Packed lunches!

Fairweather2 - Are you specifically looking for hot lunches or will cold lunches do?

I'm the same way where I just don't feel like making lunch, so I force myself to prep and pack when I'm making dinner the night before or on Sundays. I find salad to be the best and easiest thing to make. I do spinach, spring mix, and arugula...then I add shaved carrots, red and yellow peppers, diced onions, diced portobello mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, sometimes a boiled egg, sunflower seeds or shaved almonds, chow main for texture, craisins for a sweet element (not too many just a few), NO cheese (which makes me so sad, but it's for the greater good), and baked chicken...cooled and chopped. The dressing is that of your choice...I find a vinaigrette - light ranch mix to be perfect! And with your choices of vinaigrette you get variety in an otherwise mundane lunch.

Now...I know you're reading this like - who is going through all that cutting everyday for salad? I do it all on Sunday - divide the salad into 5 air tight containers, and keep the containers far from the light in the refrigerator. Monday - Friday I just grab the salad and the dressing mixture of my choice and run for the train!

Now if you're just fed up with salads, I do a few other things for lunch as well.

Also, are you opposed to having Greek yogurt for lunch? Start with plain Greek yogurt...I'm a fan of Fage. Add granola, some shaved almonds, a bit of honey or fruit compote and - voila! Lunch! Protein packed and not too heavy. I normally have this when I'm going out to dinner after work. Just make sure not to drop it on you...Greek yogurt doesn't come out without a good wash.

Also don't forget to snack - I take chopped carrots almost everyday...or broccoli...or cauliflower...and some type of fruit - grapes are easy and pair well with almonds. These are good for those post lunch, not quite 5 o'clock cravings. And, these are all things you can prep on Sunday that will last in the fridge for a week!!!

Best of luck to you!

~Ri

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/pork-salad

I second the idea of planned-overs and will pre-package them before bringing the rest of the meal to table to make sure we don't eat lunch by mistake. I like to skip a day so Saturday's salmon, potatoes and green beans dinner = Monday Lunch, Sunday's stew = Tuesday & Thursday lunch et c.

The rest of the time lunch is salads, sandwiches, and soup that I've frozen in individual portions. Add a smaller salad or piece of fruit + a slice of bread or a few crackers with cheese or hard-boiled eggs or tuna and you are set.

You might want to look up Mason Jar Salads. http://www.organizeyourselfskinny.com/2014/03/17/the-ultimate-mason-jar-salad-tutorial-and-recipe-round-up/ is one resource. They really do keep well. I'm too much of a clutz, and my lunch bag tends to fall over in the car so I don't pre-dress mine.

On occasion we've made sandwich kits (All of the fillings pre-portioned into boxes) and the bread separately so it doesn't get soggy. For us (in part because of limited fridge space) making lunch has become part of cleaning up after dinner rather than something to do ahead on the weekend.

A fruit smoothie (frozen strawberries, blueberries, half a banna), baby carrots and some sort of dip, turkey sandwich with lettuce and mustard, a hard boiled egg.

Making lunches stresses me out, so I stick to prepackaged options. I like to alternate between lean cuisine frozen meals and Progresso Light soups for the main entree. Some snacks I include could be: hard boiled eggs, frozen fruit/yogurt/Fiber One granola parfaits, string cheese, piece of fruit, veggies & hummus. I was packing Fiber One bars/brownies for awhile, but they make me gassy and turn on my sweet tooth for the rest of the day, so I'm going to stop buying them. Next grocery trip I'm buying sliced turkey breast and pickles as snack options.