Lunch is the hardest... Any advise?

JillAnne0320
JillAnne0320 Posts: 21 Member
edited November 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I am pretty good at coming up with stuff for breakfast and I'm great at serving a balanced dinner but when it comes to lunch I can never figure out what to fix. Which is weird because lunch is the only meal I eat all by myself, so you would think it would be easy to figure out a healthy option for just me. I do salads often but when I want something besides a salad I am at a complete loss. Any lunch suggestions /ideas would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

Replies

  • Eldow1977
    Eldow1977 Posts: 48 Member
    I've just packed myself. 100g chicken, 100g egg noodles, 60g red radishes, 60g baby plum tomatoes, 10g sesame seeds, some fresh chilli. Mixed up to make a noodle salad.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    can you eat the same things for lunch that you eat for breakfast and dinner?
  • xBijinx
    xBijinx Posts: 49 Member
    Lunch for me is often hard. For one, if I don't prepare it the night before I wont have it. I do left overs often. When I don't have those I try for soups since it's pretty easy to find in a pinch. In the warmer weather I don't always feel like eating so I like smoothies.
  • aledba
    aledba Posts: 564 Member
    Boiled eggs, cut carrots and peppers w/ tzatziki or hummus, chicken salad w/ greek yogurt, quinoa and bean bowls, tuna or salmon sandwiches, cottage cheese and fruits, pizza, soup. Ah, the possibilities are endless!
  • IAmAWomanOnAMission
    IAmAWomanOnAMission Posts: 7 Member
    Not sure if you are sticking to any plan... High protein or low carb etc...

    I like pasta salads
    Or couscous with lots of chilli and veg
    Roasted veg
    Chopped potato wedges with chicken seasoning or other spices
    Beans on toast or spaghetti
    Any open sandwich
    Frittata
    Omelette
    Bean soup homemade

    I could go on lol good luck!!!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited August 2015
    Same things than I eat for dinner personally (or breakfast sometimes). I actually love lunch because I can make myself a serving of whatever I'm craving without worrying that my kids won't eat it, lol.

    I almost never eat 'lunch food'.
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
    JillAnne0320 wrote: »
    I am pretty good at coming up with stuff for breakfast and I'm great at serving a balanced dinner but when it comes to lunch I can never figure out what to fix. Which is weird because lunch is the only meal I eat all by myself, so you would think it would be easy to figure out a healthy option for just me. I do salads often but when I want something besides a salad I am at a complete loss. Any lunch suggestions /ideas would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

    What sounds good and fits your calories/macros? Eat that.. dont overcomplicate it. Just call it meal 2, its just another time to eat, it can be whatever you want it to be
  • tabl_23
    tabl_23 Posts: 46 Member
    JillAnne0320 wrote: »
    I am pretty good at coming up with stuff for breakfast and I'm great at serving a balanced dinner but when it comes to lunch I can never figure out what to fix. Which is weird because lunch is the only meal I eat all by myself, so you would think it would be easy to figure out a healthy option for just me. I do salads often but when I want something besides a salad I am at a complete loss. Any lunch suggestions /ideas would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

    I think it depends. I usually work out right after lunch...so I pack a lunch full of protien. Usually a turkey sandwich and cottage cheese. Sometimes I do some baked chips. Then after I work out for 60 minutes I usually have a small snack. Usually fruit or yoguart.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    How bout bringing leftovers from dinner?
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Can of tuna with chilli and Greek yogurt with strawberries for me. The pack into my lunch box well :tongue:
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    I batch cook one pot meals on weekends so I can eat (mostly lunch) without thinking about it. I cook meals, portion and freeze. That way I can grab just a portion of chili, cacciatore, stew, curry, soup, and so on.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Leftovers! Nearly every day. Today it was lasagna and creamed turnips.

    I might put a hash in a wrap. I've done this with refried beans, chilli. Put a little shredded cheese in there.

    I use partitioned containers to mix and match foods. I try and fit something crispy in.

    We had baked tofu stir fry with rice tonight. The leftovers are packed already but instead of rice I packed some crispy egg noodles.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    Today I bought filet of fresh red snapper. I sautéed it in olive oil with salt/pepper. I placed it atop a salad of broccoli, local jersey tomato, butter beans and feta! I squeezed some lime on my fish and added olive oil and red wine vinegar to my veggies.
    A delicious fresh lunch!
    I usually have something like this everyday.
    Seasonal veggies and a protein base.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    soup, sandwich, dinner leftovers
  • kdz526
    kdz526 Posts: 210 Member
    Are you eating at home or at work? I am a SAHM and i personally like to have a turkey cheddar brat, no bun and a puddle of mustard, some chips or pretzals and some fruit for lunch. I usually end up with around 350 calories for lunch. Or another fav is take 2.5oz of ham, slap a cheese stick in the middle and some mustard and roll that up then measure out some sides. Sometimes i heat up a corndog cause its freaking yummy.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,267 Member
    Like a lot of other folks on here, LEFTOVERS are my good good friend :) Otherwise, I keep bread, fruit, sliced cheese, pb, jelly, hummus, carrots, peppers, string cheese, etc at work so i've got lots of options in the fridge. If you cook at all maybe try doing a crock pot recipe on sunday and spreading it throughout the week. I love veggie chili, chicken taco soup and bbq chicken!!
  • Islandgirl52
    Islandgirl52 Posts: 73 Member
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    I like this soup - it is very filling and reasonable for calories....
  • Brrrite
    Brrrite Posts: 14 Member
    A low calorie pita pocket ( I found some for only 60 calories), 2 tbsp. flavor of your choice hummus, 1 or 2 oz. ham, and some veggies (lettuce spinach cucumber carrots), and sometimes some feta. Mine is usually only 175 calories and I stay full til supper time. I love it!
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    Today I had a PB&J with some smoked gouda. I also typically have leftover home made pizza or spicey chicken wrap with pepperjack cheese. Leftover whatever we had last night is also sometimes eaten for lunch.

    My lunch really doesn't vary much.
  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
    One of my favorites is a grilled egg and cheese sandwich. Put a slice of your favorite cheese between two slices of your favorite bread and toast it/grill on a George foreman. Meanwhile, fry an egg until it's cooked how you like it (I like it runny). Slap the egg inbetween the slices of melted cheesy bread. Yummy.

    Sami's bakery makes these lavash breads flavored with spinach and oregano. They are really good! Like Italy in a flatbread. I like to spread leftover pizza sauce on them and melt a mozzarella cheese stick on it to make a mini-pizza.

    Archer farms (upscale target-brand food) makes these frozen quinoa blends that you can microwave really quick and are about 100 calories each. The mediterranean inspired one is the best.

    Sometimes I'll just bake a sweet potato cincture toaster and serve with broccoli or a salad or something.

    Oh, and leftovers are great too! I had leftover homemade pizza today for lunch with a side salad, and it was delicious and kept me full until dinner.

    If you like frozen meals, Amy's Kitchen makes really tasty ones that are pretty healthy. They're all vegetarian (some are vegan/gluten free) and most range from 180-400 calories.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    I eat systematically a lot (same thing), so it's usually 2 pieces of bread, 2 eggs (scrambled), deli meat turkey, with a tablespoon of light mayo, and some tomatoes. Just mash it altogether in one sandwich.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,105 Member
    I just tried Lean Crusine's new sweet n sour chicken. 16g protein. Tasted like real food... I didn't feel like making something today.



  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    lunch is generally my big meal of the day, as we frequently eat out.

    when im HOME for lunch, its generally leftovers from dinner, a sandwich, salad with protein, can of soup, or a mini pita or wrap....
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    Or you can just have a yogurt and make your breakfast and dinner your 2 substantial meals of the day.
  • Ashleigh_91
    Ashleigh_91 Posts: 22 Member
    My lunch is 100g of turkey mince with 100g of green beans. Low calories and low carbs as I like to have a bigger tea, usually meat with veg and potatoes.
  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
    eat whatever you want...don't feel like you have to eat a "typical lunch meal" unless that is what you want. maybe I'm being captain obvious with that comment but that was so liberating for me to get away from typical meal foods!

    I try and pack my lunch and am usually on the road so I pack things I can eat in the car. Sliced chicken breast and sliced apples. If I'm stopping somewhere, I will grab a cup of soup or 1 or 2 chicken tenders from a deli. Eating at home is a bit of a treat so I'll have something I can eat with a fork...a chicken patty smothered in mushrooms or something like that.
  • Monklady123
    Monklady123 Posts: 512 Member
    edited September 2015
    Are you talking about lunch at home, or taking your lunch to work? If it's the latter then it can be more challenging depending on whether you have a refrigerator and/or microwave. I usually take some combination of the following:

    -- leftovers
    -- hard boiled egg
    -- raw cut-up veggies
    -- hummus
    -- Greek yogurt
    -- fruit
    -- cheese
    -- lunch meat
    -- nuts
    -- salad
    -- cottage cheese

    I try to make sure that whatever combination I'm taking has enough protein in it -- so for example, I wouldn't just take veggies and fruit, I'd be sure to have an egg or nuts with it. And when I take a salad I always make sure there's a protein source in it, like the egg or meat (either lunch meat or chicken breast usually). The other thing that helps me put together a decent lunch is doing as much as I can the night before. I'm not very inspired at 6:30 in the morning, at least not by anything more than my coffee. :p
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