Healthy Lunch

J5414
J5414 Posts: 24 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have to take a lunch to work everyday. Does anyone know some cheap healthy lunch ideas. I usually take a lean cuisine or a lean pocket but I would like to get away from processed foods. It also needs to be fairly cheap. Any advice would be appreciated.

Replies

  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    Grilled chicken (you can get the pre cooked strips or pop one in the oven in the morning while you get ready or the night before), a premade casserole/quiche, salad, beans and cheese with salsa, chicken/tuna salad, wraps.
  • ruthcriger
    ruthcriger Posts: 4 Member
    I am about to make a pot of vegetarian chili made with beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers and spices. I will portion it out and take it to work. You could top it with a bit of shredded cheese. This plus a piece of fruit would make a good lunch.
  • duckiec
    duckiec Posts: 241 Member
    I have a fridge at work where I bring a weeks worth of supplies on Monday, and eat it thru the week. Even if you have to keep it at home, it's pretty cost effective (I've included my general prices, I can do better by buying sale items but it gives you an idea):

    1) Lo-cal, high-fiber/protein wraps (i.e. Flat Out Light) - $3.49/6.
    2) Tub deli turkey/chicken - $3.50 Or, leftover grilled/baked chicken or whatever protein we have around.
    3) Baby spinach $2.50
    4) Strawberries ($5/ 2lbs)
    5) Blueberries ($4/5oz)
    6) Dannon LIght Greek Yogurt ($3.50/4)

    About $20 for a week worth of lunches, and there are leftovers at the end of the week to go into the weekend. I sometimes get different/in season fruit, maybe add some veggies to the wraps, and I also keep some mustard in the fridge, too. Boring, but gets the job done easily and quickly when it comes time.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Since I typically have a healthy homemade dinner, I find leftovers to be the easiest and cheapest way to get a healthy lunch.

    On days when there are no leftovers (like today) I typically bring a sandwich wrap - high fiber wrap, canned tuna (or other leftover meat or hummus), generous handful of leafy greens (spinach today) and other chopped veggies (tomato, celery, onion today)
  • JodieP13
    JodieP13 Posts: 94 Member
    I roasted two whole chickens yesterday, one for Sunday dinner, one for a whole week worth of chicken salad. It gets a little boring, but it's better than the alternative of not having a food plan for the week. That's when I get into trouble!
  • booboo68
    booboo68 Posts: 302 Member
    Bring leftovers
    Grill several boneless skinless chicken breasts
    Boil a dozen eggs
    Grill a sirloin

    I top salad with the protein and eat for lunch with a piece of fruit or greek yogurt, or I mix the protein with rice and veggies.

    Other options:

    Tuna pouches
    Protein shake or bar with a piece of fruit
    Finger foods: Green olives, almonds, carrots and celery, cheese stick, jerky, piece of fruit
  • LydsVille77
    LydsVille77 Posts: 126 Member
    I prep on Sundays... This week:

    MON and WED- Turkey patty with steamed veggies and berries with plain yogurt
    TUES and THURS- Chicken breast with a boiled yam and cottage cheese
    FRIDAY- I allow myself to have a little bread, so a sandwich on whole wheat with fruit

    I also always have unsalted plain almonds in my desk for hunger emergencies/snack cravings.

    Boring? Sometimes, but I'm saving time and money,. And I make sure to keep my dinners exciting.
  • timboman365
    timboman365 Posts: 19 Member
    I just started doing this and so far it's fun and yes, CHEAP. I buy a bag of frozen mixed vegetables that sound good. The first time a bought a southwestern mix second time I bought one with mushrooms brocoli and carrots. Then I portion them out into five plastic containers for each day of lunch. Either the night before or the morning of I add whatever leftovers to it (chicken, steak, beans etc) then put on some salsa or tomato sauce and I'm ready to go. Sometimes I add some ricotta cheese. I leave it in my lunch and don't even bother heating it up. Oh, yeah. One week I missed taking one to work and had it on Saturday morning for breakfast. I added a fried egg and refried beans. It was delicious!!!
    ts
  • Diet_Soda
    Diet_Soda Posts: 124 Member
    I cook on Sunday and package my lunches for the week. I eat the same thing five days straight. I love soups, curries, and anything mixed with quinoa. I also sometimes have just Greek yogurt and a large bowl of cut fruit.
  • vvvalentines
    vvvalentines Posts: 151
    Boring, but easy and my go-to school lunch:

    1 bag of frozen veggies (usually broccoli)
    4 oz grilled wild-caught salmon (I get mine from Aldi, it's very inexpensive at $8 for a big pack of individual filets)
    Olive oil, lemon juice, turmeric, garlic, and black pepper (very good blend for health, look up "healthy food pairings" for info)

    Heat veggies according to package directions, cook salmon in a pan with a little olive oil, put veggies in a container to take for lunch, put salmon on top, add oil/lemon/seasonings. I like having this combo with a banana on the side.

    Pack of veggies - ~$2
    Salmon - <$1, not exactly sure how many pieces are in the $8 bag but it's more than 8
    Olive oil, lemon, etc - a few cents
    Banana - <$1

    Lunch total - ~$4
  • Gkfrkv
    Gkfrkv Posts: 120
    I have a few standard options:

    1. Leftovers 1/2 or 1/4 of dinner portion
    2. Bread, boiled eggs and avocado
    3. Oatmeal and fruit
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    I do long shifts so only need food for 3 days, nothing if I do nights.

    I tend to have rice, pasta, quinoa and just add tuna with soya or mayonnaise etc I think I need to start doing a cook one day a week and mix it up a bit & add veg. Though I couldn't live on a salad or sandwich for the whole day.

    Anyone got quinoa ideas?
  • Go_Duke_2011
    Go_Duke_2011 Posts: 5 Member
    One of my favorite dishes is a grilled chicken breast (usually throw it on my George foreman) either brown rice or quinoa, and a tablespoon of peanut butter that I heat with about a 1/4 cup of water and half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Make the sauce and mix with the rice and chicken and you have a nice spicy Thai peanut chicken dish.....about 355 cals (with the brown rice) so not too bad...95 of those cals are the peanut butter so it's a relative good source of fat for the dish. Quinoa adds a title more protein also but will obviously take the calories up a little. Adding some broccoli to it would literally make it perfect.
  • xoeva
    xoeva Posts: 209 Member
    While I was waiting for a friend at a doctor's office I read a magazine...can't remember the name but it showed how to put salad in a jar. So take a big mason jar (buy some, ask someone who cans to give you one or try a thrift store). Put the salad dressing (low fat) first, then lettuce , spinach, cut veg, I add strawberries, bits of nuts, cooked egg or nuts or salad stuff. Then just before your lunch time put it upside down so the dressing goes all over. Flip over again and enjoy. Super idea, visually beautiful, and low cal, very filling. I eat it with a ryvita cracker which I love. Next week I'll add a bit of tuna. The best part is that the salad part doesn't get soggy ...and : It's a conversation starter! Try it!
  • PrettyPearl88
    PrettyPearl88 Posts: 368 Member
    I'm boring, I always bring pretty much the exact same thing for lunch. It's always either a turkey or chicken sandwich with cheese on pita bread (I *LOVE* pita bread lol!), sometimes with lettuce. I have that and a greek yogurt cup. Everyday lol.
  • emelia_
    emelia_ Posts: 91
    Rice and chicken with lots of veggies :)
  • amandatapar
    amandatapar Posts: 246 Member
    My lunch today

    - turkey on a pita/flat bread thing
    - 1 cup of raw cauliflower
    - medium honey crisp apple
    - protein shake
  • Cass0422
    Cass0422 Posts: 26 Member
    I love making chicken salad with avocado instead of mayo. It has chicken, avocado, tomato, lime juice and cilantro! According to the MFP recipe builder it's 262 calories a serving.
  • lewandt
    lewandt Posts: 566 Member
    I usually try to have leftovers but if not i will freeze things to bring for lunch.

    Freezer been and beef burritos (i make about 10 of them and freeze them) pop in the microwave for about 2 minutes.
    Soups - i freeze them as well. Freeze them in freezer bags, chunks in some and juice in others then just grab one chunk and one juice and microwave.

    Sometimes i take1 or 2 chicken breasts and slice thin and marinate in a fajita seasoning, then stir fry and bring for salads or fajitas (one of my favorite). I make enough for the week.

    Sometimes i bring cottage cheese and some kind of fiber cracker along with a vegetable or sometimes just a salad.

    I always bring snack items too like apples, yogurt, carrots, etc.
  • EszterNZ
    EszterNZ Posts: 51
    My dinners are usually what I have for lunch - which is generally lean chicken or other meat. I usually have between 100-130 grams of cooked meat per serving.
    I then add this to either half a cup of cooked rice or cous cous, heaps of baby spinach, cherry tomatos..whatever other vegetables I have lying around, and sometimes some light dressing. It fills me up SO Much and usually around 300-350 calories for the entire meal.

    If i don't have left overs, I just buy 90g cans of lite tuna, and use that as my "meat".

    On super lazy days, I will grab a can of soup thats around 500 grams.. I buy ones that are as natural as possible, and then have that with a piece of toast. Thats also aroudn 300 calories for me.

    Good luck :)
  • KiaraStill
    KiaraStill Posts: 9
    oh. lunch or dinner I was really boring, a sandwich and a glass of milk, fried chicken and raw vegetables with sauce
  • piersonj
    piersonj Posts: 62 Member
    My husband is a big meat and potato man, so I use lunch for my veggie portions for the day. Veggie soup and salad are my go to lunches. A ministrone style soup gives a good amount of fiber with your veggies. I get what ever fresh veggies hit my fancy at the store in the winter and the farmers markets in the spring - fall. Then each evening I can put together a quick salad or crudites. I will usually "splurge" with a mini belle cheese or a wedge of low cal cheese spread on melba a couple of days each week.

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