Quick, Healthy Lunches

skyspun
skyspun Posts: 8 Member
edited September 27 in Recipes
Alright folks...

I am in desperate need for some quick, healthy ideas for lunches to take to work. I am constantly in a rush and don't have a lot of time to make lunch, so I'm always bringing either not enough food, or crap to work.

What do you guys do for your lunches when your in a time crunch?
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Replies

  • JenInAustin
    JenInAustin Posts: 53 Member
    I'm eager to read the responses.

    If I'm in a super-rush it's usually string cheese, whatever fruit is on hand, protein bar, instant oatmeal (Revolutionary Oats), can of soup.

    So I too need help!
  • CherrySunday
    CherrySunday Posts: 301
    Me too! Lunch is the hardest meal for me to get right for some reason. Breakfast, I've got dialed. Dinner, I've usually got a plan. But lunch I just run out of ideas!
  • pammyedmunds
    pammyedmunds Posts: 608 Member
    Quick & easy?? Buy some Lean Cuisine's are Weight Watchers Smart Ones. Prepare a spring mix salad the night before.
  • djj267
    djj267 Posts: 12
    Recently, I have found it helpful to make a little extra in the evening when making my dinner.

    Something like couscous is easy to dish up. Put an amount in a lunch container and cover with hot water, cover then leave for a few minutes, put in some fruit like sultanas for a sweet lunch, with a bit of paprika ia nice, or some lean chicken etc or salad - chopped salad onions, cucumber etc and it tastes great if you season.

    Hope this helps
  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
    Frozen dinners have waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much sodium and preservatives.
    You'd be better off with fresh fruit.
  • lolabugs
    lolabugs Posts: 141
    I'm extremely lucky because I can keep a week's worth of food at work, which means I don't have to think about anything. My lunches would be pretty simple for you to throw in a lunch bag on your way out the door or have ready the night before. My lunch consists of:

    Wheat Thins
    Laughing Cow light cheese wedge (I love all their flavors)
    2-3 carrots
    Hummus (I get Sabra with roasted pine nuts, but any kind is good)
    Fage 0% greek yogurt

    Total Calories: 440

    I typically get hungry again around 2:30 or 3, so you might think about taking a snack, too, if that works with your schedule.
  • KJ7777
    KJ7777 Posts: 47 Member
    Iv been going for a pitta with what ever you fancy in it as they arent the time consuming to make in the morning.

    Had 2 boilded eggs & loaded with salad, or phillidelia, hummous, ham.

    Easiest thought is left over dinner from the night before :)
  • angstypirates
    angstypirates Posts: 11 Member
    My easiest quick meal is just a variety of fruit. They come in their own little packages. ;) Also fast: baby carrots/peppers/cucumbers and hummus. Cut a ton of them up for the week, then grab and go.

    Mix it up with some trail mix that isn't full of additives. The portion sizes are small but it's very filling and full of good fats.

    My absolute favorite quick meal, though, is a single serving cup of Greek yogurt with fruit at the bottom and half a cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch (Almond Flax) mixed in. Soooo filling, only about 240-260 calories, and really delicious. That would be easy to take to work -- the cup of yogurt, toss a measured portion of Kashi in a baggie, bring along some fruits as snacks -- boom! Minimal preparation.

    If you're really in a rush and you work in an office, could you keep a box of Kashi, a baggie of dried frui or trail mix, and (healthy) granola bars in your desk?
  • redrustdobe
    redrustdobe Posts: 43
    Leftovers from the healthy dinner I made the night before :wink:
  • cterjeson
    cterjeson Posts: 3
    I buy the minute brown rice, and then a birds eye steam bag of veggies. I mix them together and wa-la :) There's lunch. A little soy sauce added completes the meal :) It's delicious, fast and easy. Keeping it up is the hard thing for me. I teach Special Education in a self contained classroom, and 3/5 days of the week I am eating with my students, therefore I tend to want school lunches!!!! ahhhhh
  • JeanineLaymon1970
    JeanineLaymon1970 Posts: 44 Member
    I usually prep the night before and make a sandwich, salad & yogurt:

    2 pieces whole wheat bread
    1 tbsp light mayo
    3 pieces fresh turkey (sliced from deli)

    1 piece fresh turkey (sliced from deli)
    romain lettuce (ready go pac with cabbage & carrots)
    2 tablespoons light salad dressing

    kroger lite yogurt

    Bottle kroger water
  • christina_michelle
    christina_michelle Posts: 225
    buump
  • karenkwalker
    karenkwalker Posts: 155 Member
    When I was working 70 hours a week. I would take about 1/2 hour on Sunday and make up a complete weeks worth of lunches. I bought 5 of the slotted tupperware type dishes at Walmart, they are about 6-8" diameter with a lid. They stack well in the fridge. I would cut up red,yellow,orange bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, etc. and have those in the "bigger" section. I bought lunch meat chicken and brought a serving of it in one of the smaller sections, then mozarrella cheese chunk in the third section. I also brought some hummus to dip the veggies in. I made 5 of these and just grabbed one in the morning. It worked pretty well for me - you'd have to figure out the calories in terms of your plan. You could change it up adding nuts or beans or something if you don't eat meat, etc.

    Good luck! I know I was much more successful when I planned and executed these meals - otherwise I was out at fast food at lunch or immediately following work. The fiber of these meals kept me full and I didn't get that 3pm hunger thing so strongly.
  • shortly24
    shortly24 Posts: 18
    My fave is to cook up extra brown rice when I have it for dinner.

    Make up a salad with a small can of tinned salmon, grated carrot, cucumber, red capsicum and sprouts with a little honey mustard dressing. Yum!

    Also I have salad without the rice or salmon and add shaved chicken instead and serve with a piece of fruit or diet yoghurt. Yum!
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    here are my typical lunches

    * Leftovers from the previous night
    * Tuna sandwich
    * A pot of chili or soup that I've seperated into individual containers and frozen
    * A portion of shrimp and some stir fry vegetables in a container
    * A portion of edamame and a serving of basmati rice
  • RacheBell
    RacheBell Posts: 111
    Lunches usually consist of:

    1 packet of tuna (80 cals)
    3 oz baby carrots
    2 celery sticks cut into 3rds
    4 radishes, halved
    1 cup of lettuce
    maybe dressing if I feel like it.


    Or I will have black bean soup that I make and freeze into 1 cup portions.

    String cheese and fruit is something I save for the afternoon.


    And as stated, leftovers is always great. Just put aside some before you serve everyone.
  • eggplantlover
    eggplantlover Posts: 8
    quick & filling laughing cow wedge with Triscuits, Larabars are GREAT, soup, chili, celery with cream cheese, carrots & peanut butter or alomond butter.

    Those are my go tos---hope they help!
  • chrrylpstck
    chrrylpstck Posts: 8
    I always bring a lunch to work and leave my cash at home so I am not tempted to buy greasy food from the cafeteria. I usually pack one main food item plus some extra fruits, veggies, string cheese, yogurt, popcorn or a granola bar to snack on when I get hungry throughout the day. Some options I like are:
    -leftovers
    -whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter and banana
    -celery with peanut butter
    -salad with lettuce, hard boiled eggs, cucumbers, fat free croutons (whatever you like)
    -100 cal kraft cheese packs and whole wheat crackers
    -fat free cottage cheese and peaches
    -hummus (i like the roasted red pepper flavor) and crackers, pretzel thins or veggies
    -minute brown rice (individual packs) and 1/2c. bush's low sodium black beans
    -a smoothie made with greek yogurt (more protein) and fruit
  • ewebber88
    ewebber88 Posts: 33
    BUMP
  • Dormouse85
    Dormouse85 Posts: 49
    I don't have the luxury of a microwave so I always have something cold. I usually have a sandwich, with a protein rich filler (coronation chicken is a curent favourite), and some tomatoes. A pot of fresh fruit and sometimes a biscuit. An apple as well - and there you go! I have to make the sandwich the night before as I get up early and don't have a lot of time.

    If anyone has some interesting sandwich fillers I'd love to hear them!
  • sumershine7
    sumershine7 Posts: 1
    Check out http://www.laptoplunches.com/bento-menus/ for a great variety of healthy lunches. You don't have to use their bento sets but I would highly recommend them since they make packing lunch much easier. They also provide great portion control and have allowed me to eat healthy no matter where I go. I take mine to lunch as well as on weekend outings so that I can avoid concession foods and fast foods. The organization and presentation of the boxes is great, so I don't even feel like I'm missing out on what everyone else is eating!
  • shelcof
    shelcof Posts: 62 Member
    Lean Cuisine Spring rolls...200 calories per serving and YUMMY. Then I usually have a "breakstones" cottage cheese doubles for 100 calories. Easy to grab and pack, and the lean cuisines have two servings in each box so if you have a freezer at work, you hardly have to worry about lunch the next day
  • sdgirl22
    sdgirl22 Posts: 225 Member
    On Sundays, I pick a whole grain and a legume, and I make a week's worth of servings of each. Then when I'm making dinner, I just portion it out the next day's lunch and add whatever veggies, fats, and spices I'm in the mood for. It works for me because I'm eating whole foods, dried beans and grains are ridiculously cheap, and I dont have a certain flavor so I can pretty much turn the meal into whatever I'm craving.

    Plus, all I have to do is just boil water and add, so you're barely even cooking. That works better for me than attempting several dishes at once, or one large dish and eating it every day for a week.
  • cicadagirl
    cicadagirl Posts: 51
    When I was working 70 hours a week. I would take about 1/2 hour on Sunday and make up a complete weeks worth of lunches. I bought 5 of the slotted tupperware type dishes at Walmart, they are about 6-8" diameter with a lid. They stack well in the fridge. I would cut up red,yellow,orange bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, etc. and have those in the "bigger" section. I bought lunch meat chicken and brought a serving of it in one of the smaller sections, then mozarrella cheese chunk in the third section. I also brought some hummus to dip the veggies in. I made 5 of these and just grabbed one in the morning.

    You, my dear, are brilliant. My idea of a "no-brainer lunch" is usually a portion of whatever leftovers I have kicking around in the fridge. But I LOVE this idea. I might even be able to DO this. I'm usually so disorganized when it comes to things like meal planning. But this, even I could do. :wink:
  • ShelleyT_RN
    ShelleyT_RN Posts: 7 Member
    I usually make it simple if I do not have any leftovers. Typically: lean lunch meat, string cheese, fruit, carrots with hummus. I might use a 100 cal sandwich thin with the meat/cheese, but usually I don't.
  • skyspun
    skyspun Posts: 8 Member
    Wow, thanks so much for all your responses! I'm definitely trying all of these!!
  • Lyndzo
    Lyndzo Posts: 142
    The Healthy Steamer microwave dinners are good in everything. Sodium is usually about 450-500 but if you drink water and watch sodium the rest of the day they are perfect.

    Also, I really like bringing in a whole wheat wrap with some lettuce and lean turkey with a little bit of cheese. Yum!
  • streko3a
    streko3a Posts: 16 Member
    Iv been going for a pitta with what ever you fancy in it as they arent the time consuming to make in the morning.

    Had 2 boilded eggs & loaded with salad, or phillidelia, hummous, ham.

    Easiest thought is left over dinner from the night before :)

    Thumbs up for pita! I also like to spice it up with home made chimichurri. Just love this stuff!
  • msrn8143
    msrn8143 Posts: 90 Member
    I usually take an hour on Sunday afternoon and make a pot of low calorie soup. While that is cooking, I mix up lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers; spin them really dry, and divide into 5 tupperware sandwich containers, cover with a papertowel, then lid and they keep for a week. Once the soup is done and cool, I divide it into 5 one cup Tupperware containers and lunch is prepared for the week. Breakfast is usually whole grain waffles or bagels with sugar free jelly or cream cheese. Snacks are string cheese and a jello cup.
  • chloesheean
    chloesheean Posts: 1
    Hi! Try cooked quinoa with onions, peppers, mushrooms and some flaked smoked salmon fillet (Lidl do really nice one).......1 cup of quinoa, 1 salmon fillet, 6 medium mushrooms, some red sweet pepper and onions. Cook the onions, mushrooms and peppers (preferably in just 1 tbsp coconut oil or just water), add the cooked quinoa and the salmon broken into small pieces. This is really easy and quick to make and keeps really well in the fridge overnight for a quick grab in the morning! Calories approx 282 (using coconut oil)...and this amount makes enough for two lunches.....enjoy, Chloe
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