need some new ideas for packing work lunch

JMCade
JMCade Posts: 389 Member
edited September 27 in Food and Nutrition
Okay I am bored with the stuff I pack for lunch and breaks to go to work. :yawn: Tell me what you have please!
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Replies

  • zumba66girl
    zumba66girl Posts: 136
    bump....need ideas too!
  • GrampsWooha
    GrampsWooha Posts: 184
    hot pockets of course ! Yummmmmmmmmmm!
  • dakoerber
    dakoerber Posts: 308 Member
    I am looking for some new ideas too... I brought microwavable meals but don't like all the sodium.

    I was bringing chicken and sweet potatos for awhile... have you ever tried ziploc's zip and steam bags? Those work great!!
  • memecade
    memecade Posts: 19
    Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers!!!! Made by ConAgra (apparently). LOL. The walmart diet frozen meals are good too! That and tuna salad...yummm
  • ginalhorst
    ginalhorst Posts: 23
    Make a salad in a to go plastic container
    baby spinach, carrots, sweet pepper, cauliflower, craisins, feta cheese, chick peas, chicken or tuna, almonds if you want- use a low fat dressing or I make my own with olive oil, cider vinegar and truvia.
    That's my go- to lunch
  • JMCade
    JMCade Posts: 389 Member
    I am looking for some new ideas too... I brought microwavable meals but don't like all the sodium.

    I was bringing chicken and sweet potatos for awhile... have you ever tried ziploc's zip and steam bags? Those work great!!
    No, I haven't seen those. Are they in with the rest on the ziploc stuff at the store? I'll have to check that out. Thanks!
  • udallmom101
    udallmom101 Posts: 564 Member
    I love to have low fat cottage cheese and triscuits for snacks. For lunch what about a fat free refried bean burrito with some no fat cheese, salsa, and plain greek yogurt? That is always good. I have that with my veggie and I am good. Just be sure you use a whole wheat tortilla. You can also grill off extra chicken when you grill your meats and slice it to have with some broccoli or asparagus. The possibilities are endless.
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    I pack lunches from left overs mostly. Today I had home made Red Beans and Rice with steam squash and peppers. Yesterday was grilled pork loin with 1/2 twice baked potato. You can really get creative that way! I throw in an occasional traditional lunch of sandwich and chips just for variety.
  • JMCade
    JMCade Posts: 389 Member
    Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers!!!! Made by ConAgra (apparently). LOL. The walmart diet frozen meals are good too! That and tuna salad...yummm
    Lol! I haven't bought them for a long time. Are all of them good?
  • rachel0923
    rachel0923 Posts: 137 Member
    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!
  • phy40
    phy40 Posts: 260 Member
    Any Fit N Active brand is good and the cost is affordable. I make a salad using the salad mix (topped with trail mix). Leftovers are great, such as meatloaf, chicken or turkey. Don't forget your fruit.
  • Steph62002
    Steph62002 Posts: 91
    I have been on a turkey kick lately. Sometimes I use whole wheat bread, other times I'll use a whole wheat tortilla and will fill it with lettuce, tomato and avocado.
    I love the Sabras hummus individual packs (2oz each). I will cut up a cucumber and red bell pepper to go along with that.
    Also love sunflower butter with honey wheat sticks! Yum.
  • sweetiepie31612
    sweetiepie31612 Posts: 240 Member
    Lots of salads, pita sandwiches with roasted red peper hummus, lettuce, cheese, and black olives, yogurt, bumblebee easy peel sensation(tuna), peanuts, almonds....

    I used to do the cafe steamers or the prepackaged food, but I just didn't find them as filling as having a smaller lunch and munching on nuts. Added to that, they were very high in sodium.
  • kittytrix
    kittytrix Posts: 557 Member
    Chicken Cranberry salad. Uber easy to make.

    Take some shredded chicken breast add some dried cranberries, walnuts apples if you'd like, some low-fat mayo, a bit of mustard and some garlic salt and you are done.

    You can make it into a sandwich or add a scoop to some greens.

    It tastes really fresh and it's quick and easy to make.
  • JMCade
    JMCade Posts: 389 Member
    I love to have low fat cottage cheese and triscuits for snacks. For lunch what about a fat free refried bean burrito with some no fat cheese, salsa, and plain greek yogurt? That is always good. I have that with my veggie and I am good. Just be sure you use a whole wheat tortilla. You can also grill off extra chicken when you grill your meats and slice it to have with some broccoli or asparagus. The possibilities are endless.
    I have never tried the greek yogurt but man everybody talks about it on here. I put that one on my grocery list! Thanks!
  • JMCade
    JMCade Posts: 389 Member
    Chicken Cranberry salad. Uber easy to make.

    Take some shredded chicken breast add some dried cranberries, walnuts apples if you'd like, some low-fat mayo, a bit of mustard and some garlic salt and you are done.

    You can make it into a sandwich or add a scoop to some greens.

    It tastes really fresh and it's quick and easy to make.
    oooh that sounds delish!
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    Homemade frozen dinners. Need:

    Flat, sealable food storage containers (rubbermaid, ziploc, etc) preferably stackable ones.
    Grain (Rice, quinoa, cous cous, etc), measure, cook, divide into single servings
    Frozen veggies (combo veggies are awesome), measure out single servings
    Protein (chicken, lean beef, tofu, etc. work great), measure, cook, divide up into single servings.
    Sauce - Homemade, or prepackaged (just watch sodium).

    Put a single serving of each component in a container. Label. Freeze. Grab on the way out the door. Profit! :bigsmile:

    Rinse and repeat with different grain, veggie, protein, sauce combination for variety; assembly line style.

    I currently have three varieties in my freezer and have another assembly line planned tonight.
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
    I do a sandwich, fruit and veggie. This is much less processed food than the frozen options. If you prefer hot meals then pre-bake a meal or two and divide into frozen meals for lunch or make a bigger dinner and use the leftovers for lunch.
  • ttfit2
    ttfit2 Posts: 54 Member
    Today I had 3 slices of Dietz&Watson Smoked Turkey breast; 15 Nabisco Wheat Thins Fiber Select Garden Vegetable crackers, Cabot natural cheese (50% reduced fat), 15 grapes, 1/2 cup cucumbers and tomotoes with 1 tsp. EVOO+balsamic vinegar. Yummo. All of that was only 327 calories, but I felt like I was getting to eat a whole lot.
  • lottycat
    lottycat Posts: 333 Member
    * bump * off out now, but will totally give this a read later x
  • jwheele
    jwheele Posts: 41 Member
    I am so boring, lean cuisine and yogurt.
  • JMCade
    JMCade Posts: 389 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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:
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