I pack lunch for 2 everyday.
My everyday staples are grapes, baby carrots, yogurt, and sometimes sugar snap peas and cucumbers (I snack throughout the day).

I aim for one soup day, one tuna-fish and crackers day (might be an issue for you), two sandwich days (one w/ meat, one all veggie), and one whatever-diet-meal-is-in-the-freezer day.

Have you tried vegetable sandwiches? Whole wheat bread, cucumber, tomato, lettuce (or whatever you can eat), plus one slice of cheese and a little dressing as a spread.

I personally enjoy bringing in low calorie TV dinners, spaghetti squash. You could bring in some assorted dried fruits, or you could make mini sandwiches using melba toast. I also recently learned about diet "pancakes" and brought them in for lunch, it's 1/4 cup of oatmeal, one whole egg, two egg whites beaten together and then cooked in a fry pan with pam or a similar cooking spray. They're really good topped with yogurt and fruit.

Hi, I take lunch from home everyday and most days its some kind of salad. What I do is on a sunday wand wed/thurs evening a chop up loads of salady stuff ( letttuce, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, tomatoes, beetroot) and put it into separate boxes or ziplocs then each day i pull out a different combo. If we have fresh herbs I add a bit it too, then add my protein which is usually chicken or turkey or cottage cheese then I add some seads, for a bit of crunch (maybe you could add nuts, i dont coz im allergic). Then I make a little salad dressing usually some kind of lemon/olive oil and herb combo.

Its not the most exciting but I got to the point that i really enjoy it!

Hope that helps!

I usually pack a lunch too. We have a fridge, and microwave though I have never used the microwave.
Lunches I like:
Salads-I like spinach, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, turkey and sometimes an egg
Sandwiches-can be turkey, or tuna salad...and I can add spinach or tomatoe ect but if I bring a sandwich I usually bring celery or some crunchy veggie as a side

Snacks-I snack alot more than I eat entire meals...
Nuts, almonds, baby carrots & stick of string cheese, yogurt, granola bars, turkey or beef jerky...I just kind of mix a carb with a little protein

Oh I know another idea for a snack is something like laughing cow cheese and some whole wheat crackers...maybe add some type of tuna salad for dip even to add in the protein so you feel fuller longer
See I am good at thinking up snacks, but not meals!

Sunbutter (sunflower seed spread similar to peanutbutter) and Honey sandwich. I use the honey to stretch the sunbutter, so I feel like I got a lot, with lower cals.

Avocado and Tomato sandwich.

Chicken breast left over from the night before.

Any left over from the night before that I packed into single serving sizes.

This thread has alot of good ideas too. http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/calo...ner-ideas.html

Here’s a great pick-me-up for afternoons. I eat this before cardio, but I also use it as a snack when I feel like I need to energize.

PB Nana Oats
Quaker Oats (Old Fashioned, not the quick), ½ cup cooked (you can do it at home, then reheat)
½ tsp Banana Extract (I use Watkins for optimal flavor) You could use ½ real banana if cals allowed it
1 TBS PB or Sunbutter
¼ cup US Almond Milk
Combine ingredients and enjoy

Cottage Cheese w/sf Polaner Allfruit + Fiber
Ricotta Cremes: All flavors ( I think you can find this recipe on the SBD forum) If not and you want one, IM me and I’ll give you one.
Veggies and Hummus (or I've seen people use pita chips)

I also take leftover beans (Siler’s Mixed beans, black beans, pintos, anything really), top with 2 TBS Parmesan cheese.
I pair this with Grilled Chicken Strips (Kroger brand, frozen, microwave and eat)

I am also big on freeze-ahead foods, like SBD Lazy Cabbage Roll. I make a huge pot and freeze by the 2 cupfulls per container. Very quick and super yummi!!

What do you have for dinner? Why not have that food for lunch and just get a better lunchbox?

Ms or Mr Bento or the Lock & Lock ones are the style we like. Both are at amazon.com.

HTH!
A.

The oatmeal recipe sounds really tasty, but I never know what to do with 1/2 fruits afterwards. I never end up eating them if it's a piece of fruit that's been cut in half for some reason, do you just premake another portion and throw it in the fridge?

yeah Ive tried veggie sandwiches.. they dont seem to hold me over.. maybe its psychological, or maybe I should just load on the veggies.. lol.. I just hate when sandwiches are dry & Im not big on mayo, actually I hate mayonnaise ..lol Maybe I could try some miracle whip.. the pancakes sound good, Im gonna try that..

woww that oatmeal recipe sounds good! im gonna try that as well.. I do like hummus, but it doesnt really fill me up like a meal.. thats more of a snack to me, with some pita chips, etc..

these are all good ideas ladies, im getting some ideas myself just from reading this thread, keep them coming!

Hi Ya PHAT! Haven't seen you in a while I pack my lunch almost every day. You didn't mention if you have access to a microwave and fridge? I bring leftovers from the previous nights dinner mostly, but if you like sammies, don't give up on them. There are lunch meats out there that are nitrate free and lower in sodium.

I love wraps. I spread flat bread or wrap with a wedge of laughing cow cheese and then layer lunch meat/veggies (spinach with swiss and turkey is really good) and squeeze on some spicy mustard. YUM

I pack my lunch every day and am not big on sandwiches (just a personal preference) so here are my staples:

Fajitas:
(cooked the night before)
green and red peppers, onions, mushrooms
3 oz of grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp
la tort factor low carb/high fiber SMALL tortilla
newmans own black bean salsa with 1 tblsp chobani nonfat plain greek yogurt

This is filling and less than 300 calories and full of protein....yum yum yum! I season with Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning (anything Mrs. Dash is great...NO sodium!)

Another favorite wrap idea:
Small lo carb/high fiber La Tortilla Factory SMALL wrap
Tribe 40 spices hummus (1 tblsp)
3 oz grilled chicken
1 cup steamed broccoli

I aim for six small meals a day, these lunches are perfect for the plan I'm working.

Best wishes finding what's right for you!

I freeze the other 1/2 to use in a smoothie. You could also use the frozen 1/2 in this recipe for another day.

I love a lot of these ideas.

Personally I like sandwiches. I do low calorie bread and flat breads that are high in fiber. I get a couple meats for the week. Turkey, ham, salami. I only allow myself salami once a week or so because of the fat.

A huge salad I really enjoy. With as much greens as I want! I've been adding some swiss chard to the mix. Next week I'll be trying some collard greens to see what they taste like raw. Cooked they're lovely, raw will be interesting!

Hummus I enjoy! You can make it yourself pretty easily. That helps control the fat content. And you can make it with different beans too! Sometimes I do black bean. Other times it's white beans or pinto beans. Or a mixture. Change it up a bit!

Find some fruits you like. Make a fruit salad and take some of that!