Lunch Ideas for those of us who pack!
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I'm posting in here so I can snacg some of these ideas because a Roast beef sandwhich every single day for lunch is starting to drive me nuts
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I'm a single gal that LOVES to cook, so I bring a lot of leftovers to work. To change it up sometimes, I'll grab something from My Fit Foods (a healthy pre-made meal business in Texas). I save the MFF containers and they are PERFECT for portioning out whatever I make on the weekend.
My conundrum always came when I wanted to make something that serves 6-8. I don't want to eat the same thing every day, so I will usually eat a portion when I make it, and then portion out a couple more for the week, and the last portions get frozen individually. Problem solved! I always have a good variety of leftovers in rotation in the freezer, and I don't have to worry about food going bad, or getting sick of eating the same thing over and over. It took me a little while to get the timing down, but it's perfect for me. I just pull out tomorrow's lunch the night before and put it in the fridge. Even if it's not fully thawed by lunchtime, it's easy enough to heat up in the microwave.
I like to bring a veggie "side" with lunch as well, and for that I steam a bag of frozen vegetables (lately it's been cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots) in a bit of chicken stock with some herbs. That gets portioned out into containers to throw in my lunch bag with whatever other leftovers I'll be having.
I cook a lot of things from skinnytaste.com or emilybites.com. They both have all of the nutrition info posted for each recipe, and a ton of them are already in the MFP database so they're easy to log.
I'm also not a big fan of frozen dinners, but I do occasionally have the ones from Trader Joe's or the ones made by Amy's Organic Kitchen.0 -
Do you have a good turkey chili recipe? I haven't tried it before because I haven't found a good recipe!
This is my recipe, guaranteed to please!
Homemade 3 Bean Turkey Chili
16 oz. ground turkey
1 can dark red kidney bean, undrained
1 can garbanzos, undrained
1 can black beans, undrained
1 small can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes in juice, undrained
1 medium onion, diced
3 TBSP chili powder
Brown the meat. Toss everything else in. Cook on the stove on low for 30 minutes or 5 hours, your choice - the longer, the better!
Edited to add: it makes 12 servings (1-1/4 cup) at 193 calories each.
Thank you!!!0 -
I do weekly food prep on Sundays so I can bring my lunch for work as well. I switch it up so I don't get bored so, depending on the week, I will make a big pot of turkey chili, some sort of soup or stew, enchiladas, other casseroles, pasta dishes, etc. then portion it out in tupperware containers for the week. I will also chop up a bunch of veggies and put together a little side salad to go with whatever else I've made (again, in tupperwares for the week so they're ready to grab and go) and I leave salad dressing in the work fridge. I also make sure I always have healthy snacks--apple or some other fruit, granola bar, yogurt, carrots and hummus, etc. Another easy one is to buy a rotisserie chicken from the store. Sometimes I will portion that out for the week or just do it as needed since it's already made and so simple. Since I'm often not in the mood to cook a big dinner after work, I will also prep for dinners by making another big batch from the above list or having recipes prepped to throw in the slow cooker in the mornings.
Edited for typos.
Do you have a good turkey chili recipe? I haven't tried it before because I haven't found a good recipe!
Ooo, I do! This is my favorite: http://www.elliekrieger.com/turkey-chili
Thank you!! I can't wait to try out all of these new recipes!0 -
I'm posting in here so I can snacg some of these ideas because a Roast beef sandwhich every single day for lunch is starting to drive me nuts
Haha, you just made me smile :bigsmile:
I've been eating the same few things in rotation and decided branching out was a good idea
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It looks like you eat very little. Are you on a temporary calorie deficit? 1,200 is very few calories and you often have calories left over, but it looks like it's working for you very well and you've lost a lot of weight so Congratulations on your sucess.
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I normally pack my lunch when I'm putting dinner leftovers away, so in the morning I just grab n go. I also make soup (everyone in the pool) and eat for a few days, then freeze the rest in freezer bags. I bring cheese (bought a chunk yesterday, cut it into portions and ziploc it) for snacks, salad and that spray dressing to keep in fridge for the week so I always have a basic salad, some yogurts for snacks too. I always tend to get hungry about 3 pm, so I try to have some protein (yogurt, cheese, nuts) to last me to dinner, otherwise I'm STARVING! Today I had freezer soup (hadn't labeled so it was a surprise that it was broccoli cheese), salad and a tiny piece of homemade pizza from last night. A combo of all 3 things of how I prep.
Some of my favorite soups -
White chili - ground turkey, cannalini (sp?) beans, broth/water, kale, green chile, cumin and oregano, s/p, dollop of sour cream or yogurt on top (mash a bit of the beans up to thicken it up)
Lentil, sausage - sausage (anything you like turkey pork etc), lentils, tin of hot habanero Rotel, kale, broth/water, seasons to taste, bay leaves
Broccoli cheese - broccoli, bunch of other veggies, broth/water, cheese. I literally make a veggie soup with just veggies and broth/water, then puree it down and add a handful of cheese till you can taste the cheese. No flour or butter or other thickener.
*onion and garlic in all the soups too, guess that's just a given in my head?0 -
Pack heat and mug someone else for their lunch!0
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I'm a single gal that LOVES to cook, so I bring a lot of leftovers to work. To change it up sometimes, I'll grab something from My Fit Foods (a healthy pre-made meal business in Texas). I save the MFF containers and they are PERFECT for portioning out whatever I make on the weekend.
My conundrum always came when I wanted to make something that serves 6-8. I don't want to eat the same thing every day, so I will usually eat a portion when I make it, and then portion out a couple more for the week, and the last portions get frozen individually. Problem solved! I always have a good variety of leftovers in rotation in the freezer, and I don't have to worry about food going bad, or getting sick of eating the same thing over and over. It took me a little while to get the timing down, but it's perfect for me. I just pull out tomorrow's lunch the night before and put it in the fridge. Even if it's not fully thawed by lunchtime, it's easy enough to heat up in the microwave.
I like to bring a veggie "side" with lunch as well, and for that I steam a bag of frozen vegetables (lately it's been cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots) in a bit of chicken stock with some herbs. That gets portioned out into containers to throw in my lunch bag with whatever other leftovers I'll be having.
I cook a lot of things from skinnytaste.com or emilybites.com. They both have all of the nutrition info posted for each recipe, and a ton of them are already in the MFP database so they're easy to log.
I'm also not a big fan of frozen dinners, but I do occasionally have the ones from Trader Joe's or the ones made by Amy's Organic Kitchen.
From one single cooking-gal to the next, thank you for these ideas. I feel stuck sometimes because I'll find these great recipes that I want to try but I *despise* throwing away the leftovers when I don't get a chance to eat it all. I should start freezing more and rotating around ideas.
Your method of steaming veggies sounds great!0 -
sandwiches with all sorts
wraps with all sorts
pittas with falafel, bell peppers, whatever I can find with houmous.
salads:
spinach, brie, strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing
pasta salad with penne, gorgonzola, rocket and cucumber
pasta with spinach, pesto and parmesan
salad with lettuce, bell pepper, chicken/quorn strips and salsa
slow roasted tomato, basil and pasta salad with roasted pepper and tomato dressing
in my thermal food flask (life saver):
noodles with spinach and sesame seeds
mushroom ragout with pasta
lentil curry with rice
pasta with tomato-basil sauce
chili with rice
egg fried rice with satay sauce
leftover lasagna
risotto
any other one pan dish
soups in the flask with some tasty bread:
tomato-basil soup
carrot coriander soup
minestrone soup
vegetable soup (clear stock with small pieces of vegetables)
other vegetable soup
spinach soup
roasted bell pepper and tomato soup
chicken soup
lentil soup
butternut squash soup
mushroom soup
I love me some tasty homemade soup with really good fresh bread from the German market stall. 0 -
These are all great ideas. I just made chicken stir fry myself that I pack individually and use throughout the week. They are easy to freeze too. Way less sodium than a store bought frozen dinner.0
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I saw this post a few days ago: http://imgur.com/gallery/VyskG and I think some of these look really delicious!0
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I sit behind a desk for a living, so I don't like to bring leftovers from the night before so I tend to have a lighter lunch. Today was just a simple hot dog and a serving of Pop Chips. I also had a morning snack and I'm about to dig into my afternoon snack - baby carrots. But I'll usually have a sandwich wrap, ham, turkey, roast beef lunch meat wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla... usually holds me pretty well, especially if I know I have an afternoon snack coming too!0
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I have the 4cup pyrex dishes with the leak proof lids. I use those for salads with a little grilled chicken. I make my own dressing - 1.5t dijon mustard, 1.5t olive oil, 6T seasoned rice vinegar, 1/2c chopped shallots. Shake it up and add some to your salad at least an hour before you eat so it can soak in.
Leftovers are easy - I often just do a protein and veggies because I get a ton of carbs throughout the day.
Wraps - my favorite is garlic hummus, tomato, cucumber, red onion, grilled chicken.
On a lazy day with no groceries - tuna salad and saltines
Random assortment - a bunch of snacks, all at the same time (cut up fruit, hard boiled egg, veggies, hummus, etc)
I try to pack a 2cup pyrex of veggies each day. I usually make a big batch of roasted veggies and use it throughout the week. I do broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower most of the time (little salt and pepper, olive oil, bake at 400 until it starts to get crispy). Sometimes I eat this with lunch, sometimes as an afternoon snack. Other easy to roast veggies are asparagus, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, beets.
Bean and cheese burritos - I make flour tortillas on the stove and refried beans in the crockpot, then combine with some shredded cheese, wrap, freeze. I let it defrost in my lunch bag from morning til lunch time. Message me if you want either recipe.
My diary is open and I log Mon-Fri - feel free to check it out.0 -
sandwiches with all sorts
wraps with all sorts
pittas with falafel, bell peppers, whatever I can find with houmous.
salads:
spinach, brie, strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing
pasta salad with penne, gorgonzola, rocket and cucumber
pasta with spinach, pesto and parmesan
salad with lettuce, bell pepper, chicken/quorn strips and salsa
slow roasted tomato, basil and pasta salad with roasted pepper and tomato dressing
in my thermal food flask (life saver):
noodles with spinach and sesame seeds
mushroom ragout with pasta
lentil curry with rice
pasta with tomato-basil sauce
chili with rice
egg fried rice with satay sauce
leftover lasagna
risotto
any other one pan dish
soups in the flask with some tasty bread:
tomato-basil soup
carrot coriander soup
minestrone soup
vegetable soup (clear stock with small pieces of vegetables)
other vegetable soup
spinach soup
roasted bell pepper and tomato soup
chicken soup
lentil soup
butternut squash soup
mushroom soup
I love me some tasty homemade soup with really good fresh bread from the German market stall.
Tons of delicious ideas! Thank you for sharing 0 -
chicken salad, sometimes I make my own lunchables with a few crackers, lunchmeat, and low-cal laughing cow spread, sugar free pudding, salad with my homegrown veggies. I like popcorn instead of chips most of the time. Fresh fruit. Sometimes something as simple as a bowl of cereal or a ham and cheese omelet (I have a dish that I can make one in the microwave).
*edited becasue I apparently cannot talk on the phone and spell at the same time.*0 -
Two lunches:
$1.99 for a pack of 6 whole wheat pita bread (90cal/slice)
$2.50 a container of hummus (pick your flavor)
$4.00 a container of tabouleh (where available)
$1.00 yogurt
$1.99 for fresh strawberries (in season now, pretty cheap)0 -
My food diary is open and I pack a lunch almost every day, I am eating around 1200 cals a day. I find inspiration from looking at Bento Box lunches on Pinterest and the web. I believe that if food looks good it is more filling and makes my day/lunch happier.I also find I eat more veggies and fruit if I am making my lunch "pretty".
I also always have a "emergency" snack for the afternoon in case I get that "starved" feeling.
Lunches this week are:
Today- Chicken wrap with lettuce and sundried LC cheese, cherry tomatoes, mini pepper slices, half a banana and a orange.
Wed- Nacho dip (refried beans, greek yogurt w/taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, chives, olives), tortilla chips, pineapple & strawberries
Thur- Chick-salad in a pita with lettuce, apple and carrots
Fri- Crackers, chicken lunch meat, cheese, turkey pepperoni, orange and pineapple0 -
I pack a chicken breast, 2 cups of veggies, a bag of fresh fruit, and no salt seasoning for the chicken.0
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I sit behind a desk for a living, so I don't like to bring leftovers from the night before so I tend to have a lighter lunch. Today was just a simple hot dog and a serving of Pop Chips. I also had a morning snack and I'm about to dig into my afternoon snack - baby carrots. But I'll usually have a sandwich wrap, ham, turkey, roast beef lunch meat wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla... usually holds me pretty well, especially if I know I have an afternoon snack coming too!
I'm a desk-er too and I try not to eat too "heavy" throughout the day since I have less of a chance to work it off... those trips to the printer don't level out much. I haven't tried the Pop Chips-- is there a favorite flavor you like?
Do you eat the baby carrots solo or is there a good dip to have them with?
Thanks for sharing!0
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