I make sandwiches with whole-wheat tortillas or whole-wheat pita bread, a bit of low-fat mayo, and a few slices of deli-thin turkey and ham. Hot or cold, they're good. I'll take a cheese stick, dill pickle slice, or a few baked Lay's potato chips to go with the sandwich, as those are all low-cal options.
Sometimes I'll make tuna or salmon salad out of one tbs low-fat mayo, one of those little cups of salmon or tuna, some diced green olives, and minced onion. I like this with All-Bran crackers.
In the winter, I like soup--lentil, split-pea, or bean soup. I also buy Healthy Choice, Kashi, and Lean Cuisine microwave meals during the winter.
Sometimes I'll take a whole-wheat tortilla, spread it with beans, sprinkle some cheese, and heat it up in the microwave. Add some salsa, and I can pretend I'm having an enchilada.
I always have a piece of fruit, always drink water or unsweetened iced tea.
And because I have a horrible sweet tooth, I'll take a couple graham crackers for the end of the meal.
I'm with you, though--I like salad, but half an hour later I'm starving, no matter what I do with the salad. They take forever to eat and just don't have enough bulk.
I eat all kinds of different things:
-cottage cheese with banana or peaches or pears
-open faced sandwiches with turkey and lite cheese
-wraps
-can of Healthy Request or some other low sodium soup
-scrambled egg whites with cheese and toast
-egg white cooked with brown rice onions, mushrooms and one t. of soy sauce (tastes like "fried" rice)
-HC frozen dinner or one of the lite varieties of frozen dinner
-tuna sandwich
- open face veggies burger with lite cheese
- natural peanut butter and honey on whole wheat bread.
Have fun with your new lunch ideas. I add veggies on the side usually to whatever I fix.
Thank you for all the ideas! Gonna try to shake things up this week just for something different.
I am another soup person. I live by myself, so I make a huge pot of soup on the weekends, put it in container and store in the freezer, then just grab one on my way out the door in the morning. There are so many options for soups, but my two favorites are a chicken vegetable soup, and white chili. With both, I can add as many veggies as I want, but both have a meat base (chicken) so they have a lot of protein. With the white chili, it has the beans also to add some much needed fiber.
I do leftovers some times also. I don't like keeping leftovers very long (mold intolerances), so I take them for my lunch to use them up. I am not a salad person. Due to food intolerances, I only have the option of a select few dressings and I'm not crazy about them. I would much rather have something with a little more substance for lunch or I'm starving by the time I get home from work.
Some of my favorite lunches are based on veggies.
A huge bowl of beet greens cooked with 40-calorie bacon, onions, and seasonings
A bowl of baby lima beans with onions and ham bits
Bowl of boiled fresh beets with a tsp of butter and vinegar
big plate of sauteed asparagus and leeks
plate of steamed butternut squash cubes with smokey cheddar melted on top
half a baked acorn squash with a spinkle of brown sugar
sauteed mushrooms, onions and zucchini topped with a squirt of pizza sauce and some melted 2% cheese on top
big plate of spaghetti squash topped with a bit of olive oil and parmesan cheese and garlic
Plate of steamed asparagus topped with a chopped boiled egg mixed with light mayo and mustard
You get the idea. When I eat those things, I have the most success.
I am not really fond of salads, either, except for this one:
huge bowl of baby spinach and sliced fresh mnushrooms, topped with grilled chicken cubes, a slice of crumbed bacon, and a dressing of cider vinegar/water/splenda. SOmetimes I add in a boiled egg.
bethz , 03-22-2008 07:53 PM
I pack my lunch each day. Try to bring a few things so I can eat as a meal or as a snack and a meal. Might include a diet soda a couple times a week. Also like herbal tea, and lots of water. Here are several examples. Bethz
Lunch one: ff or lf yogurt
a few grapenuts for crunch
apple or clementines
pretzels
Lunch two: turkey sandwich on rye w/ lettuce and tomato
banana
snack bag of baked lays
Lunch three: rice cakes with peanut butter
small container of canned fruit in own juices
carrot sticks
Lunch four: pb and sf preserves sandwich
pears
sliced green and red peppers w/ ff dressing
Lunch five: laughing cow cheese spread
Wasa bread
grapes
celery sticks
Lunch six: 24 tortilla chips with salsa
apple
Lunch seven: bean salad
applesauce
pita bread
Tonia , 03-22-2008 07:57 PM
I eat most of the same things:
- sandwiches (mostly turkey or veggie)
- wraps
- soups...lots and lots of soups
- leftovers
But my fav quick/easy lunch is cottage cheese mixed with some sort of fruit.
