Favorite Lunch to Pack?

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itsmewendylee
itsmewendylee Posts: 21 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I like to brown bag it for lunch at work. I do have a small fridge and a microwave for my use. The staples I pack tend to be sandwiches or soup. But sometimes I burn out on the usual stuff. What do you like to pack for lunch? I usually like to keep lunch under 300 cal, and also have a 100 cal snack on hand.

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  • mkakowski
    mkakowski Posts: 20 Member
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    I usually take soups and sandwiches too. I'm trying to change things up by taking salads, or even some leftovers. I'm single and live alone so I'll cook for two people and eat the rest for lunch. Sometimes I'll make chicken, with some veggies or even a turkey burger and put it all together the next day. Whole wheat pasta sauteed with garlic a lil olive oil and broccoli is also a new favorite for lunch. Hope this gives you some ideas!
  • BrentGetsFit
    BrentGetsFit Posts: 878 Member
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    I'm brown bagging it too! My usual is a turkey sandwich made with Applegate herb turkey, (OMG!) with some roma tomato, green oak lettuce and some mustard on whole grain wheat. I pair it up with a nice piece of fruit (empire apples at present) and I have the "Just a Handful" bags of raw almonds from Trader Joe's for snacks. I've also tinkered with my crock pot to make some split pea soup and some turkey chili. When I was looking for recipes, I looked for ingredients that were close to the top of Michi's Ladder so I would be making the healthiest soup I could. Now I'm all hungry, lol :laugh:
  • Sunbeam224
    Sunbeam224 Posts: 24 Member
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    Well, I'm just beginning but so far I'm thinking tuna sandwiches, celery sticks, carrot sticks, pears, apples, salads. :smile: Can't wait to see some other ideas though.
  • bdavis1
    bdavis1 Posts: 13
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    Wendy Lee'

    Some days I take left over chicken(usually boiled) a hand full of spinach, a few almonds and low fat cheese cubes (sometimes a boiled egg. By lunch time it has wilted just a little but it is really good:smile:
  • janna674
    janna674 Posts: 410 Member
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    i do 2 cups baby romaine and/or field greens, grape tomatoes, cukes, 1/4 cup blue cheese and 1/3 cup craisins and 12 croutons with some newmans light balsamic...its about 400 cals...it satisfies every craving i have, sweet tangy cheesy yumminess
  • cmw9696
    cmw9696 Posts: 123
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    I keep Skippy Natural peanut butter in my desk drawer for just in case days. Add to celery or crackers.
    Left overs are huge with me. It is just my husband and I, so it is a lot easier to cook more. I always have fruit with me too. I may or may not eat it, but it is there. Triscuit are a favorite too, especially with cheese. They are so full of whole grain!
  • itsmewendylee
    itsmewendylee Posts: 21 Member
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    Wow didn't take long to get a few replies! Now I need to look up where to find Applegate Herb Turkey in my area. :-) I forgot what a great idea pasta can be... next time we use whole grain pasta as part of dinner, I'll set aside some for lunch for sue! Janna, your salad sounds wonderful, wish I had you here to pack it for me every day! LoL!
  • itsmewendylee
    itsmewendylee Posts: 21 Member
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    Oh, and gvt... I found the need to look up Michi's Ladder too... looks to be a useful tool! In case others haven't heard of it either, here's a link:
    http://www.beachbody.com/category/michis_ladder.do
  • BrentGetsFit
    BrentGetsFit Posts: 878 Member
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    Now I need to look up where to find Applegate Herb Turkey in my area. :-)

    I get it at Trader Joe's though I'm sure other places carry it. Good luck :)
  • rundgrenfan
    rundgrenfan Posts: 211
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    I don't work but when I have something to do at my children's school where I can't access something healthy, I make a sort of trail mix of Cheerios, nuts, and goldfish crackers.
  • BrentGetsFit
    BrentGetsFit Posts: 878 Member
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    Oh, and gvt... I found the need to look up Michi's Ladder too... looks to be a useful tool! In case others haven't heard of it either, here's a link:
    http://www.beachbody.com/category/michis_ladder.do

    Oops! Sorry, I should've thought of that. I'm used to posting on the Beachbody forums where everyone already knows what it is. :blushing:

    Thanks for fixing my oversight!
  • onegr8legend
    onegr8legend Posts: 8
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    here are suggestions of what I brown bag daily:

    1) 4oz grilled chicken breast + 3/4 brown rice. perfect meal.
    2) 4oz nonfat greek yogurt, 2 tbsp milled flax seed, tbsp organic peanut butter
    3) 4oz grilled chicken breast, whole wheat pita, 3oz raw broccoli.

    To change things up I may switch up with grilled vegetables (i.e. peppers, squash, etc...).

    Its easy when you make 3 days of chicken and prepare your meals into separate food storages. Perfect when you have a microwave (just make sure your food storage vessels are glass and not plastic).
  • CraftyGirl4
    CraftyGirl4 Posts: 571 Member
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    I like a grilled steak salad. I use about two cups of spinach as a base, add some cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts canned in water and whatever other veggies I might have on hand. I really love carrots too. Then, I slice a grilled or seared steak (medium rare-medium) and lay it on top. Eat it with some light balsamic vinagrette from Newman's Own, and it's soooo good. You can easily make the salad the night before and put the steak on it, and it's all ready to go. If you want to pre-measure your dressing, you can use those little tiny tupperware containers.
  • robbienjill
    robbienjill Posts: 456 Member
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    PB &J on Natures Own Honey wheat light; and an Orange. I can not make it through the day without this combo. Oh, and let's not 4get the gatorade:)
  • qwho
    qwho Posts: 157
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    cheese, ritz crackers and fruit, plain I know
    but it always tastes good and it is low cal,
    about 240 cal
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
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    Half of a whole-wheat pita bread and 2 Tblsp hummus, along with some carrot/celery sticks. I may add a hard-boiled egg.,

    Another: cook up some quinoa (a whole protein, and more protein than brown rice per serving), add cooked chicken and cooked veggies. Today I roasted some carrots and parsnips, and sauteed zucchini, celery, and onion bits; made 4 separate servings of everything together, then added some lemon juice/olive oil (or I've also used Girard's Light Champagne salad dressing).

    As mentioned above, a spinach salad with your favorite veggies, some fat-free feta cheese, 10 pinyon nuts, and I make a quick dijon vinaigrette (1 T. dijon, 2 T. white wine vinegar, and 1 T. or less olive oil). Top with one of those packets of tuna packed in water.

    For snacks, I generally bring along light string cheese, hard-boiled egg, Fiber One yogurt (50 cal plus fiber), pickles, green olives.
  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
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    I either have a turkey sandwich and a bag of fritos (you don't have to eat entirely healthy to lose weight. lol :) ).

    Or I have some yogurt with granola, a package of graham cracker "bears," a part-skim string cheese, and an apple. Really filling. (See? I can eat healthy sometimes!)
  • kt2007
    kt2007 Posts: 315 Member
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    my mon threw fri lunch is 1 can chuck light tuna, with 1tbsp of Miracle Whip Light, Sara lee 45cal wheat bread, 5.5oz V8, 32oz of water, and usually 1 slice of Mozzarella cheese. its a pretty good lunch for me.

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