need some new ideas for packing work lunch

Options
2»

Replies

  • jwheele
    jwheele Posts: 41 Member
    Options
    I am so boring, lean cuisine and yogurt.
  • JMCade
    JMCade Posts: 389 Member
    Options
    I hate packing lunch and snacks!
    Lunch:
    Boca burger on wheat bread with Laughing Cow cheese spread
    spinach or lettuce salad with protein
    leftovers from dinner

    Snacks:
    yogurt (my fave is Vanilla Greek with strawberries to dip!)
    string cheese
    fruit
    veggies

    it's so hard to get my act together in the morning to pack meals!
    I know what ya mean! I pack mine the night before cuz I am always running late in the mornings!:smile: Thanks!
  • DonnaLFitz
    DonnaLFitz Posts: 270 Member
    Options
    I don't like microwaved food, and I don't like eating from plastic, so here is what I pack:

    Breakfast:
    yogurt ( I add 1/2 scoop of flavored protein powder, which I keep in my desk)
    fresh blueberries, tangerine, or apple
    plain instant oatmeal (made with hot water and sweetened with splenda)

    Lunch:
    "Salad in a Jar" - cucumber, plum tomato, green onion, celery in a jar with a snug lid)
    1 tbsp, Maple Grove Farms dressing (shake the jar to cover evenly)
    6-8 oz.. baked chicken or turkey --- OR --- egg salad (1 whole egg, 2 egg whites) --- OR --- Starkist tuna creations
  • writtenINthestars
    writtenINthestars Posts: 1,933 Member
    Options
    I found some wonderful salad bowls that have little compartments for dressing in the covers...and bought 4!

    I always start with a spring mix salad and add tomatoes, cucumber, and shredded carrot. Sometimes chopped mushrooms and bell peppers.

    Then it's all about what flavor I'm going for. If I use the buffalo flavored shake n bake for chicken, I always save some chicken for a salad and throw that on top with some celery and low cal all natural ranch.

    My favorite lately has been adding baked chicken seasoned with a little bit of Italian dressing, a TBSP of feta and some pepperocini's with Newmans Own Cranberry Walnut dressing.

    If I don't want chicken, I throw a good amount of beans in that salad. YUM!

    Otherwise it's leftovers (all portioned ahead of time) and snacks is always fruits, cottage cheese, string cheese, bean salad, or eggs.
  • begonia813
    begonia813 Posts: 12
    Options
    this is from "cook this, not that": here are 8 different options:
    1. pack a stack of triscuits, swiss, and slices of smoked ham or turkey.
    2. mix together a bit of mayo with grated horseradish. spread on toasted rye or wheat bread, then top with roast beef, sharp cheddar, sliced cucumbers, pickled onions, and arugula.
    3. place as many of the following items on a cutting board as you like: ham, turkey, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, olives, beans, scallions, blue cheese, and iceberg lettuce. chop into tiny pieces. when you're ready to eat, dress the chopped salad with honey mustard.
    4. chop two hardboiled eggs and mix with diced pickles, a spoon of olive-oil mayo, spicy mustard, and a pinch of cayenne. when you're ready to eat it, spoon the egg salad onto large romaine or bibb lettuce leaves and eat like a burrito.
    5. mix a can of tuna with chopped pickles, minced onion, and equal parts dijon mustard and olive-oil mayo. stuff into a whole wheat pita.
    6. stuff a pita with black beans, guacamole, sliced tomato, crumbled feta cheese, and a handful of your favorite greens.
    7. mix equal parts of cooked brown rice and drained canned black beans. top with leftover chicken or steak (or deli turkey), salsa, and guacamole. eat with a small stack of tortilla chips.
    8. slice an avocado and remove the pit. fill the round cavities with canned tuna and a squeeze of lemon, plus salt and pepper. eat with triscuits.

    lunch for a whole week for less than $15: buy a whole rotisserie chicken. remove the skin and shred every last bit of meat and do the following:
    monday: mix with bbq sauce. spread onto a large whole wheat or spinach tortilla and top with sauteed or raw onions and slices of avocado. wrap tightly.
    tuesday: toss with chopped romaine, roasted red peppers, olives, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese. just before eating, add some light dressing.
    wednesday: bring a can of creamy tomato or wild mushroom soup to work. heat. stir in some of the shredded chicken. wash it all down with a crisp apple.
    thursday: spread a thick layer of hummus onto an english muffin. stack with arugula or mixed greens, roasted peppers, chicken, and a slice of smoked gouda or provolone.
    friday: toss with cooked spaghetti, scallions, and red bell pepprs. dress with peanut butter mixed with soy sauce, lime, and hot sauce. top with peanuts. eat hot or cold.
  • Rockin_Robyn
    Rockin_Robyn Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    I try to make sure I have sandwich thins, PB and J and apples in my office at all times... that way if I forget to bring lunch or snacks, that week I have something to make that doesn't spoil quickly.
  • MKPRN
    MKPRN Posts: 46 Member
    Options
    I work 2 12 hour nights a week so I usually take the same thing.

    I always take a big salad. Romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, sliced red onion, sliced almonds. Then I add either grilled chicken, naked buffalo chicken tenders or grilled shrimp.

    I also take an orange, a protein shake (muscle milk light) and a greek yogurt that I mix with 1 packet of truvia and some mixed frozen berries.
  • elizabethblake
    elizabethblake Posts: 384 Member
    Options
    Today I'm eating roasted lemon pepper chicken breast and broccoli with Mrs. Dash on top. I cook 4-5 chicken breasts at the same time and use them for my lunches throughout the week.

    I also like a big salad - lots of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes with grilled or roasted chicken breast and pumpkin seeds. You can sub tuna in water for the chicken, or a hard boiled egg and a slice of crumbled bacon.
  • Dnsnyder
    Dnsnyder Posts: 263 Member
    Options
    I definitely agree with the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers...these are delicious! Also, if you are cooking dinner at home, why not make a little extra to take for lunch the next day? Sometimes I'll buy extra chicken breast to cook so that I have it for dinners and lunches throughout the week. I also tend to steam extra rice when I make it. Doing this helps keep sodium intake down compared to eating commercially prepared meals.
  • JMCade
    JMCade Posts: 389 Member
    Options
    this is from "cook this, not that": here are 8 different options:
    1. pack a stack of triscuits, swiss, and slices of smoked ham or turkey.
    2. mix together a bit of mayo with grated horseradish. spread on toasted rye or wheat bread, then top with roast beef, sharp cheddar, sliced cucumbers, pickled onions, and arugula.
    3. place as many of the following items on a cutting board as you like: ham, turkey, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, olives, beans, scallions, blue cheese, and iceberg lettuce. chop into tiny pieces. when you're ready to eat, dress the chopped salad with honey mustard.
    4. chop two hardboiled eggs and mix with diced pickles, a spoon of olive-oil mayo, spicy mustard, and a pinch of cayenne. when you're ready to eat it, spoon the egg salad onto large romaine or bibb lettuce leaves and eat like a burrito.
    5. mix a can of tuna with chopped pickles, minced onion, and equal parts dijon mustard and olive-oil mayo. stuff into a whole wheat pita.
    6. stuff a pita with black beans, guacamole, sliced tomato, crumbled feta cheese, and a handful of your favorite greens.
    7. mix equal parts of cooked brown rice and drained canned black beans. top with leftover chicken or steak (or deli turkey), salsa, and guacamole. eat with a small stack of tortilla chips.
    8. slice an avocado and remove the pit. fill the round cavities with canned tuna and a squeeze of lemon, plus salt and pepper. eat with triscuits.

    lunch for a whole week for less than $15: buy a whole rotisserie chicken. remove the skin and shred every last bit of meat and do the following:
    monday: mix with bbq sauce. spread onto a large whole wheat or spinach tortilla and top with sauteed or raw onions and slices of avocado. wrap tightly.
    tuesday: toss with chopped romaine, roasted red peppers, olives, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese. just before eating, add some light dressing.
    wednesday: bring a can of creamy tomato or wild mushroom soup to work. heat. stir in some of the shredded chicken. wash it all down with a crisp apple.
    thursday: spread a thick layer of hummus onto an english muffin. stack with arugula or mixed greens, roasted peppers, chicken, and a slice of smoked gouda or provolone.
    friday: toss with cooked spaghetti, scallions, and red bell pepprs. dress with peanut butter mixed with soy sauce, lime, and hot sauce. top with peanuts. eat hot or cold.
    Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions!:flowerforyou:
  • terraskye
    terraskye Posts: 370 Member
    Options
    bump for reading later

Categories