I'm not eating enough at work!

kels_lyn14
kels_lyn14 Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I work odd hours (3pm-11:30pm). I usually wake up around 10am and have a healthy lunch before work. I've been packing dinner and a snack, but I just started using MFP and found out that I'm only packing like 500 cals of food, meaning my daily caloric intake on work days is only about 1000. I find that I'm starving when I get home and I just want to eat everything in sight before passing out at midnight. MFP says I can have up to 1900.

So my question is, what are some easy high calorie healthy meals that I can take to work? I'm a horrible cook, but my fiancé loves to cook and would be willing to make me yummy healthy things! Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Why not just eat when you are hungry when you get home?
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,110 Member
    I keep protein bars in my desk at work
  • lichn
    lichn Posts: 36 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Why not just eat when you are hungry when you get home?

    Because, as she said, by the time she gets home she's starving. That's obviously not working?

    Making up another 900 cals is easy though, easier than "filling" but low cal ideas! As for things that keep well in tupperware at work, consider: pasta salad, tuna wraps, coconut curry with shrimp or chicken, veggies and rice... Or adding more snacks into the mix with whatever you usually bring. My favourite coffee shop makes a 570 calorie muffin that's a full meal unto itself. If you don't get long enough breaks to sit down and enjoy a meal, mixed nuts or veggies and hummus can be an easy fast go to that helps keep your energy up and your appetite satisfied.

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,089 Member
    kels_lyn14 wrote: »
    I work odd hours (3pm-11:30pm). I usually wake up around 10am and have a healthy lunch before work. I've been packing dinner and a snack, but I just started using MFP and found out that I'm only packing like 500 cals of food, meaning my daily caloric intake on work days is only about 1000. I find that I'm starving when I get home and I just want to eat everything in sight before passing out at midnight. MFP says I can have up to 1900.

    So my question is, what are some easy high calorie healthy meals that I can take to work? I'm a horrible cook, but my fiancé loves to cook and would be willing to make me yummy healthy things! Thanks in advance!

    I have no idea how you define a healthy lunch or a healthy meal, or what you think is yummy. But general advice (feel free to revise) would be to include protein (it doesn't have to be lean -- consider fatty fish as an option) and some nonstarchy veggies and/or fruits, and add starchy veggies, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, oil, butter, avocado, whole eggs, and whole dairy until you hit however many calories you want to have for your dinner and snack. Add a treat of some kind if you like. (There's nothing unhealthy about a treat if you can fit it within your calorie goals and you're already getting adequate nutrition from the other foods you eat. There are no bonus points for only eating chicken, broccoli, and rice.) If you still have calories left, eat something when you get home.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Peanut butter and banana sandwich
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    If you are hungry before you get home, bring a second lunch so you can have an "early dinner" before you leave for you.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,169 Member
    edited July 2017
    Turkey sandwich, with or without provolone. Cheese sandwich. Maybe an hour or so before you leave work, drink an Odwalla protein shake. They're easy to pack for work, are filling, and come in around 350 calories. An Atkins protein shake is 160 calories.
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,371 Member
    That's a lot of sleep...if I read correctly...pass out at midnight...usually wake up at 10am? Approx 10hrs.

    I appreciate we all have different sleep needs, but too much sleep has it's own health implications as does too little sleep.

    If I have understood correctly and you are getting 10hrs sleep, it may be that this is okay for you and there are no health issues, but it may be something you wish to be reviewed by a doctor.
  • kels_lyn14
    kels_lyn14 Posts: 14 Member
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    That's a lot of sleep...if I read correctly...pass out at midnight...usually wake up at 10am? Approx 10hrs.

    I appreciate we all have different sleep needs, but too much sleep has it's own health implications as does too little sleep.

    If I have understood correctly and you are getting 10hrs sleep, it may be that this is okay for you and there are no health issues, but it may be something you wish to be reviewed by a doctor.

    lol I have no health issues. I usually get between 7-10 hours depending on how much sleep I got the night before and how busy my shift was. I'm an RN so the hours I work can get a little crazy. Some nights I don't get off until 3am, other nights I have to stay late if we're short staffed. My sleep schedule is never predictable.
  • kels_lyn14
    kels_lyn14 Posts: 14 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Peanut butter and banana sandwich

    Yum!

  • kels_lyn14
    kels_lyn14 Posts: 14 Member
    DebLaBounty wrote: »
    Turkey sandwich, with or without provolone. Cheese sandwich. Maybe an hour or so before you leave work, drink an Odwalla protein shake. They're easy to pack for work, are filling, and come in around 350 calories. An Atkins protein shake is 160 calories.

    I usually bring a protein shake to drink around 9pm, but it only has about 230 calories. I've never heard of Odwalla shakes, I'll have to give them a try! Where can I buy them?
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    edited July 2017
    Why so hard? Just bring another meal to eat at work. In reality, with your adjusted hours your first meal is really your breakfast (11AM) and second meal is your lunch (assume 3 or 4PM). Since you're up until midnight, it only makes sense to add another meal as your dinner.

    You don't necessarily need high calorie foods to bulk out your diet if you want to stick to 2 meals a day. Just eat more of what you're already eating.

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