What's in your lunchbox?

porffor
porffor Posts: 1,210 Member
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
ok.. if you're giggling at the title I'll assume the humour aspect made you smile.

I'm a mature student and have 'used' slim fast bars and a piece of fruit for lunch mostly, I do 'vary' things with salad, cous cous, a sandwich (which normally falls apart just to annoy me). Having discussed slim fast on the other board it seems it's rubbish and I shouldn't be eating it in the long term. I have a long way to go still as my goal really is sitll in the 'overweight' bracket, so I don't want to slow things down any.

If I buy from the canteen it's the likes of pasta with tomato, quiche and salad or cheese and potato pie (I'm veggie so choices are limited).

I'm not a lover of salad and although I'm veggie I'm allergic to beans - ok with pulses. I often find what I pack needs a fridge really and sadly that won't fit in my bag! lol I could get a bag with a cool block i guess..

So.. what do YOU pack in your lunchbox? Please feel free to inspire me!

Replies

  • Ellem86
    Ellem86 Posts: 204
    I'm always intrigued by what's in people's lunchboxes!

    It varies, but today my lunchbox contains: An apple for my mid-morning snack, a wholemeal pitta stuffed with ham, lettuce, light mayo and pickle for lunch, pineapple chunks and a greek yogurt with honey for mid-afternoon afternoon cravings and another "emergency" apple in case I suddenly get super hungry.
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
    I like to make something for dinner that leaves me leftovers for lunch the next day. Last night I grilled tilapia and asparagus (both seasoned with dill and mrs. dash's original recipe), something I absolutely love, and will be taking leftovers for lunch today.

    other things I make include: (a) grilled skinless chicken breast, mixed with grilled or sauteed veggies and tomato sauce; (b) modified taco salad with lettuce, tomato, 2% shredded cheese, ground turkey or chicken and fat free catalina dressing; (c) chicken/veggie stir fry; and (d) ground chicken burgers with some fruit.
  • SueGeer
    SueGeer Posts: 1,169 Member
    Today's lunch menu: WW carrot & lentil soup; 2 clementines; apple & baby corn. Also have hi fibre bar but think I may have to have that as my afternoon snack.

    I have Graze boxes delivered to work & have a portion most mornings for my snack - today it's Desert Island Nuts......

    Sue :smile: x
  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
    Love this thread :drinker:

    I'm always looking for ideas on what to take to work for lunch - our canteen doesn't really do variety or healthy. Today, I've got Chicken with lemon & courgette couscous (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/333612/chicken-with-lemon-and-courgette-couscous) and a yoghurt - have a look at my food diary as it's open to anyone on MFP

    i've found eating properly at lunch time goes a long way to staving off the snacking later on in the afternoon, and sets me up for any exercise class I might have later in the day.
  • porffor
    porffor Posts: 1,210 Member
    GREAT ideas everyone - keep 'em coming.

    Graze boxes are a good idea! I had a free trial a while back and loved it. :) I will have a look at that when I get started at Uni I think.
    Or a selection of dried fruit etc made up in a jar - I do this for my toddler (raisins and the likes), so could do my own too. :)

    I love cous cous so that is a good idea to look at making my own and varying whats in it. :)
    Thanks all.
  • xarra
    xarra Posts: 128 Member
    Danone Activia Yogurt
    Ham wrap with some light mayo or humous plus sundried tomatoes/lettuce/cheese or similar...
    Banana

    I always have ham as I like it - is this a huge problem?
  • dcmat
    dcmat Posts: 1,723 Member
    Hmmm, seem to have a big list when written down! 2 bananas, 4 apples, 75g homemade noodles, 1 fat free greek yogurt, 1 carton melon mix.

    Plenty of burnt cals each day (2000'ish)
  • meggers123
    meggers123 Posts: 711 Member
    it varies, but somethings I include are:
    salad
    soup (homemade, or a mix-packet, there's an all natural dehydrated soup brand here... not sure if you have that kind of thing)
    leftovers (yum!)
    bread with cheese and veggie spread
    bread with eggs and mustard
    nectarine or banana
    carrot sticks
    giant vegetarian egg roll
    protein shake
    crackers
    mixed nuts

    I like to pack in ''tupperware''... cause I can reuse it, and my ''sandwich'' doesnt fall apart
  • ROBP5
    ROBP5 Posts: 16 Member
    Breakfast - Cod, cucumber, spinach and pepper
    Snack - Almonds, banana
    Lunch - Steak mince, mushrooms, broccoli and spinach
    Dinner - Chicken and salad
  • porffor
    porffor Posts: 1,210 Member
    Hmmm, seem to have a big list when written down! 2 bananas, 4 apples, 75g homemade noodles, 1 fat free greek yogurt, 1 carton melon mix.

    Plenty of burnt cals each day (2000'ish)
    this is great to 'see' as I ride (my horse) so some days I don't eat nearly enough of my calories (tutt tutt i know) burned. I do try but get bored sometimes. lol yes.. bored eating! lol
  • porffor
    porffor Posts: 1,210 Member
    it varies, but somethings I include are:
    salad
    soup (homemade, or a mix-packet, there's an all natural dehydrated soup brand here... not sure if you have that kind of thing)
    leftovers (yum!)
    bread with cheese and veggie spread
    bread with eggs and mustard
    nectarine or banana
    carrot sticks
    giant vegetarian egg roll
    protein shake
    crackers
    mixed nuts

    I like to pack in ''tupperware''... cause I can reuse it, and my ''sandwich'' doesnt fall apart

    I pack in tupperware too but found my egg sandwiches etc were demolished by the time I got to them. :( 4 classes and files going in and out of bag - with sliced egg sandwich to cut down on the mayo just didn't mix. I started buying rolls (granary) etc and cling fliming them inside the tupperware, this seemed to work but I struggled to eat a roll - sounds pathetic but we didn't get long or anytime some days.. and then egg well people don't like the smell sometimes! Grrr. lol
    Carrot sticks sound a good idea! :)
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    A Tupperware box filled with Uncle Ben's Mexican rice with added chunks of chicken breast, a chopped tomato, spring onion and yellow paper. Yum, I'll be lucky to have anything left by 12pm! An insulated sandwich bad and freezer bags are my friend as we have no fridges at work.
  • B3Streeter
    B3Streeter Posts: 292 Member
    I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches to bring to work. Also, greek yogurt with granola and almond butter mixed in really fills me up. Other things I bring: Weight watchers string cheese, apples, slice yellow peppers, baby carrots, and lots of green tea bags!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Have a look at some bento boxes - there's lots of great suggestions on many of the websites, and the original Japanese ones were designed to be eaten at room temperature.

    I have a brilliant salad container which has a separate chamber for the dressing in the lid, so my salad doesnt go all soggy. I'll combine whatever I have in the fridge - cucumbers, spring onion, radish, peppers, celery, tomato - with maybe a little something from a jar - marinated artichoke hearts are my favourite, but jars of mushroom antipasti are good too. Maybe some olives or capers. The oil from my artichokes combined with a squeeze of lemon juice is usually enough for a dressing, but humous makes a great alternative dressing. Sometimes I add in more protein - tin of tuna, chicken breast, chickpeas.
  • ljbhill
    ljbhill Posts: 276 Member
    I'm a school teacher and so the lunch box topic is always discussed! :laugh:

    I must admit that I do own a lunch box, that I pack each morning!

    Generally speaking, I have one meal for little lunch (recess) and one for Big Lunch. Let's just call it a snack and lunch for grown up purposes! :happy:

    Snacks
    On any given day depending on calorie allocation a snack may be (usually with a green tea/tea in hand)-
    *Carrot sticks and 60g of hummus
    *Apple and 30g nuts
    *30g cheese and an apple
    *Yoghurt
    *Boiled egg and a peice of fruit (other than banana)
    *4 vitaweets with low fat butter and vegemite
    *Gluten free museli bar
    *10 rice crackers

    Lunch
    On any given day depending on calorie allocation lunch may be-
    *4 Cruskits/4 rice cakes with low fat phili spread, ham and tomato
    *2 slices of toast/3 rice cakes with 1/2 avocado and tomato
    *Salad sandwich on seeded multigrain bread
    *100g mince turkey/chicken/lean beef with dried herbs, 1/2 cup of brown rice and broccoli
    *Any left over protein 100g (chicken, beef, lamb etc) with cous cous, lemon and left over roast veg
    *Bean Salad
    *Left over stuffed capsicums
    *Freeze left over home made meat (turkey/chicken/beef) patties and use them in gluten free rolls as a hamburger with tomato and lettuce
    *soup

    I often make a big batch of one-two soups (broccoli, pumpkin, bacon and silverbeet, pea and ham etc) and freeze it in lunch portions. I love packing my lunch (and eating them!) I think I've developed a bit of an obsessive compulsive with collecting tupperware! Lol.

    Hope this helps!
  • Piglet_26
    Piglet_26 Posts: 104
    Wow some great lunches here.....mine all of a sudden seems really unexciting. My problem is i'm a lazy little wotsit so go for easy options.
    Today I have:

    1 beef bovril cube.....makes a fairly tasty quick soup (can buy drinks granules for this but couldn't find them)
    1 slice of oaty bread with light spread
    a handful of dried pineapple for my sweet tooth
    a banana for that extra energy boost in the afternoons
    and to top it of a lovely fat free vanilla yogurt.

    Not exciting in the slightest but it does me good for now and only the yogurt requires refrigeration.
  • porffor
    porffor Posts: 1,210 Member
    Some great lunches!! Am typing up a 'list' to get myself more creative :) like the idea of min-lunch and big lunch too! lol
  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
    Couldn't have my lunch without packing it into my mini freezer/cooler bag! it keeps it altogether for one and at someplaces I've worked, they've not had fridges in which to store food, so it comes in handy.
  • missjoclarke
    missjoclarke Posts: 7
    My lunch box every day consists off:
    Green Salad leaves, Olives, tuna and a small amount of mayo !!! x
  • jenswwjourney
    jenswwjourney Posts: 181
    Today is my day off so its not really my lunch box but I am going to make myself something yummy for lunch. I am going to have a ham sandwich w/ some dijon mustard and lettuce w/ toasted bread. And since it is pretty low calorie I am going to have Tofu Noodles and light alfredo sauce. And maybe an apple if I am still hungry.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    Rubbermaid containers are my friend.

    Breakfast - 1/3 cup quick oats, 1/4 craisins, 1 tbsp flax seed. - Add water, microwave for 1 minute.
    Snack 1 - baby carrots, grape tomatos, celery sticks, cucumber slices, 2 tbsp hummus
    Lunch - Veggie Chili (I made a big pot of this and froze it in individual containers. This acts as my ice pack in my lunch bag)
    Snack 2 - Clementine and 0% fat yogurt.
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