Lunches to take to work?

I usually pack my self left over dinner. If not, then make it super easy and pack a salad with some grilled chicken. I ALWAYS pack good snacks too. An apple, a WW string cheese, a greek yogurt and a 1/4 cup of trail mix.

I take my lunch to work everyday. Usually salad with either tuna, salmon, chicken, cottage cheese and sometimes brown rice or quinoa. I also take almonds to snack on and a natural low fat yoghurt.

Prepare your lunch the evening before work or even make enough food for your evening meal so there is some left over to take to work for your lunch too.

Salad
Soups
Fruit
Veggies
....anything you would normally eat at home.

I ususally make a pot of soup or chili on the weekend and then rotate, Soup one day, Sandwich the next, salad then back to soup. Cottage cheese and/or fruit are usually my snacks. I keep at my desk some snack size fruit cups and plain instant oatmeal just in case I forget my lunch or miss breakfast. I get tired of salad to often but can really enjoy it if I keep it to once a week. The black bean chili I made this week gets better each time I have it.

My personal favs are

lots of salad with either - Tinned tuna (in brine not oil) I have with tomatoes and low fat mayo. or sliced chicken breast.

I also make leek and potato soup, only 120 calories, thick and keep me full for ages
500 grams Potatoes
400 grams Leeks
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 veg stock cubes

Put all in pot simmer until all soft then blend, job done.

I prepare my lunches for the upcoming week on Sunday since free time during the week is limited. I usually prepare four or five one-gallon bags with the following: iceberg lettuce, spinach, broccoli, green beans, two to three hard-boiled eggs, 3.5oz portion of lean meat (I prefer steak), and pre-cooked lentils. Boring but simple, you get the picture. I keep a tub of whey protein and various cans of food for emergencies (e.g. tuna, spinach with no salt added, beans).

Oh, I love my nuts (almonds, peanuts, mixed).

I like making a big pot of soup and taking it throught the week. Rachale Ray's Black bean Stoup and salsa Stoup are gerat and I think they are both gluten free.

A nice big salad with chicken or peperoni on top is great

I also take leftovers form the previous night and I alwuy bring berries or a piece of fruit.

if you are at a desk stash things like 100cal natural nut packets, naturae vally granola bars or other healthy snacks to keep you away from teh vending machines.

Good luck!

Im big on soups. However, watch Sugar intake. Some of the soups (esp. red-sauced soups) are very high in sugar intake. And make sure you account that twice because most cans of soups (Chunky, etc) are 2 servings, not 1. Campbells has many varities of soups. My fav. is Ham and Potatoe Also, there are many Healthy Request soups that are total 180 cal (90 per serving). Something to look into for sure!

I'm not sure about the gluten content either, but....

Salads: You can make something different every day with lettuce, baby spinach or spring greens. Chicken breast, tuna, salmon, ground turkey. Variety of veggies & fat free dressings.

Wraps: Use a low carb/whole wheat tortilla & use any of the stuff above.

Dinner left overs: Microwave them

Plain greek yogurt with fresh berries & granola

Cottage cheese & fresh fruit

Turkey, cheese & crackers

Tuna & crackers

I take my lunch to work almost every day. Most days its a salad (I make 3 salads on Sunday night for Mon - Wed and then another batch on Wed night for the rest of the week). If I'm feeling tired of salads I'll do soup (which I make myself in big batches and freeze in individual containers) or leftovers from dinner the night before.

I also keep an emergency can of Progresso Soup in my desk drawer and an emergency Lean Cuisine meal in the freezer in case I forget to make a lunch or end up at work later than I had planned and need to grab a quick dinner.

I try to pack leftovers from dinner (which keeps my portion control at dinner in check because I have to have some left over for lunch the next day). If I don't have leftovers, I often make a salad- my favorite is also like a Tex-Mex salad- greens, red peppers, black beans, cukes, tomatoes, and some salsa instead of dressing- add an avocado for some healthy fat. Since you are new at your job, this would probably be weird for you until you get more comfortable, but I also keep a small Ninja blender at work and about 3 times a week, I have a green smoothie for lunch (spinach, kale, swiss chard, carrots, banana, berries, coconut water- and this is super easy to pack since nothing really has to be assembled, I just throw those items in my lunch bag and then do the prep/blending at lunchtime) and split it with a coworker/friend who is also on a path to health. People give us funny looks all the time, but we don't care- my green smoothie is doing wayyyyy more for my body than their takeout.

Stay away from precooked/microwave meals. Those usually have loads of salt in them (30%+!). Leftovers from supper/day before, what ever you normally eat.

if they have a microwave it's easy.

sometimes I bring brown rice with a little hot sauce and heat that up, then add avocado (cube it in the morning and put in a baggie with a little lemon or line) and a can of tuna. yummy and filling.

I also keep protein powder and a blender bottle at my desk just in case I don't have time for breakfast or lunch that day.