For those of you who bring lunches to work - Give me a list

Some times I bring a grocery bag of frozen lean cuisines and keep them in our freezer at work, its cheap and easy to keep track of your calories that way. If you pack enough you won't have to worry about lunches for the rest of the week.

salad with cucumber, peppers, cilantro, and rice vinegar

chobani champions greek yogurt with banana and 1 tbsp granola

I like casseroles or loaves of something that I can make on Sunday and keeps all week. My faves are zucchini casserole with brown rice, egg, and cheese or veggie meatloaf with mushrooms, lentils, nuts, onions and spices.

Wrap made with flatout light, lots of romaine, red onions, and various protein (tuna, turkey, or grilled chicken strips), no sauce - the lettuce makes it moist enough. Might sprinkle a little gorgonzola on it. Yoplait fiber one yogurt for mid afternoon, light string cheese for mid morning, maybe a small piece of fruit or some celery and pepper strips to eat after wrap at lunchtime. About 400 calories for the whole work day.

Some of my selection includes: Smart ones or lean quisine meal, Salads, sandwich with 90 calories for 2 slices of bread and lean meats, fruits, veggies, leftover piece of chicken or leftover smaller portion of a meal, jello or yogurt, nuts, skinny cow cheese, bagel things with fat free cream cheese.

1. Leftovers!
2. Roasted Mediterranean Veggies (recipe to follow)
3. Homemade soups (I periodically make soups all day and can them on my days off- email me if you want recipes)
4. Quinoa with veggies
5. fresh fruit--usually apple, orange, or clementine.

Roasted Mediterranean Veggies recipe
Makes 6 servings
1 lb okra (fresh or frozen), sliced
5 oz fresh tomatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks (you can substitute a second red pepper if you wish)
1 large fresh red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
1/4 lb onion, chopped
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375.

Rinse and slice okra into a large bowl. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and toss to coat.

Chop the rest of the vegetables, and place into the bowl on top of the okra; toss to mix well

Place all of your vegetables into a large roasting pan. Add water, drizzle olive oil; Mix well to coat.

Place uncovered in preheated oven and bake for 60-90 minutes, tossing occasionally.

I bring Yogurts, VitaTops, granola bars for snacks and lunch I always have Amy's Kitchen meals and Burrito's, frozen SteamFresh veggies...if you got a microwave zap them up and they are ready to go!!

This is my usual lunch box:

Breakfast: bread for toast/ PB// made at home shake (with protein powder, milk and frozen fruit)
Morning snack: fruit
Lunch: leftover from last dinner, frozen vegetable with cottage cheese and pepper, a can of tuna, salad created by how i'm inspired and what's in the fridge.
Afternoon snack: vegetables// a piece of cheese

I try to plan in when I go grocery shopping.

Thin deli turkey on two slices of wheat breat, one slice of low fat cheese, and exactly 1 TBS of mayo
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
grapes or an apple
baby carrots
1 square of dark chocolate

That's a typical work lunch. Topping the cottage cheese with grapes is VERY delicious and surpriding very filling. I used to bring yogurt, but got tired of logging all that sugar and found cottage cheese to have a lot less of it.

I eat breakfast and lunch at work I start at 5 am...
breakfast is usually cold cereal or instant oatmeal with fruit
snack is yogurt with handful of almonds inside
lunch is always salad w/ chicken or turkey
and cliff barr just before I go home so I have energy to workout

I like to make big batches of soup on the weekends and use that for lunches. I freeze the rest of them and it is a yummy addition to any lunch.

Today's lunch: (and yesterday's and Monday's and even my dinner last night, I love it so much!)

1 serving lettuce (shredded)
1 serving (1 oz) reduced fat cheddar (shredded)
diced tomatoes (to taste)
1 serving (3 oz cooked) chicken breast, diced
2-3 servings (4-6 tbsp) low sodium salsa (i.e. Clint's Texas Salsa)

Heat chicken and then mix everything together. SO yummy!!!

-healthy leftovers from the night before
-whole wheat pita with tzatziki and grilled chicken
-homemade soups that i make on sunday (chicken, vegetable, and brown rice is very filling and satisfying)
-fresh fruits
-bag of healthy cereal
-and ALWAYS a 100 calorie treat to ward off any vending machine meltdowns

I try to stay away from those frozen/processed meals, so I cook once and eat like 3-5 times

I like to grill up a whole bag of boneless skinless chicken tenders and make a pot of whole grain brown rice on Sunday night. I always have frozen bags of veggies (Green Giant Steamers), Flat-Out wraps/orrowheat thins/ or Flat-Out Artisan bread, bags of fresh spinach/greens, hummus and shredded cheese. This can make:

1. Chix, rice and veggies, 2. Chix wraps ( I love to use a tbsp of hummus,greens and roasted red peppers) 3. Chicken salad...top with some almonds and feta cheese...so yummy!!! 4. I've also made chicken nachos, add some black beans, cheese and a few whole grain tortilla chips, mmmm! 5. chicken sandiwches 6. quesadillas...the possibilities are endless! And of course, there are leftovers

Snacks: almonds, greek yogurt, fresh fruit, cheese sticks, natural peanut butter, 100 calorie popcorn and lots and lots of water

Hope this helps!

I like to take a 100 calorie sandwich round & a little bit of pizza sauce & turkey pepperoni & a little bit of shredded mozzerella and toast it in the toaster oven to make little pizzas.