Clean eating lunch ideas...

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laurajoyk
laurajoyk Posts: 305
in Recipes
Anyone have any good ideas for clean lunches. My hubby and I usually have salad with chicken breast about 6 days a week lol. I'm not creative enough to think of anything other a sandwich with ezekial bread, so if you have any other ideas that are good to pack for lunch or quick to make with a newborn, let me know.

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  • almarsala
    almarsala Posts: 168 Member
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    Bump
  • tn2010
    tn2010 Posts: 228 Member
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    My salads either have chicken, tuna, salmon, ground turkey or feta on them. Beans would be another great source of protein.

    My ideal is to have leftovers from the previous night's dinner, so I often make more than enough so I don't have to think about lunch the next day! Especially with a newborn, I suggest doubling your dinners so you only cook 1-2 meals a day!
  • quietlywinning
    quietlywinning Posts: 889 Member
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    Do you have to take lunches to work, or are you home with your fridge, stove, etc.? If the lunches are for work, what do you have available there?
  • laurajoyk
    laurajoyk Posts: 305
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    Oh I'm a stay at home mom so I can cook, I just pack my husband's lunches for him. He has a fridge and a microwave at work.
  • quietlywinning
    quietlywinning Posts: 889 Member
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    I made gazpaucho this week for my lunch. It's a cold soup - kind of like eating fresh salsa, really. It's full of great veggies and tastes SO good on a hot summer afternoon - we've been running just a bit above 100 degrees lately. With a fridge available to him, there are quite a few cold options. A meat that he could either heat up or eat cold and a bunch of fresh veggies and fruit would be good. You could vary the meat and vary the produce. This time of year you can REALLY vary the produce! It can be in a salad some days and just sized to be finger foods on other days. Changing up the salad toppings also helps. I sometimes like tuna and lemon pepper on my salad. Usually I put onions, peppers, mushrooms on my salad, but sometimes an odd veggie like peas just makes it a totally new lunch.
  • omnisis
    omnisis Posts: 85 Member
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    Some common items from my daily at-work meals(I pack these in tupperware every week):

    Mini Turkey Meatloafs (made in muffin pans)
    Spinach + Strawberry salad with walnuts and feta cheese
    Turkey chili with kidney beans
    (SNACK)Apple + string cheese (this seems to satisfy my afternoon snack needs)
    (SNACK)Non-Fat Greek Yogurt + 2 tsp choc protein powder + 1 tbsp pb (yum)
    Homemade lentil or vegetable soup
    Chicken kabobs with tzatika sauce and a greek salad
    Salmon / Halibut with brown rice & veggies
  • just_silk
    just_silk Posts: 105 Member
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    Spinach + Strawberry salad with walnuts and feta cheese

    That sounds YUM!
  • marathonrev
    marathonrev Posts: 10
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    I just started a new eating plan since my roommate was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (1600 calories/ 210g of Carbs). All recipes are in a FREE cookbook you can download at www.diabetesdaily.com. All the nutritional information is listed on each recipe.

    Here's what we had for lunch this week:

    Snacks: One source of protein and source of carbohydrate (apple + almonds, for examples) (limit 30 g carbs)

    Lunches:
    Greek Salad and Pita bread. (Calories: 287, Carbs: 15g)

    Salmon Nicoise Salad (with left over salmon from dinner the night before) (Calories: 468, Carbs: 27g)

    Turkey, Bacon, Avocado Lettuce Wrap and fresh fruit (Calories: 299, Carbs: 11g)

    Black Beans and Rice, Green Salad with Spicy Vingerette (Calories: 305, Carbs: 50g)

    Open Face Chicken Sandwich (Calories: 349, Carbs: 15g) and Purple Cabbage Slaw (Calories:52, Carbs: 7g)

    Portobello and Spinach Quesadilla, (Calories: 222, Carbs: 34g), Fresh Salsa and Fresh Fruit

    Chicken Pasole (Calories: 621, Carbs: 35g)

    Some things are better prepared the night before to reduce the amount of time spent in the morning.

    Blessings!
  • IzzyBooNZ1
    IzzyBooNZ1 Posts: 1,289 Member
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    Some common items from my daily at-work meals(I pack these in tupperware every week):

    Mini Turkey Meatloafs (made in muffin pans)
    Spinach + Strawberry salad with walnuts and feta cheese
    Turkey chili with kidney beans
    (SNACK)Apple + string cheese (this seems to satisfy my afternoon snack needs)
    (SNACK)Non-Fat Greek Yogurt + 2 tsp choc protein powder + 1 tbsp pb (yum)
    Homemade lentil or vegetable soup
    Chicken kabobs with tzatika sauce and a greek salad
    Salmon / Halibut with brown rice & veggies

    hi there, do you have recipe for mini turkey meatloafs & turkey chili with kidney beans? thanks!
  • kldobbs02
    kldobbs02 Posts: 8
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    Something that I am addicted to lately... a bagle sandwich. If you are watching carbs/cals you can get those thin bagels or whatever they are called (my mom had them when we visited them over Christmas - we don't have them here in Germany at our commissary so I don't remember for sure what they are called)


    How I make it...

    1. Toast the bagel
    2. Put one 'circle' of mustard and one of honey, sprinkle a little onion and garlic powder and then s little ground redpepper
    3. Top with one slice of ham and one slice of provolone cheese
    4. put in toaster oven until cheese is melted.

    Calories 290
    Carbs 38
    Fat 9
    Protein 14
    Sat Fat 4
    Fiber 1


    I make all my condiments, but instead of the honey/mustard and spices you can just use honey mustard. Also, obviously you can change up the meats and cheese if you prefer somthing else. I'll typically have an apple or banana with it. I have an 8 month old so I feel your pain! This takes about 5 minutes to make.
  • wedjul05
    wedjul05 Posts: 472
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    I would suggest with a newborn to bulk make food for dinner/lunch. I've been there with smalls kids (one born in Oct 08 and the other in Oct 09) and I gained most of my weight whilst I was on maternity leave. If you can get someone to watch the baby for a little while one day while you make some stuff.

    What I now every now and again (when I have ANY free time), I bulk make stuff for the freezer. I cook turkey/chicken fillets and freeze them, always have salad in the fridge, heaps of tins of tuna (for my tuna/sweetcorn 2 egg omelette which I have about 3-4 times a week...LOVE it). I make large quantities of spicy lentil stew, turkey spagbol, chilli, sausage casserole and other things for the freezer. They defrost overnight. You can make some healthy lasagne too.

    If you are peckish thru the day, try to have some fruit prepared in the fridge. I would be 'bored' when at home and walk into the kitchen and get a biscuit from the press. I did this about 5 times a day! I would have a hard day with the kids and then think I deserved some chocolate etc etc. Downward spiral.
  • JennieAL
    JennieAL Posts: 1,726 Member
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    Buy romaine lettuce, really good quality deli meat slices, deli cheese slices... sprouts, pickles, olives, nuts, etc... roll all that up in the romaine lettuce leaf :) Forget about bread and you will feel much better :)
  • BigClaire88
    BigClaire88 Posts: 23
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    I love a toasted bagel with low fat cream cheese, chorizo slices and sliced vine ripened tomatoes. A peice of fruit and a packet of walkers sunbites and a glass of fruit juice (normally white grape and peach). It's quick, tasty, filling and not many calories :smile:
  • cocobeenie
    cocobeenie Posts: 98
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    Lately ive been making protein pancakes by mixing an egg white, a tbs of water, and a scoop of protein powder and heating them over very low heat in a small rectangular pan to make them bread slice shaped. I think the pan also helps them to not get too thin. These are easily packable and super yummy. I make pb and banana sandwiches with them and take them with me.

    Hard boiled eggs are awesome for a grab and go snack.

    Any sort of chicken, tuna, or bean salad. I look on allrecipes.com to see what I can make with what I have.

    You can pack an egg white omelete with salsa or pasta sauce if you have a water tight seal.

    Bean mashes. Heat one clove of garlic, 1tsp olive oil(optional), the juice and pulp of a quarter lemon, a can of beans of your choice (white beans work well here but kidney beans and black beans are the best for you) , seasoning of your choice (i like lemon pepper and 21 seasoning salute) and mash it all up with the backnof a spoon in the pan. Some beans are easier to mash than others and if it gets too dry you can add water to help it along. Once its all mashed add some herbs like basil, parsley, or cilantro and you have a balanced bigh fiber meal!
  • Gary6030
    Gary6030 Posts: 593 Member
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    Another great high protein, low fat, low carb recipe is to take your favorite cottage cheese and blend it like a sour cream and add ranch dressing mix or fresh dill into the mix and serve with fresh veggies. Very low cal and refreshing on a hot day or afternoon snack. You can also substitute the cottage cheese with Greek Yogurt.
  • omnisis
    omnisis Posts: 85 Member
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    Had to be in my car a lot today after work: not the best time for proper meal. Was extremely glad I packed some protein pancakes in my carry along. Even cold they were just the thing to cure the mid-afternoon munchies!
  • Allegi32
    Allegi32 Posts: 302 Member
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    Bump - great ideas!
  • themeaningofthemorning
    themeaningofthemorning Posts: 320 Member
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    What about something like this? This is what I bring to uni with me a few days a week:

    tumblr_me5xaq4to81rm2ywco1_500.jpg

    6 pieces of turkey bacon, 1.5 cups whole grain brown rice with 1/4 cup steamed veggies and 1/4 cup spinach, 1/2 cup broccoli, and 2 tablespoons of hummus.

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