I need lunch ideas under 300 calories please!

janine2355
janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone. I am in desperate need of lunch ideas! I'm sick of everything! But please, I would like it under 300 calories. I work Monday through Friday, so I need things I can bring to work. I do have acess to a refigerator, microwave, and toaster.
Thank you all.
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Replies

  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    Why under 300 calories?

    That sounds very snack like and not meal-like.
  • Jade0529
    Jade0529 Posts: 213 Member
    look into soup and stew ideas with lentils, beans, chickpeas etc. High in fiber and protein and very satisfying.

    Having said that, that doesn't seem high enough for a meal. I'd still be hungry on less than 300 calories
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    300 calories is not a lunch
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
    Chicken breast (80g), bbq sauce (37g) and yellow cherry tomatoes (213g) = 232 calories

    Quest bar and a banana = about 280 calories

    ETA: I usually don't feel very hungry around lunch time. my mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks are usually around 250 calories.... Unless it's the weekend. Then I have a huge breakfast, small lunch and a modest to huge dinner depending on whether or not I ran that day.
  • dlionsmane
    dlionsmane Posts: 672 Member
    Mon-Fri my lunches are under 300 calories, I eat 6X a day though and all my meals are pretty even calorie wise. My diary is open but I eat pretty much the same things all the time. for example lunch for a week can be 4 oz chicken with a cup or two of veggies with some saucy thing, like my own orange juice and apple cider vinegar or oyster sauce. Sometimes I will add 1/2 C of Mashed sweet potato or brown rice.
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
    Why under 300 calories?

    That sounds very snack like and not meal-like.
    [/quote
    it can be up to 300 calories. But I like more of my calories at dinner and I like a few snacks throughout the day. Because I am on 1200 calorie diet, ( I do get more when I exercise) I don't have a whole lot of flexibility.
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
    look into soup and stew ideas with lentils, beans, chickpeas etc. High in fiber and protein and very satisfying.

    Having said that, that doesn't seem high enough for a meal. I'd still be hungry on less than 300 calories
    That sounds good.
    thanks
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    You can bring as many calories to work as you want, right? It's not like 400 calories takes up too much work in your bag. I batch cook in the weekends and store individual servings of recipes. I eat one thing for lunch another for dinner. Right now I have turkey chili, chicken pesto pasta with walnuts, coconut curry chicken, spaghetti and meat sauce, sirloin steak stir fry and tuna noodle casserole all lined up in the freezer. Add a side of steamed veggies and it's a nice meal. . . around 350-400 calories.
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
    300 calories is not a lunch
    you'd be suprised. I can have a decent lunch for 300 calories.
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
    Chicken breast (80g), bbq sauce (37g) and yellow cherry tomatoes (213g) = 232 calories

    Quest bar and a banana = about 280 calories

    ETA: I usually don't feel very hungry around lunch time. my mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks are usually around 250 calories.... Unless it's the weekend. Then I have a huge breakfast, small lunch and a modest to huge dinner depending on whether or not I ran that day.
    I love chicken and I love barbecue sauce! Sounds good. thank you!
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
    Mon-Fri my lunches are under 300 calories, I eat 6X a day though and all my meals are pretty even calorie wise. My diary is open but I eat pretty much the same things all the time. for example lunch for a week can be 4 oz chicken with a cup or two of veggies with some saucy thing, like my own orange juice and apple cider vinegar or oyster sauce. Sometimes I will add 1/2 C of Mashed sweet potato or brown rice.
    That sounds good. Thank you!
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
    You can bring as many calories to work as you want, right? It's not like 400 calories takes up too much work in your bag. I batch cook in the weekends and store individual servings of recipes. I eat one thing for lunch another for dinner. Right now I have turkey chili, chicken pesto pasta with walnuts, coconut curry chicken, spaghetti and meat sauce, sirloin steak stir fry and tuna noodle casserole all lined up in the freezer. Add a side of steamed veggies and it's a nice meal. . . around 350-400 calories.
    I love your idea of batch cooking. I really need to do that. coconut curry chicken sounds divine. so does the sirloin stiry fry. yummy
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    Why under 300 calories?

    That sounds very snack like and not meal-like.
    it can be up to 300 calories. But I like more of my calories at dinner and I like a few snacks throughout the day. Because I am on 1200 calorie diet, ( I do get more when I exercise) I don't have a whole lot of flexibility.

    I am can say with a high degree of certainty that you have selected to lose 2 pounds a week and likely have less than say, 50 pounds to lose. If that is the case, adjust your goal to 1 pound per week and use those extra calories to give yourself the flexibility. In the long run, it will be more sustainable than trying to survive on 88 grams of chicken.
  • sshintaku
    sshintaku Posts: 228 Member
    I like lighter lunches as well. I'll do like chickpea pitas (mash up a can of garbanzo beans with some lemon, pickle, spices), or a big salad. Smaller portions of dinner left overs (chicken and broccoli, beans and ham, etc). Sometimes I'll just take a Greek Yogurt with a boiled egg and some raw fruits or veggies. In a pinch, I keep some microwave soup cups on hand and I'll grab one of those with a piece of fruit.
  • dreawest
    dreawest Posts: 208 Member
    I often do a single serving of hummus with veggies and a babybel and mini peperoni and that comes in around 300. I keep an assortment of things at work and combine as need be but I eat lightly through the day to enjoy dinner in the evening with my family and have room for a treat. Greek yogurt and rice thins are always available as well. I bring in a bag of food at the beginning of the week and make my way through it.

    And I just made a delish carrot and dill soup that is 110 cal a serving from Canadian living. I printed a ton of low cal yummy looking recipes but that was the first one I made.
  • Krikit34
    Krikit34 Posts: 125 Member
    I do the same lunch most days...just making small changes for flavor changes.

    Turkey sandwich on a sandwich thin...change flavors with mustard, honey mustard, type of turkey, different cheeses, etc. When I get tired of turkey, then london broil or chicken for awhile
    Salad - currently with almonds, sesame seeds, wonton strips with light asian sesame dressing
    Fruit (sometimes with cheesecake yogurt - 16 oz. plain yogurt mixed with a box of fat free, sugar free Jello cheesecake pudding mix)
    String cheese (if I don't put it on my sandwich)
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
    Why under 300 calories?

    That sounds very snack like and not meal-like.
    it can be up to 300 calories. But I like more of my calories at dinner and I like a few snacks throughout the day. Because I am on 1200 calorie diet, ( I do get more when I exercise) I don't have a whole lot of flexibility.

    I am can say with a high degree of certainty that you have selected to lose 2 pounds a week and likely have less than say, 50 pounds to lose. If that is the case, adjust your goal to 1 pound per week and use those extra calories to give yourself the flexibility. In the long run, it will be more sustainable than trying to survive on 88 grams of chicken.
    no It is not 2 pounds. I copied/pasted for you. I do exercise though which bumps it up to usually 1400 calories. I'm at a sedentary level because I have a desk job. see below.
    Calories Burned
    From Normal Daily Activity 1,640 cal/day
    Net Calories Consumed*
    Your Daily Goal 1,200 cal/day
    Daily Calorie Deficit 440 calories
    Projected Weight Loss 0.9 lbs/week
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
    I like lighter lunches as well. I'll do like chickpea pitas (mash up a can of garbanzo beans with some lemon, pickle, spices), or a big salad. Smaller portions of dinner left overs (chicken and broccoli, beans and ham, etc). Sometimes I'll just take a Greek Yogurt with a boiled egg and some raw fruits or veggies. In a pinch, I keep some microwave soup cups on hand and I'll grab one of those with a piece of fruit.
    Im definitely going to do this. I love chich peas, it sounds like you made your own hummus.
  • MaiLinna
    MaiLinna Posts: 580 Member
    Make a giant green salad with a low calorie dressing on the side and you'd still have at least 200 calories to play with.

    300 calories is a lot. I was making turkey sandwiches on lettuce instead of bread and they came in at less than 90 calories.

    Then add an apple. STILL under 300 calories and to be honest, WAY too much food for me. XD
  • janine2355
    janine2355 Posts: 628 Member
    I often do a single serving of hummus with veggies and a babybel and mini peperoni and that comes in around 300. I keep an assortment of things at work and combine as need be but I eat lightly through the day to enjoy dinner in the evening with my family and have room for a treat. Greek yogurt and rice thins are always available as well. I bring in a bag of food at the beginning of the week and make my way through it.

    And I just made a delish carrot and dill soup that is 110 cal a serving from Canadian living. I printed a ton of low cal yummy looking recipes but that was the first one I made.
    sounds really good. thank you

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