Whats ur favorite packed lunch?

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sweetie89207
sweetie89207 Posts: 361
in Health and Weight Loss
so im looking for ideas on what to bring for lunches somedays to work or school or such and i was wondering what some of ya'lls favorite "stand by" lunches are that u love to pack. If you have the calories amount for ur entire lunch that would be amazing!!! just wanting to get sum filling, delicious, and calorie conscious ideas to put in my lunch box haha

thanks all!

Replies

  • Janelle3927
    Janelle3927 Posts: 86
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    I'm tagging this because I'm interested in what people say..
  • Tuplatano
    Tuplatano Posts: 123 Member
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    P & J Sandwich : 310 Calories
  • flinchyny
    flinchyny Posts: 106 Member
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    A very large green salad with many different kinds of vegetables, a little bit of dressing, and a sliced hard boiled egg. Very low-cal, very filling (for a while, at least). Lots of chewing, however! Not a lunch for those pressed for time.
  • Anidorie
    Anidorie Posts: 291 Member
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    bumblebee fat free tuna salad kit- comes with a can of tuna salad and a package of crackers with a spoon- 150 calories
    bublebee chicken salad- comes with a can of chicken salad and a package of crackers with a spoon-220 calories
    bumblebee tuna (with fat) salad kit- comes with same as other two- 350 calories
    this are a few of my favorites. I also like the apple dipper sets from walmart as a meal but they are kinda small. It i have time to pack a lunch, i eat special k ceral in a ziplock bag. lol
  • bennersmom
    bennersmom Posts: 4 Member
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    If you have access to a microwave, I love the ease of Smart Ones or Lean Cuisine frozen meals. I only buy the ones under 300 calories (or under 250, preferred), then I pack a large apple or pear (80-100), and green tea (crystal light). I cut the apple up and munch the slices over the next hour or so. Not very creative, but there is some variety in the meals I choose.
  • NykoleMazzola
    NykoleMazzola Posts: 41
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    i need some ideas too! i usually make a sandwhich or salad with chicken :)
  • Anidorie
    Anidorie Posts: 291 Member
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    i also like to have a boiled egg sandwhich! it sounds awful but it is great. you take two pieces of bread (140) and an egg (70) and a teaspoon of low fat mayo (idk). you chop up the egg and mix it with the mayo, sprinkle some pepper on top and use yor egg spread to spread on the bread. IT sounds just awful but it tastes absolutly great! this meal is under 250 calories and i love it!
  • Anidorie
    Anidorie Posts: 291 Member
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    okay nd i also love the progressive light soups- i get the kind thats 120 calories per can and eat away. ps. a can is 2 cups so its a good size meal. they are full of protein and are very very yummy.
  • kprangernix07
    kprangernix07 Posts: 124 Member
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    My favorite ever is a crudite (crew-dih-tay) type lunch - like a spin off of mediteranean style tapas. its not really a "meal" per-se... just a lot of small things that come together that you can enjoy at your desk over a period of time. It helps your metabolism too to eat it slower and over an extended period.

    I try to pick things low in carbs, with a combo of a little of everything. I usually start with some cherry tomatoes, and baby carrots and then have sharp cheddar (or whatever you prefer) on triscuits or wheat thins... or some other whole grain cracker. Also take some low-fat lunch meat or a hard boiled egg - (even though my favorite is salami and pepperoni... but stay away if you dont have a high calorie count) and then take some olives and broccoli florets or unique fruits / veggies. Jicama is an awesome root veg that is very tasty and yummy... it's a round root lookin thing, and you peel it like a potato and cut it into bite size slivers. Its sweet, but crunchy. Very fun and satisfying. I try the 4-2-1 ratio. So I take 4 veggies (one can be fruit, and they dont have to be whole servings, I just dig variety) 2 grains (maybe one of them is a "cheater" to mix it up and get my fat in, and then 1 protein.

    Then I top it off with a la croix flavored water - (all the bubbly and flavor, like pop, just no HFC / Caffeine / Calories) or an Honest Tea - great taste and easy on calories.

    Best thing is, it's easy to prep, adapt, and play around with!
  • pandafoo
    pandafoo Posts: 367 Member
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    This is one of my favorite recipes to bring: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ramen-Coleslaw/Detail.aspx
    Wine vinegar-based dressings with a touch of sesame oil are so flavorful! I usually add chicken to it for a more filling meal. It says 253 calories per serving so with a 1/4 cup shredded chicken breast, it will probably be around 300.

    These days I've been bringing in cilantro lime rice with black beans (recipes on skinnytaste.com), topped with a diced tomato-- or homemade butternut squash soup. Yum!
  • msubia
    msubia Posts: 2 Member
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    I love planned left overs! They save me:) or Grill a bunch of chicken at the beginning of the week and cook some veggies to go with. Excellent source of lean protein and healthy carbs.
  • sweetie89207
    sweetie89207 Posts: 361
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    these all are really good thanks guys
  • catherine1979
    catherine1979 Posts: 704 Member
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    101cookbooks.com is a great website for inspiration, my personal favourites are her recipes for Otsu and Rustic Cabbage Soup.
  • sbracken
    sbracken Posts: 79
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    I love planned left overs! They save me:) or Grill a bunch of chicken at the beginning of the week and cook some veggies to go with. Excellent source of lean protein and healthy carbs.

    I do the same thing. The individual steamer veggie paks are good to pop in your lunch too if you can access a microwave. Hummus is good too, just plop a couple tablespoons into a small container so you're not tempted to eat the whole amount in one sitting. I have my hummus with my chicken.

    I also make up a bunch of "taco meat" at the start of a week. 2 lbs 4% fat ground sirloin, 2 seasoning pkts, water. Then I split it so I have 1 lb that's plain (DH likes it this way) and I add 1 can of black beans to the rest. Then I split that up into 4 containers and have my Lunch1 for the week. I mix in some salsa for added flavor if I remember to bring it. (I'm home on Wed, so I can switch it up that day). Chicken with hummus is usually Lunch 2. Salad is also a lunch staple with either the beef for taco salad or the chicken on top.

    Doing prep work either on the weekend....or leftovers, ensures I always have a healthy choice that I just just grab and pop into my bag in the morning.
  • sweetie89207
    sweetie89207 Posts: 361
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    nice
  • nerual13
    nerual13 Posts: 39 Member
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    My current favorite is pan cooked boneless chicken thighs, green beans sauteed w/ garlic and a tiny bit of olive oil and a serving of stuffing. Calorie count is 255 for the chicken, which gets cooked with the faintest amount of olive oil. The beans are 105 calories by the database, but I cook them very light on oil, so probably less. The stuffing is StoveTop (so bad, but I love it!) and is 320 calories for 1 cup prepared, cut the butter though and it'll be less. Still, its tasty and super filling. I'm always happy after this meal, I'll make up several of them in microwave containers and take them for lunches at work. I work in retail and its hilarious that my coworkers are eating fast food and drooling over my home cooked meal! :)

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