My apple cin. one's ROCK! I plan on making a pumpkin and a lemon this weekend. I make a huge batch and then cut them in the serving size I want then put them in a snack baggy in the freezer. Great for grab and goes before/after a work out as well as a breakfast when I am running late.

Lately I have been using ziplock's steamer bags and they are great!! Basically I peel vegetables such as sweet potatoes regular potatoes, green beans, etc. and throw them in one of the bags with some good seasoning. Doesn't take long. Not the preservatives or sodium that a lot of those "healthy" tv dinners have. I sometimes will do microwaveable things like oatmeal or instant brown rice. I also throw in in granola bars, string cheese, nuts, yogurt, and fruits. It's nice because I work with a fitness trainer that is super buff and a lot of health nuts. They are always giving me good ideas of what to eat for lunch! Hope this helps

My standard lunch falls right into your calorie range.

Flat-out wrap (90-100 calories)
6 slices of Oscar Mayer deli thin ham (45 calories)
1 slice of pepperjack cheese (70 calories) or a wedge of laughing cow chipotle queso (35 cal)
handful of lettuce (5-10 cal)
and some sort of fruit (60-120 cal depending on what it is)

I love the idea of preparing casseroles or soups on the weekends for the week too. I do this more for breakfast and/or snacks by baking up some egg cups or a big batch of oatmeal with craisins. Yum!

If you have a crock pot, make a week worth of something you like and that is within your calories and portion it out for the week for lunches. I do chicken that way, vegetable soup, pork tenderloin with sauerkraut, chili.

Have you tried: