Convenience Foods
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phillrachel
Posts: 36
Okay I just started tracking a week ago and haven't been doing a great job. I need to get to the store this weekend and purchase tons of veggies and fruit.
I need to know what you guys have as your quick foods for breakfast and lunch. I don't have time to whip up eggs for breakfast in the morning. I normally eat a special k protein meal bar by they are higher in sugar. Also, I have been bringing Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice and Weight Watchers meals for lunch.
So give me all your convenient quick foods for a busy mom on the go.
Thanks.
I need to know what you guys have as your quick foods for breakfast and lunch. I don't have time to whip up eggs for breakfast in the morning. I normally eat a special k protein meal bar by they are higher in sugar. Also, I have been bringing Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice and Weight Watchers meals for lunch.
So give me all your convenient quick foods for a busy mom on the go.
Thanks.
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Replies
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My quick favorite breakfast: Fage greek yogurt with honey or strawberry (around 150 cals) and water. If I'm extra hungry that morning I'll zap 2 Applegate farms chicken & maple breakfast sausage (50 cals/sausage link).
Lunch is usually leftover dinner or Subway. Snacks are crackers (rice crackers or triscuits; around 120 cals/serving), and a mini babybel cheese circle (50 cals each).0 -
If you need something quick in the morning, Quest bars are a good choice. They are well rounded with good carbs and protein, not to mention their outstanding fiber content. You can pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds and they are heaven! And they keep you full longer than any meal bar I have ever had!0
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For lunch I use the single-serve low sodium tuna pouches with a plastic fork, baggies of carrot chips or other pre-cut veggies, and a baggy of weighed-out nuts. It's kind of a random collection of food, but it's decent for me, filling, and takes about 2 minutes to pack.0
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I have two children, and work outside the home full time. Every morning I eat two strawberry Eggo waffles, and 1 cup of non-fat or 1/% milk. I also have found out this week that if I go ahead and cut up my veggies on Sunday night and go ahead and put each days worth in a baggie then I can just grab it on my way out the door! For lunch I just make a sandwhich in the morning, or grab a foot long Subway sandwhich, that will be lunch for 2 days! Hope this helps!0
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Breakfast
english muffins w/ almond or peanut butter and a banana
eggs, real cheddar cheese slices, english muffin sandwich
old fashioned oats--make them overnight and do multiple portions
Lunch:
canned chili (low sodium varieties)
hummus, lettuce, and canned tuna in a pita
bagged salad--add nuts, avocado, lean protein and olive oil
rotisserie chicken tacos --corn tortilla shells, lettuce, black beans, lowfat cheese0 -
kashi dark chocolate coconut granola bars are one of my favorites, less calories and half the sugar of special K bars, but twice as big. i also eat no added sugar fruit leathers, whole wheat fig newtons (Barbara's bakery brand), amy's light meals, Evol meals/burritos, Tabatchnick chilis/soups. those are all lower-fat, more wholesome heat-up meals, but you still have to watch the sodium content in any packaged meal like that. check out the natural foods section in your local grocery store, they usually have a lot of healthier frozen/packaged/bagged options. it takes me forever to grocery shop because i read the labels on everything.
edit: just looked through my cupboard and i think i'm a snack hoarder, but i have
-salt & vinegar pop chips
-salt & pepper almonds
-boom chicka pop lightly sweet
-larabars (chocolate chip cookie flavor)
-ThinkThin bars
-KIND bars
i have a lot of carb-rich snacks because i run/hike frequently and like to take something that's portable.0 -
My go-to breakfast choices are either toast with peanut butter and a piece of fruit, or a Luna Bar. Lately I've been eating the multigrain waffles from Whole Foods (365 brand) with blueberry preserves, but that is when I don't have to be anywhere in the morning.
Lunch is usually a sandwich and chips or veggies. Sometimes I eat leftovers from dinner or a Smart One.
Snacks are either popcorn, string cheese and fruit, or chips and a 100 cal pack of wholly guacamole.
Hope this helps.0 -
If you're fixing a healthy dinner at night, box up a serving in some tupperware (or whatever) and take that for lunch instead of those frozen meals. I know they're better than other frozen meals but they tend to be small portions and have tons of sodium.0
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Scrambled eggs take about 5 minutes to make - just set your alarm 5 minutes earlier.
Or make boiled eggs the night before.0 -
I boil eggs for a quick breakfast along with Fage 0% yogurt. I also cut up fruit and veggies on Sunday night and throw those in my lunch with some hummus for a healthy snack. If you have salt cravings, I love PopChips, only 100 cals per serving.0
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Bump for later0
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eggs really don't take that long to cook, I usually make eggs with spinach mushrooms and onions on a bagel thin. English muffin with PB, plain greek yogurt with granola. or smoothies0
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i an a working mom too, and i have found that no matter what i have to dedicate at least an hour ever other day or so for prep time. i cut up veggies, make a hugh salad, make up a tuna and celery mixture and always make sure there are hard boiled eggs in the fridge..i also make sure that every couple of days i cook up enough chicken breast to do me for a few days. for breakfast i usually have a salad with a boiled egg and 1 piece of weight watchers toast. all ready to go..for lunch a salad again with a chicken or tuna wrap. lots of fresh fruit ready to grab helps me too0
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Breakfast:
1 T peanut butter on 1 slice 40 calorie bread
or
Fruit Smoothie0 -
I have a bowl of Kashi Go Lean cereal in the mornings. For lunch I keep a box of the Morningstar Black Bean Chipotle Burgers in the freezer at work and I'll have one of those and a salad. Can you do any prep at work--like keep salad makings there and put one together on your lunch break?0
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I have one cup of Greek yogurt and a quarter cup of grapenuts as my quick breakfast. Also good with any kind of berry.
As for timing, my partner has eggs every morning. He puts a bit of frozen spinach in the pan, gets out the fixings for salad while that is thawing. Breaks the eggs on top the spinach, goes back to the salad... Our salads are:
2 cups spring greens
2 flowerets cauliflower
1 oz. feta
4 black olives (I usually leave these out, but they are healthy fats)
2-3 oz. deli turkey slices (I sometimes have tuna, instead)
We also take nuts and fruit to work with us, as those are grab and go.0 -
I make a big crockpot of oatmeal on Sundays and reheat that for breakfast. I usually do an egg over easy to go with it if I've got 10 minutes. For lunch, I buy those steamfresh veggies, the kind with no sauce or anything, and eat that along with a piece of pre-grilled chicken. The chicken has a lot of sodium but otherwise it's pretty good. I get generic brand veggies and chicken at Sam's Club.
I totally agree with the other posters suggesting leftovers from dinner too, if you can! They don't always last long at my house with my "little" teenage brother chowing down, unfortunately!0 -
Why not prepare foods in advance? Those quick, ready to grab meals tend to lack nutrition and can be high in sodium, sugars, etc. It really doesn't take a lot of time to prepare healthy meals at home for quick grab and go times.
When you cook dinner, cook extra portions. When it's ready portion out the extras, put in containers and pop into the fridge or freezer for lunches. It doesn't take much more time since you are already making dinner. Put in some extra veggies, extra meat, etc. If you cook chicken breast for dinner, bake extra. Than take them and than cut some up for salads, wraps, stir frys, etc. Leave some whole for a meal. Cut some up for sandwiches. When you chop veggies for dinner, chop up extra for snacks or to freeze for quick adding to meals.
For breakfasts, take a few minutes when you have it and cook up a few eggs.. just fry them in a pan. Than leave them in the fridge and it's quick to pop onto a piece of toast, bagel or english muffin for a quick breakfast. What I used to do when I needed something quick was mix up a few eggs in a container and than pop into the microwave for a few mins. Take out and pop on a bagel or bread. Quick and easy breakfast.
When you have a free day or a few few hours, make a huge bowl of salad so you can just grab some for either dinner or to pop into a container for lunch at work. Add some of the chicken that was cooked and cut up and you are good to go. You can do the same with either turkey, steak or another meat. You can also take some of that salad or prepared lettuce and put into a wrap or onto a bun/bread for a sandwich. I did this all the time when I was working a lot and didn't have a lot of time. Make a big pot of chili or soup. Portion into containers and freeze for quick lunches that are much better for you than those frozen meals... and it works out to be much cheaper. I have done the same with pastas.
There are tons of ways to make good food when you don't have a ton of time.0 -
What about boiled eggs? I start the eggs , go shower, and by the time im out the eggs are boiled, leave them in cold water while i dress/makeup, then peelegg quickly and eat in either car, or at work.
If not... greek yogurts are fast and easy, microwaveable oats, peanutbutter/banana...0 -
I found a muffin recipe that uses oat bran (to help keep full), made sure it has fruit in it, substituted splenda for the sugar, and it has eggs. I usually whip them up on the weekends and keep them in the fridge to grab on the go. Usually does a decent job until lunch. Message me if interested in the recipe, but not sure if that is more prep than you want during the week. You do have to keep them in the fridge or freezer though because they do not contain preservatives.0
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