Work Lunches

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I suck at packing a lunch for work each day. What do you take to work for lunch? I need as many ideas as possible! Eating fast food daily for lunch helped me gain 60lbs over the last 18 months and I'm over it. I've lost 11.5lbs in September and I have a long way to go, so nutritious and somewhat easy to prepare lunches for work are going to be key. Suggestions? Thanks for your input!
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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    My wife and I usually make double of whatever for dinner and take the leftovers for lunch. If that doesn't happen, I usually have a sandwich...my wife usually takes a salad.

    I'm making southwester stuffed baked sweet potatoes tonight...I'll make four instead of two so that we have lunch for tomorrow.
  • ekim2016
    ekim2016 Posts: 1,199 Member
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    I eat a can of the Walmart chicken breast plus an orange. Black coffee helps too... So far I am losing a pound per week on this method....
  • ekim2016
    ekim2016 Posts: 1,199 Member
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    So it's about $1.50 per day in cost... compared to when I used to go out to lunch daily costing $10 bucks a whack...
  • Loves2snack
    Loves2snack Posts: 112 Member
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    I usually have leftovers from whatever I had for dinner the day before. Its just easier for me, that way I don't have to spend so much time prepping and its fresh! Of coarse, sandwiches are very versatile and you can also do wraps. I personally do not like processed meats.
    A great idea is to get a rotisserie chicken and then make a nice chicken salad, soup or wrap!!
  • thunder1982
    thunder1982 Posts: 280 Member
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    I do the left over thing too or like today have taken in some roasted chicken breast and 2 steamer bags of veggies to pop in the microwave.
  • tristramtrent
    tristramtrent Posts: 257 Member
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    My box has an apple, some prunes, a slice of cheese, fout Carr's Melts, an oat crunchy bar and some cherry tomatoes , for tomorrow. Bitty but easy and fun to eat.
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
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    90% of the time it's leftovers. I make extra and then I divvy out a smaller lunch portion for the next day.

    On days that I don't have leftovers, I always take a frozen meal such by Evol or Luvo which taste much better than Lean Cuisines and are often better on the sodium and preservatives depending on what you get. I try to do that no more than twice a week.

    I'm not much of a "pack a sandwich" person. They just aren't really good to me. I did make a High Protein Chicken Salad recipe that I got off this site that I really like. Made with a rotisserie chicken, greek yogurt, grapes, apples, etc. that's pretty tasty.
  • Gena575
    Gena575 Posts: 224 Member
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    I do sandwiches with fruit and baked chips. Sometimes I swap the chips for a yogurt and pickles. Just depends. Or leftovers...often just the meat as a salad topping. I also keep a couple lean cuisine on hand for "emergency" situations. I try to keep lunch around 400 calories because I'm more hungry of an evening than through the day.
  • mccraee
    mccraee Posts: 199 Member
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    Today I brought bread, mayo & a perfect tomato from my garden I sliced the tomato and made a great sandwhich. Plus an apple. And, I usually bring an extra apple for the afternoon.

    I'm going to make some turkey deli meat wraps and freeze them for fast lunches when I don't have time to fix something.
  • Lord007
    Lord007 Posts: 338 Member
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    I do alot of meal prep on Sunday's for my lunches through the week. Monday's Wednesdays, & Fridays I have rilled chicken breast with 1/2 cup brown rice and 1 cup of steamed broccoli. Depending on the size of the chicken it's about 400 calories and LOTS of protein. Other days of the week will be left overs or whatever I though about throwing into the mix. For example, today was a sauteed chicken cutlet (poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper) with melted mozzarella and bacon with baby spinach on a hamburger bun plus 3.5 oz of fresh sugar snap peas.
    It's alot easier to avoid temptation for calorie dense fast food if you already have your lunch prepared. :)
  • DisneyDude85
    DisneyDude85 Posts: 428 Member
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    Usually baked chicken breast in some kind of marinade and some sort of legume/veggie. This week its lentils :) I prep all 5 lunches on Sunday, that way I just grab it from the fridge and go!
  • cass0314
    cass0314 Posts: 39 Member
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    ekim2016 wrote: »
    So it's about $1.50 per day in cost... compared to when I used to go out to lunch daily costing $10 bucks a whack...

    Oh God yes. Not only is my waistline a little happier since I quit fast food, but my wallet is too!!
  • cass0314
    cass0314 Posts: 39 Member
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    Gena575 wrote: »
    I do sandwiches with fruit and baked chips. Sometimes I swap the chips for a yogurt and pickles. Just depends. Or leftovers...often just the meat as a salad topping. I also keep a couple lean cuisine on hand for "emergency" situations. I try to keep lunch around 400 calories because I'm more hungry of an evening than through the day.

    I do the same, I often just have a coffee in the morning, a light lunch, and then a more robust dinner. But I try to eat my carbs earlier in the day and not as much at night. I'm just toying with different things to see what's most doable and most beneficial for me. :)
  • cass0314
    cass0314 Posts: 39 Member
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    Lord007 wrote: »
    I do alot of meal prep on Sunday's for my lunches through the week. Monday's Wednesdays, & Fridays I have rilled chicken breast with 1/2 cup brown rice and 1 cup of steamed broccoli. Depending on the size of the chicken it's about 400 calories and LOTS of protein. Other days of the week will be left overs or whatever I though about throwing into the mix. For example, today was a sauteed chicken cutlet (poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper) with melted mozzarella and bacon with baby spinach on a hamburger bun plus 3.5 oz of fresh sugar snap peas.
    It's alot easier to avoid temptation for calorie dense fast food if you already have your lunch prepared. :)

    In 2014 I lost 50lbs meal prepping every Sunday like you describe. I think I overwhelmed myself in the long run-cardio 7 days per week, weight lifting 4 or 5 days per week, plus my job and the meal prepping and all the tracking and obsessing... eventually I just burned out and quit. Anyway-do you weigh your chicken raw or after you've cooked it? Same with your veggies. I've always done mine after but not sure if that was the generally accepted method.
  • cass0314
    cass0314 Posts: 39 Member
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    mccraee wrote: »
    Today I brought bread, mayo & a perfect tomato from my garden I sliced the tomato and made a great sandwhich. Plus an apple. And, I usually bring an extra apple for the afternoon.

    I'm going to make some turkey deli meat wraps and freeze them for fast lunches when I don't have time to fix something.

    I've been considering starting my own little garden and growing some fresh veggies. Your description of your tomato made my mouth water a little. :)
  • daniip_la
    daniip_la Posts: 678 Member
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    Leftovers. Tuna sandwich if leftovers aren't available.
  • mommamia30189
    mommamia30189 Posts: 82 Member
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    So many people have leftovers! I barely have enough time in the day to cook dinner. I mean how does everyone that works, work all day, I get home at 6pm- then workout by 6:30-8 - by then its too late to cook a meal so i usually just eat something like a baked potato or a fruit cup. My main eating is at lunch. Its hard to come home-workout-then cook dinner-and get ready for work the next day. I usually pack my lunch in the morning before work, apples, yogurt, and some baked chicken that i make batches of on Sunday.
  • RhapsodyWinters
    RhapsodyWinters Posts: 128 Member
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    Each person is different. I eat twice a day. No snacks. About 250 of 1340 calories is my lunch, which is flavored wheat thins and cottage cheese. The fat from the cottage cheese tides me over until after work. The rest I have in dinner after my workout.

    Sometimes I add half a cup of soup to my lunch. Sometimes I just have leftovers (like lean turkey meatloaf/mashed potatoes/green beans which is about 450 calories)

    Light lunch and big dinner works for me. It might not work for others
  • terrinicolefit
    terrinicolefit Posts: 99 Member
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    I do all my cooking on Sunday. I cook all my lunches for the whole week. By meal prepping, I am forced to eat whatever healthy lunch I have packed for that day :)
  • jacksonkylie477
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    For lunch I usually have brown rice and veggies! I microwave both the night before pack it up and I pair those two with a Diet Coke. I'm a big snacker so I bring hummus and carrots and a banana and a Luna bar so I don't choose anything in healthy