Healthy lunches to take to work

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nomoyoyoing
nomoyoyoing Posts: 159 Member
in Food and Nutrition
The cafeteria at my job makes some truly delicious food, but not always nutritious (hello Taco Tuesday!). I need some suggestions, other than a boring ole salad, that I can take to work. Some days I work 12 hours, so I need enough for lunch and dinner. Thanks in advance!

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  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    A little google searching will give you more ideas than you can shake a stick at. What is your level of talent at food prep?
  • nomoyoyoing
    nomoyoyoing Posts: 159 Member
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    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    A little google searching will give you more ideas than you can shake a stick at. What is your level of talent at food prep?

    Let's just say I need something simple
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
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    99% of the time I bring lunch to work. Many times its a smaller portion of leftovers from dinner the night before. Many times its a sandwich with chicken or some other protein. Soup is good too, and if I am feeling particularly in need of a little "comfort", I have Alphagettis in my drawer! I have an apple every day at lunch too, and often a small container of yogurt. Salads dont have to be boring - you can put so much into one that its a great option - any protein, any veg, any fruit, any dressing - the combinations are literally endless.
  • crystalnichols395
    crystalnichols395 Posts: 68 Member
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    Pinterest is my best friend when it comes to looking for a healthy lunch for work.
  • PiSquared
    PiSquared Posts: 148 Member
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    Is it possible for you to cook enough at dinner the night prior to have left overs to pack up for lunch? My standard lunch these days is left overs from last night's dinner. It works for me, since most recipes I've come across make 4 portions and I'm only cooking for myself and the husband.
  • LittleHearseDriver
    LittleHearseDriver Posts: 2,677 Member
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    I do a lot of Progresso soup. They are a little high in sodium, but very reasonable calorie wise.
  • Stanley1903
    Stanley1903 Posts: 73 Member
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    If you have freezer space, bring a bag of steam-able veggies, eat half for lunch and half for dinner. I like salad but don't like fixing it or lugging it around. I prefer hot veggies. Also, make 2 half sandwiches, bring 2 pieces of fruit, and 2 other snacks so you have 2 meals.

    If you like fish, bring a pouch of salmon, whatever crackers you like (I use Way Better Snacking), a slice of reduced fat cheese, and some carrots or fruit. Salmon and way better crackers got me through some tough times at the beginning of my weight loss.
  • tristen_leigh
    tristen_leigh Posts: 214 Member
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    crystalnichols395 wrote: »
    Pinterest is my best friend when it comes to looking for a healthy lunch for work.

    I'm always on Pinterest looking for new ideas. Such a great resource. Also, I just saw someone who made salads in mason jars for the week which looks so easy and yummy! You really can put whatever you want together, lots of ideas if you google. :)
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  • nomoyoyoing
    nomoyoyoing Posts: 159 Member
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    Fantastic ideas. Thanks so much everyone! This is really helpful!
  • PiSquared
    PiSquared Posts: 148 Member
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    Assuming you have access to a microwave for reheating purposes, I've got a couple of go-to quick cooking meals for taking to work.

    Rice and beans - Mix 1 package Uncle Ben's microwavable rice (I usually use the unflavored brown rice. Or feel free to make your own rice if you want to avoid prepackaged stuff), a 15 oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed), a teaspoon of minced garlic, and enough tomato paste to mix it all together. Add salt and pepper to taste (mind the salt, because canned tomato paste tends to be sodium heavy), and whatever herbs you like. Chopped cilantro is my go to. You'll get about 3 portions out of this recipe. Add a small green salad as a side.

    This Spinach and Quinoa Salad with Shrimp from Cooking Light isn't too hard to make ahead of time, and travels pretty well. http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spinach-quinoa-salad-shrimp

    Entree Chicken Salad - Start with salad greens. Top with cooked chicken breast (either cooked yourself or from a rotisserie bird), sliced strawberries, crumbled goat cheese, and walnuts. Finish with a nice vinaigrette (I like Briana's Blush Wine)

    Entree Steak Salad - Like above, start with salad greens, top with cooked, thinly sliced flank steak, sliced plums, crumbled blue cheese, and pecans. Top with a nice vinaigrette (again, I like Briana's blush wine vinaigrette)

    There's lots of good stuff out there.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I have leftovers from the night before most of the time. My wife and I take turns cooking and we usually make enough for four even though there's only two of us...so we both have something for lunch the next day.
  • nightbird1103
    nightbird1103 Posts: 34 Member
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    I think eggs are great. Hard boiled are easy and versatile. I also make egg muffins with pulled pork and they're yummy on their own or with (in) a salad. Just put in a dozen eggs (or 6 eggs, and six servings of whites if you'd prefer) plus chopped onions and peppers and the pulled pork (I use prepackaged) and bake in silicone muffin cups. You can add anything you want to the muffins and they're very filling.
    For salad, I like the prepackaged kale salad from costco- it doesn't get slimy if it sits for a bit.

    I also use my crock pot a lot. There's a great recipe on GI 365 for a sweet potato turkey chili. Sometimes I leave out the potato, but it's great either way and has a kick. You can make a huge batch and freeze it. I'll eat it alone or sometimes with rice cakes for a change.

    I personally never want to see another dry chicken breast in my life so I do boneless skinless thighs in the crock pot with onions, peppers and any other veggies. Sometimes I'll make them with an asian marinade and add in cooked frozen broccoli at the end.

    If you need something sweet, I save room for a luna bar or almond milk and chocolate protein powder at the end of the day. I put the protein shake in my decaf coffee (4oz milk, 1 scoop of powder) and it's a treat after dinner! For a crunch, I like the Quest Protein Chips. I know ppl have different feelings on the supplements, but do what suits you.

    Wishing you the best!
  • elaineamj
    elaineamj Posts: 347 Member
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    Like a PP, i pack leftovers from dinner. I'm actually accumulating more leftovers in the freezer than I have been able to eat up.

    Lately, DH and I have been on a cobb salad kick. A little more time-consuming to prepare but fun to eat. I never thought I would take the time to put a cobb salad together, but it's so colorful and fun to look at, it's actually very satisfying to prep. I do use a higher-cal poppyseed dressing - but it fits within my day so all is good. I tried a plain yogurt dressing once and it was NOT good and just about ruined my lunch :( With the poppyseed dressing, I look forward to my meal and I look at that as a big win!

    Canned soups are easy and I used to do a lot of them. Been learning to cook more though so rarely have them anymore. I like my cooking better!

    You can also do simple stuff like sandwiches. I occasionally do nutella and banana sandwiches for breakfast (but that is a bit higher cal). Deli meat is pretty low cal if you only use a few slices. I've never liked the mountains of deli meat typically used anyway - I've always pulled out at least half the meat!

    Consider food prepping so you have food for the week/afew days ready to go. At one point of time, I would buy a Costco rotiserrie chicken, shred all the meat off it, then use the chicken in various recipes. Very simple and cheap.
  • mhausler93
    mhausler93 Posts: 83 Member
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    Baked chicken and broccoli.

    Chicken stir fry.

    Spaghetti squash, black beans, corn, roasted bell peppers, chicken, lettuce and mozzarella cheese all mixed together.

    Homemade veggie soup.
  • nomoyoyoing
    nomoyoyoing Posts: 159 Member
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    nightbird1103 wrote: »
    I think eggs are great. Hard boiled are easy and versatile. I also make egg muffins with pulled pork and they're yummy on their own or with (in) a salad. Just put in a dozen eggs (or 6 eggs, and six servings of whites if you'd prefer) plus chopped onions and peppers and the pulled pork (I use prepackaged) and bake in silicone muffin cups. You can add anything you want to the muffins and they're very filling.
    For salad, I like the prepackaged kale salad from costco- it doesn't get slimy if it sits for a bit.

    I also use my crock pot a lot. There's a great recipe on GI 365 for a sweet potato turkey chili. Sometimes I leave out the potato, but it's great either way and has a kick. You can make a huge batch and freeze it. I'll eat it alone or sometimes with rice cakes for a change.

    I personally never want to see another dry chicken breast in my life so I do boneless skinless thighs in the crock pot with onions, peppers and any other veggies. Sometimes I'll make them with an asian marinade and add in cooked frozen broccoli at the end.

    If you need something sweet, I save room for a luna bar or almond milk and chocolate protein powder at the end of the day. I put the protein shake in my decaf coffee (4oz milk, 1 scoop of powder) and it's a treat after dinner! For a crunch, I like the Quest Protein Chips. I know ppl have different feelings on the supplements, but do what suits you.

    Wishing you the best!

    I am going to try the muffins you suggested, along with everyone's great ideas. Thanks SO much!
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Burrito bowls! Rice, beans, meat, cheese, avocado, salsa, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream or Greek yogurt - or make it a BBQ bowl - similar ingredients, but drizzle some spicy BBQ sauce on instead of salsa. Easy, cheap, and filling!

    I cook up big batches of rice and measure it out in 1/2 cup portions, then freeze in snack size ziplocs. I make extra grilled or roasted meats for dinners, and then use the leftovers in these bowls. Canned pinto or black beans, and the rest is easy. You can mix and match ingredients, go for different flavor combos to keep it interesting. Good protein, fat and fiber keep me full and satisfied. :sunglasses:
  • nomoyoyoing
    nomoyoyoing Posts: 159 Member
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    AmyRhubarb wrote: »
    Burrito bowls! Rice, beans, meat, cheese, avocado, salsa, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream or Greek yogurt - or make it a BBQ bowl - similar ingredients, but drizzle some spicy BBQ sauce on instead of salsa. Easy, cheap, and filling!

    I cook up big batches of rice and measure it out in 1/2 cup portions, then freeze in snack size ziplocs. I make extra grilled or roasted meats for dinners, and then use the leftovers in these bowls. Canned pinto or black beans, and the rest is easy. You can mix and match ingredients, go for different flavor combos to keep it interesting. Good protein, fat and fiber keep me full and satisfied. :sunglasses:

    That sounds like a healthy version of Taco Tuesday -I like it!! Thank you AmyRhubarb!

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