Just wondering what you guys pack for lunches? I'm getting sick of everything I've been bringing to work for lunch during the week and am looking for some ideas... My lunchbox usually consists of the following:
-Lean Cuisine
-Fruit
-Silhouette Yogourt
-Diet Coke
-Handisnacks
-Light Popcorn (just incase I stay late, and am hungry late in the day)
A typical bag lunch for me looks something like this:
tuna salad (made with lowfat mayo)
crackers
fruit (usually an apple or banana)
non-fat yogurt
I also like to do apple slices with peanut butter. Sometimes I'll bring a spinach salad, but make sure you pack the dressing separately or the spinach will wilt. If I know I'm going to be staying late, I'll pack a baggie of baby carrots so I don't succumb to gas station candy on the way home. If I really want a change, I go to a local grocery that sells sushi and seaweed salad. That's only once in a while, though, because that's about an $8.00 lunch!
I usually cook something on Sundays to each for lunch for most of the week and then pack it into individual servings immediately. It makes it much easier to grab lunch on my way out the door in the morning.
Some of my staples are:
Whole wheat couscous cooked in half water, half fat free chicken broth for flavor. Mix in balsamic vinegar, skinless chopped cooked chicken breast, diced tomatoes, feta cheese, and chopped fresh basil.
Brown rice stir fried with broccoli, asparagus, bell peppers, chicken breast, sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce, minced garlic, and a dash of garlic chili sauce.
Whole wheat pasta tossed with diced tomato, cubed fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and fresh chopped herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, etc).
I also like to put together salads with spinach or mixed greens, grilled chicken, and different mixtures of fruit, nuts, and cheese with just a touch of vinaigrette dressings. Sliced green apple, blue cheese and walnuts go well together, as do feta, almonds and fresh berries. I measure the cheese, dressing, and nuts carefully to make sure I'm adding only as many calories as I have room for in my day.
some chicken or shrimp
veggies
1 to 1-1/2 oz cheese
some deli turkey and thin cheese rolled up
a small piece of fruit
wasa crackers
deviled egg
low fat cheese
and i buy a small salad with fresh veggies and chick peas. nothing made with mayo or oil and vinegar
1. a sandwich with 12 grain light bread, fat free turkey or ham, fat free cheese, tomatoes, onions etc. Some wow potato chips and some sugar free jello.
2. Salad with 1/2 chicken breast, tons of veggies and some sugar free jello
3. Lean cuisine (If I am in a hurry and can't prepare something)
4. Chicken breast and broccoli
5. Rolled up chicken breast, turkey or ham fat free lunch meat, a piece of fruit and some wow chips.
6. I do burger kings fire grilled chicken salads about 2 times per week.. sometimes even more if I am in the mood.
Broiled salmon w/mucho steamed zucchini and yellow squash
Tilapia flavored in some nice way w/lotsa of aspagus
Brown rice dish w/tuna and kidney beans
Garbanzo bean dish w/tuna, sauteed onions, and roasted garlic
I just make meals in batches -- so I never make dinner without making several lunches from the same batch.
Then standards for smaller meals (2 per workday - 1 mid-morning and 1 mid-afternoon) include:
Protein drink (varies, but usually EAS Precision Protein)
Non-fat cottage cheese
Low-carb, low-fat flavored yogurt
Non-fat plain yogurt
Blueberries, strawberries, or mixed berries
Apple
A dozen baby carrots
Pan-seared lean turkey breast or marinated chicken breast
Albacore tuna (love those aluminum fresh pack pouches!)
I never eat a carb without a protein to accompany it, so each mini meal is balanced.
And then, of course, lots and lots of water! I make sure that I've consumed at least 130 oz. before the end of my workday. Then there's more during and after dinner.
What's in your Lunchbox?
