Working women and Lunch
girlfd
Posts: 12 Member
We are all here for a common goal - to get healthy and stay that way. If we were able to afford me being a stay at home mom, I would in a heartbeat but alas I have to work full time to support my family. I have been trying to make healthier choices but sice my co workers like to eat out several days a week I hav ebeen eaing alone and need more lunch ideas. (I don't mind eating alone it is the only quiet time I get and I spend my lunch hour reading 
) I am looking for ideas of good healthy lunches I can pack to take with me. I would like to avoid frozen meals that I have to microwave. Any ideas are welcome. I need to expand my taste uds 
) I am looking for ideas of good healthy lunches I can pack to take with me. I would like to avoid frozen meals that I have to microwave. Any ideas are welcome. I need to expand my taste uds 0
Replies
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my tips: plan ahead/prepare ahead.
I do't know what you like to eat - but here is what i do (90% of my meals are made at home from scratch).
1. On the weekends or when you have the time - make a big batch of chicken breast, meat, chicken patties, fish, veggie burgers - whatever you like. I usually make chicken breast and chicken patties and once a month or so i'll make a batch of veggie burgers as well. all go in the freezer (I put them in ziplock bags. after they are almost frozen, take it out, break them up and refreeze, that prevents clumping).
2. also, make batches of beans - i use my slow cooker for this, i usually make one big batch of chickpeas and one of vegetarian baked beans. also get portioned out into baggies and frozen in one container or ziplock.
3. also, make sure you have fresh veggies. i make a cabbage salad that lasts for 3-4 days at a time. lettuce - wash, dry, wrap in paper towels. wash your other vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers peppers etc).
4. now all you ahve to do is assemble: the ngiht before, put some cabbage salad in a box, and refrigerate, or make a lettuce salad. in the AM, pull out one of your protein options and you're ready to go. At work, i leave the box out till lunch time (it works for me - if you prefer you can refrigerate), then i zap the protein in the fridge and i'm good to go.
5. additional salad options: "mexican" - add black beans, avocado, sour cream to the lettuce salad. Greek - add cubes of low fat feta cheese, drizeel with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Nicoise - add tuna, egg, boiled potato. etc - use your imagination.0 -
tilapia works good too. cook on Sunday and take out of fridge each day. I roast cauliflower and cabbage portions too all at once. low fat yogurt . I weigh it all and package individual. bought turkey to slice and take this week too.0
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What is the difference between being a stay at home mum and a working mum when it comes to lunch? I pack the kids' lunches and then eat much the same myself. Everything is plus a piece of fruit or carrot sticks...
Edgells four bean mix, a couple of handfuls of bag salad, Red Kelly's salad dressing.
A couple of cups of cous cous made with diced onion, diced carrot, frozen peas and chicken stock.
A burrito made with some beef mince, some capsicum, some cheese and some salsa wrapped inside a tortilla, baked the night before.
A chicken salad and avocado sandwich.
Chicken mushroom pasta in white sauce.
A piece of corn microwaved and wrapped in foil, with some naan bread, goat's cheese and olives.
Tomorrow looks like: left over steak and salad sandwich One kid will take an onion omelette.0 -
What is the difference between being a stay at home mum and a working mum when it comes to lunch? I pack the kids' lunches and then eat much the same myself. Everything is plus a piece of fruit or carrot sticks...
Edgells four bean mix, a couple of handfuls of bag salad, Red Kelly's salad dressing.
A couple of cups of cous cous made with diced onion, diced carrot, frozen peas and chicken stock.
A burrito made with some beef mince, some capsicum, some cheese and some salsa wrapped inside a tortilla, baked the night before.
A chicken salad and avocado sandwich.
Chicken mushroom pasta in white sauce.
A piece of corn microwaved and wrapped in foil, with some naan bread, goat's cheese and olives.
Tomorrow looks like: left over steak and salad sandwich One kid will take an onion omelette.
Darn, your kids have it real good. Chicken mushroom pasta for lunch? Yum.0 -
I've started having sort of antipasto lunches. I just keep a bag of deli turkey and a container of cherry tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts and mozzarella balls in olive oil and herbs in the work fridge.0
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I have to be honest and say I am not really good at pre-planning meals and portioning them out for the week. I make easy meals for me for lunch..they may not appeal to everyone:
Progresso Light Soup and fruit side (strawberries and blueberries)
Turkey sandwich on low cal wheat with mustard and fruit side
PB2 peanut butter and banana sandwich on low cal wheat bread with veggie side
Spinach and canned chicken breast salad with balsalmic and feta cheese
I do love subway salads too!0 -
I cheat. I take Healthy Choice steaming entrees, or something similar and add some fruit and a protein shake later in the day....0
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I make Greek salads with romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, garbanzo beans, kalamata olives, banana peppers and feta. Dressing is homemade with Olive oil, white rice vinegar, oregano, garlic, thyme and salts and pepper.
Chipotle bowl with brown rice, chicken, black beans, cheese, guacamole and salsa. (make the rice and chicken on the weekend and scoop into a bowl each morning.)
Some days I just make a veggie/meat tray. Hard boiled eggs, cheese, lunch meat, tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries.0 -
I eat left overs.
I cook 2x a week. I cook eggs 2-3 times a week ( I do veggies sauted and then add eggs- to make an egg scramble).
I usually cook Sunday- and then Wendesday. I pre-portion/measure all my food out and put in individual tupperwear. I buy a big bag of carrots- and then pre-bag them. Then I take a tomatoe- and green pepper to work and slice them up here.
Hard boiled eggs I make 2 times a week also.
So when I pack lunch in the AM- it's easy- just grab tupperwear and pre-bagged stuff and go. I eat really well at lunch and look fabulous. 0 -
I make a big batch of some sort of noodle, bean, or grain salad on Sunday and portion it out for the week.
I throw a portion on top of greens each day, and may add in a string cheese, avocado, or some other veggie as my macros allow.0 -
My favorite go-to lunch lately has been veggies and hummus.
I also really like salads (mine generally have mixed greens, spinach, carrots, cucumber, 1/4 avacado, grilled chicken, and light balsamic dressing (40 cal for 2tbs).
I've also made avacado chicken salad (1 avacado, 2-3 breasts of chicken--cubed or shredded, 1/2 onion chopped, juice of 1 lime, salt and pepper to taste) and made sandwiches with that.0 -
We are all here for a common goal - to get healthy and stay that way. If we were able to afford me being a stay at home mom, I would in a heartbeat but alas I have to work full time to support my family. I have been trying to make healthier choices but sice my co workers like to eat out several days a week I hav ebeen eaing alone and need more lunch ideas. (I don't mind eating alone it is the only quiet time I get and I spend my lunch hour reading ) I am looking for ideas of good healthy lunches I can pack to take with me. I would like to avoid frozen meals that I have to microwave. Any ideas are welcome. I need to expand my taste uds
It's not your choice, but you shouldn't be embarrassed about working. Women who stay at home and lose all their skills often get screwed if their spouse dies or leaves. Why don't you use the time for a brisk walk?0 -
Depends on what i'm in the mood for. I either cook some chicken in a marinade on sunday, I bring everything into work and keep it in my work fridge and make fresh. I make either a salad with chicken in it or I will use wraps and make a salad and a sandwich or a salad wrap. Depends on my mood. Its usually green leaf lettuce or baby spinach, olives of some kind, lite dressing if I'm in the mood, some kind of cheese for fat (pick either sandwich or salad to put it in, not both) varies from fresh mozzarella to aged cheddar to parm, cucumbers, tomatoes.0
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I mostly pack sandwiches. Flat out wrap, oscar mayer deli thin ham and/or turkey, a slice of pepper jack or sharp cheddar and a handful of baby romaine. Add on a piece of fruit and/or veg. Easy to make, easy to eat. Sometimes also pack leftovers.0
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Leftovers0
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Today I had soup and a sandwich. I had an egg mayo sandwich but brought the egg mayo in a tub as I find it makes my bread soggy otherwise.
Also, maybe not the healthiest idea but I like weight watchers meals with some extra vegetables.0 -
We are all here for a common goal - to get healthy and stay that way. If we were able to afford me being a stay at home mom, I would in a heartbeat but alas I have to work full time to support my family. I have been trying to make healthier choices but sice my co workers like to eat out several days a week I hav ebeen eaing alone and need more lunch ideas. (I don't mind eating alone it is the only quiet time I get and I spend my lunch hour reading ) I am looking for ideas of good healthy lunches I can pack to take with me. I would like to avoid frozen meals that I have to microwave. Any ideas are welcome. I need to expand my taste uds
It's not your choice, but you shouldn't be embarrassed about working. Women who stay at home and lose all their skills often get screwed if their spouse dies or leaves. Why don't you use the time for a brisk walk?
I also second the walking idea if at all possible. I also walk every day, I get an hour lunch so I go for a 30 minute walk and 30 minutes for lunch. It's only about 1.5 miles a day but they all start adding up over the month if you do it mon - fri 0 -
I make my lunch the night before that way I have the time to put some thought into it.
I make a variety of sandwiches....egg salad or tuna salad, lean turkey breast, etc. I also like to take those small cans of flavored tuna. Salads are nice as well, I like to make Tex-Mex salads with corn and black beans, red onions, red peppers, chicken breast, a bit of light cheddar and light ranch dressing mixed with salsa. Add somes crushed up baked corn chips......sooooo good.
Leftovers from supper are nice as well.
As for snacks, I bring yogurt, fruit and cut up veggies, cottage cheese, granola bars and hummus.0 -
I also second the walking idea if at all possible. I also walk every day, I get an hour lunch so I go for a 30 minute walk and 30 minutes for lunch. It's only about 1.5 miles a day but they all start adding up over the month if you do it mon - fri
I third this - I have an office job so i'm sitting on my backside for 8 hours a day, so every lunch time I get myself up and go for at least a 30 min walk. I use Runkeeper to track it so the calories burned are added to my MFP stats and it's amazing how they soon start to add up.
Most days I have a sandwich made with 'thins' as they are called here, they're basically paper thin slices of bread with very few calories, and I fill it with low fat cheese (Philly) and ham etc. Soup is also very good, and will be back on the menu now the winter weather is drawing back in. 0 -
Tons of options!
Twice a week I make a salad and bring it with me (I switch up ingredients each week so the salads are never same old boring stuff). Twice a week I either bring leftovers from a healthy dinner, a sweet potatoe that I can nuke and add a piece of fruit with it, a low cal soup (Progresso has tons), or a sandwich and fruit from home. On Fridays I do eat out with co-workers but try to eat at not so horrible places like subway.0 -
last nights dinner
egg, mustard, spinach (or power green i have today), celery mushroom mashed together.
tuna
oatmeal
open diary and i log everything and I bring lunch to work everyday.0 -
Most nights, we cook a protein and simply cook enough to take for lunch the next day as well. I pair this with raw veggies or fruit, and sometimes wild rice. On days when we don't have leftovers, I either bring a mixed green salad and just make sure my afternoon snack includes extra protein, or I bring a sandwich.0
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I always make enough dinner that I have 1-2 servings of left overs for lunch. Also good old fashioned sandwiches and can of soup.0
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Great ideas! I am somewhat boring, I do lots of sandwiches or salads or lean cuisines with extra veggies.0
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I try to pre-plan as much as possible for all my meals, when I don't I end up grabbing not so healthy food
I tend to spend sunday or monday making as much food as possible to last us a few days. For instance this week for lunch everyday I'm having pasta with veggies and a soy-meat item (specificallyy I sauteed eggplant, spinach & mushrooms in a little olive oil & italian seasoning for the veggies part, but that alters depending on what I bought!), the "meat" item varies too... my husband might get chicken, I might use beans, we might do shrimp, etc. I could of done rice instead of pasta as well. Basically carb/veggie/protein and something that will last a few days Also, if I make a big enough batch of the veggies/sauce I can freeze half of it and have that ready for lunches another week!
I also break it all up into even tupperwares so that I can just grab one everyday and I already know what my calories are in each one.
I try to do the same for snacks and dinner prep too. all at once I'll try to chop up veggies, fruits, etc. cook/prep whatever I can so that it is ready to go as a snack or for use in cooking dinner. It takes a lot of time to do all this at once, but it's so nice not having to do it everyday.0 -
What is the difference between being a stay at home mum and a working mum when it comes to lunch?
the difference is that I only have a microwave to heat things and a tiny fridge at work. At home I would have a full fridge full of stuff and an over, toaster oven, coffee maker, and microwave0 -
Hey there! I'm sure you might have read similar suggestions, but here's my intake!
As a full-time post-bacc (and a full-time artist) I find it hard to have time to make a home-cooked meal for myself (let alone with children-- wow you must be a busy woman!)
I think preparing ahead of time is the vital key here. Try to invest in something like a crockpot (great for soups and healthy too!) so that you can make something that will last you. I think tupperware is definitely your best friend too, here-- you can also make some delicious veggie side dishes too! I'm sure you can find a ton of clever, fast, and satisfying ideas online!
But if you do want to go out, that's fine, too-- but obvious don't do it every day of the week. Maybe once a week or once every other week. And when you do be conscious of your serving size (since you can't really control that in a restaurant). I usually tend to cut my meals in half and request for a to-go box at around the beginning of the meal. If you're like me, looking at food in front of you is bad news, even if you're full!
I hope these recommendations help!
Kayleigh0 -
What is the difference between being a stay at home mum and a working mum when it comes to lunch?
the difference is that I only have a microwave to heat things and a tiny fridge at work. At home I would have a full fridge full of stuff and an over, toaster oven, coffee maker, and microwave
Yeah, resources and time are definitely limited. While I'm certain a stay at home mom does her fair share of work, she doesn't have the resources to really make anything that isn't microwavable, either. It's a lot more complicated.0 -
I really apprecioate all the constructive comments and ideas. I have had a hard time getting back on track with planning out meals. For a while I sat down and planned the weeks dinners and shopped for the food and knew everyday what we were having and even had a few optional meals at the ready. Guess I hadn'tconsidered expanding the amt I make for dinner so that I have enough for leftovers! my co workers have talked about all of us eating a quick lunch then going for a walk to get in some exercise. maybe I will start packing my mp3 player and taking a walk. i do not have a job that I sit down 8 hrs a day. Some days I am at a desk 8 hrs sme days I am on my feet runnign around or driving around for all 9 hrs I am at work.
PS I have nothing against stay at home moms. I have been a stay at home mom. But the reality of it is you can throw food in teh crock pot, you can throw things in the oven, or in a pan and cook it with the kids at home. Working moms don't have theluxury of doing that. most have the option of eatin out or eating something nuked or right out of the fridge. Don't just assume that everything coming out of another person's mouth( or fingers) is malicious. it is more about the logistics. I know plenty of moms that stay home and are extremely busy but face it you main job is taking the best care of your children as possible and feeding them properly and at ther appropriate time si is and should be a priority. you can mak time to make food at home0 -
We are all here for a common goal - to get healthy and stay that way. If we were able to afford me being a stay at home mom, I would in a heartbeat but alas I have to work full time to support my family. I have been trying to make healthier choices but sice my co workers like to eat out several days a week I hav ebeen eaing alone and need more lunch ideas. (I don't mind eating alone it is the only quiet time I get and I spend my lunch hour reading ) I am looking for ideas of good healthy lunches I can pack to take with me. I would like to avoid frozen meals that I have to microwave. Any ideas are welcome. I need to expand my taste uds
Chicken breast and veggies or turkey and veggies. I like my lunch simple and bland. Easy to eat on the fly. I save the good stuff for dinner. At lunch and at work you're just trying to hold over.0
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