Alternatives to Sandwiches?
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I use Brownberry sandwich thins, or Thomas high fiber English muffins when I want a sandwich. 100 calories each.0
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monkeystyxx wrote: »What do you guys do for a quick take-to-work lunch that doesn't involve bread?
Things I take to work that aren't sandwiches. Plenty quick if you do a little food prep on the weekends or night before:
Leftovers, packed when I eat dinner the night before
Soup or chili - make a pot on the weekend, and grab a container from the fridge on the way to work
Stew
Salads, usually taco salad or greens with marinated chickpeas or black bean salsa. I prep the vegetables and protein on the weekend, and build the salad in the morning. Usually takes about 5 minutes. Dole chopped salad kits are tasty and fast - I split them into two meals and add some rotisserie chicken.
Burrito bowls - a little rice, peppers, and black beans, carnitas or chicken, salsa and avocado. Easy to prep ahead and they freeze really well.
Hard boiled or soft boiled eggs, rice, avocado
Frozen dinners and cans of soup - I keep a few around for days when I'm not prepared
When I do take sandwiches, I sometimes make them on toasted English muffins. Light on calories and quite tasty! I eat all of these foods and stay under 130ish g of carbs daily if that's important to you. I also frequently eat bread and haven't had trouble losing weight.2 -
I like to make overnight oats for lunch. I find it more filling than a sandwich. You can adjust it to your macros. My favourite is:
200g low fat greek yogurt
25g of granola (or oats)
100g blueberries
I also add a dash of cinnamon and sweetener.
I make it the night before and just grab it in the morning. So easy!2 -
I buy my deli slices - ham, roast beef, turkey, etc. - a little on the thicker side so I can roll them. I make 'roll-ups'... this gives me the tastes of the sandwich, without the carbs.
One that I like in particular is a Turkey/Waldorf Roll Up. I make a Waldorf salad out of mayo, chopped walnuts, diced apple and celery, then put a Tbsp or two on a slice of turkey and a slice of Muenster, and roll it up.
Other varieties I like are ham and Swiss with a smear of mustard, rolled around a pickle spear...or roast beef and Jarlsberg with mayo and a bit of horseradish, rolled around a slice of roasted red pepper...turkey is also good with avocado and bacon...
Use your own imagination.4 -
cerise_noir wrote: »monkeystyxx wrote: »Most of my diet has become pretty good certainly, a lot better than before, but I know bread - even delicious multigrain lovely bread - is pretty bad when trying to lose weight.
What do you guys do for a quick take-to-work lunch that doesn't involve bread?
Nah, bread is not bad for weight loss. Carbs are not bad for weight loss. Eating too many calories is bad for weight loss. Excess calories is how anyone gains weight, even animals.
I've eating a LOT of bread throughout my weight loss and it hasn't slowed me down or stopped me unless I eat over my maintenance calories.
You could always find a lower calorie per slice bread.
This.
I'm not a big fan of the taste of most breads so I use bagels, English muffins, soft tortilla shells and then tortilla chips instead
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vikinglander wrote: »I buy my deli slices - ham, roast beef, turkey, etc. - a little on the thicker side so I can roll them. I make 'roll-ups'... this gives me the tastes of the sandwich, without the carbs.
I do something similar; putting mustard on a slice of ham/chicken and rolling them up. Depending on the cut of meat, you can have a high protein but low calorie meal.0 -
I use Flatout Foldit flatbreads. 100 calories each. Neat, tidy, and various flavors. Eat them all the time instead of bread/butter.2
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Keep it simple, IMO: take the stuff you were gonna put in your sandwich, ditch the bread, and put it in a bowl instead. Put plastic wrap over the top of your bowl to carry it around.
Or get some sealable plastic box thing and put your food in that.
Bread is kinda lame, IMO. It's either 200-300 calories of _not much_ that could be spent on 20-30g of protein instead. Or the low-calorie stuff tastes bleh.0 -
The bread isn't the problem. It's the AMOUNT of bread that people eat that's the problem.monkeystyxx wrote: »Most of my diet has become pretty good certainly, a lot better than before, but I know bread - even delicious multigrain lovely bread - is pretty bad when trying to lose weight.
What do you guys do for a quick take-to-work lunch that doesn't involve bread?
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This^
OP - Elimination diets do not solve the problem (they merely avoid it for a time). This is one (of many) reasons a large majority of people gain weight back.
Do you plan on cutting out bread forever? Because if the answer is no - it's best to figure out where bread "fits" in your diet instead of being clueless when you get to goal.3 -
Great - another thread where the OP makes a decision for their life and everyone loses their mind cos he wants to eat something with less calories than bread. Bread is high calorie - if I gave yo $100 to last you the week, you wouldn't spend $50 on the first day.
Alternatives are salads such as bean salad or beetroot salad. Certain wraps are lower in calories
He didn't ask for something with fewer calories than bread. He statedmonkeystyxx wrote: »bread - even delicious multigrain lovely bread - is pretty bad when trying to lose weight.
which, on its own, is false, as is the statement that bread is high calorie. I can go to most grocery stores and find bread that is from 35-60 calories per slice, which most men can fit into their daily calorie budgets. If he doesn't want to, that is fine, but addressing the false notion that bread is a no-no when cutting calories should be expected.
The OP also said a quick take to work lunch. I assumed he meant he goes to the local shop like most city workers do and grab a ready made sandwich - in which case you would agree. Sure, go and find a low cal bread and make your own sandwiches - if that was an option I'd agree. A pre pack sandwich is generally high calorie
I get what you're saying-I think most of us are reading it as he's packing his lunches at home though. OP, can you clarify-are you preparing your lunches at home or are you buying your food out?0 -
Great - another thread where the OP makes a decision for their life and everyone loses their mind cos he wants to eat something with less calories than bread. Bread is high calorie - if I gave yo $100 to last you the week, you wouldn't spend $50 on the first day.
Alternatives are salads such as bean salad or beetroot salad. Certain wraps are lower in calories
He didn't ask for something with fewer calories than bread. He statedmonkeystyxx wrote: »bread - even delicious multigrain lovely bread - is pretty bad when trying to lose weight.
which, on its own, is false, as is the statement that bread is high calorie. I can go to most grocery stores and find bread that is from 35-60 calories per slice, which most men can fit into their daily calorie budgets. If he doesn't want to, that is fine, but addressing the false notion that bread is a no-no when cutting calories should be expected.
The OP also said a quick take to work lunch. I assumed he meant he goes to the local shop like most city workers do and grab a ready made sandwich - in which case you would agree. Sure, go and find a low cal bread and make your own sandwiches - if that was an option I'd agree. A pre pack sandwich is generally high calorie
Perhaps there is a language barrier. I consider a take to work lunch a lunch that is taken to work from home. Going to a shop to get a sandwich is going out to get something for lunch.3 -
Aldi has a bread that's 45 calories a slice, you could try making open face sandwiches to cut down too. I eat bread (even regular white bread) and pasta and I'm down 30 pounds already, I just make sure it's within my calorie goal4
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I'm not going to get into why you chose not to eat carbs, that's none of my business.
I can suggest, sprouted bread as such for dieting. Sometimes I'll swap out 2 pieces of bread for a couple crackers. Also Lettuce Wraps are a cool alternative.1 -
I use a lot of wraps for sandwiches, and also I'll eat crackers and make mini sandwiches! But bread is my true love
you could try making your own bread out of wheat alternatives, but there are plenty of low cal breads out there as already stated. One of the times I lost a ton of weight my regular lunch included a sandwich with limited mayo and cheese, but as many veggies and meat as I wanted (and a cup of lo-sodium brothy soup) 0 -
I make lettuce wraps or toast an English muffin and add my sandwich makings. I rather eat my calories in extra cheese and meat than in bread. However, I do indulge on occasion with hot from the oven homemade bread or my homemade buttery drop biscuits (at 100 calories a pop - yikes!) ...0
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I like Amy brand frozen meals and bring extra frozen veggies and a container of fat free plain yogurt. Hummus and raw veggies is also great.1
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Sara Lee makes a line of delicious 45 calorie breads (90 calories for two slices), if you wanted to make a lower calorie sandwich. I buy the multi-grain and it's really good! I also love the Xtreme Wellness wraps. They make whole wheat, tomato basil, and spinach and herb ones that are all 50 calories.
Chicken salad and tuna salad sandwich stuffing is good on its own. I'll take a serving and a half of it with some cottage cheese and baby carrots.
Ham/turkey/deli meat slices rolled with a slice of cheese is good, as well.0 -
I either have half a round of sandwiches (1 slice of bread) with a lot of fruit and veg, or something else entirely. I like making potato salad (vinaigrette, not mayo) and putting it on a little bed of lettuce with something like cooked chicken or smoked fish on top, or slices of leftover eg veggie burger, meatballs, breaded chicken and so on. I then have a lot of fruit and veg along with it, and a small treat, like a mini muffin. I know potato salad (or pasta salad or couscous or whatever) take time to make, but you can make a batch at the beginning of the week. I have a handy compartment lunch box that works well for this sort of thing.0
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Instead of lettuce I like chard- sturdy and flexible and a little salty. Or just make a chopped salad -everything chopped in bowl + dressing = tasty0
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eating bread makes my body composition go soft and "fluffy".i eat rice cakes and ryvita light and crispy crackers for everything now I would use bread for, just open face style( eggs,meat,tuna,peanut butter,with a salad etc.)_haven't had any issues.i actually enjoy them a lot.0
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I find that bread has being my salvation.......Without it I wouldn't succeeded, I make fresh crusty and super yummy bread roll that keeps me full and satisfy me, about 450 to 500 calories and if at 65 and petite at 5.4 without exercising and sedentary life style lost 30 pounds in 5 months.....anyone else can too.....forget all the Mambo jumbo about carbs versus proteins, have a balanced diet and follow the ratio of MFP....its a lifestyle I can keep for the rest of my life.....0
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Bread isn't bad for losing weight. Eating to many calories is. A tasty bread with fiber and whole grains is lovely. I eat a couple of slices a day.0
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We cleaned up this discussion a bit to keep it from jumping the shark. Thanks to everyone who is answering the OP's questions!0
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I cut back on bread because it adds a lot of calories. I like to use low carb wraps or sandwich thins when I want a portable sandwich-type meal because they are fewer cals. You can make a sandwich using only one slice of bread. Or look for thin sliced bread, Daves has a great thin sliced multigrain sandwich bread.0
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