Workday Lunches?

csbucher
csbucher Posts: 3 Member
edited March 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I have a busy schedule and need ideas for lunches on workdays. I have a habit of grabbing the frozen dinners (Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice etc.) which are high in sodium and not quality food. I'm looking for ideas for quick or make ahead nutritious lunches. I do have a frig and microwave available at work.

Replies

  • csbucher
    csbucher Posts: 3 Member
    csbucher wrote: »
    I have a busy schedule and need ideas for lunches on workdays. I have a habit of grabbing the frozen dinners (Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice etc.) which are high in sodium and not quality food. I'm looking for ideas for quick or make ahead nutritious lunches. I do have a frig and microwave available at work.


  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
    I too have a busy schedule but always plan for lunches. Today I have a salad and tuna sandwich on whole grain bread. I also frequently mix diced tomatoes, chick peas, onions and whatever vegetable you want ,add a little cumin or whatever spice you want and that will make up a few lunches for the week. I also cook a spaghetti squash and add either tomato sauce or olive oil and spices, that will provide a few days of lunches too. I typically prep a bunch of veggies for the week so each day I just have to grab a handful for a snack.
  • subakwa
    subakwa Posts: 347 Member
    Broth type vegetable soups are good. Chop all your veg, pop it in a bowl type container, take along your miso / Tom yam paste and make up with boiling water at work. The veg cook in the broth as you eat and you can mix up the veg, tofu, prawns etc as you feel like it. Also add fresh noodles or zoodles for something more substantial.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    There's nothing wrong with high sodium for most people, and most of them have varied foods and they only make up ~1/3 or less of your daily intake. So, I wouldn't ax them just because they aren't the ideal healthy food. I don't care for how most of them taste though, so I don't tend to buy them.

    My lunch is typically left over pizza that I make on the weekend, but I also do left over dinner from the night before, a sandwich, or I'll get something from the cafeteria. Since you have a fridge & microwave, salads, sandwiches, and left overs are easy things to bring to work for lunch.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    I usually cook 3-4 different meals on Sunday and then portion them out for the week to take to work.
  • Mentali
    Mentali Posts: 352 Member
    You could make a huge salad one day and pre-portion out dressing for a quick grab lunch. I also like wraps - you generally want to do those the morning of because if you have any sauce it'll soak the tortilla but it's not time-consuming.
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
    There's nothing wrong with high sodium for most people, and most of them have varied foods and they only make up ~1/3 or less of your daily intake. So, I wouldn't ax them just because they aren't the ideal healthy food. I don't care for how most of them taste though, so I don't tend to buy them.

    My lunch is typically left over pizza that I make on the weekend, but I also do left over dinner from the night before, a sandwich, or I'll get something from the cafeteria. Since you have a fridge & microwave, salads, sandwiches, and left overs are easy things to bring to work for lunch.

    LoL, I'm jealous that, that works for you sir!

    OP- I do 3-4 days worth of salads for breakfast, lunch and bring them all to work, I boil 3 dozen eggs every Sunday, shell and remove most of the yolks for my breakfast (7 per day) (I limit myself to 1-3 yolks per day depending on current goal). With lunch salad I have tuna because it's cheap and I can buy it in bulk and keep it in my office. Also saves time

    It sounds like you're either lazy or that you just don't know how to cook, if that is the case there are meal prep services that bodybuilders use that you can also use. You don't have to be a bodybuilder to eat like a bodybuilder.
  • KSnow78
    KSnow78 Posts: 37 Member
    I cooked a big batch of Turkey Chili on the weekend and I have enough for a few meals this week !! 1 Cup serving is 277 calories :)
  • GYATagain
    GYATagain Posts: 141 Member
    If you are able to and have the time - spending a couple of hours on the weekends prepping veggies, fruits, salad fixins and just lunch meal planning is such a life saver! I'm in the office by 6:30 - 6:45 every morning and I have chores before that -- grabbing already to go things is the best! Leftovers are fantastic also. Doubling whatever it is you are already making is so easy to grab in the morning. My go to: hardboiled eggs, celery & carrots with peanut butter or hummus, spicy cabbage soup, chicken tortilla soup, lettuce wraps of turkey/cheese, roasted veggies, quinoa buffalo chicken, well, anything leftover from night before. Then adding a fresh salad from the stuff I've prepped takes maybe 2 minutes. Good to go!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    i have string cheese, fruit, edamame, and yogurt or cottage cheese
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    Today for lunch I'm having a big helping of "coleslaw" (super easy - prepackaged shredded cabbage + poppyseed dressing), some turkey meat, wheat thins, and Greek yogurt.
  • essterne
    essterne Posts: 13 Member
    I typically have a can of Progresso soup every day. There are lots of varieties, so you don't get bored, and you can find calorie values that range from 160-400 calories per can depending on how you plan your meals. They're pretty good quality, and even though the sodium can be little high (1/3 your daily intake) that shouldn't be a problem if you drink plenty of fluids and don't have any underlying blood pressure issues.
  • bradcfairchild
    bradcfairchild Posts: 74 Member
    First let me wish you luck in your search for healthy lunches. I have a desk job. Not much activity during the day. Started work 4-10's a few months ago. My metabolism is slower the older I get. A couple years ago I decided I eat too much at lunch, so I switched to eating nuts, fresh fruit, maybe a bit of cheese for protein and I started walking at lunch. Occasionally I go have lunch with friends but most the time I try to talk them into going for a short walk. I've kind of maintained. I could have gained, so this strategy may have saved me, who knows? I generally over eat so being aware of what I eat and how much I eat, for every meal is definitely helpful. I use MyFitnessPal to occasionally count calories and see if I'm missing something. I recently discovered that my snacking throughout the day adds more calories than I was aware of, more than lunch, actually nearly double lunch calories. So I have to reconsider my snacking habits. I don't like to freak out and eat only celery or totally exclude things like sugar, but I definitely need to use healthy choices and limit unhealthy choices. It always takes me effort to find a balance. I signed up to do another Ironman so I'm exercising a lot more before and after work. I'm finally starting to see changes after several months of more intense exercise. I've not mastered my eating habits so I've use exercise to make up for it. ;)
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    I'm firmly on the lean cuisine/healthy choice bandwagon for lunch. I need easy. I do meal prep on Sunday's but that is for dinners throughout the week since we are so ridiculously busy. I do supplement my frozen meal with fruit or a salad either brought from home or purchased at our cafeteria at work. My bigggest complaint about the frozen meals is that they just don't give you enough food. One of my favorite healthy choice steamers is only 210 calories. Why the hell didn't they just double the portion? It would still be a decent, low calorie lunch?
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    I hate frozen dinners. These are my "emergency rations" staples:

    Bag of prepared salad with can of tuna or 1/4lb turkey or 2 boiled eggs (use half the dressing but eat all the veggies)
    Ramen with added veg (whatever's in the fridge) plus an egg dropped in it
    Leftovers, of course
    Avocado on toast
    Frozen salmon burger thawed at desk then cooked in toaster oven
    Oatmeal with nuts and fruit

    Usually, it's just leftovers of whatever was for supper, though.
  • lisalewis7588
    lisalewis7588 Posts: 76 Member
    My lunches are almost always leftovers. When I meal plan for the week, I make sure I have enough dinners that make good leftovers. Since I try to have healthy dinners, it carries over into healthy lunches. If I have a ton of extra chili or something else that freezes well, I portion it into individual containers and freeze to have on hand later.

    In a pinch, if I didn't plan correctly and end up short a lunch (and the freezer is empty), I either have egg salad wrap (I almost always have hardboiled eggs on hand so it's quick and easy for me), or tuna salad/wrap/with crackers.

    I find that I just can't do prepackaged meals, they never have enough fiber for me (I have found that I need a lot more fiber than the average human to keep everything going well downstairs, if you know what I mean... plus fiber makes me feel nice and full for the rest of the afternoon!).
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
    Honestly, just leftovers from dinner the night before is easiest... Make extra if you don't already, and invest in some nice tupperware.
  • StateGirl244
    StateGirl244 Posts: 3 Member
    Planning ahead always helps me!
    If you have a crock pot, making a weeks worth of lunches sunday afternoons is easy and you don't even have to be there while it's cooking! That way you know what is in your food, and if you want to "mix it up" left-overs from the previous night or the occasional lunch out or store bought meal is ok :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    When I worked in an office, I batch cooked on Sundays to have lunch and dinner for Monday - Thursday. Now that I work from home I usually have sandwiches for lunch, but these could easily be made in the AM or the night before. Or you could bring in leftovers from the night before.

    I subscribe to the MFP blog and it is always emailing me suggestions for lunches like the first two search results http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/?s=lunches+for+work
  • lulukat918
    lulukat918 Posts: 7 Member
    I cook soups and stews and freeze them in small glass containers and pull out and take with me on days i dont have leftovers
  • holly_roman
    holly_roman Posts: 116 Member
    You can, on the weekend, take a bag of chicken breasts and cut them into 3oz portions and cook them. I like to do that. Then if I don't have any leftovers from dinner I can grab a 3oz chicken breast to make a chicken salad sandwich paired with an apple of course, or chicken wrap. I also like to make a little extra rice on the weekend or keep some smaller gold or red potatoes. Pop those in the micro quick and you have chicken and potatoes. I like to do one veggie and fruit at lunch and dinner too. But apples are always quick(I am NOT a fruit person) and I like broccoli or cooked up veggies. All in all I shoot for about 500-600 cals for lunch. Otherwise I will be starving later and will snack. Snacks are ok..if you have self control. Some days I just don't and I have to hide everything, including my money so I don't hit the vending machine. But my go-to's are the chicken, rice, potatoes, and one fruit and one veggie. you can always by bags of frozen veggies, I do that and pop some into a container, add a tiny bit of water and put it in the micro..
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    edited March 2016
    My bigggest complaint about the frozen meals is that they just don't give you enough food. One of my favorite healthy choice steamers is only 210 calories. Why the hell didn't they just double the portion? It would still be a decent, low calorie lunch?

    Ugh, I have the same complaint. Why give me 5 green beans and one baby carrot for a 210 calorie meal (today's pot roast)? Make it 250 calories and give me a ton of filling green beans! I started an extra baggie of frozen vegetables to work to toss in for this very reason.

    For make ahead lunches, I love frittatas with a green salad. Lots of options for add-ins, and it lasts a few days. I like them cold as well.
    Corn & black bean salad topped with rotisserie chicken or on a huge bed of lettuce- one of those things that taste better after it marinates for a day or two. (Frozen or fresh corn, canned black beans, lime, jalapeno, red onion, garlic, cumin, and olive oil.)
    My friend often brings a potato to bake in the microwave and adds black beans, salsa, and a little cheese.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    I generally have an apple and a 3-4oz pork chop that I make while making dinner. But meal prep might be your best friend. Also, there's nothing wrong with frozen lunches. As far as the sodium, just make sure you're drinking enough water to help your kidneys filter that sodium out.
  • sylkates
    sylkates Posts: 173 Member
    subakwa wrote: »
    Broth type vegetable soups are good. Chop all your veg, pop it in a bowl type container, take along your miso / Tom yam paste and make up with boiling water at work. The veg cook in the broth as you eat and you can mix up the veg, tofu, prawns etc as you feel like it. Also add fresh noodles or zoodles for something more substantial.

    I thought I was the only one who did this!
    It's so substantial and I love inventing and measuring stuff to add to make the broth better. Experimenting with spices, sometimes adding sesame seeds or peanuts or exotic ingredients, etc.
  • rsleighty
    rsleighty Posts: 214 Member
    Today was an apple with peanut butter, some triscuits and a banana.
  • dawnosolinski
    dawnosolinski Posts: 3 Member
    I also have a busy schedule and plan ahead. I mix it up each day with salads, pasta, filled croissant, rice salad, falafels, etc. Salads don't have to be boring, I use rocket, grated carrot, apple, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, beet, red onion, gherkins, peppers, chillis etc. in fact I don't buy micro meals ever.
  • DaisyHamilton
    DaisyHamilton Posts: 575 Member
    I'm cheap so I don't want to go spend money on my lunch break, and I've been in a cooking funk recently, so lately I've been just grabbing a can of soup and a bowl before I leave home, and leave it in a drawer at my desk until lunch time.
  • mdrossmiller
    mdrossmiller Posts: 7 Member
    +1 on soup. I also keep bags of almonds and protein bars in the desk. Lunch is whenever I can fit it in, so having a stock of easy to prep meals on hand is essential. As others said, compensate for the salt with extra water intake.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    edited March 2016
    I always make enough dinner to have a meal or two for work lunches. If I get take out I put aside a portion of the meal for lunch the next day. When I get a Pizza I get a large and put lunch sized portions into freezer bags right away and freeze them. If I am not batch cooking a large recipe I save the dinner meal by date so I can pull it to my lunch section of the diary.

    I batch cook all kinds of soups. Have some for dinner and portion the rest out for lunches. I get dissolvable food labels from Amazon and I label each container with the recipe/meal name, portion size, date it was prepared and calorie count. I also have a large collection of the Ziploc twist n seal containers. They lids screw on and they do a great job of not leaking all over my backpack on the way to work.

    The evening before I usually pull out my lunch portion and put in the fridge to start to thaw. Pre log what I plan to have that day. Usually I add some fruit and a sweet. All I have to do in the morning is toss whatever I pre-logged the night before into my bag and go in the morning and go.
  • drwilseyjr
    drwilseyjr Posts: 225 Member
    I usually cook 3-4 different meals on Sunday and then portion them out for the week to take to work.

    This is the way to go. I buy chicken breast in bulk and cook them all Sunday night. I then either eat them with a side (avocado now, but rice would be good) or shred some for salads.