Lunch at a desk job...

kettlenic
kettlenic Posts: 148 Member
edited September 29 in Food and Nutrition
Hey chaps

I need some fresh new ideas for packed lunches at work, I have access to a microwave and a fridge.

I alternate btw salads, with egg/tuna or rice/pasta salad and in winter soup but YAWN so boring.........

what have you got today? please inspire me...

ps - I make my lunch at home not a fan of buying lunch :)

Replies

  • FTIM2015
    FTIM2015 Posts: 460 Member
    Same as i had yesterday, salad with boiled egg and new potato with some chicken breast.

    I wish our microwave at work was working :( I want soup!!!
  • dollipop
    dollipop Posts: 379 Member
    Like mushrooms? I have a 220g can of mushrooms in a butter sauce (it's actually got fek all butter) on a wholemeal pita bread, or similar. It's hard when you get sick of salad!
  • vinnysgirl
    vinnysgirl Posts: 311 Member
    I have a chicken salad - Seasoned chicken breast slices with a mix of salad leaves, carrot, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, slow roasted tomatoes and red onion in a mustard dressing - 220g / 175 cals - thank you The Co-Operative :smile:
  • h64em
    h64em Posts: 64 Member
    I eat my lunch at my desk most days! Today I'm having Melba toast (6 pieces) a tub of extra light philly cheese and garlic stuffed olives. Some I put smoked salmon bits on the cheese instead of the olives. Also having some non fat greek yoghurt with fresh berries and a little bit of muesli, sweeten with agave. :)
  • Sepheara
    Sepheara Posts: 208 Member
    I like to take seafood. I cook a couple days worth and package it so I just have to reheat it in the microwave at work. Yesterday I had garlic marinated shrimp, and some fruit with cranberry juice to drink.
  • wendyannie1976
    wendyannie1976 Posts: 205 Member
    I have a light tortilla wrap, peppery rocket salad leaves, whole grain mustard and sliced ham - nice tasty wrap then for a pudding I have a whole 225g tub of raspberries with a low fat yogurt - strawberry today :-) i think its scrummy hehehe
  • charmednz
    charmednz Posts: 49 Member
    I have soup and crackers, plus a bit of fruit and a cereal bar for lunch most days...gets kinda boring too....
  • misstash123
    misstash123 Posts: 55
    Hi,

    I dont have many ideas really, I pretty much have what you mentioned and Im bored of it too so I hope someone comes along with some ideas! Ive got an egg and rocket salad today with a banana and some cherries. I find if I plan/make things the night before I am less likely to go for the "boring" options of pasta. Maybe making stuffed peppers with different fillings? I dont have the luxury of a microwave either! Maybe bringing a potato/sweet potato to cook in the microwave with cottage cheese?

    Hope this helps,
    Natasha :smile:
  • kettlenic
    kettlenic Posts: 148 Member
    some good ideas I had forgotten - pita, wraps...melba toasts!

    I love seafod and mushrroms will def add to the grocery list - thanks :)
  • wedjul05
    wedjul05 Posts: 472
    I ALWAYS make my lunch (hot and cold) and bring it to work.

    TOday it is sausage casserole. I do spicy lentil stew, chilli con carne, chicken curry and turkey spgbol also. I will have moroccan style cous cous with fish also. Alot of the food I make is better reheated, I freeze huge portions of each so I can just grab them the night before and throw in the microwave.

    I know I am biased but I'm pretty good and love my lunches.
  • mhairi_e_mckenzie
    mhairi_e_mckenzie Posts: 16
    Hi!

    Today I have a toasted brown pitta cut in half and filled with chicken and sweetcorn mix with iceberg lettuce leaves... Finish off with a 100cal soya vanilla desert :)

    I am addicted to Scottish Oatcakes with goats cheese and ham too, but trying to change things up this week...

    Mhairi
  • randa_behnam
    randa_behnam Posts: 488 Member
    today i have left overs...boiled chicken and sweet potato with peas and onions :o) mmmm mmmmmmm

    oh and carrot sticks and hummas as a snack
  • CarolineT82
    CarolineT82 Posts: 71
    I have chilli with rice and a few tortilla chips - hubby is away at the moment so I'm trying to eat my main meal at lunch time and just have something light in the evening (didn't work yesterday - but I'm working on it!).

    If you have access to a microwave I'd suggest last night's leftovers....just smaller portions. As wedjul05 said - chilli and curry etc. is better re-heated anyway :smile:
  • jesshall281
    jesshall281 Posts: 219
    hmm i tend to have a piece of fruit at 11am, a piece at 1pm, and lunch at 3pm, i have a canteen in my work and the ladies always cook great meals; lasagne, chicken carbonara, cottage pie etc (these meals are free by the way, wooo!), I just ask for a really small portion and fill the plate with salad! then im all fuelled up for the gym after work!
  • wedjul05
    wedjul05 Posts: 472
    I have chilli with rice and a few tortilla chips - hubby is away at the moment so I'm trying to eat my main meal at lunch time and just have something light in the evening (didn't work yesterday - but I'm working on it!).

    This is what I do as I exercise after the kids go to bed at say 8pm. I have my 'dinner' at lunch time in work. I find this better too as I would generally tend to have carbs with my dinner so eating it earlier in the day is better I feel anyway. I have a biggish snack at say 3pm like fruit salad with greek yoghurt, rice cakes/peanut butter etc. I would only have something small in the evening like an omelette or protein shake or chicken with steamed veg. Works for me.
  • kettlenic
    kettlenic Posts: 148 Member
    Thanks ladies some fabulous ideas may have too batch cook this weekend for some lunches - you have been a big help - thanks :)
  • jesscsock
    jesscsock Posts: 25 Member
    Hey,
    I've got some Thai chicken and pineapple stir-fry (recipe from skinnytaste.com) which I re-heated. I tend to make a big salad or this type of meal on a Sunday and make up four boxes ready for the week.
  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
    spinach and tomato sandwich on whole wheat bread, a banana, a cup of grapes...and today i have some homemade macaroni salad (just elbow noodles and catalina dressing with chopped up bell peppers) and a nutrigrain bar. lunch is always my biggest meal of the day!
  • kettlenic
    kettlenic Posts: 148 Member
    off to check out that website - sounds delish!!!!!
  • LM_710
    LM_710 Posts: 8
    I've started alternating between salads and lean cuisines. Sometimes I'll just grab a slim fast bar if I have to work through lunch. And our office has fresh apples, bananas and oranges so sometimes (not as often as I should) I'll grab one as a snack.
  • elizabethblake
    elizabethblake Posts: 384 Member
    Hey,
    I've got some Thai chicken and pineapple stir-fry (recipe from skinnytaste.com) which I re-heated. I tend to make a big salad or this type of meal on a Sunday and make up four boxes ready for the week.

    Thank you for that website! I'm adding it to my blog list!
  • Kris0109
    Kris0109 Posts: 177 Member
    Today's lunch: 5 tablespoons of hummus, 12 bagel chips, 15 baby carrots. 400 calories.

    It is EXACTLY what my body wanted for lunch, and it was fantastic. In fact, I definitely could have cut the portion and still been satisfied.
  • BeverageTreats
    BeverageTreats Posts: 149 Member
    I have bags of frozen spinach and broccoli in the freezer of the fridge at work. I try to bring a protein dish of some kind to go with them, but for days I forget or don't have time, there are Morningstar things in there too.
  • Jellyphant
    Jellyphant Posts: 1,400 Member
    I occasionally bring stuffed chicken breasts to work. Its fun to discover the different things to stuff them with. I usually use skim milk mozzarella, fresh asparagus and roasted red peppers, but this time I tried a richer cheese (Muenster) and it was effing delish. I usually eat it with veggies from home like broccoli or peas.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I take leftovers...my son takes leftovers to school too...I don't even care if I don't heat it up (the unspoken rule in my office is no microwaving fish)...if there aren't leftovers, I like to take salad with fake crab and cucumber and dill dressing, a piece of fruit, and some crackers...today is soup and sandwich though. Breakfast is a tortilla, with 2 eggs microwaved and half a bell pepper...I make 3 of my 5 meals at work lol
  • rubyrenga
    rubyrenga Posts: 402 Member
    Funny, lilRicki, we have that unspoken rule in my office too, but I don't eat meat and I am not crazy about the smell of it, so I say eff it and cook my fish anyway! Not too sure how anyone feels about it, but oh well...anyway, I usually bring leftovers from the night before. Carrots and hummus are a great snack, I always bring fruit of some sort, and if I don't have leftovers, I will do a tomato sandwich (sometimes with vegetarian deli slices) on a 100-calorie sandwich thin or soup. If I have to go out and buy, I get a Subway 6-inch veggie sub, which I don't even like, but at 240 cals, it's not so bad.
  • CheddaMcCheese
    CheddaMcCheese Posts: 4
    I get very bored with my lunches at work. But SmartOnes are pretty good and they have alot of different varieties. Also fish is great. They sell single serve microwaveable Tilapia Fillets at my grocerystore and they are only $1!

    Salsa and baked chips are a good snack too!
  • ltlemermaid
    ltlemermaid Posts: 637 Member
    If I have left overs from dinner I bring that. Other wise I alternate between:

    Tuna with garlic mayo and dill
    Turkey/cheese wrap or sandwhich
    Chili/soups (in the winter)

    I always have fruits or veggies in addition to the above for lunch--today was tart cherries :)
  • Claudia007
    Claudia007 Posts: 878 Member
    wraps!!!! I fill them with whatever I have. chicken, tuna, deli meats, lettuce, spincach, onion, peppers, corn whatever! It's quick and easy and one is sometimes way too much.

    I also bring leftovers, or a simple PB&J when I'm out of time.
  • dawnrenee567
    dawnrenee567 Posts: 292 Member
    Quiche (I have a crustless recipe that's pretty good) is always a good choice hot OR cold)
    Oatmeal ( make 'real' oatmeal, portion it out and it reheats pretty well) and fruit
    Veggie Dip (greek yogurt with ranch or onion dip mix) and veggies (right now zucchini and summer squash are in season and fabulous)
    Spinach salad with dried cranberries, almonds, chicken and a light raspberry dressing
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