Looking for brown bag lunch ideas

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Iloran
Iloran Posts: 5 Member
in Recipes
I am a field service tech & I need some good lunch ideas. Right now fast food is very easy & colds cut sandwiches get old very quick. I need new ideas & variety to keep me motivated.

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  • Candylou11
    Candylou11 Posts: 19 Member
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    I hear you on that one. Lots of places to eat around my work too, and sandwiches I find get soggy- yuck! I am kind of in a lunch rut myself so looking forward to seeing what others suggest. Here are some of mine.... What about salads with cut up chicken, or tuna mixed with a bit of mayo and parmesan cheese on wasa bread, hummus and pita with cut up veggies, cut up fruit, I make yogurt parfaits and just pack a ice pack. Maybe wraps instead of bread for sandwiches. Pasta or quinoa salads, hard boiled eggs, Salad in a jar- In a mason jar start with dressing in the bottom and then layer ingredients. If you are able to heat up food- left overs, homemade soups.

    That is all I can think of right now. I'm sure others will have more suggestions.
  • rachael00679
    rachael00679 Posts: 186 Member
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    Healthy fast food? I mean if your going to buy it make it good for you
  • rachael00679
    rachael00679 Posts: 186 Member
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    Omfg it deleted half my post.
    It was basically saying buy a thermos and take roast spuds with toppings, some left over pulled pork or roast meat and a seperate crunchy roll and a plastic bag of slaw to assemble on site.

  • HighCascadesDrifter
    HighCascadesDrifter Posts: 6 Member
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    I agree with the salad comment above. My salads consist of chopped up tomatoes, chopped avocado, chopped cucumber, two handfuls of spinach, one tuna packet (Bumble Bee albacore with Sundried Tomatoes & Olive Oil), and minimal dressing (if any).

    Have you considered buying an insulated lunchbox and some re-freezeable ice packs?

    I am in a similar situation as you with being on the road a lot and I have used my lunchbox for almost 5 years now. I also have gotten used to eating a lot of food cold (you kinda start to like it).

    A staple meal for me that I eat cold all the time is a ground beef mixture I call Beef Slop.

    1 lb ground - beef (93% lean, 7% fat)
    1 Yellow onion chopped
    1 Green Bell Pepper chopped
    2 cloves garlic minced
    1 can of diced tomatoes (No Salt added 14.5 oz can)
    1 can of sliced olives
    2 Tbsp Olive Oil
    1 Thsp Italian Seasoning
    1 tsp sea salt
    1 tsp black pepper

    Saute the onions and garlic for a few minutes in the Olive oil.
    Add beef with salt and black pepper to pan (with the onions, garlic, and olive oil) and start breaking apart.
    Once beef starts browning add in bell peppers and cook for a few minutes.
    Add in can of tomatoes with juice and the drained can of olives.
    Lastly stir in throughly the Italian seasoning.

    I usually break this up into a couple of servings.

    I have used this mixture in pita bread and also in containers with spinach for a beef salad. Sometimes I will just put it in a plastic container and eat it by itself.

    Hope this was helpful and good luck on changing your eating habits. Consistency is king.

    Oh yeah and check out recipes on YouTube. I can't tell you how many times I have found epic recipes for cleaner eating on there.

    Take care,

    HighCascadesDrifter
  • HanamiDango
    HanamiDango Posts: 456 Member
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    I think this be a good place to look. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10043413/using-bento-boxes-for-lunches/p1 47 pages is a lot to go through but you can get some great lunch ideas here!
  • nataliaburgess3
    nataliaburgess3 Posts: 1 Member
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    Indeed this can be a tricky one. sandwiches get boring, so you just have to mix it up. Its also very important to
    plan your meals for the week.
    Dont carry any money around either unless you really need to. As it will stop the urge to buy junk forcing you to eat whats already packed here are a few lunch idea's.

    .x2 boiled egg/slice of salmon and lettice.
    . Chicken and sweetcorn with low fat mayo mixed together. Put that in a toasted bagel.
    . Small portion of paster, with tuna and sweetcorn.
    . Omellette with a side of spinach.
    . Grilled chicken with a side salad

    All these things can be prepared from the night before. Its also important to bring fruit or low fat snacks along with you aswell

    . Water crackers
    . Breadsticks
    . Vegetables with low fat humous as a dip

    Variety will keep it fun I guess. Hope this helps



  • overkat
    overkat Posts: 7 Member
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    I work in an environment without a break room, so I feel your pain! I switch up my lunches each week so they don;t get boring. Cold cuts are definitely in the mix, but I use a flat bread so nothing gets soggy (Flat Out Foldits are my favorite). Chopped salads are in the rotation, switching out dressings and trying a new fruit/veggie in the mix helps keep them more interesting. Chicken salad wraps are a pretty portable option, too (grilled chicken, grapes, apples, celery, and low fat miracle whip or mayo). Make sure your giving yourself snacks, too. Cut up fruit, yogurt, rice cakes, etc...if you have variety in your lunch bag, everything seems less boring.

    And if you haven't, invest in a good insulated lunch bag and an ice pack. Nothing is worse than a room temp lunch, and depending on what you pack it might not be safe to eat if it's not kept cold through the day.

    Good luck!

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