Working Lunches....

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kshadows
kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
in Recipes
Any recommendations for make-ahead-and-take-to-work-lunches??

I am trying to lose 40 pounds so eating out for lunch was the first thing to go but I get so BORED with sandwiches and salads. I just made a big pot of chili and portioned it out for lunch-sized portions but I want to mix it up so I don't get sick of it. Suggestions appreciated!!

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  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,568 Member
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    turkey burgers
    soups
    boiled eggs


    any leftovers really if you have a fridge and microwave at work

    if you have a staff area with a kitchen I sometimes take my bullet to work and make a smoothie
  • FitMolly182
    FitMolly182 Posts: 304 Member
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    i need ideas, too.
  • Lobster1987
    Lobster1987 Posts: 492 Member
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    Make a crockpot of something each weekend anything is good for lunch. If you have a microwave at work the possibilities are endless. Pork roast turkey rice soup. Saurkraut and kielbasa.
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
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    I like real meals so on Sundays I cook full meals for my lunches, portion them out to 300-500 calorie portions and then freeze them. I make about 2 meals a week and do about 4-5 portions each so that I have lots of options. Right now in my freezer I have a mini turkey day dinner including creamed spinach, turkey, a sweet potato/cauliflower mash & cranberry sauce, there's chicken florentine, shrip stir fry and chipotle-ish chicekn bean & rice bowls :)

    basically like lean cuisines but I made them so I know for sure whats in them :)
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,568 Member
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    Make a crockpot of something each weekend anything is good for lunch. If you have a microwave at work the possibilities are endless. Pork roast turkey rice soup. Saurkraut and kielbasa.

    exactly
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
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    First, you need to stop getting bored eating. This is a serious problem. Lots of people have this issue, but lots of people are fat. Eating is for nutrition. Not for fun or to entertain yourself. The process of eating is to nourish your body. We live in times where food is so plentiful that we get bored eating the same things. Other parts of the world are not so fortunate.

    So, I would say that you should work on that issue.

    I cook a bunch of chicken on Sunday. I bake it totally plain, and that way I can use it lots of different ways.

    9 times out of 10 though, I just eat plain chicken every day. I might put a bit of BBQ sauce on it, if I have some. I usually add veggies.

    I don't know. I dig eating the same things all the time.

    Note: what I said above is usually met with lots of snobbery and people arguing that taste is part of the experience. I don't believe that is true at all. I believe taste evolved to protect us from rancid foods and poisonous foods. It's not meant necessarily, for pleasure. Sure, you can use it for that. But, getting bored with food is a 1st world problem and you really should work on getting over that.


    yeah I couldnt do that... I DO cook a full chicken or a whole bunch of chicken parts on the weekends for use in various dishes during the week but I need the flavor. and I don't think there's anything wrong with that :)
  • Dugleik
    Dugleik Posts: 125
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    I hate salads, and what is for sale in the cafeteria is deceptively full of calories. Do you have the option to refrigiate your lunch? A few of my go to lunches depending how much prep time I have:

    - sandwich with cheese, ham or egg with whatever I have in my fridge
    - greek yoghurt with nuts, seeds and fruit
    - when I make dinner I make an extra serving of veggies that I mix in with some serrano ham or egg or some other protein.
  • Dugleik
    Dugleik Posts: 125
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    I like real meals so on Sundays I cook full meals for my lunches, portion them out to 300-500 calorie portions and then freeze them. I make about 2 meals a week and do about 4-5 portions each so that I have lots of options. Right now in my freezer I have a mini turkey day dinner including creamed spinach, turkey, a sweet potato/cauliflower mash & cranberry sauce, there's chicken florentine, shrip stir fry and chipotle-ish chicekn bean & rice bowls :)

    basically like lean cuisines but I made them so I know for sure whats in them :)

    If I had room in my freezer I would be doing this.
  • manda79rn
    manda79rn Posts: 45 Member
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    I'm a creature of habit with my food, I will make something for a couple weeks then switch it up..right now I'm in my "clean" turkey fried rice.

    4oz ground turkey (I cook a huge batch at the beginning of the week and just make it day priro)
    2c spiniach
    1 stalk celerey chopped up \
    Whatever other veggies I feel like.
    1/4c brown rice
    2 egg whites and a little soy sauce

    Nice filling porition (I usually have half then the rest in a couple hours) and it's about 340-370 calories depending on the veg you add.
  • manda79rn
    manda79rn Posts: 45 Member
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    Oh..also one of my favorites is turkey taco salad

    Ground turkey warmed with a little organic salsa
    romaine
    celery
    little bell peppers
    and I stir in a 1/4 cup of cottage cheese and it gives it a sour cream/cheese taste.
    little avacado if you want to add some good fat.

    (Now I'm hungry..thanks.. :)
  • oneloopygirl
    oneloopygirl Posts: 151 Member
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    Leftovers are a common one for me. I generally don't take them the very next day, but 2nd day, so I don't have the same thing for lunch that I had for dinner the night before. I also buy low carb wraps some, so if I have chicken leftover from dinner, for example, I can make myself a chicken wrap the next day for lunch. I'll take a salad, but I try to mix up what I put on it so I get variety there and not just the same old salad - chicken pork, a low fat taco salad, etc. Mix up the veggies you use, maybe add fruit occasionally. If you like chicken salad, make some lower fat versions. I've tried several. There's tons out there on the internet. I've made soup plenty of times. I don't do much with frozen meals, but I do keep one or two around to have something different when I'm just needing variety. Also, you can eat out and make healthy choices. Look up menus and nutritional info online. Find something you'll like not loaded with calories and go out on occasion.
  • AcaciaHavens
    AcaciaHavens Posts: 4
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    Similar to others, it's all about (being prepared) for me. Sunday = Grillday. I grill my chicken, steaks & fish for the week & package them in containers. I take them in my lunch every day. I keep plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, & nuts packaged & ready to go as well.
  • drenergy
    drenergy Posts: 112 Member
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    I like to make double batches of dinner to eat for lunch the next day. So I'll make a big batch of ground turkey taco meat that my husband and I eat for tacos one night (I might do a salad or use lettuce to save some cals, and it's good stuff), and then the next day I'll bring leftovers for lunch.

    Like others suggested with the crock pot, I'll do a big batch of bean soup, reduced cal chili, veggie soups, or just plain chicken with some kind of sauce (lately I like to do teriyaki sauce, green peppers, onions, and pineapple, then make a big pot of brown rice). You can do mini quiches in muffin cups that are freezable, stock up on low-sodium soups, and try some of the Amy's Light and Lean frozen meals. Those at least have real ingredients, taste good, and are not like a typical frozen meal packed with sodium and weird stuff.

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