Healthy Packed Lunches

shannon_hr
shannon_hr Posts: 8 Member
edited December 1 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, just wondering if you have any suggestions for packed lunches. I will most likely take fruit and popcorn as snacks every day, but would like suggestions on sandwiches, and pasta, etc. I do have access to a fridge and microwave at work. Would like healthy and filling options.

Replies

  • mscolour
    mscolour Posts: 2 Member
    For my lunches at the moment I am mainly having either low fat houmous or low fat cottage cheese with crudités (cucumber, courgette, celery, carrot etc) and a couple of crisp bread things that are 30 calories each. Usually comes in at about 250 calories. Sometimes I take leftovers from the previous day's dinner or home made soup. Couple of times I have had a cup a soup with a couple of rice cakes but then I'm hungry by 3 o'clock so am trying to only do that when we are out of food in the house.
  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
    Consider whipping up a lovely salad with beans, nuts, grains, fruit, and vegetables. Dress with olive oil and herbs and lemon juice or vinegar. Take a cup or 2 for lunch. Pack a piece of fruit, a carton of plain fat free yogurt, some baby carrots or baby sweet peppers, hummus. You don't really need to rely on bread for daily use. Also look up salad in a jar. You can prep a week's worth at once.
  • reevess113
    reevess113 Posts: 29 Member
    I bring 2 oz of baguette, sliced thinly, half an avocado to spread on top and 2 oz of cheddar cheese to put on that with some salt and pepper. Some sort of fruit and a small treat. Fills me up.
  • Amy_S_Davis
    Amy_S_Davis Posts: 1 Member
    Soup fills me up :) also love my sistema lunch box that lets me pack up salads. I take loads and loads of salad, home made falafel, fruit and crudités because if I don't stuff myself on fruit and veg I'm at the vending machine by 3:00.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    I like to make enough dinner the night before that I have leftovers for lunch. Not so helpful if you don't have a microwave handy at work, but a little bit of sliced leftover chicken, with some brown rice and a pile of veg always seems to sit better with me than a slice of cold sandwich meat and a pile of carrot sticks. :)
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    I have a mix of things. Usually my lunches are a serving of cottage cheese and fruit, a mix of raw veggies and hummus, some quinoa or rice, and chicken or shrimp. It averages out around the 550 calorie range.
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    I mostly have sandwiches or wraps. Thin bagels are only 110cals and the wraps I buy are only 50. Lunch meat/tuna/bean burger, with cheese, lettuce, light mayo.

    For a side either fruit, cottage cheese, or a small bag of chips.

    Usually this comes to 350-400cals.
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
    Typically, I meal prep my lunches on Sundays, and they're often some combination of a meat/fat (chicken, sausage, cans of tuna/salmon, leftover chili or casserole, more leftover meats), cauliflower rice, and extra nonstarchy vegetables (asparagus, green beans, carrots, mushrooms, stuff that will hold up while in the fridge for 4-5 days and me nuking it for 5 minutes in the microwave). This week will be some coconut curry chicken (new recipe) with some cauliflower/broccoli rice and green beans (maybe I might throw in a quarter of an avocado with the green beans).

    Packing my lunches and snacks has been one of my best lifestyle changes. It's cheaper than eating at my university ($11 for the all-you-can-eat dining hall during lunch hours, 8oz of soup at the student center with a tiny side salad will be close to $8-9, and off-campus food is pretty expensive unless I eat alla 7-11), and my blood sugars have been near perfect because I am able to accurately dose for what I'm eating.
  • eileensofianmushinfine
    eileensofianmushinfine Posts: 303 Member
    I have the same lunch every day. I bring in pre-measured containers of grilled chicken thighs and bags of salad stuff. Each day, I have a container of chicken and make a big salad of lettuce and tomatoes - with a smidgen of oil and balsamic vinegar. I bring all of that to work on Monday and store in the fridge.
  • nixxthirteen
    nixxthirteen Posts: 280 Member
    I like buying canned chicken breast from Costco, and mixing 1/3 can with 2 tbsp salsa. I bring it in a Tupperware and spread on a tortilla with spinach and diced tomatoes.

    I also like lean deli meat on light rye bread, with tzatziki instead of mayo, mustard, romaine lettuce, and tomato.

    Snacks:

    -a baggie of fruit (berries, apple slices, 2 clementines)
    -Snappea Crisps 100cal bags
    -Amooza string cheese
    -Turkey pepperettes
    -Greek yogurt cups
    -kashi bars or special k bars

    I bring maybe 4 to eat throughout the day and with lunch.

    Lately I've been really overwhelmed and have just been eating frozen Healthy Choice Steamers lunches.
  • aubreyjordan
    aubreyjordan Posts: 276 Member
    Monday through Friday I pack the same thing every day (I'm picky). I make a PB&J with Nature's Own 40 calorie honey wheat bread, 16 g peanut butter, and 25 g reduced sugar jelly. I also have ~100 g of cucumber and 15 ml of reduced fat ranch (1/2 serving), a cheese stick, and a Greek yogurt. About the only thing that changes is the yogurt flavor. I pack fruit and another cheese stick for a snack and/or have a protein bar. I aim for 1500-1700 calories a day.
  • RoteBook
    RoteBook Posts: 171 Member
    Lately I've been taking packed salads with spinach, lentils, sunflower seeds (hopefully they're back in stores soon after the recall), raisins, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing that I pack in a little container by itself and toss in just before I eat. It's quick to make enough lentils for the whole week. You can add grilled chicken or smoked salmon for extra protein.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    I put frozen protein (chicken, fish) with frozen veggies and sometimes beans or quinoa and microwave it. Yummy!
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    I eat mostly raw lunch, like baby carrots with homemade hummus, broccoli florets, green beans, sugar snap peas. And some extra protein, like an egg, leftover chicken or fish. Sometimes greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Also salads, sometimes with some carbs, like rice or pasta, black or refried beans.
  • emmooney235
    emmooney235 Posts: 85 Member
    I meal prep on Sundays and it makes things so easy! The hardest part is my tiny apartment kitchen and 2 person bar top dining table. This coming week we'll have white chicken enchiladas with a healthy Mexican rice and char grilled chicken with a veggie pasta hotdish. My snacks tend to be hard boiled eggs, my hubby eats hummus too fast for me to plan on having some as work snacks. My 6 quart crock pot fits a turkey breast nicely, by the time I take it out it shreds itself.
  • ridge4mfp
    ridge4mfp Posts: 301 Member
    I mainly bring leftovers from dinner - fish/chicken with veggies, homemade soup (Chicken Taco Soup a big favorite). If not, I do a lot of wraps, mainly tuna/onion/relish/egg/fat free mayo/Laughing Cow cheese or individual chicken salads I buy at Costo, with tomatoes/cucumbers on the side.


  • NewMEEE2016
    NewMEEE2016 Posts: 192 Member
    I just "invented" a yummy meal/snack today! Ultra low cal- very filling & delish! Best of all, it takes 2 seconds to throw together & you zap it in the microwave. Would be really easy to pack up the raw ingredients & bring to work for lunch (which is what I plan to do tomorrow!)

    Fresh SPINACH (I like the "spicy spinach blend" from Trader Joe's)
    Fresh TOMATO, cut in large chunks
    Shredded organic CHEESE
    Fresh MUSHROOM, chopped
    Fresh GREEN ONION
    Fresh PARSLEY (optional)
    Dash of Garlic salt or Fresh chopped garlic to taste (optional- you may want to leave this out if you're eating at work :)

    Mix all except onion & mushroom in a big mug or bowl, then zap in the microwave for 2 minutes (you could put it all in the microwave together if you want)- let cool a bit, season to taste & enjoy! Surprisingly good!!
    Note: this shrinks down to about a 5th the volume once it's zapped- so you can use LOTS of spinach. I think it would also be good w/CANNED SALMON or possibly chicken (?) but I'll try that tomorrow & let you know.

    Bon Appetite!
  • Stripeymitten
    Stripeymitten Posts: 74 Member
    I usually have a couple of cups of salad with cheddar chunks and/slow cooker pulled meat (gammon is nice) with soy sauce; or cheddar and marmite or cheddar and jam or slow cooker meat sandwiches; or leftovers from yesterday's dinner if it microwaves well. My favourites are pasta bolognese or roast dinner with gravy.

    I make a big salad at the start of the week and do enough to fill a large salad saver tub which I keep in the fridge. Making salad is a faff but only making it once a week is bearable and salad always tastes nicer if you don't have to make it right before you eat it (I know that sounds weird but there we are). I also try to get bread when it's reduced because of being on/near its sell by date and then I make a big batch of sandwiches using the whole loaf on the same day, wrap them and stick them back in the bread bag with a label in the freezer. They defrost by lunchtime if I remember to put them in the fridge the night before.
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    Today I have a chicken salad: 2 oz chicken (chopped), spinach, mushroom, shredded cheese (30 g), half an avocado, olive oil mayo, cucumber, celery, and bell pepper (red/orange/yellow).

    Should come in around 500-600 calories. I eat 3 meals a day plus bedtime snack, 1800 calories a day, so it fits my goals.

    I'm also not at the point in my loss where I need to weigh everything, but if I was this meal would be very easy to do so. I only weigh super calorie dense stuff right now.
  • mkraizel
    mkraizel Posts: 22 Member
    I've been bringing bakes oatmeal because I LOVE breakfast food.
  • vxCricketxv
    vxCricketxv Posts: 27 Member
    I usually prepare a salad with left over grilled chicken, or a veggie burger with a high protein or fiber english muffin with 1/4 of a avocado + salsa. For a decent pasta option, I buy the Mrs. T's pierogies- 3 for 130 cal with steamed veggies (and hot sauce!) is very filling. Even doubled, it's a satisfying meal without too much guilt :)
  • alyssa_rest
    alyssa_rest Posts: 276 Member
    With no refrigerator or microwave, you're a little limited. Canned chicken, tuna, salmon, etc would be good as they do not need to be cold or heated. You could throw together a salad as long as you use an olive oil based dressing that would not need to be kept cold. Mix it up with a whole grain wrap sometimes or bread and make yourself sandwiches.
  • chunky_pinup
    chunky_pinup Posts: 758 Member
    ElizabethOakes2 wrote: »
    I like to make enough dinner the night before that I have leftovers for lunch. Not so helpful if you don't have a microwave handy at work, but a little bit of sliced leftover chicken, with some brown rice and a pile of veg always seems to sit better with me than a slice of cold sandwich meat and a pile of carrot sticks. :)

    I do this as well. I always make enough for dinner to have a portion for lunch the next day. That way I'm not prepping multiple meals (because I'm lazy, lol), less cleanup with prepping one meal instead of two (again, lazy), and I know that I always make a hearty, healthy dinner so my lunch will be the same!
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    I cook entire dishes on weekends: all different varieties of soup, chili, curry, stuffed peppers, stew, casseroles, meatballs, nuggets, burritos, meatloaves, etc and freeze them in individual portions. On each container, I label the date and calorie count. I've done it for almost 8 years, so in the morning I can grab and go and my family always has a healthy option to warm up in minutes.
  • benzieboxx
    benzieboxx Posts: 253 Member
    I love making a small batch of cucumber, tomato and feta salad to take to work with me. I tend to pre-make all my stuff and don't always have access to my work's microwave, so most of my stuff is cold. Another favorite of mine is just some cottage cheese. Tasty and a quick snack.
  • mommytoaiden
    mommytoaiden Posts: 75 Member
    I switch it up. Mostly it's sweet potato, asparagus and tuna. I like tuna creations that are flavored and eat it out of the pack. I also have rolled lunch meat with string cheese and harvest snaps.

    I had spaghetti-o's yesterday - just made sure I stayed within my calorie limit :)
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