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Cheap Healthy Delicious Lunch Ideas??

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river88island
river88island Posts: 15
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Hi Everyone!! :o)

Iv been on MFP for a few months now but always seem to fall off the wagon! My problem is I never know what food to eat that is healthy but also cheap and delicious!! also, I work on a building site in a cabin and so I only have a fridge and a microwave. Im sure you can see how easily it is for me to stick a microwave meal in :( I always seem to have bread with EVERYTHING!

Im interested in soups and shakes and things like that, that I can make at home and either have cold or warm up.

Any ideas? Id really appreciate it as at the moment when dinner time comes I go out into town and find the local home bargains and stock my bottom draw of crisps and chocolates :(

Please add me as a friend also as I need the support! and will also be an encouraging friend too :)

THANK YOU!! xx

Replies

  • Perixi
    Perixi Posts: 116 Member
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    I tend to have homemade soup, its really easy to make and is really filling. I also cook in batches so that if i do things like chilli i make 4 or 5 portions worth and then can have that at work. Homecooked things are much lower in cals and more filling than ready meals.
  • kvhmc
    kvhmc Posts: 33 Member
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    I like to have soup with salad and meat by the side. Homemade soup is great if you have the time, a bit too much effort if you're busy with work, so I have covent garden soup. Lots of different flavours, healthier than tinned soup, and if you can buy them on offer then they're pretty cheap!
  • MogwaisGrandma
    MogwaisGrandma Posts: 196 Member
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    Do you like Cous Cous. You can pre make it at home and have it cold or make it at work and have it hot. A little goes a long way and if you add it to veggies it becomes a really filling meal.

    I love Oxtail soup (only Heinz though) Try adding some pasta to that to bulk it out? It works with most soups but watch the calorie count of ones like Cream of Chicken/Tomato.

    My daughter loves beans and pasta. You could add a bit of cheese and a sprinkling of parsley on the top for that special touch haha.

    Make a batch of no pastry mini quiches and have it with salad. Or warm it up and have it with beans?

    Hope these help
  • Twinkletoestasha
    Twinkletoestasha Posts: 53 Member
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    Im trying the new Mcains Jacket potato. Comes in a pack of 2 frozen you just bang them in the microwave 5 minutes and done.

    Let you all know how it goes, going to go with the usual baked beans and tiny bit of cheese.

    Are wraps better then bread out of interest ?
  • Tudrase
    Tudrase Posts: 55
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    I'm pretty sure wraps are worse for you, more sugar. Try having oatcake or rye bread instead or white or brown. Low GI is better for you and keeps you fuller for longer. Make your own frozen ready meals. Plastic tupperware pots are cheap in packs of ten. Make a big batch on your own version of a ready meal and freeze. Take a pot to work and reheat in the microwave.
  • river88island
    river88island Posts: 15
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    Thank you for all your great ideas everyone! I will sure be trying out my own soup!! (with some help from my mother!!)

    Thanks :o) x
  • psiren28
    psiren28 Posts: 530 Member
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    I used to make up huge batches of quorn curry and chilli and a big pan of rice then freeze individual portions to take for lunch. It come out OK in the microwave and much healthier than a packaged ready meal.

    Just take it out of the freezer before work then its defrosted by lunchtime and read to warm up
  • sixfootaliw
    sixfootaliw Posts: 62
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    Soup! Asda's have some very cheap and tasty ones which I go back to when I run out of home made soup. Try spicy tomato for around 50p.

    I love home made spiced root veg soup myself. Lots of flavour and very cheap ingredients! Around 250 per portion and that fills me up for the whole afternoon without resorting to bread!
  • Jaqfrog
    Jaqfrog Posts: 11 Member
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    If you have a toaster, I can recommend warming pitta bread through and taking a pot of houmos (or however you spell it!).
    Along with a few sticks of carrot and a big serving of salad.
  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
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    I've literally just replied to another post on this topic, in this group too :laugh:

    I use the BBC Good Food website a lot, there are some recipies there, which strictly speaking may not be meant to take into work, but if I can pack it into a box, I'll take it into work!

    Feel free to have a nosey at my diary to see the kind of things I mean
  • _mr_b
    _mr_b Posts: 302 Member
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    If you make a bit extra for dinner in the evening then that can be a good alternative to take to work the next day, even just extra rice to then throw veg/tuna etc in is handy.

    You can buy in a load of salad stuff and make one to take to work, by changing what you make it with you can stop it from getting too 'samey'.

    Soups are great, I tend to ensure mine aren't too watery as then it stops me wanting a load of bread with it!
  • mostaverage
    mostaverage Posts: 202 Member
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    +1 for cous cous - pre made from tesco, you can add it to a salad or take it straight out the box. The sachet cous cous can be nice too, add in some pre-cooked chicken or ham if you like.
    My favourite however is a simple veg soup, veg stock, carrot, leek, onion, turnip, parsnip & maybe some potato if I'm feeling a bit dangerous. Boil it all until cooked and you can gorge yourself on as much as you like :D

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