Healthy Lunches

Anyone have suggestions for healthy lunches that I can bring to work? I'm getting really tired of plain sandwiches and lean cuisines.

Wed. Jan 4, 1:33pm

I usually make extra at dinner and then pack it for the next day. Chicken or fish, brown rice, baked potato, or sweet potato, and a veggie. A slice of veggie pizza is always good too. You could make a personal size at lunch and have half one day and half the next. Soups/stews/chilis are also good and you can prepare a bunch a head of time.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006, 1:49 PM

Aimee's has some really awesome frozen lunches. They're usually in the organic foods section.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006, 1:59 PM

A can of soup (with the pull-tab top) and a bowl are good; just open, pour, and microwave. Watch the sodium content though!

I really like tuna salad or chicken salad - however you like it (I like a can of chicken or tuna, with a little light mayo and about half a can of chick peas, rinsed) and a few wasa crackers or other high-fiber crackers.

Apples and individual packs of cottage cheese or yogurt are good add-ins for a not-quite-complete lunch.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006, 2:48 PM

I eat a lot of soups at work. They're easy, and I can store them at my desk.
Also, I find it's really easy to cook an extra chicken breast the night before and add some frozen veggies (broccoli or cauliflower ususally) into 1 tupperware dish.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006, 3:36 PM

La torilla factory makes a great Whole Wheat, high fiber wrap, calorically equivalent to 1 slice of bread (80 cals).

I fill it with
2 oz deli turkey
spinach
diced tomatoe
chopped carrot
chopped cucumber
chopped zuchinni
chopped red pepper
FF greek dressing
(btw I have one of those food choppers and I do all my chopping one day and store the rest in ziploc bags. The tomatoes are the only thing I cut up with a knife)

fold it like a burrito and wrap it tightly in saran wrap and it holds up quit well. you could also add sprouts, chickpeas, tofu, peas, celery, fruit, etc.....

I pack a piece of fruit with it, and the high fiber in the wrap and the bit of protein makes it very filling and it stays with me all afternoon - I don't have a job where I can snack that much so I need lunch to last!

Wednesday, January 04, 2006, 5:52 PM

extra dinners

I also like to cook extra at dinner and bring it the next day, try throwing some extra frozen veggies on top.

-lentil soup over brown rice, stir in some fresh or frozen spinach
-make a big salad, keep the toppings (veggies, chicken, etc) in a separate baggy, toss it all together with a little dressing.
-if you eat cereal, oatmeal or yogurt for bkfst, try a veggie omelet at lunch (or vice versa
-get a chicken burrito on the way home from work and put in the fridge, at work the next day, dump burrito contents on salad greens, voila!

Wednesday, January 04, 2006, 11:20 PM

chinese restaurants always have the best, healthy and cheapest soups. Almost every one I know has a tofu/vegetable soup that is a huge portion for under 3 dollars. I would highly recommend it.

Thursday, January 05, 2006, 8:29 AM

watch the msg though with chinese food--i have read some studies linking msg w/obesity --who knows but it's not healthy either way.

Thursday, January 05, 2006, 8:40 PM

You can ask for no MSG. many restaurants have a no msg option these days because of the backlash.

Thursday, January 05, 2006, 8:52 PM

A word of caution-- asking for no MSG and then dousing your food with Soy Sauce is a very bad thing. Soy Sauce (and soy-products) are loaded with a naturally occuring MSG... if you are sensitve, I'd advise you to stay away from it as a condiment.

Friday, January 06, 2006, 1:18 AM

I'd like to suggest salads with romaine lettuce or spinach, some cheese, and tofu, chicken, tuna, etc. You can fix it however you like it and with some protein, it can be a filling meal.

When making sandwiches, I suggest finding a whole wheat bread you really like and making a variety of sandwiches. Here are a few suggestions:
- peanut butter and banana
- hummus, peppers, lettuce, other veggies
- grilled chicken, tomatoes, mustard
- veggie burger, ketchup, lettuce, cheese
- veggie chicken patty, avocado, lettuce
- tuna salad sandwich
- egg salad sandwich

Good luck!

Friday, January 06, 2006, 8:54 AM

I don't douse tofu/vegetable soup with soy sauce. It is possible to eat healthy chinese food. It didn't used to be in the past, but now there are many options.

Friday, January 06, 2006, 8:56 AM

I sort of overloaded on this but it's good once or twice a week: baby spinach salad with a red pepper and baby carrots, and separate baggie of some dried cranberries, small amounts of pinenuts, walnuts, almonds, raisins and a piece of fake bacon crumbled up. A small piece of cheddar cheese as well, then just use balsamic vinegar (i keep a bottle of it at work). have it with a whole grain roll and it's a filling nutritious lunch

Friday, January 06, 2006, 9:49 AM

Love this sandwich:

1 can of tuna packed in water, drained
1 HUGE handful of broc slaw (shredded broccoli, red cabbage and carrots)
LF M Whip to taste
Toss together and serve with tomato slices on a whole wheat tortilla. Loads of veggies for crunch, just enough tuna for taste, tortilla for comfort.

This will make at least 2 servings.

Trish

Friday, January 06, 2006, 10:13 AM

I think people judge baked beans unfairly! ;-) They're delicious and make an incredible high-protein, low-fat lunch. Add a slice or two of low-fat bread and you have yourself a great little lunch. If you're working, the beans can easily be heated up in a lunchroom microwave.

Friday, January 06, 2006, 11:18 AM

Wnedy's-yes Wendys'!

I just ate a side salad and a small chili. I use the chili as dressing so I don't get the fatty dressings. On WW points, it is only 4 points!

Friday, January 06, 2006, 11:48 AM

Wendy's and Chick-fil-a

I like the Wendy's baked potatoe and put the chili on it, or get a salad w/ a side of nuggets.
at Chick-fil-a I order a kids meal and a side salad. this way I can be good and bad. usually I throw out half the fries and half the soda.
also, big fan of leftovers.

Friday, January 06, 2006, 1:07 PM

Here's a great black bean & corn salsa that I make from scratch--but it's so good that you can eat it as it's own entree, without the chips! :-) Lots of protein and fiber in the beans and minimal to no fat.

Note that these amounts are approximate--i tend to adjust the seasonings as I cook (and I rarely measure.)

1 can of black beans
3 ears of roasted corn cut off of the cob - About 2 cups

Note: It's important NOT to use canned corn.

Fresh is best--soak in water, then roast on a BBQ until the husks blacken and the kernals caramelize-- adds a nice sweet flavor. If fresh corn is out of season, Trader Joe's has a really good frozen roasted corn.

If you can't (or don't have time) roast it, you can cut the kernals off of the cobs (or use frozen corn), then saute it with the Shallots in a SMALL amount (1 tbs) of olive oil until the corn gets a caramelized brown color.)
1 can of La Preferida Tomatoes & Jalapenos (my hubby very sensitive to onions, so this one of the few canned "salsa"-type products he can use.
2-3 shallots (depending on how strong they are) - peeled and finely minced

FRESH Cilantro about 3 TBS (more or less to taste) - Do NOT use dried--the tast is not the same!
Juice of 1 lime (freshly squeezed)
ground Cumin powder about 1/4 - 1/2 TSP (more or less to taste)
Chili powder about 1/4 - 1/2 TSP (more or less to taste)
Salt (to taste)
fresh ground Pepper (to taste)
Garlic Powder about 1/4 TSP (more or less to taste)

1) Sautee the shallots (and the corn, if not roasted) in a frying pan over medium heat with about 1 TBS of olive oil. Sautee until the shallots and corn get a nice caramel color to them. Be careful not to BURN the shallots or they will get bitter.

2) once they are sauteed, take them out of the pan and let them cool.

3) In a big bowl, mix together the black Beans, Corn, shallots, and tomatoes/jalapenos.

4) Add the lime juice and cilantro and mix thoroughly with the other ingredients.

5) Add the cumin, chili, garlic powder and ground black pepper to taste.

6) At the very end, add salt... :-) Or, if you are eating this as a salad or main dish, salt just before eating. :-)

Yummy!

Guacamole
I know that guacamole has a lot of fat, but you can also prepare it using the same combination of spices above. (However, don't saute the shallots). Mix the spices with 2 ripe avocados (substitute the avocados for the tomatoes, beans and corn--you can add a chopped fresh tomato and 1 TBS of plain non-fat yogurt (optional) to make it creamier...

*****************************************
For a great tasting Sandwich:

There are some low-carb/low-fat Wraps available that taste pretty good. (sorry, I don't know the names.)

Grill up some chicken (no skin), (sprinkle some of the above spices on it for seasoning--If you decide to marinate the chicken, use the spices above (mixed with the juice of 2 limes and a tablespoon of olive oil (optional))

Grill it on a barbecue or George Foreman grill, so that the fat drains away...

You can also grill using pork, fish (a firm one such as salmon or tuna, etc.), shrimp or veggies (Peppers, carrots, egglplant, zuchinni, yellow squash, and portabella mushrooms are good choices)

Put in a low-fat/low-carb tortilla,
Top with the following:
black bean & corn salsa
a small dollop of low or non-fat plain fat yogurt (drain the whey, so that it will have the consistency of a sour cream.)
you can also add tomato slices, shredded lettuce, red peppers, or other veggies to your taste...

Friday, January 06, 2006, 2:10 PM

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