Low Calorie "easy to make" Lunch Ideas

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  • SquidgySquidge
    SquidgySquidge Posts: 239 Member
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    You could cook up some chicken at the beginning of the week and keep it in the fridge, bring a portion with you each day.

    To go with it you could make up some cous cous (you just pour on hot water), try flavouring it with peppers, onions, sultanas, apple, seeds, garlic, cumin, coriander etc

    My favourite lunch at the moment is a wholemeal pitta, chicken pieces (tikka flavoured ones if I can get them), peppers, onions, jalapenos, slice of reduced fat cheese. Put it in the sandwich toaster to melt the cheese - yum!
    And then I add some hot sauce, it's delicious!

    Make a pot of spaghetti bolognese or chilli, freeze it in portions with cooked rice or spaghetti and heat it in the microwave at work.
  • debzeeU2
    debzeeU2 Posts: 99 Member
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    I make a lot of salads, with different things on them, lots of veggies, grilled chicken, things like that.

    I also used to buy those Arnold's Sandwich Thins, and use those to make sandwiches and eat baby carrots or celery with them.

    This is what I do.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    "Morning Star" makes a lot of microwavable patties for sandwiches, and they taste good!! low on calories and carbs, also!
    and pretty bad on sodium. Quick, yes.. and I'm a fan of 'em, but watch the salt on the frozen stuff.

    OP. A can of Tuna (obviously in water, lowered sodium) plus some mayo, veggies, egg, whatever. Cheap, low cal, filling, and plenty of protein.
    Most weekends, I'll grill a ton of chicken and portion it out into 100g/150g/200g portions and pop it into the fridge. Grab a bag of chicken and something to go along with it. Super quick, you know what you're getting for your protein, and only have to plan the rest of the meal. Maybe a sweet potato or a cup of spinach, etc.
  • Querian
    Querian Posts: 419 Member
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    I usually make extra at dinner and my hubby and I both take leftover whatever to work for lunch.

    Some recent favorites:
    - Cauliflower and Potato Curry over nutty brown rice
    - Bok Choy sauteed with Whole Wheat Spaghetti with a poached egg and grated romano cheese
    - Big green salads with many fun toppings and homemade salad dressing
    - Pinto Bean and Cornbread "shepherds pie"
    - Pinto Bean and Cheese Sandwich with Cabbage Salad on the side
    - Roast veggies or Veggie Stirfry with or without brown rice
    - Oatmeal with almonds and raising and a banana (yes, even for lunch)

    I eat vegetarian duing the week so no meat here but there are lots of other good suggestions here too. Just make extra whatever you homecook either during the week or on weekends and then you have plenty for lunch :flowerforyou:
  • Mexicanbigfoot
    Mexicanbigfoot Posts: 520 Member
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    Lots of salads, I buy the prepackaged and then add extra veggies and protein (chicken) to them. I also love the Arnold Sandwich Thins or Flatout wraps with turkey, a laughing cow cheese wedge and some type of veggie; lettuce, spinach, cucumber. I hardly ever eat the same thing 2 days in a row, you can check out my food diary, it's open if you need more ideas. Good luck!!
  • Getyourshineon
    Getyourshineon Posts: 114
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    Kroger sells a bag of Frozen Italian style turkey meatballs for $7.99 ~ I usually toss them in the microwave with some cheese and/or a dollop of sour cream and salsa... add a small salad andyou have an easy, inexpensive, filling lunch.. I keep a bag here at work in the freezer for the days I forget a lunch..My other fav is 50 cal whole wheat bread for an egg sandwich...or anything healthy on a whole wheat tortilla!
  • IamOnMywayNow
    IamOnMywayNow Posts: 470 Member
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    If you love buffalo chicken, I highly recommend this recipe. I doesn't take that long to make, you can make a ton of it, and it heats up really well. It's on my blog :)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/gingerfitness/view/buffalo-chicken-quinoa-495759

    Great recipe!! Cant wait to try it!
  • KatLifter
    KatLifter Posts: 1,314 Member
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    On Sundays I cook a family pack of some sort of meat (usually chicken), protion it out for the week in individual containers with about 6 oz. in each. Each day I heat one up and throw over a lettuce or spinach of choice and you're done.

    ~Chicken breast (cut into cubes) put some salsa over it (I really like the fruity ones). Bake

    ~Ground chicken or Turkey (I used 2 packages) - brown and drain excess grease, add a bag of frozen chopped onions and a packet of taco seasoning and cook on low until they are done. Put into containers. Add some frozen spinach and canned tomatoes with chilis. SO Good and easy!
  • Pkeenan1229
    Pkeenan1229 Posts: 51 Member
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    Boca burgers with lots of lettuce on low calorie bread (35 calorie bread) or even regular bread around 80 calories. The whole thing will be about 200-250 (:
  • dizzzy33
    dizzzy33 Posts: 31 Member
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    Great ideas!
  • LGrill27
    LGrill27 Posts: 337 Member
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    If you love buffalo chicken, I highly recommend this recipe. I doesn't take that long to make, you can make a ton of it, and it heats up really well. It's on my blog :)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/gingerfitness/view/buffalo-chicken-quinoa-495759

    Thanks for posting this!
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
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    I get frozen turkey burgers at Trader Joe's (could make your own) and cook one each morning while I'm packing my lunch. Stick it in the freezer for a couple minutes to cool down, pack it up and bring a pack of guacamole (the Wholly Guacamole 100 calorie packs or homemade). I heat the burger in the microwave, top with the guac and it's super tasty for 280 calories. I usually add some roasted veggies on the side because I shoot for about 350 for lunch.
  • cpiton
    cpiton Posts: 380 Member
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    If you love buffalo chicken, I highly recommend this recipe. I doesn't take that long to make, you can make a ton of it, and it heats up really well. It's on my blog :)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/gingerfitness/view/buffalo-chicken-quinoa-495759

    Will be trying this immediately. Yum! Lots of great ideas here. Thanks :drinker:
  • Mrc1974
    Mrc1974 Posts: 75 Member
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    Bump for later
  • Missi3601
    Missi3601 Posts: 264
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  • ropingmama
    ropingmama Posts: 1
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    Today is my first day but I had chicken breast left over from dinner last night and I stir fried it with asparagus, mushrooms and boc choy and added a few sprouts
  • NikkiSixGuns
    NikkiSixGuns Posts: 630 Member
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    Salads: my absolute favorite lunch. I vary them up with different types of meat (deli meat, chopped ham/turkey, rotisserie chicken, fajita meat), lots of veggies & toppings (carrots, pickles, pepperoncinis, apple slices, boiled egg, mushrooms, green & red onions, olives, garbanzo beans, kidney beans) and keep them as cold as possible until lunch.

    Meat & veggie wraps: I spread Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese on a few slices of deli meat, then wrap up grilled asparagus spears in them.

    Leftovers: casseroles work best for me. I have a recipe for twice-baked spaghetti squash & it makes enormous portions, so I always have tons of leftovers. It's high in fiber, low in calories, and really good when it's cold outside.
  • grecogab90
    grecogab90 Posts: 77 Member
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    bump
  • tldillard3
    tldillard3 Posts: 14 Member
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    Bump
  • fevre
    fevre Posts: 60 Member
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    When I'm at work there's a Whole Foods around the corner, so I like to pop over to their salad bar and make a salad that's a whooole lot of arugula (I love arugula, though many people may want to use spinach instead!), a big dollop of pico de gallo salsa, a scoop of quinoa and some red onions!! Then I mix some balsamic vinegar & olive oil for dressing. The quinoa makes it filling and the rest is all vegetables so it stays very low-cal; I make a pretty big salad and it's about 250 kcal! I choose arugula and red onions because they're my favorites but of course a salad bar has lots of options for customization. (And of course if you know what you like you can save money by just keeping all these ingredients at home instead of paying by the pound)

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