Calling all of those that make their lunches for the week.

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TheNewDanielle
TheNewDanielle Posts: 87
in Recipes
Okay, here's the deal. I am a horrible eater when I'm at work. I'll go 5-8 hours without eating because I'm either busy or don't want to eat a lean cuisine. Sometimes I'll go for a Campbell's Select Harvest soup if they're handy. However, I'm thinking that I need to protein it up and make sure I don't cram all of my calories at night for dinner. So, I'm looking to you guys for advice on what I can make rather simply probably Sunday night or Saturday night that will last for the week. Hoping for a variety.... and mostly not rabbit food, as that usually keeps me from eating lol. I'm not a huge salad eater, although if there was one that is really good I'd probably do it. Anyway, please let me in on your food ideas for lunches... I'm so tired of buying lean cuisines lol :smile:
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Replies

  • kgillikin
    kgillikin Posts: 191 Member
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    Good question. I cant wait to see the answers.
  • Eyvette1
    Eyvette1 Posts: 76 Member
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    I precook all of my meals for the week on Sunday including lunches and dinners. I cook Turkey Lasagna which freezes and divides perfectly, Baked chicken, Turkey Taco's, Turkey Meatloaf, Grilled Chicken strips with veggies, etc. I get to have a different lunch everyday with no sodium and no regrets. I a;lso have more time to work out every night because dinner is heat and serve for the family.
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
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    I don't have a way to eat a hot lunch but I switch off from a Sandwich w/fruit and a veggie one day to a Premier Protein Shake the next day.

    If looking a hot meal at lunch, try looking at the Thread with all the Slow Cooker/Crock Pot receipes and one of those should last a week and you could add a different fruit (if no fresh available, I use no sugar added canned fruit) and a veggie everday as a side or spread out as snack during the day.

    Best of Luck!
  • taldie01
    taldie01 Posts: 378
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    Sorry Im not one for variety during the week. I usually make a pot of soup freeze it and voila! Either lentil soup, ground turkey and veg, this week chilli. Or Ill make a bunck of chicken breasts, brown rce and veg and freeze that.
  • alanarn
    alanarn Posts: 2 Member
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    Laughing Cow Lite Cheese with melba toast, with lots of fruit and veggies...... sooo easy to pack in the morning, and it is filling enough to hold you over till supper!
  • msh0530
    msh0530 Posts: 1,675 Member
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    I just make an extra serving or two at supper, package it individually in microwave ready containers, and grab one on my way out the door to heat up at lunch. It is almost easier than buying something like Lean Cuisine, I get my own cooking so I know what is in it, and it is no more work because I was cooking at supper anyway.
  • brityn
    brityn Posts: 443 Member
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    I make wraps a ton! Whole wheat wrap or tortilla
    spread with 2 tbls hummus
    sprinkle with canned chicken or tuna in water
    artichoke hearts
    sliced red bell pepper
    shredded carrots
    a dash or hot sauce

    roll it up and wrap it in a paper towel and then in foil. The paper towel will soak up any juices that accumulate so you don't end up with a soggy roll. You can play with the ingredients
  • tlboyer1
    tlboyer1 Posts: 9 Member
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    I often make tuna with light mayonaise, relish, celery and onion. If you use a big can you can get a few meals out of that. I also have been making lettuce wraps. I pack a few leaves of romaine and some lunch meat and throw on some miracle whip when I'm ready to eat it. For a side I also have laughing cow cheese ( usually 50 calories or less per cheese wedge). I put that on slices of cucumber. Hope this gives you some ideas
  • aunfire82
    aunfire82 Posts: 30 Member
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    I do that as well, cook and freeze. What I do is I am apart of a website which plans out your dinners for you each week and gives you a grocery list (e-mealz.com). So I make a bit extra and freeze it that way I am able to heat it up for lunches. You get really tired of soups or sandwiches after a while so mix it up.
  • capenron
    capenron Posts: 20
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    I have started making a list on the weekend and making it as grab and go as I can in the mornings. I have started bringing my breakfast and lunch and two snacks every day . So for a typical day this is what i'm doing... Breakfast i'm having half an english muffin with 1 tsp of almond butter (great source of protein) or they sell these things called "crumpets" in the refrigerated section which is kinda like a bagel ... and i have one of those toasted spread with laughing cow cheese and a slice of canadian bacon on top...lunch i'm doing boars head ham and cheese sandwich on bagel thins or nature's own light wheat bread. for snacks i'm doing almonds. or cottage cheese or yogurt.
  • agoessli
    agoessli Posts: 81 Member
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    One of my favorites is to buy fat free refried beans, whole wheat 96% fat free tortillas, a green pepper and an onion. I cook the green pepper and onion in a pan on Sunday and then put beans, onions, and peppers in the tortilla and heat it up for lunch. I usually take some sort of fruit to go with it for lunch. It's REALLY yummy and super low calorie and low fat.
  • bunnyb11
    bunnyb11 Posts: 65 Member
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    i sometimes make the weight watchers taco soup an you can eat it for a couple of days & can freeze it as well. I occassionally make some low calorie turkey salad and take it for lunch for a few days. not sure if you can freeze it or not, mine dont usually last that long as my children eat it as well.
  • rgunn02
    rgunn02 Posts: 169 Member
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    I really enjoy a weight watchers wrap, with a tblsp of hummas, lunch meat (naturally seasoned no additives), low fat cheese, and a bunch of veggies (romain, peppers, onions) on it for lunch. Wash it all down with a glass of skim (non fat) milk and you have a satisfying lunch for around 300 calories.
  • mommylucy
    mommylucy Posts: 13
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    I love the Orowheat sandwich thins...like a blank canvas for lots of leftover possibilities: ground turkey sloppy joe mix, turkey cranberry with light swiss, leftover roasted veggies with a little fat-free feta cheese, tuna salad with lite mayo, stir-fry leftovers.

    The "thins" themselves are only 100 calories with 5-6 grams of protein and fiber each. Not too bad. Good luck to you!! NOT eating is NOT good. Feed yourself. ((o:
  • winw
    winw Posts: 15
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    You can make a sandwich (whole wheat, deli turkey (ham), lettuce, lower fat cheese, mustard) in the morning or the night before and eat that with a piece of fruit, pudding cup (if you need the sweet) and still be around 350. I find that I only need half a sandwich with the fruit. Sometimes I add leftover veggies for variety. I like it that the cheese warms up during the morning and has more flavor by the time I eat it.

    I'm not organized enough to cook for a week at the time, but this takes only a couple of minutes. You could also use a flour tortilla and turn it into a wrap (add slivered carrots, cole slaw mix, etc), but they are a bit higher in fat, so I avoid them.

    Good luck!
  • mjkfinney
    mjkfinney Posts: 1
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    I have the same thing everyday for lunch and it is rather boring but it fills me up and allows me to get my heart healthy omega 3, since my family will not eat fish. I make tuna salad (low sodium packs) and this is what I do, I mix 5 paks of tuna, fat free mayo and celery chopped finely and mix togethor well and I also add some onion powder. I then divide it amongst 5 small containers w/ lids and put in fridge. I get 10 hint of salt ritz crackers with it per day.

    Tuna Salad
    10 Ritz hint of salt crackers
    1 yogurt
    small salad w/ Wishbone spritz
    1 Fiber One 90 Calorie bar

    All this fills me up for the day until I eat my supper. :flowerforyou:
  • Katbaran
    Katbaran Posts: 605 Member
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    Have you thought of whole grain oatmeal packs? How about hard boiled eggs on low cal, high fiber bread with a dab of mustard? Fat free or lowfat Yogurt? Eating even two or three of them for lunch will fill you up and not use a lot of calories. Pudding cups, along with a home cooked chicken breast sandwich? You could poach some chicken breasts with herbs on Sunday night and have a whole week of sandwiches or to cut up and throw on a big, green salad. Veggie wraps aren't bad. Just make sure you put lots of veg for lots of taste. You could even use some of the poached chicken slivered up and lettuce, tomato, onion, avacado (not too much) a bunch of sprouts and a drizzle of FF ranch dressing. I don't take my lunch to work as I'm not working right now, but hubby works the 3 to 11 pm shift, so I swap dinner and lunch times and I'm trying to eat quick and healthy in the evening.
  • Jo_Bird
    Jo_Bird Posts: 38 Member
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    When I want something high in calories that will keep me full I go for a PB&J on whole wheat w/ a banana and 60 calorie yogurt
    and then for the entire day I set aside a bowl of:
    1/4 cup of walnuts, 1/4 cup of almonds, 2 brazilian nuts, scoop of flax seed and rasins or dried cranberries making my own trail mix and munch on that all day. Makes me know how much exactly I am eating for snacks. (keeps me not hungry and I always have something to munch on).
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
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    This time of year I am all about soup and chili!!

    Every couple of weeks I will make a batch of soup over the weekend. I just look for recipes that use ingredients I already have on hand, or look for whatever I am craving. I make everything from Black Bean Soup, to Italian Wedding, Turkey Chili and Tomato Vegetable. Makes plenty for a week's worth of lunches + leftovers for the freezer.

    Add a salad , veggie, or piece of fruit, or maybe even some brown rice (for chili or a hearty vegetable soup) and you have a great filling lunch. Most of the recipes I use are broth or tomato based, so they come in at 200 cals a cup or less, usually less..

    A few other "quick tips":

    I also prep salad stuff once a week, so that I can quickly pull together salads in the morning.
    Anytime I cook protein, I cook extra and use it in salads, rice/pasta dishes, etc.
    Preportion yogurt and cottage cheese into half cup servings so that they are easy to grab for lunch/snacks.
  • spacecase76
    spacecase76 Posts: 673 Member
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    I have started eating oatmeal for breakfast (at my desk) with my coffee. My favorite is Quaker Hearty Medleys-Apple Cranberry Almond..maybe not as much protein as some people prefer.

    Today, I am eating soup. This one is a Progresso Light soup, but, I could easily make Chicken Noodle Soup or something else low-fat on the weekend and store it in single-servings...easy to grab on the way out the door in the morning. I keep a variety of food in my desk. I have Special K snack bars, Instant grits (with cheese), green tea, low-cal hot cocoa packets, I also usually have a potato or 2 in there, fat-free pretzels, things like that, so even if I "forget" to grab lunch, I don't have to hit the closest fast-food joint.

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