Workday Lunches

faemelusine
faemelusine Posts: 14 Member
edited September 29 in Recipes
Hi all,

I work in an office, I have access to a kettle, toaster and microwave for lunches but only for short periods of time as they're in high demand.

I'm struggling to find ideas for vegetarian low calorie/fat lunches that will keep me going until the evening. My lunch break is at 12, Evening meal is usually around 7 but later if I go to the Gym.

I'd be grateful for any ideas and am open to the weird and wonderful :)

Thanks
xxx

Replies

  • sophieshaped
    sophieshaped Posts: 228 Member
    Personally nothing could keep me full from 12 till 7, especially if going to the gym!! Can't you snack?
  • kittyminxx
    kittyminxx Posts: 14 Member
    How long do you want to prepare the night before?

    I'm thinking of a vegetarian curry that actually tastes better when reheated in the microwave as all the ingredients had had time to infuse more

    Or do you just want to grab ingredients in the morning and go?
    If you wanted to microwave a baked potatoe, you'd have to fight them off the microwave by the sounds of things!
  • Emily4H
    Emily4H Posts: 170
    I like Ready Pac Bistro salads, you get them in the vege section at the grocery. 230 calories (approx) some have meat bit they are not mixed together yet...maybe add some cheese for protien?
  • FJMilner
    FJMilner Posts: 407
    some of my lunches are.....
    Soup
    Ryvita with philadelphia (usually sweet chilli!)
    Tuna/Salmon salad
    Peanut butter on toast
    Chicken/salad in pitta bread

    Usually followed by a low fat yogurt and/or fruit.....

    My timings are pretty similar to yours and I have a cereal bar or fruit mid afternoon to keep me going (especially if im running or going to the gym)

    Hope this helps x
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
    Here's what I pack with me for lunch every day:

    morning snack: either homemade protein bar, or kashi TLC bar
    lunch: PB and J sandwich, homemade yogurt, and about a cup of carrots
    afternoon snack: almonds
    snack for commute home: soyjoy bar, or clif mini bar

    Basically it comes out to me eating once every 3 hours and it works out fairly well.
  • Drunkadelic
    Drunkadelic Posts: 948 Member
    I would suggest you eat more than one meal at work. I eat 3. I have breakfast before I leave, a mid-morning snack, lunch, and at least one afternoon snack (normally 2 as I eat a piece of fruit before I leave to give me an energy boost for my workout). As for what to eat, I'm not a vegetarian so I'm a little lost there. I do bring in lots of fruit, protein bars (I tend to go for Luna bars mmmm), greek yogurt as it's packed with protein and keeps me full longer, hummus and carrots, cottage cheese (also, for the protein), almonds and other nuts, ooo and one of my favorite snacks is apple slices and natural peanut butter! Yum!

    As for something more substantial for a lunch, there are salads with yogurt or low-fat dressings, you could make a wrap with a carb smart tortilla (80 calories, La Tortilla Factory is the brand I believe) hummus, black beans, cheese and a bunch of veggies, or even a healthier PP&J with reduced sugar/no sugar added jam, natural peanut butter and whole wheat bread.

    Hope I gave you some good idaes!
  • randa_behnam
    randa_behnam Posts: 488 Member
    bring in leftovers that take minutes to heat up in the microwave, or make a pasta salad. you should ideally have an afternoon snack instead of letting your body go without food for 7 hours. Should you fuel yourself before going to the gym? usually 2 hours before your workout. that also stops you from binging at dinner.

    :o)
  • cindy859
    cindy859 Posts: 99 Member
    My favorite lunch is a soft pretzel, lowfat cheese stick and some fruit--yummy!
  • stephiehampshire
    stephiehampshire Posts: 160
    my lunch at the moment is usually whole wheat crackers with light cream cheese and pate (obv not veggie lol)

    I also have couscous as you can make from the kettle

    Salads / Pasta Salads

    Afternoon snacks usually fruit and yoghurt,

    At the minute im doin too much exercise so I have chocolate to keep me going,

    I eat about half 7 in the evening but that normally keeps me going
  • cgavin77
    cgavin77 Posts: 219
    I tend to make my lunches the night before- have to be at work some days by 6:30 am... so pre-planning is my friend!
    Im also vegetarian, some of the lunches I make are:
    Lentil Herb Salad w/ red peppers
    Barley Salad w/ white beans & artichoke
    Roasted corn, black bean and mango salad
    Chickpea & Quinoa Bajane

    Plus many more...All of which are under my "recipes "... feel free to take a look if you'd like.
  • illusio
    illusio Posts: 12 Member
    So I'm currently trying to do 200 cal meals several times a day to keep the metabolism ticking over and stave off hunger. Have had to do a lot of planning, as it's NOT easy in work, but here are some of mine (mostly bought as I work away from home, but can equally be brought in from home):
    - wild mushroom soup (not cream of -) with optional crackerbread (ryvita, wholewheat, 19 cals each)
    - french onion soup with cheese and bread garnish
    - if you allow yourself fish, cooked prawns and calamari in a tomato and chilli sauce (Marks and Spencers chiller for those in the UK)
    - 4 triangles low fat cheese spread (laughing cow 25 cals each), 2-5 ryvita/crackerbread depending on type/cals each
    - two chopped hard boiled eggs mixed with green salad and a light dressing
    - muller light yoghurt (100 cals) plus 2 high fibre low cal cereal bars (120 cals total for Alpen light)

    Soups and wholemeal bread is generally a safe bet as long as you avoid cream soups.
  • faemelusine
    faemelusine Posts: 14 Member
    Wow!

    Lots of ideas! Thanks guys.

    I do have fruit an hour before going to the gym, sometimes a yoghurt too.
    I don't mind a bit of prep the day before either so I'll be taking a lot of your ideas and working them into a menu.
    Thank you so much!
  • katekentlaw
    katekentlaw Posts: 24
    I'm not a vegetarian, but I love the taste of smart dog protein veggie "hot dogs." You can get them anywhere, usually in the same spot where stores sell vegan foods like soy cheese. They're only like 80 calories each. I pack two of them with low carb wraps and laughing cow cheese (fat free cream cheese would work too), and at lunch time I just microwave the dogs to cook them. They only take 30 seconds. Then I spread the cheese on the wraps and roll it all up! I expect it would work just as well (or better!) with lite hot dog buns or slices of regular bread.
  • andreaesm
    andreaesm Posts: 13
    Here are some things I bring to lunch:

    Cottage Cheese - Great with Crackers, Veggies, On top of a Salad etc.
    Salads Packed in the am
    Cold Pasta Salads
    Veggie Burger put over a salad (cook the burger in the am and put in a tupperware separate from the salad).
    Black Beans and Rice mixed with veggies


    None of these need to be heated.
  • cmg2008
    cmg2008 Posts: 139
    bump
  • cmg2008
    cmg2008 Posts: 139
    bump
  • faemelusine
    faemelusine Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks for the idea's guys.
    I'm in the UK so I'm going to a veggy friendly shop an hour away on the weekend and read all their labels so I get some different ideas (and not get bored easily!)
    I make my own veggy burgers, need to reasses what I put in them though, they're not unhealthy but they are quite high in calories because of the beans.

    I'm off to google some recipies for lower cal burgers!
  • lesley1981
    lesley1981 Posts: 329 Member
    My lunches get pretty boring after a while, and I have no set time for eating (meetings can run on).

    I try to make up a salad the night before (lettuce, tomato, scallions, egg, beetroot), but as a meat eater I'll have it with some roast chicken, tesco light choices prawn cocktail or gammon. I'll normally have an apple or banana and a yogurt too!

    If I forget my lunch (can't bo othered making it the night before) I'm lucky enough to have a shop around the corner that has a great deli counter, and the salad boxes they make up are delicious...
  • stephm112
    stephm112 Posts: 297 Member
    when i was working it was lots of salads full of everything. olives, sweetcorn, tuna, eggs. tons of vinegar on it yum. also would make enough lentils to feed an army and take some to work (just add onions, garlic, tomatos, whatever vg you want), and just heat it up in the microwave for a couple of mins. once my maternity leave finishes i plan on doing the same
  • maemiller
    maemiller Posts: 439 Member
    thats a long time inbetween meals. Cant you have midday or midmorning snacks? It will keep your metabolism up and you wont be so hungry at night. I would do some salads with high protein in it to keep you fuller long, like salads with black beans, tuna, chicken, etc. In between snacks would be greek yogurts, cottage cheese, string cheese
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