Working Lunch help

Options
christhezulu
christhezulu Posts: 12
in Food and Nutrition
I work in an office in the Heathrow Area and we don’t have any onsite canteen/restaurant which is something I was spoiled with in my previous role at another site as we had a salad bar and Sandwich counter where we could get made to order sandwiches etc like subway.
Now at lunch time I’m ‘’blessed’’ by a tesco express across the road which I’m sure you can imagine is a barrel of laughs and full of choice (NOT!).

I’m looking at trying to keep calories down but keep hitting high protein levels but not sure what I should be looking for. Hopefully a few people are in a similar situation and have some helpful hints and tips, otherwise I may have to resort to making lunch at home and bringing it into the office, which is fine, but means I don’t force myself to escape the office for 10 mins of the day and stretch my legs etc.

If I have to resort to homemade lunches, have you got any advice or useful threads/links you can point me too (I’m a newbie on the forums) for quick and easy but good protein level lunches that I could possibly make 2 or 3 portions at a time? I have to leave home at 06:30am most mornings so don’t have the time to make breakfast (2 scrambled eggs and toast) and then make lunch as well etc.

Thanks for any advice! Hopefully I can get out of the routine of a chicken and bacon sandwich and crisps (potato chips) every day which has more calories than necessary for something of that size!

Replies

  • trisH_7183
    trisH_7183 Posts: 1,486 Member
    Options
    These might help. You can also search on here for lunch threads.


    http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/high_protein_low_calorie_lunch_recipes
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/246327-high-protein-lunch-foods/
    http://www.yummly.com/recipes/high-protein-low-fat-lunch
  • shelleycolton
    shelleycolton Posts: 400 Member
    Options
    I'm in a similar place, have a tescos, so i do tend to make my lunch and bring it in; making it the night before. But sometimes Im lazy and dont, so what do i buy, its usually the cooked chicken they have lots of flavours, some morrocan cous cous and cherry tomato. The chicken isn't cheap, so i do try and make it home, its dead easy, smear chicken breast with bbq spice rub (like the discovery fajita one) or mustard or thai red curry paste or pesto whatever i've got in the fridge and oven backe. Slice it and pop into the frdge. My fail safe, this week is I have mustard.

    i also sometimes choose the chicken sushi am not a fish fan.
  • christhezulu
    christhezulu Posts: 12
    Options
    thanks for the info for home made meals, i will take a look at those.
  • christhezulu
    christhezulu Posts: 12
    Options
    I'm in a similar place, have a tescos, so i do tend to make my lunch and bring it in; making it the night before. But sometimes Im lazy and dont, so what do i buy, its usually the cooked chicken they have lots of flavours, some morrocan cous cous and cherry tomato. The chicken isn't cheap, so i do try and make it home, its dead easy, smear chicken breast with bbq spice rub (like the discovery fajita one) or mustard or thai red curry paste or pesto whatever i've got in the fridge and oven backe. Slice it and pop into the frdge. My fail safe, this week is I have mustard.

    i also sometimes choose the chicken sushi am not a fish fan.

    i've looked at doind similar with the chicken although te price is what's put me off as you say. may need to put a few extra breasts in teh oven and make a job lot for the week.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Options
    I get most of my lunches from a Sainsburys local so I can eat at my desk and use the gym at lunch time.

    They have a good choice of individual salads (c. 200 cals including dressing but much lower without) and protein such as chicken breast, salmon, prawns, ham (e.g. 160g of chilli chicken breast slices (231cals, 40g of protein).

    Don't neglect the fruit aisle as well - not all fruit is high calorie (400g of strawberries = 128cals).

    Really it comes down to reading the labels, assembling a meal (rather than a snack) and not just grabbing a sandwich meal deal.
  • roverrowe
    roverrowe Posts: 52 Member
    Options
    I'm lucky in that I can access several good healthy lunch outlets (inc. Pret a Manger which does fantastic low-calorie 'breadless' sandwiches ... if you go easy on the dressing which isn't included in the calorie count), but sometimes do shop at a Tesco Express. They do a few good salad pots (if you avoid the mayo and pasta type ones). Look out for Nanjing rice and king prawn salad (at 230 calories inc. dressing) and Chilli chicken noodle salad (at 195 calories). I add an apple (c.70 cals) and a pack of Snack-a-Jacks (89 calories) for a lunch of around 350-390 calories. Drink water with it.

    I find that when I make a more 'traditional' packed lunch (e.g. sandwich) I end up with more calories, mainly through the pesky bread. Would love to have time to concoct healthy tasty meals with chicken or prawns, but I'm never that organised (always in charge of getting the rest of the family ready for school, nursery and work and never find time for myself).

    Hope this helps a bit.
  • christhezulu
    christhezulu Posts: 12
    Options
    thanks for the help, time to put some effort in for lunchest then, not just at the gym and for dinner! damn ;-)
  • A_Warrior_Princess
    A_Warrior_Princess Posts: 344 Member
    Options
    www.skinnytaste.com has a some great healthy recipes. I use them frequently. Most of them are 4 servings so I portion it out and throw them int he freezer for lunch. Usually I take a day on the weekend and make several meals and then freeze them. Hope it helps!
  • lisamarie1780
    lisamarie1780 Posts: 432 Member
    Options
    I work in an office in the Heathrow Area and we don’t have any onsite canteen/restaurant which is something I was spoiled with in my previous role at another site as we had a salad bar and Sandwich counter where we could get made to order sandwiches etc like subway.
    Now at lunch time I’m ‘’blessed’’ by a tesco express across the road which I’m sure you can imagine is a barrel of laughs and full of choice (NOT!).

    I’m looking at trying to keep calories down but keep hitting high protein levels but not sure what I should be looking for. Hopefully a few people are in a similar situation and have some helpful hints and tips, otherwise I may have to resort to making lunch at home and bringing it into the office, which is fine, but means I don’t force myself to escape the office for 10 mins of the day and stretch my legs etc.

    If I have to resort to homemade lunches, have you got any advice or useful threads/links you can point me too (I’m a newbie on the forums) for quick and easy but good protein level lunches that I could possibly make 2 or 3 portions at a time? I have to leave home at 06:30am most mornings so don’t have the time to make breakfast (2 scrambled eggs and toast) and then make lunch as well etc.

    Thanks for any advice! Hopefully I can get out of the routine of a chicken and bacon sandwich and crisps (potato chips) every day which has more calories than necessary for something of that size!

    I think if you really want to know what is in your food and you want healthy, tasty food then you need to make it yourself. You get more choice that way too... I certainly wouldn't rate Tesco express for lunch haha
    I know how hard it is when you have to be at work so early etc (I used to work as a Midwife and left the house at 5.30am for an early shift) but you can always make your lunch the night before, box it up and put it in the fridge ready to grab before you leave for work.

    My favourite lunch box treats were tuna, boiled egg and avocado salad and prawn salad with chilli sauce.... high protein, low fat... very healthy.
  • timbrom
    timbrom Posts: 303 Member
    Options
    Get a crockpot, a big bag of chicken and some sort of sauce, or salsa. Cut up the chicken and cook it with the sauce in the crockpot over the weekend, pack it up and bring it into lunch. 10 oz of chicken breast is over 50 grams of protein, and it takes about 10-15 minutes of actual effort to have lunch every day for the week. Probably should try to get some veggies in there too, but that's easy enough to do at work assuming you have a microwave, just get them frozen and keep them in the freezer at work.

    All of the above does assume you have a fridge, freezer and microwave at work.
  • jaxbeck
    jaxbeck Posts: 537 Member
    Options
    I prefer bringing in my own lunch....I KNOW what goes into them. I eat a lot of salad with sauteed chicken breast for the filling protein. When I have the money, I buy a TON of different veggies so it doesn't get too boring. I try not to eat too many sandwiches as I am trying to keep my carbs under 100 grams. If I'm out of all my veggies, I will cook up some chicken with some sort of side, like hummus & pita chips/veggies. Love the hummus

Categories