Low Carb Lunches--- HELP!!!!

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Starrynightgrl45
Starrynightgrl45 Posts: 47 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello all!

I am diabetic and new to this healthy eating thing. I am getting bored with my same old lunches day in and day out and am looking for some ideas. I usually eat slices of cucumber with salmon and cheese, a salad, or a combination of the two. (See why I'm asking for help?)

I try to keep my carb numbers under 50 grams a day (minus fiber) so really low carb would be helpful.

Anyone have any ideas?

Replies

  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    Do you have access to a microwave?

    My typical lunch is about a 1/2 portion of leftover main course from dinner the night before, then the rest of the container full of either frozen spinach, green beans, or mixed california veggies with a few shakes of garlic granules and/or italian seasonings. Let thaw under my desk from a.m. until lunchtime, then zap that sucker in the micro.
  • Hawaiian_Shirt_Day
    Hawaiian_Shirt_Day Posts: 22
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    A crockpot is also an excellent tool to have around as well. This site might also give you some meal ideas: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
  • Thena81
    Thena81 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    i do chicken breast, color peppers, onions garlic on lettuce or on rice or noodle if i know ill work it off
  • deeannhill
    deeannhill Posts: 111 Member
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    The next time you grill, throw some extra meat on there; Chicken or Beef. Slice it and portion it in zip-top bags, freeze and grab one to go on a salad. The sky's the limit with your low-carb salad toppings; avocado, egg, bacon bits, sour cream, Greek yogurt. Lots of veggies, I love the little yellow "Sunburst" tomatoes! Tuna, turkey, or chicken salad; make them yourself so you know what's in them.

    And the last-night's-left-overs is a top seller for me too. Make a couple of extra helpings, portion them out and take them along for a quick, painless lunch.
  • sPaRkLiNgLYFE
    sPaRkLiNgLYFE Posts: 609
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    can you eat the Atkins diet?
  • smilingirisheyes
    smilingirisheyes Posts: 149 Member
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    Leftover protein and veggies from the night before are handy if you have a microwave available. When I've done that, I just season the lunch differently so it's like a different meal.

    I currently don't for dinner (it's in my car on campus between teaching assistant duties and an evening class) and use a lot of Flatout wraps (higher fiber & protein, lower carb) with cheese & veggies and tack on a single serve pouch of tuna for extra protein.
  • gwhizeh
    gwhizeh Posts: 269 Member
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    I dont want to question how you manage your diabetes, but 50 grams a day of carbs seems ultra low to me. Would upping your carbs have a big drawback for you? large spikes? Upping your limit may provide more choices. If that's not an option for you, then, check out diabetes daily website/forums. There are a number of ultra low carb people on there that will be able to assist you. Its a good resource for diabetics.

    No food suggestions from me :)
  • Pelly57
    Pelly57 Posts: 169 Member
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    Deli slices (lean ham, turkey) spread with a Laughing Cow wedge and rolled up. I can usually spread one wedge over three slices of meat. Sometimes I like to add a pickle or cucumber spear before I roll it up.

    I keep cups of tuna in my desk for a quick snack that keeps me satiated for a couple of hours. A splash of vinegar or lemon juice will brighten it up.

    Hard boiled eggs are quick, easy and keep me happy.

    Cook up some greens or your favorite veggies on the weekend. Portion them out, top them with leftover protein, and maybe a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, zap it in the microwave. If you don't have any leftover protein, crack an egg on it and cook till the egg is done.

    Check out the Low Carb/Atkins communities here for lots of other ideas.
  • Starrynightgrl45
    Starrynightgrl45 Posts: 47 Member
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    I dont want to question how you manage your diabetes, but 50 grams a day of carbs seems ultra low to me. Would upping your carbs have a big drawback for you? large spikes? Upping your limit may provide more choices. If that's not an option for you, then, check out diabetes daily website/forums. There are a number of ultra low carb people on there that will be able to assist you. Its a good resource for diabetics.

    No food suggestions from me :)

    I have tried raising my carb levels and even at the amount of calories I am eating (around 1400) I was gaining weight- over 1 kg this weekend (despite exercise). Not to mention the hunger feelings and blood sugar spikes. My diary is open to all. Feel free to take a look and give me any suggestions. :)
  • thebuxompilgrim
    thebuxompilgrim Posts: 53 Member
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    I like to do a chicken salad or a tuna salad because you can really mix it up with what you put in it so you get lots of variety taste-wise and you can make a decent meal out of it. Today was chicken with bell peppers, onion, a bit of grated cheese and a bit of mayo. Some days I like chicken with celery, onion, broccoli, and curry. Lots of ways to mix up tuna, too. I usually just toss the chicken or tuna together with some combo of whatever vegetables, nuts, and (sometimes) fruit I have on hand (peppers, onion, celery, broccoli, carrots, water chesnuts, cucumber, pickles, olives, avocado, tomato, cashews, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, apples), maybe some cheese, and a bit of something to hold it altogether (mayo, yogurt, oil & vinegar, etc.).
  • pirateteacher
    pirateteacher Posts: 8 Member
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    I like to do black beans (yes they have carbs, but they're the good kind) and rotel tomatoes and add a little meat of some kind. Chicken sausage or chicken breast is my go to meat. Zap in the microwave & top with a little Ranch dressing. Yumm!
  • sunryse00
    sunryse00 Posts: 36 Member
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    My favorite lunches are chicken salad with chicken, bacon, shredded cheese, jicama, steamed broccoli and ranch dressing on a low carb wrap. My #2 favorite is tuna salad on a minute muffin (without cinnamon). Otherwise I'll have leftovers from the night before and in a pinch I'll go for string cheese and some type of deli meat or sausage slices.

    I usually add pickle slices, 1oz of almonds, sugar free jell-o or slices of jicama to go with it.
  • ashleab37
    ashleab37 Posts: 575 Member
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    If you have access to a microwave, a grilled chicken breast + a pack of steam veg is PERFECT.
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    It's well worth joining this group for ideas and advice: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-group

    Salads and veg with meat or protein are obvious choices.

    I love adding veg to salads - lightly steam broccoli and green beans, leave to cool then add to your salad (or make extra with dinner the night before). Lovely with a dressing made from lemon juice, olive oil and mustard.

    Mix a tin of tuna, chopped onions and chopped tomatoes together with some olive oil and dried oregano - takes two minutes to prepare and tastes great. If you have carbs to spare then some beans or chickpeas added is also great.

    Another go-to lunch is Spanish omelette. Keeps for a couple of days in the fridge so you can slice off portions for lunch (or make mini omelettes by putting cooked veg into muffin trays, pour over egg and grated cheese, bake. They pop out easily and are great for lunch by themselves or with a salad).

    If I haven't prepared anything I buy a bag of ready-prepared salad leaves and some ham or beef - instant lunch.

    Muffin in a minute (MIM) if you have a microwave - chocolate MIM smeared with peanut butter is delicious! Search the forums for 'MIM' for recipes.
  • shar140
    shar140 Posts: 1,158 Member
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    I sometimes cook up a whole bag of frozen chicken at once, then use it all week - on salads, with some frozen veg, etc. Mix up the spices, too. For salads, I'll do like a cobb salad, or with an avocado, or buffalo chicken (mix some hot sauce and butter or cream cheese with the cut up chicken, heat, and top salad), add chili powder and whatever other seasonings for a taco/fajita salad. Add some nuts (be careful of the carbs though), some cheese, whatever you want! Coconut oil mixed with the chicken is good, too, atop a salad, rather than dressing. Or, I'll just toss the chicken in with some frozen veggies or leftovers from the night before. Again, play with your spices, add different fats (butter, cream cheese, coconut oil, avocado, nuts, etc).

    Feel free to browse my diary - my carbs are a little higher (I try to limit to 100g/day, I can go that high with my activity level, but if I don't workout as much, I have to drop around 50-60), but just eliminate and bananas/sweet potatoes/other fruits to lower the carbs more. I mainly eat protein, fat, and veggies, however. My calories are also higher - again, due to my activity level, I'd need to drop more if I wasn't as active.
  • cosplayerkyo
    cosplayerkyo Posts: 30 Member
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    When I need to cut carbs, I eat tons of chicken breast, salsa, and lots of greens. (get fresh salsa and it adds so much wonderful flavor).

    Another excellent condiment to spice things up is Sriracha chili sauce.

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