ATTENTION TEACHERS!

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k4evans1
k4evans1 Posts: 145 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Getting ready for a new school year and want to hear some snack/lunch ideas. I get sick of the same old things and am curious what other MFP teachers like to take to work for snacks/lunch. Shoot me your ideas :) Do you tend to have the same thing daily or switch it up?

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  • NKF92879
    NKF92879 Posts: 601 Member
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    - salads
    - leftovers from the night before
    - sandwiches (with all the fixin's: lettuce, tomato, mustard...)
    - microwaveable steamed veggies
  • Sarahcuda
    Sarahcuda Posts: 76
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    I make spaghetti or soups in bulk, freeze in single serving baggies, and use those with fresh salad / veggies for lunch or a quick dinner!
  • k_perz
    k_perz Posts: 10
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    Hello! I would love some ideas as well! I am typically a salad and piece of fruit kind of girl at lunch on school days. A normal salad would be lettuce/spinach, tomato, low fat shredded cheese, and a FF vinagrette. (Two that I really like are Vermont Farms Lime Basil and Newman's Own Sesame Ginger.) If I've made tacos that week, I'll toss in some leftover ground turkey, maybe some black beans, and substitute a fat free Catalina for dressing. If I've made chicken, I'll add that, and use fat free ranch. As far as fruit, I get something small, whatever is in season.

    For snacks, I eat a LOT of low fat string cheese and Special K Snack bars. I also make a lot of homemade hummus and eat it with celery or Wheat Thins, or sometimes bring a wedge of Laughing Cow instead of hummus.

    This school year I'd like to change it up a little without increasing a lot of calories/fat! Can't wait to hear what others have to say!
  • beccau_20
    beccau_20 Posts: 191 Member
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    l almost always take leftovers for lunch. I already know the amount of calories because I already logged it!
  • geraldinia
    geraldinia Posts: 14 Member
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    Hardboiled eggs

    I also have a tub of dried apricots in case I get desperate!
  • craft338
    craft338 Posts: 870 Member
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    not a teacher, but i work at a school! i got a nice insulated lunch box, a bunch of microwavable containers, 2 camelbaks, and a coffee mug =)

    now.....what to fill them with??
  • akhebert4
    akhebert4 Posts: 9
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    I like to make a little quesadilla... I use the small corn tortillas with a wedge of the laughing cow chipotle cheese, some pico de gallo, and a 1/4 cup lowfat mexican cheese. All in all, it totals about 210 calories and its delicious! I make one when I can't bring leftovers.
  • Artemis80
    Artemis80 Posts: 5 Member
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    I often find myself in such a time crunch that I don't end up preparing anything ahead of time, so I rely on a lot of pre-prepared foods. (Also, my school doesn't have a refrigerator or a microwave!!!) I love egg white & chive salads from Trader Joes (just 100 calories per container). I also find Cliff bars make a good snack. They are pretty high in calories (240 per bar) but I find them to be very filling. Unlike a granola bar, where I find myself just as hungry after eating it as before, Cliff bars fill me up pretty much just as much as a Lean Cuisine or something similar.
  • Nateorious
    Nateorious Posts: 26
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    Teachers have problems with lunch more so then the typical person that goes to work? :
    I think you could broaden your search to any one that has good ideas about lunch. :smile: Just saying.

    I am going to school for my Bachelor in Ed btw. So this isn't a teacher bashing post.
  • k4evans1
    k4evans1 Posts: 145 Member
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    @Nateorious teachers often have very short lunch periods and often work through their lunch. Many professions have an hour lunch and go out to eat. Also, the demands of teaching are high and you can't snack during the day like someone with an office job. You'll see as you get further along in your program.
  • AnneElise
    AnneElise Posts: 4,221 Member
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    hmmm yes, I always eat the same things because of time. My lunch is 25 minutes but by the time the kids leave... and then when they start coming back in I get about 15 minutes to eat. I usually have 1/2 PB sandwich or a bagel thin with cream cheese. 1 apple. baby carrots. string cheese. yogurt. ha so boring.
  • chryciw
    chryciw Posts: 124 Member
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    My most common snacks are:
    Laughing Cow/TLC Crackers
    Protein Bar
    Low Fat String Cheese
    Banana
    Hummus/Carrots

    For lunch I usually bring leftovers or a Lean Cuisine. I just don't have time to make anything in the morning while also getting two boys ready for school...
  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
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    bump!!
  • AmyNVegas
    AmyNVegas Posts: 2,215 Member
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    I fix 4-5 dishes, salads, etc on Sundays and portion them into plastic bowls for the week. This gives me lunches and dinners for the week and I can mix and match and not have to cook when I come home after a long day plus the gym. Meals vary with the seasons, sometimes it's casseroles and salads and sometimes its more soups and casseroles. I even do quiches some weeks so even breakfast is taken care of. Anything left at the end of the week that I may be tired of goes in the freezer for later consumption.
  • mama2daboyz
    mama2daboyz Posts: 16 Member
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    I have a hard time squeezing in a good lunch because of lunch duty, club meetings and tutoring during lunch. I often have a hard time finding time to use the bathroom throughout the day.

    For lunches, I like the Kashi frozen lunches--they *are* high in sodium, but they are usually high in protein and fiber.

    I also like their various granola bars--they are about 130 calories, but they are high in protein--I usually eat one around 9:30 and that helps me get through the day to lunchtime. (We start at 7:00 a.m.)

    Of course, cut up fruits/veggies make great snacks, as do popcorn and yogurt.
  • k4evans1
    k4evans1 Posts: 145 Member
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    Thanks guys! It's not that I don't know what to make, I just like hearing other people's ideas like making a bunch of stuff on Sunday and freezing it or having a salad with leftover meat on top. I like reading these so keep them coming :)
  • fitplease
    fitplease Posts: 647 Member
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    I confess, I often run out with lunch money and eat what the kids eat. Sometimes, it's healthy. Sometimes, it's not. I am hoping to try bringing more of my own food, so I have better control over what I am eating.

    For snack, I will bring no-sugar fruit cups, fresh fruit, Trader Joe's granola bars (they seem healthier than some other brands) or even trail mix. I read all labels, so I make sure I buy the healthier versions.

    Thank you for the post.
  • hsquared87
    hsquared87 Posts: 73
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    I eat Paleo/primal so I don't eat grains and I limit my processed foods so typical lunches/ snacks can be a mix and match from below.

    - Leftover meat from dinner (chicken/ beef)
    - Carrots with ranch (I hate carrots and can not eat them without a dip so yes its processed but oh well)
    - A piece of fruit
    - Cucumber slices
    - Archer farms sunny cranberry trail mix
    - left over veggies from dinner
    - tuna fish
    - wholly guacamole 100 calorie packs (with veggies or a half a serving of organic tortilla chips)
  • beccau_20
    beccau_20 Posts: 191 Member
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    @Nateorious teachers often have very short lunch periods and often work through their lunch. Many professions have an hour lunch and go out to eat. Also, the demands of teaching are high and you can't snack during the day like someone with an office job. You'll see as you get further along in your program.

    This is true. However... I build in a morning snack time. My kids think it's for them, but it's really for me :o) In the afternoon I can hold off until my kids leave at 3:00.

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