Help with lunch ideas

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Does anyone have any ideas or resources that might help me with my goal to eat a healthy lunch every day? I'm a teacher, but I travel between several different schools, and lunch is one thing that has always been difficult for me. It's always easier to eat something in my car, which is often fast food, or, worse, to not eat lunch at all. I've finally gotten to a point where I schedule time to eat lunch every day, but I struggle with making healthy choices for lunch. Anyone else struggle with this?

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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited February 2018
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    What do you like? What is practical to cook/prepare, bring and eat?
  • nazma_amirali
    nazma_amirali Posts: 1 Member
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    I usually make a salad the night before with some cold meat and carry the dressing on the side so my verges don't wilt. It does not take much time and is a healthy easy "eat in your car" meal
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I cook more than I need for dinner and then eat the leftovers over the next few days. Since I make a special effort to cook things I really enjoy for dinner, I really enjoy my lunches. To me, this is key in reducing the temptation to grab something else instead of having my packed lunch.

    When I'm on the go, I've found those lunch bags with the little freezer packs are very helpful. They'll keep my lunch cold until I've ready to eat it.
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
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    I usually make a salad the night before with some cold meat and carry the dressing on the side so my verges don't wilt. It does not take much time and is a healthy easy "eat in your car" meal

    I like this idea. I have a salad container with a topper piece to keep any fixins (sliced tomatoes, protein, cheese, etc) separate from the greens and then a 2 tbsp sealed container for the dressing that fits in the center.
    Dump, pour, shake, eat. Even has a collapsible reusable fork/knife.

    Also lunch doesn't have to be a meal per se but a collection of smaller on-the-go snacks. Like some fruit, nuts, granola, protein shake, etc. Get a good insulated lunch box/bag and ice pack.
  • ent3rsandman
    ent3rsandman Posts: 170 Member
    edited February 2018
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    I eat a lot of canned food, plus whatever meat I've cooked for the week. Lunch and dinner is usually canned beans or potatoes + canned or bagged vegetables + chicken/ground beef/pork that I threw in a ziploc bag.
  • Jeepers54321
    Jeepers54321 Posts: 2 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your ideas! I think part of what I need to do is keep it really simple and make it something that I actually want to eat. That way I'll be less likely to stop for fast food. I'm pretty good at finding fast food options that fit into my eating plan, but I don't want to do that all the time.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    There's nothing wrong with going with a frozen meal + some veggies! I picked up an Igloo brand lunch bag that does an AMAZING job of keeping food chilled, even when the bag is sitting out in a room. You could likely just leaver the bag in the car until you get to the location where you plan to eat.

    ~Lyssa
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    A cute lunchbox can actually inspire. I love the Sistema "tupperware" and there's one you can get that has a compartment for a basic sandwich and then folds out with two other smaller ones where you could fit some fruit and veg to go with. A lunch pack of goldfish or chips on the side and you have a lunch!

    Sara Lee whole grain white is 120 cals for 2 slices. Oscar Mayer rotisserie chicken deli meat or ham is 50 cals for 2 oz. Fruit and Veg, another 100, goldfish or small chips 120. Can of club soda. You can play around with the sides to keep it interesting.