Healthy Lunch Ideas?

mandalu292
mandalu292 Posts: 68 Member
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi friends! I'm just wondering if anyone has any good ideas for a healthy brown bag lunch. I don't know about you, but I find myself eating the same thing day after day and I am bored! Any suggestions are welcome... and as always, looking for new friends on here to encourage each other too, so feel free to add me. :)

Replies

  • Daisy_May
    Daisy_May Posts: 505 Member
    My favorite lunch is chicken noodle soup, (liptons low sodium) I find eating something warm at lunch makes me a lot more satisfied then a sandwhich plus it has less calories! I have cup a soups in my desk for days when I don't have time to make the soup in the morning.
  • coderchris
    coderchris Posts: 79 Member
    My husband told me to put homemade guacamole on my sandwich. It changes it up a little and it is healthy for you. I love guacamole and you just have to put a little on the bread. I usually put it on a turkey sandwich.
  • danielle3105
    danielle3105 Posts: 2
    Self magazine had posted a Jumpstart diet by Jillian M from Biggest Loser. She has a menu plan on there that had some really good ideas. I've tried a few of them and plan to try a few more. You should give it a look.
  • FullOfSpice
    FullOfSpice Posts: 176 Member
    I usually try to stir fry veggies with a very little amount of oil and add some type of protein (soy in my case). Or I like eating taco salads, I could eat that for the rest of my life and be happy :-) I do it without the tortilla shell, instead i buy tortillas from the grocery story, cut it up, spray with pam and bake for 10 mins or so until brown to get a little crunch in my salad. Much healthier!
  • JesaGrace
    JesaGrace Posts: 799 Member
    I still have a hard time finding a variety of lunches that are simple to do...I barely have time to put stuff together before leaving for work in the morning....
  • ifiwasurvampire
    ifiwasurvampire Posts: 181 Member
    I usually make a salad. 1 cup shredded lettuce, 3 oz siced celery and carrots, 11/4 c broccoli and cauliflower. Sometimes I add a little cheese and/or diced lunch meat. With 2tbsp fat free italian dressing. So with everything its about 248 cals! And it makes a large salad and keeps me full until dinner.
  • kylakesgal
    kylakesgal Posts: 952 Member
    Good morning, for me I usually bring some tuna or turkey breast and make a low cal sandwich with a pita pocket. The pitas I buy are only 60 calories for a whole one so just 30 calories for half since you cut them in half to stuff them. I stuff them with all types of veggies and spinach leaves. Low fat yogurt is great, love the greek yogurt and unsalted almonds for a snack.
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
    My husband told me to put homemade guacamole on my sandwich. It changes it up a little and it is healthy for you. I love guacamole and you just have to put a little on the bread. I usually put it on a turkey sandwich.
    homemade guacamole is the best! ive never tried it on a straight turkey sandwich though, i may have to try it...i like to eat avacados sliced up plain too with just a lil salt and pepper.
  • therobinator
    therobinator Posts: 832 Member
    Kashi frozen meals are healthy and delicious.
  • jduff2
    jduff2 Posts: 1
    some of my favorite lunches are peanut butter and banana on a rice cake
    hummus and whole wheat pita
    veggie soup in a thermos and a hard boiled egg
    pita pockets with chicken, pickles,lettuce,spinach,feta,mushrooms
    fruit salad and tuna w/cracker packs
    egg salad lettuce wraps

    Hope these ideas help a bit, good luck on your goal!
    Jody
  • SongbirdLandy
    SongbirdLandy Posts: 188 Member
    Have you tried making wraps instead of sandwiches? I like spreading fat free cream cheese with ranch seasoning mixed in on a whole wheat tortilla, throw on some turkey lunch meat, lettuce, tomato, and a sprinkle of 2% cheese then roll it up. SO GOOD! And pretty filling as well!
  • monicanicoletta
    monicanicoletta Posts: 176 Member
    one of my new favorite is stuffed bell peppers!!

    get two small bell peppers (i like red/yellow) & then cut the tops off & de-seed them.

    Then i brown some lean turkey... add some garlic powder & paprika. Then I mix in mushrooms, onions, carrots & celery & a little canned tomato to get a nice consistency. I cook this all together till its nice and brown and the veggies are soft.

    Then I stuff the bell peppers with the mixture, place in a ziploc steamer bag & put in the microwave for 3 minutes, SO GOOD!
  • RENAEJAE
    RENAEJAE Posts: 1,135 Member
    A couple of things I like are: My homemade lo cal veggie soup (lots of cabbage, onion, bean sprouts, tomato, carrots, green beans with low sodium V8 juice) only about 70 cal/cup. And I really enjoy a lite sandwich on a bagel thin (humus, lite cheese & turkey, lettuce, whatever) with a side of fat free cottage cheese. Humus and celery are great sides also.

    Ok - so now I'm hungry.
  • mlemonroe2
    mlemonroe2 Posts: 603
    I like good old PB&J with sliced banana in between. I eat it w/ carrots dipped in lite ranch dressing. Hidden Valley makes a lite ranch made with sour cream and it is SO GOOD!
  • millesun
    millesun Posts: 209 Member
    My fav is a can of tuna (100 calories) mixed with a laughing cow wedge (35 calories) on a sandwich thin (100 calories) with what ever fruit looked good that week at the store. LOL There you have lunch for about 300 calories. :drinker: Also I like to get the green giant small packs of the steam veggies. (Most of thoes have 45-70 calories and theres 2.5 servings I eat the whole thing) Then I add a garden burger cut up to it. (100 calories) and for a little flavor I add a laughing cow wedge (35 calories) Again lunch for around 300 calories yum:wink:
  • byHISstrength
    byHISstrength Posts: 984 Member
    Not sure if you can heat things up at work, but I just found Latin-Style Black Bean soup (in a box) at Trader Joe's. I usually don't have soup because of all the sodium, but this soup has 520mg per 1 cup which is not as bad. Anyway, I have had the soup with 3-4 oz of bite sized pieces of chicken sprinkled with fresh cilantro and also I had the soup with a whole wheat flour tortilla with a 1/4 cup of mexican style cheese. It was sooo good and satisfying...lots of protein (with the chicken) and fiber.

    It's almost lunch time, and I will be having it with chicken and guacamole....can't wait.
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
    Do you have access to a microwave at work? What facilities do you have?

    I am lucky that we have a full kitchen so I tend to prepare myself fresh salads some days, have soup and a crusty roll other days.

    Sometimes I even cook double the night before and bring in the leftovers the next day (works well with things like pasta primavera and some stir-fries)

    I also find that childrens meals from M&S are a good 'cheat' option - plus the are so low in calories you can also have a side salad...

    Also stuffed pitta pockets are a good alternative to sandwiches (I use wholemeal pitta, add a little humous and then pop in some mini falafels - or feta - plus cucumber, baby tomatoes, rocket snad red onion)
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
    I have been eating this all week as salad and tucked into a wrap with shrimp (chicken or lean steak would be awesome, too.). But it is perfect as is, filling and super nutritious:

    http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/quinoa-and-corn-salad-with-pumpkin-seeds

    PS—I added black eyed peas to mine, but any bean (especially black beans) would be awesome in this.
  • mandalu292
    mandalu292 Posts: 68 Member
    Thanks for all the suggestions! Lots of good ones... in reply to a few of them, we do have a microwave at work. However, I am a hair stylist so I rarely get 30 minutes to sit down and eat anything... it's all about eating a bite here and a bit there between clients. That's what makes it even tougher! Plus I get home so late that it's hard to even cook right now. So lefteovers are not an option most days. It's just been difficult trying to find things to take from home. I appreciate all of the help! :happy:
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