[georgiad]

Hey everyone!

I was just wondering if anyone could give me any good ideas for lunch, as it's the meal I'm really struggling with at the moment. I'm not a fan of sandwiches and I never feel that soup fills me up enough, but at the moment I'm getting increasingly tempted to have fast food for lunch, but would really like a couple of healthy suggestions which will satisfy me for a good number of hours but which are fairly calorie-reduced.

I'm a student so I don't need something I need to take to work, I can make things in the kitchen. However, I'm not a masterchef and would appreciate things that are very simple recipes and which don't require hard-to-find ingredients.

Thanks! xxx

[HotWings]

Here is what I do for lunches. It may not be for everyone, but I love the convenience and not having to cook something up all the time when my mind is elsewhere during the day.

I cook up a pot of whole grain brown rice (i use chicken broth instead of water for a better flavor). I keep the whole thing in a storage container in the fridge and toss a plastic one cup measure in with it.

I also bake chicken breasts in the oven - a whole cookie sheet full at a time. I buy the frozen ones in a bag. Defrost them in the microwave and cut them in half to make 3-4 oz. portions. I line my cookie sheet with foil, and sprinkle it with spices (I like the Red Robin restaurant spice which you can buy at the restaurant, I also like lemon pepper spice, Misty's BBQ seasoning, pretty much whatever you like!). Then I lay the chicken pieces on and spice the tops as well. I usually make 2-3 differently spiced kinds at a time. I bake mine in the oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes or so - whenever the juices run clear. When these are cool I toss them in a ziploc and keep them in the fridge.

So for lunches I can do:
*Lettuce salad topped with chicken & whatever other veggies I have around
*Put a teensy bit of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and stir fry a cup of rice with some of the chicken cut into strips
*Heat a serving of the rice as a side to some of the chicken or other lean meat
*Make chicken salad with chopped cucumbers & light Miracle Whip (if I am feeling daring (lol) I cut up seedless red grapes in it too - it is delish!).. and put on a piece of whole grain bread
*Toss some EVOO in the pan and stir fry some fresh veggies a bit, then add a cup of brown rice for another nice stir fry

... you get the idea. Chicken isn't the only thing I eat - but it is most of what I eat because it is such a lean protein. Brown rice fills me up for quite some time - especially combined with a lean protein.

I have other lunches I make as well, but I think this is my best tip because it is fast, convenient (after just a bit of initial prep) and tasty! Having those two things in the fridge has saved me many times from just grabbing whatever is around.

BTW.. 1 cup of prepared brown rice is about 200 calories. Each ounce of boneless, skinless chicken breast is about 30 calories.

Hope that might help you some!

[Essa415]

My no fail quick lunch is A giant bowl of greens topped with Lots of lean protein (Chicken, Turkey, Tuna, beans etc) and then add as many veggies as you want (I like carrots and muchrooms). I usually drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil and balsalmic vinegar just to give it a little kick. The combinations are endless. I usually just buy a big tub of baby greens at the beginning of the week and it last at least a week if not more. ENJOY!!

[ThickAZChick]

I always have leftovers from dinner along w/ a huge salad. There are so many great toppings for a salad that arent high in fat...I like to slice pickled okra, cranberries, fat free feta cheese (isnt as good as reg. but the taste hits the spot) along w/ chicken (I make several types of chicken and store in my fridge for the week: Garlic Lime Chicken, Corn Flake Chicken, Bourbn Glazed CHicken, all recipes found here on this site).

I used to be the SAME way about soup...I learned from my 9yr old how to enjoy it and eat it slow...it fills me up vs. my old way of slamming the soup! Get a soup with beans (a low fat back bean or a minestrone soup) which has protein and fiber to help keep you fuller longer. Also, I drink 16oz of water w/ a flavor packet of whatever sugar free drink in my bag at the moment...water does help.