Lunch suggestions?

jolmbagpuss
jolmbagpuss Posts: 14 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I am looking for lunch suggestions please. Something that will fill me up so I don't go to eat anything else while sat at my desk. I go for sandwiches but they seem to really use up my calories and leave me with 200 calories tops for the rest of the day.

This is my weakness where I don't know what else to eat. Breakfast is fine, 178 calories.

Replies

  • mjolnir81
    mjolnir81 Posts: 27 Member
    My go to lunches for work are salads and soups. Both are filling and if you are careful about what you add can be really low calorie too.
  • rj0150684
    rj0150684 Posts: 227 Member
    I’ll usually go with a salad and a can of fish (sardines, kipper snacks, etc) and some sunflower seeds if I’m still hungry.
  • sharronnx3232
    sharronnx3232 Posts: 3 Member
    I have lost almost 45 lbs since the beginning of the year - My main go to's for lunch:

    -Turkey burger. Light hamburger bun (80 calories), lettuce, tomato, mustard (0 calories), and a turkey burger (180 calories).
    -Egg salad sandwich. Light bread (45 calories per slice), 2 eggs (140 calories), and light mayo (35 calories).
    - Subway 6' Black Forest Ham with lettuce, tomatoes, American cheese and mustard (310 calories)
    - Days I am rushing I have a Slimfast chocolate shake - the premade kind (180 calories) (surprisingly filling - although I am ready to eat by dinner!)
    - If I need something extra to munch on I have Angie's pop corn (35 calories per cup).

    Will be following if anyone else has any good suggestions! :smile:
  • MushroomLadyJR
    MushroomLadyJR Posts: 89 Member
    My lunches are typically 500 ish calories. Two mini wraps with a protein, soft cheese, veggies. Two servings of fruit and 25 grams of crisps.

    At the moment I'm enjoying two seitan wraps with soft cheese, olives, carrots, spinach alongside grapes and cool tortilla chips. I also have a small orange on hand if I get hungry before dinner.
  • euronorris
    euronorris Posts: 211 Member
    Do you have a microwave at work? I just made scrambled eggs in mine, with torn up spinach in it, and then stuffed it into a pitta bread, with some ketchup on top. 320 calories in all.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,267 Member
    Salad with protein and soups... or tons of veggies with some protein
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    edited April 2018
    I love soups and salads with a mix of fiber and protein, but I prefer those for leisurely meals outside of work. On work days, my filling go-to's for lunch are greek yogurt with nuts (sometimes with fruit or granola) or cottage cheese. Those take away my hunger and leave me full for a long time w/o feeling stuffed. Besides that main lunch, I'll eat one or two other times, with the most common items being a meal replacement shake or fruit with nuts/cheese or veg with hummus/guac. (I need regular sabbaticals from shakes to keep them tasting good to me.)

    Years back, I used to regularly eat kashi frozen meals too and Amy's burritos. I've gotten too lazy to microwave while working. ;)

    I work long shifts (about 11 hours plus a 45 min commute each way) which is why I usually eat 2-3 times over the course of the shift. On my days off, I usually eat larger meals but less often.
  • mutantspicy
    mutantspicy Posts: 624 Member
    I usually have a salad for breakfast. My lunch is usually a high fiber carb and a lean protein. Today is smoked salmon and black beans.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
    Today I packed a Progresso Light chicken noodle soup (140 calories...a lot of sodium, though), a PB&J sandwich made with low-cal bread, PB2 & low-cal fruit spread (150ish calories), a side salad w/ balsamic dressing (20 calories), a couple pieces of fruit (100 calories), some carrots. About 400 calories for all that.
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    mutantspicy wrote: »
    I usually have a salad for breakfast. My lunch is usually a high fiber carb and a lean protein. Today is smoked salmon and black beans.

    Two of my absolute favorite foods in life! I've not yet eaten them together though.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    I find that a good balance of protein, fat and fiber are the key components towards a filling meal.

    Protein: chicken, tuna, beef, pork, eggs, Greek yogurt, cheese

    Fat: Avocado, oils, butter, nuts

    Fiber: fruit, veggies, oatmeal, beans, legumes, whole wheat pastas & breads

    Some example meals:

    - Greek yogurt bowl with berries, granola and almonds

    - Mexican wild rice/quinoa bowl with shredded pork and black bean & corn salsa and avocado

    - Asian noodle bowl with soba buckwheat noodles, shrimp, green onions and a soft-boiled egg

    - Chicken caesar salad

    - Walnut and pear spinach salad with balsamic-oil vinaigrette

    - Chicken tikka masala with green peppers and cauliflower rice

  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    toxikon wrote: »
    I find that a good balance of protein, fat and fiber are the key components towards a filling meal.

    I often see it said here that satiety is an individual thing, but that combo is certainly my holy trinity too! :)

    Protein alone can really fill me up, but the complete combo is usually more dazzling for my taste buds and gives me a long and steady supply of energy that I really like.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited April 2018
    How many calories does lunch have to stay within?

    Mine are between 400 and 550 cals.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    jolmbagpuss wrote: »
    I am looking for lunch suggestions please. Something that will fill me up so I don't go to eat anything else while sat at my desk. I go for sandwiches but they seem to really use up my calories and leave me with 200 calories tops for the rest of the day.

    This is my weakness where I don't know what else to eat. Breakfast is fine, 178 calories.

    What is your calorie goal? How many calories do you want to use for lunch? How long do you expect it to fill you up?
    What does your unsatisfying sandwich consist of?
    Generally protein, fats and fiber help people feel satisfied.
    Some people like a lot of volume in their meals. You can eat a lot of vegetables and some protein.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10563959/volume-eaters-thread/p1

    My breakfast is 100-300 calories usually, lunches are generally around 400 calories. I expect to have a small snack about 4 hours later and then about 500 calories for dinner. I might have a small snack afyer dinner but might not. I eat about every 3-5 hours while awake. I don't expect 400 calories to carry me 8 hours.
    Lentil or bean soup is filling to me.
    A big pile of zucchini noodles and a chicken breast is filling enough.
    I would probably pair a 300 calorie sandwich with a bunch of carrots, tomato, cucumber or an apple.
  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    I find I need some carbs as well so I often have a couscous with a protein source and plenty of salad
  • Jennymarie57
    Jennymarie57 Posts: 57 Member
    edited April 2018
    what's really filling for me:
    - Baked sweet potato with a lrg dollop of plain greek yogurt and drizzle organic maple sugar..yummy

    - romaine lettuce or celery boats with Tuna I make with plain yog and choppwe celery and onions

    - baked chicken breast with sauted spinach and white beans on top.
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