What do you eat for lunch?

mommyjj92
mommyjj92 Posts: 8
edited September 28 in Food and Nutrition
I'm having a really hard time coming up with healthy options for lunch. I'm a stay at home mom, and I don't usually think about lunch until I'm completely starving. I like turkey, but don't tend to but it because we're on a very tight budget and it's expensive. Before MFP I'd make a box of mac & cheese and eat that (yes, the whole box), but that's almost a whole days worth of calories. I was just wondering what other people eat for lunch.
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Replies

  • SenoraMacias
    SenoraMacias Posts: 305 Member
    Usually I eat leftovers from the night before. Do you have a crockpot? You can make some really cheap and healthy things in it, and it lasts all week. I'd be happy to message you some recipes if you're interested!
  • tananichelle
    tananichelle Posts: 103 Member
    Salad greens and a can of tuna is my friend. :)
  • MNM1010
    MNM1010 Posts: 11 Member
    My typical lunch, if its not leftovers, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 cucumber cut up, healthy choice thomas english muffin w/ 1 tbs peanut butter. Pretzels for snack.
  • skinnydaydreams
    skinnydaydreams Posts: 32
    Usually bread with jam/choco/light cheese/ham or with soup
    Sometimes a salade (when I know I'm going to eat at a restaurant or eat fastfood)
  • peripah
    peripah Posts: 120 Member
    I'm also a stay-at-home mom and today I'm going to have two eggs, over-easy, two slices of whole wheat toast with light Cheez Whiz and baby cucumbers.
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
    salads
    rice mixed with stir-fried veggies
    an egg sandwich
    fruit salad w/ crackers
    yogurt & cereal
  • shannontrevino
    shannontrevino Posts: 17 Member
    I like to have 1/2 cup Fat Free Cottage Cheese, 1/2 small Avacado diced, 1/4 cup grape tomatoes, 1/2 cup diced cucumber. (Good Protein, no Fat, 3 servings of Veggies)
  • rissaface
    rissaface Posts: 129 Member
    Usually I eat leftovers from the night before. Do you have a crockpot? You can make some really cheap and healthy things in it, and it lasts all week. I'd be happy to message you some recipes if you're interested!

    I'm interested in some recipes if you willing to hand them out. :happy:
  • poutyp11
    poutyp11 Posts: 10
    I tend to eat a grilled cheese sandwhich, egg salad sandwich or a turkey hotdog. I usually eat baked chips along with it. I am also a stay at home mom and try to make something that my 3 year old will eat as well and still "semi healthy" and stays within my calories.
  • mommyjj92
    mommyjj92 Posts: 8
    I do have a crock pot. It never occurred to me to actually cook something to have for lunch all week then. Recipes would be great! I eat leftovers when we have them, but that's not terribly often, because my husband doesn't like leftovers, so I tend to cook only what we'll eat, because I threw so much food out when we were first married.
  • Bobbejo
    Bobbejo Posts: 12
    I work so I need to pack my lunch in the morning. I always make a salad and include some meat either leftover meat from the night(s) before or the chicken in a can. I try to stay away from deli meat if possible. And then some sort of fruit.
  • The_Saint
    The_Saint Posts: 358 Member
    Lunch is my poultry meal.
    Turkey or Chicken

    On higher carb days I'll add sweet potatoes

    For Fats Its usually either
    Almonds, Sunflower seeds, or Avocado
  • MsKeelah919
    MsKeelah919 Posts: 332 Member
    I love this as well!
  • marie_2454
    marie_2454 Posts: 881 Member
    Lately I've either had a Luna bar and some fruit if I'm at work, or if I'm at home I'll have half a whole wheat pita pocket with tuna and laughing cow light tomato mozzarella cheese wedge, with some special K crackers or carrots and hummus.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    I usually make a big pot of something, or a slow cooker full of something, and then freeze it in portion sizes. I just take one out in the morning and it acts as a cooler in my lunch bag too.

    * Vegetarian Chili
    * Vegetable Soup
    * Chicken Soup
    * Black bean and rice bake

    If I don't have something already made, then I'll make a sandwich. Tuna usually. Or I'll throw a bag of frozen edamame in my lunch bag., Or make a salad. with nuts or eggs for protein.
  • Lauriee2014
    Lauriee2014 Posts: 183 Member
    Now that it's warm weather, I have a large salad every day with:

    * A can of tuna, low sodium deli turkey, or homemade baked chicken. Depending on calorie/nutritional needs for the day I might add red/black/white beans, fat free shredded cheese, etc. Hummus with veggies is good too!

    * In warmer months, I like homemade soup. That can be really cheap to make. Lots of vegetables, chicken breast, chicken sausage, beans etc. Goes a long way, too. You can add some brown rice or whole grain pasta, too.

    I know when I wait until I'm starving to eat I make less healthy choices. Maybe making enough for two or three days at once would help. On Sundays, I boil eggs, chop vegetables, wash lettuce and bake chicken. Then, if I find myself starving, I can eat a salad or a boiled egg/white while I prepare something healthy.

    Hope this helps. :)
  • Mic_Bea
    Mic_Bea Posts: 1 Member
    :smile: You go girl. It looks like you are in control.
  • lauraashley614
    lauraashley614 Posts: 117
    Leftovers typically, but sandwiches (use 80 cal bread), fish like tilapia is pretty cheap and filling with the right spices and sides... When you don't have much money (like me) you have to get create!
  • MsKeelah919
    MsKeelah919 Posts: 332 Member
    Basically I have a small amount of protein (1 oz of grilled or sauteed chicken breast), sautee some veggies to put on top of it and have it with brown rice and a spinach salad. I also have a piece of fruit after.

    I am being daring this week and substituting my rice for a whole wheat sandwich pocket, but the rice is more filling so I may go back to the tried and true once they are gone. But I will wait to see how the week goes!
  • bjohs
    bjohs Posts: 1,225 Member
    I love making taco salads! Quick and easy. You can either use pre-cooked chicken fajita strips and warm them up on the stove or microwave... or ground turkey with taco seasoning. I put the chicken or turkey (3 oz) on a bed of shredded romaine lettuce and top off with 1/4 cup pico de gallo, 1/4 cup black beans and 1 tbsp medium taco sauce. Yum... I think I'll have that for lunch today! You can always prepare the ground turkey in advance so it is just ready to warm up at lunch time. This meal is only 251 calories but the sodium count is a little high. Whenever I make tacos or taco salads, I always try to prepare lower sodium meals the rest of the day.
  • jmconway1
    jmconway1 Posts: 29
    I eat chicken salad. I make it from the canned chicken and a little greek yogurt, celery, red grapes and dill weed, salt and pepper. Tastes great and I think its pretty cheap since its canned food. And then I add some nuts and an apple or something
  • crystalslight
    crystalslight Posts: 322 Member
    I'm a stay at home mom too. I was so happy to see this thread. As I was wondering the same thing.
    I usually go with some kind of sandwhich. Because I don't like to cook 3 meals a day (mostly because I don't want to clean up 3 meals in a day)LOL.
    I really like the natural peanut butter on wheat toast with raw honey (we have our own honey bees :). I sometimes eat some kind of fruit or carrots. I also like smoothies. They don't seem to make too big of a mess.
    Leftovers are GREAT but with my big family, there's hardly any left. On the skinnytaste website they had chicken rollatini. That heated up REALLY good the next day. Although we only had 1 breast leftover so I had to fight my kids for it LOL..
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I usually do sandwiches - ham, turkey or tuna with reduced sodium pepper jack on those 100 calorie sandwich thins. Try to avoid mayo/miracle whip and just use mustard. A few slice of turkey pepperoni adds a nice kick too.
    Eggs or tuna can be inexpensive if you find good deals.

    If you like poulty, try roasting your own and pick the carcass (or even get those rotisserie ones from the deli - they can be fairly cheap) to give yourself enough meat to last for a while.

    Also, just a bit of advice - try not waiting until your starving to eat. I know it sounds counterintuitive but I find that if I get too hungry, it's hard for me to get that satisfied (not full but close) feeling. I end up eating more in the long run.
  • sdgirl22
    sdgirl22 Posts: 225 Member
    I'm a salad fanatic, so on the days that I work I bring salads that are super easy to throw together. Some of my favs -
    *shrimp thawed in mrs.dash feista lime spice and 100 calorie pack of Wholly guacamole, with a bit of basil and lime juice
    * crab, avocado, and bacon bits with homemade ranch (if you make ranch from scratch with ff milk and low cal mayo, it's around 50 cals for 2tbs)
    *sliced grilled chicken with feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette
    *tuna, olives, and ranch
    *grilled chicken, artichokes, feta, and hummus dressing (thin out premade hummus with 1tsp. olive oil and lemon juice)

    Most of these are only 250-300 calories (except the hummus dressing salad... but it's sooo worth it).
  • katt742
    katt742 Posts: 196 Member
    Check out my diary! I usually have a lunchmeat or tunafish sandwich on low cal, light wheat bread with swiss cheese and mustard. A small salad with oil and vinager, and mini cheddar cheese rice cakes! Very filling and satisfying and pretty healthy! Cheap too...I shop at Aldis lol.
  • alannablue
    alannablue Posts: 13
    I eat frozen "dinners" every day for lunch. The healthy ones (weight watchers, etc.) are usually less than 300 calories a pop and some are really delicious, too! You have to watch for sodium, usually, but it's a small price to pay when I know EXACTLY how much I'm consuming, it comes pre-portioned, and they're pretty inexpensive, too, depending on how small your budget is ($2.37/meal for weight watchers at my local grocery store).
  • uniquesoul73
    uniquesoul73 Posts: 151 Member
    typically I keep the healthy choice steamers (frozen entrees) at my office or I'm eating a wrap of some sort. I always keep whole wheat tortillas, tuna and baked chicken on hand. You can wrap those things up and have a quick lunch.
  • Hollycat
    Hollycat Posts: 372
    When my daughter was little, she loved what I called "Bunny Wraps". Basically, it's anything you would normally put in a sandwich, wrapped in a Romaine Lettuce leaf...closed with a toothpick. Usually tuna or egg salad made with FF mayo, add a little diced celery or scallion. Keeps the calories down and gets that good green stuff in them. I made it kind of a game...like we were bunnies. She loved it.

    Hollycat
    :flowerforyou:
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    I have been taking a salad, I get the bagged dole salads, and add a grilled chicken breast. It is good if you can plan ahead and make enough dinner to have leftovers for lunch. For a few weeks I have been making a crustless quiche on Sunday to take for breakfast, but you could have it for lunch just as well. It's pretty easy, just add the cooked ingrediants you like to a pie plate and cover with four eggs (blended with 1/2 cup egg whites and a little milk). Bake at 375 for 25-30 mins. I usually do mushroom and onion with ham/sausage/canadian bacon and at four servings it's less than 200 cals so you can add fruit and salad to round it out.
  • Julie252
    Julie252 Posts: 20 Member
    I work from home. My lunches include smoothies, tuna salad on rye crisps or on avocado halves, omelets or egg sandwiches, salads with leftover chicken or steak.
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