Packed lunch ideas?

acpgee
acpgee Posts: 7,926 Member
in Recipes
Since I started MFP in August I have been bringing packed lunches to work.

Lunch is usually around 200g of microwaved frozen veg, plus some protein (leftover meat from previous night, a boiled egg, 40g turkey ham, 40g of beef jerky). I mostly snack on fruit between meals (apples, bananas and mandarins in the office). Although this regime works pretty well in terms of carb/protein balance and calorie count, I am getting really bored.

Any suggestions for a packed lunch? I have access to a fridge and microwave in the office.

Replies

  • Ms_Pixie
    Ms_Pixie Posts: 148 Member
    a sandwich or a salad? You could even include barley, rice. noodles, quinoa etc for the carbs and to fill you up. I also find that using olives and a low fat fetta/ cottage cheese will help to keep you full with a salad too. Or I'll sometimes have a light lunch with a tin of tuna and some Vitaweets and an apple...
  • steffenym
    steffenym Posts: 22 Member
    If I don't have any leftovers from the night before, I like packing a wrap or even better a pita. Make the warp or pita at home and add fresh veggies, your protein and a small amount of dressing and done! Delicious and surprisingly neither gets soggy!
  • kiraholly88
    kiraholly88 Posts: 2
    I've been researching and I found a GREAT tuna salad recipe that uses a skinny cow cheese wedge instead of mayo. I usually precut my fresh veggies and stuff it all into a pita. I also bring the morning star chik patties and spicy black bean burgers with sandwhich thins and some shredded lettuce. I try to mix it up so I don't get bored. I mix up my snacks too, I love hummus, so that with carrots and cucumbers is a favorite of mine. The key is making sure there is enough variety, and that sometimes means thinking outside the box. I use the beachbody website as a recipe reference quite often. The meal ideas on there are delicious and nutritious.
  • MiRatlhed
    MiRatlhed Posts: 168 Member
    I have the luxury of being a stay at home dad so I don't usually have to pack a lunch. But I saw this idea and if I am heading out on vacation I am going to do this Salad in a Jar method. I absolutely love Salads and this is a way to get something different for many days just by taking a hour or so on Sunday and packing them for the week.

    http://www.thekitchn.com/salad-in-a-jar-make-a-week-of-lunches-173014
  • Mulikme
    Mulikme Posts: 30 Member
    Here's what I've tried that past few weeks - veggies and hummus, chicken or tuna salad and brought in a blender and made my own protein shakes in the break room.
  • harrismargaret
    harrismargaret Posts: 4
    Had I been in your place I would prefer getting salad or sandwich. Getting fruits are nice ideas as well.
  • gabegrammy
    gabegrammy Posts: 147 Member
    Well since husband will not eat anything I make, "he thinks if I eat it then it's diet food". But it's reglar food cooked healthy. I make enough to eat for 3 days. Saturday I make homemade pasta with spinach, artichoke and homemade sauce, and took to work monday, tuesday, and wednesday. Last night I made crockpot chicken with campbell's golden mushroom and rice. I will eat it Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So as you see I don't worry about my lunch, I always have left overs.
  • CarrieBeard
    CarrieBeard Posts: 117 Member
    Cheese sticks. Light popcorn. yogurt. baggy with mixed nuts - some snacks we pack
  • Sweets1954
    Sweets1954 Posts: 507 Member
    I, too, take my lunch and sometimes dinner to work. I do have a refrigerator and a microwave so I include cheese sticks or mini baby bell cheeses, cottage cheese, fruit, hummus, and raw veggies. I have snack packs of nuts in my drawer along with some crackers and peanut butter. I found diabeteslivingonline.com has some good suggestions and if you are on pinterest there are some good links there as well. With my job I have to eat at my desk and it does become a challenge to not eat the same things all the time.
  • melsmith612
    melsmith612 Posts: 727 Member
    The past few days I have been making myself turkey club wraps and I don't think I could ever get sick of them!

    Here's what I've been using:

    Joseph's - Low Carb Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Tortilla Wrap, 1 WRAP
    Land O' Lakes - White American Cheese, 0.6 oz (1 slice)
    Lettuce - Cos or romaine, raw, 2 leaf inner
    Dijon Mustard, 1 tsp
    Tomato - Tomato Slice , 1 slice
    Cracked Pepper Turkey Breast (deli), 2 oz
    Oscar Mayer - Fully Cooked Bacon - 100% Real Bacon - Original Cut, 2 slices

    238 calories
    12g fat
    4g sat fat
    14g carbs
    7g fiber
    23g protein

    Hope this helps!
  • laurarpa
    laurarpa Posts: 244 Member
    I make extra food, or sometimes I make food special just to have for lunches.

    Some of my faves are:
    a) mexican-spicy (or not) ground turkey breast to eat in corn tortilla or on a bed of spinach with avocado, tomato or salsa, a bit of greek yogurt. Often I'll heat up the meat, spinach, a laughing cow wedge and mix it all together. It's yummy.
    b) turkey burgers - "traditiona" with onions/worchesthire/italian seasoning or "asian" ginger-cilantro-scallion. I like to mix regular turkey and turkey breast. I usually eat on a thin bread for a sandwich, but sometimes I just eat it plain. lightly cooked spinach and roasted peppers or avocado.
    c) chili. All different kinds. sometimes white chicken chili, turkey chili, regular chili, lots-of-veggie chili
    d) tuna and avocado.
    e) caldo tlapeno soup (with avocado - do you sense a theme?)
    f) peanut butter and banana sandwich
  • dramallamaduck
    dramallamaduck Posts: 97 Member
    I've been bringing string cheese and protien bars. I also love to bring leftover meat (steak, pork, etc...) carrots and peanut butter on a sandwhich round. I think I may have to try the chicken salad recipes and the hummus. I'm hankering for something a bit different.
  • nicoled6842
    nicoled6842 Posts: 32
    I love veggies and hummus, because there's so much variety. Homeade soup, maybe? I usually make a couple different kinds of soups and snacks Sunday night and put them into small Tupperware containers (the dollar store has a great selection for a fraction of the costs of other stores) and keep them in the fridge. They're super easy to grab and eat when I'm to lazy/busy to cook.
  • bethcw1
    bethcw1 Posts: 24 Member
    Since joining MFP I have also been packing lunches. Actually eating lunch is very new for me - I used to skip it!

    I buy one of the 5 oz. tubs of pre-washed salad greens, and a can of tuna (or if I have left-over meat form the night before, I will bring that instead of the tuna (i.e.) turkey or chicken. I add cut up veggies for the salad, like cucumber, tomato, onion, mushrooms, etc. and often will add a 1/2 pita pocket to stuff it into. If you want to bump up the calories, adding some chopped egg, nuts or chick peas works well. I like this lunch, since it is easy grab & go, and doesn't really require "packing" during our busy morning
  • sweetpea_73
    sweetpea_73 Posts: 33
    I've been researching and I found a GREAT tuna salad recipe that uses a skinny cow cheese wedge instead of mayo. I usually precut my fresh veggies and stuff it all into a pita. I also bring the morning star chik patties and spicy black bean burgers with sandwhich thins and some shredded lettuce. I try to mix it up so I don't get bored. I mix up my snacks too, I love hummus, so that with carrots and cucumbers is a favorite of mine. The key is making sure there is enough variety, and that sometimes means thinking outside the box. I use the beachbody website as a recipe reference quite often. The meal ideas on there are delicious and nutritious.

    Please share your tuna salad recipe.
  • kikih64
    kikih64 Posts: 349 Member
    I get really burnt out on packing food for the day in the morning. Usually some sort of leftovers, but when I need to get creative I love having a sweet potato and some sort of protein, either something left over, or a chicken sausage or veggie burger. I'll also make sandwiches with Arnold Sandwich thins or use lettuce leaves to stuff with veggies, cheese, deli meats. I'm not a salad girl at all - pretty much avoid them - but a bag of pre-washed greens, some other random veggies and egg, cheese, chicken breast works.

    I love fruit for snacking, but sometimes I try to watch my sugar. I'll bring yogurt, cheese sticks, almonds, pistachios, veggies and hummus, cottage cheese.

    Good luck.

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