Healthy packed lunch/ snack ideas?

I'm a really big fan of soup for lunch. Also I often just make enough of whatever I cooked for dinner to take as lunch the next day. Greek yogurt cups , cucumber and hummus, fruit, granola, raw almonds, other crunchy veggies you like all make great snacks. Oatmeal is a good commute breakfast.

A bunch of sliced fresh vegetables, hummus, a bit of feta cheese, a couple of olives and some pita bread--one of my favorites.

http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2012/07/quick-and-easy-lunch-idea-salad-in-a-jar/

I take salads for lunch most days- mixed greens or spinach with ham or turkey, cottage cheese, carrots/cucumber/tomato, avocado
for snacks- south beach diet protein snack bars, banana, easy peel orange, almonds, cheese stick, greek yogurt cup (these can also be quick breakfast ideas)

Hi everyone.

I'm new on the diet front, and am hoping to lose 15 or 20 pounds in the near future. I have a new job which starts on Monday, and it's from 8am-5pm, with two 15 minute breaks as well as an hour for lunch. I really don't want to eat out for lunch, so I was wondering if anyone has any packed lunch and snack recommendations, as well as how to spread it out throughout the day?

If you have good "breakfast on the run" ideas too, that would be great since I have quite a commute and would rather have a breakfast I don't have to wake up early to prepare. For dinners, I am planning to have healthy crockpot meals, which I have pulled recipes for.

Thanks in advance!!

Yes i do! I work in an office and I take my lunch every single day, unless there is a planned lunch out.

I take a serving of nut and craisin trail mix and greek yogurt for my morning snack, a banana for my afternoon snack. For lunches, I take some kind of sandwich either on sandwich thins, or a sandwich roll, or homemade bread I have made, a piece of fruit (really into pears right now), and a serving of almonds. On my sandwich I might use almond butter and jam, or maybe make and egg salad, or even tuna. Sometimes I even buy a chocolate covered bavarian pretzel from the Rocky Mountain Candy Shop. It all depends.

You just need to find the foods that work for you and take them along.

I know it sounds really "cooked" but I find if you get in the habit of making eggs/omelettes in the AM you can practically do it in your sleep and it takes the same amount of time as pouring a bowl of cereal. Some breakfasts I like/recommend:

omelette with bell peppers, onions, and/or mushrooms and a tiny bit of picante or salsa
egg taco made with 1 egg fried in Canola spray, SMALL flour or corn tortilla, and a tiny bit of salsa or southwest dressing (my personal favorite)
Greek yogurt with nuts and/or berries
hard-boiled egg, toast, and either jam or a piece of fruit

My husband and I also sometimes make steel cut oats and various "healthy" pancakes (banana, or lemon ricotta, or pumpkin) on Sundays and leftovers can be reheated for a workday breakfast (or even part of a lunch!), to mix things up.

I usually come home for lunch, but still need quick-fix ideas so I don't spend the entire break cooking my lunch. I generally try to steer clear of frozen prepared stuff but some are decent in my opinion. Here are some of my recent favorites for lunch:

tuna or pea salad served with reduced fat wheat crackers, raw veggies as a side
veggies (cucumber, celery, carrots) with hummus, small piece of meat and/or cheese
Aldi Simply Nature (?) sesame lo mein bowl over shredded kale
Aldi southwest fresca bowl with shredded lettuce on top
tortilla wrap spread with hummus and stuffed with sliced avocado, black beans, baby spinach & carrot sticks
salmon burger (again, Aldi) or veggie burger (I like Morningstar) on a Sandwich skinny and some fruit or applesauce
veggie burger patty chopped up atop a salad with your choice of dressing
crab or sliced avocado "nachos" using a sparing number of chips (10-12), smaller amount of cheese, chopped green onion and/or jalapeno, and taco sauce


ETA: I don't really snack much, I tend to have a mini "treat" along with my lunch if anything, and do not eat in the afternoon. But some of my favorites are mini Clif Z bars, Special K 100 cal pack brownie bites, cocoa coated almonds (they have so many flavors now, yum), or other nuts. In the afternoon at work I sometimes have hot tea though. Chai tea especially makes me feel like I am having a little bit of indulgence.

We just downloaded the smart swap recipe app from the NHS. It has loads of great ideas for healthy meals. Because there are only two of us we can make a meal for four for dinner and take the extra portions to work the next day for lunch. What I really like about it is that you can add those recipes to a shopping list and it adds up all the ingredients for you. Not tried the puddings on there yet though.

http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/meal-planner-recipe-finder-app.aspx

This is just what I do if it's any help:

For breakfast I usually have two eggs scrambled (for the protein) with a mixture of vegetables (tender stalk broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes, spinach... a mix...) followed by a banana. The theory being, protein keeps you satisfied for longer, and the banana regulates blood sugar levels throughout the day.

This really sets me up for lunch.

On the way into work, I take a detour through the market and pick up some fruit - usually an apple and an orange. I have them for lunch with a small fruit yogurt, and that's me done for lunch really. This is partly because my job requires some degree of physical activity (being a lecturer in contemporary theatre) so I find it harder to work on a big full lunch.

That said, I'm not really ever hungry throughout the day, and I'd put most of that to the size and content of the breakfast I'm eating.

Hope this helps. =]