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Looking for cheap, filling, tasty packed lunch ideas!

beccus
beccus Posts: 25 Member
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi all

One of my BIGGEST issues is when it comes to lunch.
I try to take lunch to work to save money. I meal plan for dinner when we do our shopping but I seem to have a real mental block when it comes to ideas for lunch.

I want something that is pretty easy to prepare, doesn't cost the earth, fills me up until teatime and also tastes good. Am I looking for the impossible?

In my main office I have access to a fridge and microwave too.

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • chrish1981
    chrish1981 Posts: 156
    I love Lean Cusines (or Smart Ones).

    They fill me up, especially the pasta dishes or those containing potatoes.
  • nibbynoo
    nibbynoo Posts: 250 Member
    i take soup and a roll
    a cheap can of soup is only about 150c and filling :)
  • steffmd25
    steffmd25 Posts: 24 Member
    I usually take my lunch to work. I will sometimes bring leftovers. While I'm fixing my son/hubby and my plate for dinner, I go ahead and fix my lunch for the next day. Sometimes I also bring frozen meals like healthy choice or lean cuisine. I know the salt is high on these, but the calories are usually between 250-300. I suggest also including a fruit with these to help it be more filling for you.
  • tamheath
    tamheath Posts: 702 Member
    - Pita stuffed with turkey, fresh spinich and light mayo (or laughing cow)
    - Salad made the night before in your very own kitchen with whatever veggies you like, maybe some deli turkey and egg whites
    - Weight Watcher Taco Soup or No-Point Vegetable Soup (google the recipes) made on the weekend, and packed in individual containers for lunch.
    - Homemade tuna salad, put on a sandwich round with some lettuce, along with a cup of Progresso light (or similar) soup.

    Definitely NOT impossible!
  • ltlemermaid
    ltlemermaid Posts: 637 Member
    When I have left overs from dinner I take those for lunch the next day. If not I choose from the following list:

    Sandwich-sprouted bread or a wrap, hummus or laughing cow for spread, ham or turkey and a slice of cheese, salad and tomato.

    Soups-I like the Amy's organic brands so I eat 1/2 to 1 can, sometimes a serving of crackers

    Veggie salad-red, yellow, orange peppers, cucumbers, tomato, mushrooms, romaine lettuce, spinach, sometimes cheese with a tsp of dressing (regular ranch = 20calories for the dressing).

    Tuna salad-tuna, garlic mayo, relish-usually with crackers or pita chips

    I always try to have some sort of fruit with my lunch-ornges, banana, apple...
  • wendix
    wendix Posts: 74 Member
    i usually make a sandwich the night before or in the morning if i have time with something like goats cheese/hummus/cooked chicken with lettuce, tomatoes etc.
    or i make a salad the night before like greek salad, tuna salad, salmon salad, chicken caesar, chicken + sweetcorn, ham and pineapple, goats cheese+beetroot, avocado and sundried tomatoes.... the possibilites are endless!
    you can def cook something the night before or day before and keep it in the fridge.
    OR try a weightwatchers ready meal just remember to check salt etc.

    or mayeb wholemeal pittabread with hummus. or a wholemeal wrap.
    then some fruit and maybe something like one handful of yogurt covered raisins which taste amazing but are pretty good for you as long as u don't eat too much!!

    or try different types of soup, either shop bought or make your own :)
  • taletreader
    taletreader Posts: 377 Member
    I take about anything I might cook in a tupperware box (at my previous workplaces, we had microwave ovens). Soups work fine. But my favourites are:

    - WARM: A portion of ravioli (I like a supermarket brand sold in the UK as "pine nut and pumpkin fiorelli" for about 270 cal / half a pack, but it may be up to 350-400 cal for a lunch portion -- you need to measure), with a small amount of olive oil and a side of steamed vegetables (broccoli, leeks, carrots, ...).
    - COLD: A salad made from green lentils (they cook in 15 min), canned chickpeas (drain, rinse and shell), some chopped red onion and garlic, plus olive oil and a drop of lemon juice. (A can of chickpeas with proportional amounts fo the other ingredients gives three portions of about 270 cal each.) Add to that some protein-rich topper -- feta cheese, a few rolls of cold cuts of your choice, chicken livers, grilled meat, lox, canned tuna...
  • ShannonWinger
    ShannonWinger Posts: 309 Member
    My husband loves for me to pack beans and rice. It's SUPER cheap and easy. I crockpot the beans and put them with brown rice. You can flavor the beans different like for a different taste. It sticks with you for a long time and it's healthy.
  • beccus
    beccus Posts: 25 Member
    Thanks so much guys!
    Will have a proper read through tonight.

    These all sound yummy.
This discussion has been closed.

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