Lunch ideas under 200 cals?

kazza_
kazza_ Posts: 3 Member
in Recipes
Hi, does anyone have any easy ideas for lunch that can be prepped ahead to take to work? Is 200 calories enough?

Thanks :)

Replies

  • mskimee
    mskimee Posts: 228 Member
    I'm really into salads in a jar at the minute. The dressing is at the bottom and everything is layered so it stays crispy! Or if you have a sandwich toaster you can make a great one for less than 200 cal!
  • kazza_
    kazza_ Posts: 3 Member
    Thank you, I need to get of my *kitten* and organise my meals better, can be tough as I work shifts
  • kazza_
    kazza_ Posts: 3 Member
    I work irregular shifts, I really need to sit and plan what to eat for each shift. I'm not really a breakfast person so may I could increase lunch calories
  • mskimee
    mskimee Posts: 228 Member
    I use to do shifts too, I feel your pain!! When the tiredness hits midway through and you need that boost...yuck! Can you snack as you work? Keeping an extra apple or some sachets of soup use to keep me going and stop me binging when I got home. It also kept me away from the sweets and cakes that were always available!!!!! Good luck!!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I eat about 400 calories for lunch. Dinner leftovers, sandwiches, or salads are typical lunches for me.

    If you want to eat just 200 calories then fill your lunch with low calorie vegetables and maybe a hard boiled egg, some plain tuna or chicken, small amount of cottage cheese, yogurt, or some soups.
    Try prelogging your food for the day so you can plan better. You can split your calories up however works best for you.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,207 Member
    Do you tend to have big dinners? Even when I'm on 1200 a day, I eat around 350 for lunch... what's your calorie limit?
  • kaoutarm55555
    kaoutarm55555 Posts: 7 Member
    Vegetables soup it's delicious and only 150 calories
  • sosteach
    sosteach Posts: 260 Member
    For under 200 calories I make a big romaine salad, throw in some peppers, onions, cucumber and 4 ounces of boneless chicken breast and 2 or 3 tablespoons of Olive Garden Lite or sour cream and salsa.
  • EJBarner
    EJBarner Posts: 68 Member
    Curried lentils! Easy, inexpensive, and absurdly filling for me.

    https://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/01/curried-lentils/
  • loisburch59
    loisburch59 Posts: 403 Member
    My quick lunch would be 1/2 cup cottage cheese and 2 servings of no sugar added diced peaches with some cinnamon. At 170 calories and it packs easy, put the cottage cheese and cinnamon in a bowl large enough to hold all of it, but do not add the peaches until you eat. The cinnamon makes the peaches taste like a peach cobbler.
  • bethmerle1
    bethmerle1 Posts: 2 Member
    I'm not much of a breakfast person so I just drink a serving of Lowfat Kefir with my vitamins. I rather eat a larger lunch and dinner and snacks.
  • vnarr90
    vnarr90 Posts: 1 Member
    A few ideas:
    1. Lean cuisine (portabello steak and pimegrante chicken) = 170 calories.
    2. Low Fat Dannon Greek Yogurt = 80 calories
    3. Have lean ham (2 slices) and kraft american cheese (1 slice) = 110 calories

    *Allrecipes.com has lots of other great ideas.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    You're getting some good 200 cal suggestions, but if it were me I'd bump it to 300. You can eat so many more options at 300. That's enough for about 100 cal lean protein, a 100 cal serving of fruit or higher calorie veggies such as tomato and onions, and a 100 cal serving of fiber - either grains or green veggies. Add another 50 cal and you can have some added fat such as nuts, avocado, or dressing. 350 is a substantial lunch, whereas I consider 200 a snack. A bowl with brown rice or quinoa as the base and stir-fry on top of it is easy to prep ahead and reheat.

    If you really want to stick with 200, you can use Zoodles or spaghetti squash as a base. A cup of spaghetti squash with marinara and a meatball comes in under 200. Or Thai Zoodles with chicken.
  • LaughHappy907
    LaughHappy907 Posts: 43 Member
    Cabbage and white bean soup - my recipe is only ~168 calories for 2 cups of soup (so room for a sprinkle of hard cheese or some extra lean protein added! Mind you I didn't do the exact measuring, just used the recipe builder on here). I always make a large batch or this or some other soup on Sunday and separate it out into 2 cup containers that seal well. That way I can just grab it in the morning and not worry. Fills me up just fine.

    1 head cabbage
    1 yellow onion
    1/5 small can tomato paste
    1 can butter beans
    1 can great northern beans
    4-5 celery stalks chopped thin
    All the seasonings you want so long as they are low in salt. (I make mine spicy so I eat it slower)
    throw everything except beans in a pot with just a bit of oil and garlic to brown the cabbage a little, then fill with enough water to cover and add the beans. Simmer it till the celery is tender as you like. I usually get about 12 cups or 6 servings from this.

    Soups are great, if you leave out the creams, flour and potatoes they are pretty cheap calorie-wise and you can pack them full of the nutrient and protein you need to stay healthy.
  • LaughHappy907
    LaughHappy907 Posts: 43 Member
    Roasted red pepper soup is good too, fills you up more than you would think.
  • Moxie42
    Moxie42 Posts: 1,400 Member
    I like light lunches sometimes too because I like having more calories available towards the end of the day. Just a personal preference because it works for me.

    Some ideas:
    * Roll-ups using deli meat and cheese
    * Lettuce wraps with tuna salad, chicken salad, or deli meat & cheese
    * Salads with a light dressing (or a flavored vinegar)
    * Tuna salad on celery sticks
    * Fruit with cottage cheese or yogurt
    * Soup
    * Turkey Chili
    * 100 cal hamburger/hot dog bun with deli meat, cheese, and whatever other sandwich ingredients you like
    * Frozen meals (Smart Ones, Lean Cuisine, etc.) with extra veggies added or on the side for munching
    * Veggies w/ hummus
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,073 Member
    I am pretty boring, but my lunch is a cup of whatever veggies I cook for the week and 2-3 ozs of meat, usually chicken. My breakfast or snack is usually the same thing. Sometimes I will cook two types of meat and two types of veggies for the week so I am not eating the same thing twice a day. It really does not bother me though. I save the bulk of my calories for the evening. I chew a lot of gum and drink a lot of water during the day.

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