I need Lunch ideas!

I'll do a cup of couscous with a cup of roasted veggies (lately squash, zucchini, and eggplant) and a sprinkle of romano cheese, maybe with some diced tomatoes.

A cup of pasta topped with roasted eggplant, roasted tomatoes, and 1oz mozzerella.

Salad with grilled chicken breast and balsamic and oil.

Pita with hummus and diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives.

A cup of rice with half a cup of black beans, topped with salsa, cilantro, and a lime squeeze.

Leftovers are great. Sandwiches are nice too.

I eat WW and Lean cuisine but the sodium doesn't really affect me....I did make sandwiches for awhile but I got tired of them.


Sara Lee 45& delightful bread (2 slices)- 90 calories
1oz cheddar Cheese - 110 calories
Oscar Meyer Deli turkey - 45/50 calories for 6 slices
1 snack pack of mini rice cakes - 90 cal/bag

Total 335 cal for lunch!

I do a lot of the options mentioned.

I also love big veggie wraps w/ hummus and any vegetable I have in the fridge wrapped up in a whole wheat tortilla. Or, mmmmm, avocado!

Cottage cheese and grape tomatoes are a favorite of mine.

Mini-frittas are delicious and easy to make ahead and heat up at work. Mix up eggs, milk, and any fillers you love (I adore spinach, mushrooms, and cheese...peppers are good, so are onions, just anything works...even some meat if you want). Spray a muffin tin w/ cooking spray. Add egg/vegetable mixture to each tin and bake at 350 deg F until set. Pop them out and freeze...then they can be reheated for lunch or breakfast.

I also love homemade granola and yogurt for lunch.

OR...a great big smoothie.

Diced Sweet potato, black beans, and (barbeque) rice... Easy to prepare in the microwave and very filling

Personally, for me salads don't leave me satified and I get bored and you know what happens then.

I find soup is filling and you can make so many kinds that I haven't been bored and I eat them every weekday for lunch. I usually do a double batch on the weekend and freeze half. That way I always have a few varieties in the freezer to choose from.

Canned soup is very high in sodium so it's best if you make your own. Not only can you use the low sodium, low fat broth but you can leave out things you may not like. For me it's peas and mushrooms. There's a whole world of flavors out there from spicy korean beef to Sausage, Kale & Lentil to Mexican Meatball. Your tastebuds will be dancing with happiness and you'll actually look forward to lunch instead of it being a chore to chomp through yet another bowl of greens.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a salad now & then as a side, but it just doesn't fill me up more than an hour as a meal..

Cooking Light, Better Homes & Gardens special cooking editions, Weight Watchers and Eating Well magazines are great resources for soups & stews. And don't forget the internet and your own imagination. The majority I've made are under 300 calories a cup!

Today is meatless Monday for me:

3 cups of baby arugula salad
1 tbsp of Zorba's Goat yogurt tzatziki and 1/2 fresh lemon juice
1 pkg of New Zealand Kiwi Mussels (steamed with 3/4c. water, dill and lemon juice)
1/4 pkg sunrise firm Tofu

That with a partly skimmed mozarella string cheese and 2 plain rice cakes is heavenly!

my favourite lunch is a soup & sandwich!

Buy some low sodium soups or make your own in bulk & freeze it.
My favourite is called Fall Harvest Soup:

2 Tbsp butter or oil
1 Large onion, chopped
2 Large leeks (white part only), chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Large potato, peeled & diced
1 Cup chopped celery
1 Cup chopped carrots
1 Medium butternut squash, peeled & diced
1 Large tart apple, peeled & diced
5 Cups of chicken stock (I use vegetable because I am a vegetarian)
1 Tsp thyme
1/2 Tsp ground allspice
1/4 Tsp nutmeg
salt & pepper

Saute onion, leeks and garlic in butter in large pot over medium heat until soft. Add potato, carrots, celery squash, apple and stock. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add seasonings.

Puree mixture until smooth in blender or food processor. Return to pot and heat well, but do not boil.

Serve piping hot, garnished with minced chives or green onions.

Yield: 6-8 servings

looks like baby food, tastes like heaven

MUST try this, yum.

You can make some great lunches if you're willing to do a bit more prep the night before (or maybe even just a couple of nights a week).

- Cut up some chicken breast and cook in a bit of olive oil and garlic. Can have enough for a few days to add to salads or steamed veggies (I like to get the Green Giant Healthy Vision frozen veggie package - low on sodium and fat...adding chicken gives you your protein).

- Quinoa (protein) with summer squash/zucchini, carrots, broccoli cooked with it. Sprinkle on a little parmesan cheese. 1 cup of quinoa (dry) makes a huge amount!

- Set aside a portion of the previous night's dinner to have for lunch.

- On the weekend, make a batch of chili, chicken soup, etc. and freeze in 1-2 serving size containers. Thaw the night before so you'll be able to have for lunch the next day.

- Hummus with raw veggies and/or crackers, low-fat string cheese, apple slices with a little peanut butter, raw almonds, yogurt with fruit/honey/oats/etc. are all great "extras" to add to a light lunch.

- Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean burgers are awesome. Microwave 1 burger (120 calories) for 1 min. 30 sec., chop up in a tortilla with a little shredded cheese or salsa. MSF and Boca have a decent selection of "burgers" that are great and lots of ways to eat them besides as a traditional burger.

thanks for the GREAT ideas!