I mixed the soup, poured it into a 2 c Pyrex cup with the purée, heated it all together in the microwave, then poured into my thermos for lunch. I probly wouldn't have ever liked the soups alone. Purées make them yummy.

And I have back-up packets in my desk drawer, in my car, in my husband's car, in my purse, and an extra in my lunch bag. I understand that fear of hunger and had one time that I didn't have anything with me and got that low blood sugar feeling. I'm prepared now & that won't happen again.

Thanks for the info on the puree. I have been searching IP forums to see if adding a veggie puree to an IP soup packet is just as simple as it seems.

I do a bar and coffee for breakfast.

I make the IP rotini at night and sauté 1 c veggies (mushrooms, zucchini) in evoo and garlic. I put it in a Tupperware and stick it in the frig for the next day. I also cut up 1 c of cucumbers to snack on in between lunch and dinner.

I usually drink a rtd at night after dinner.

I am a teacher, too, so I need the routine and this works for me.

So sorry to hear that. Do what you can and know that you're taking care of yourself by getting back OP.

Good luck!

Go cup salad. Mix oil and vinegar in a mason jar. Add 2 cups of your veggies like cucumber, bell peppers, mushrooms, whatever. Fill jar to the top with lettuce. When it's time to eat, shake it all up. The dressing is at the bottom, so your lettuce doesn't get all shriveled up before it's time to eat. You can mix up a week's worth of these and they will keep in the refrigerator. Makes it really easy to just grab and go. Goes great with a RTD shake. Keep extra packets handy, just in case. School is infamous for fundraising temptations... such as World's Finest Chocolate!

Doesn't get much simpler once you have made the puree - just mix up the soup packet as per the directions, then add your puree and heat it up a little in the microwave. It thickes the soups up well AND you get your veggies in!

Nice to see how you all prep your lunches. I got a few good tips from reading these. I too, keep a space in my desk drawer and a separate space in the lunch room to store packs of puddings ( which I use for shakes by adding more water. I want the collagen ) . I store sea salt , garlic flavored olive oil for salad, dried garlic in one of the plastic grinders it comes in, and Chai tea bags from Stash Tea. I also keep some persian cucumbers and a couple heads of romaine lettuce in the fridge in crisper drawer. Nomally, I pack my lunch the night before, which is a head of romaine lettuce and a pack of WF dressing, veggies that I cooked the night before at dinner, and a pudding pack to make a shake. I drink a vanilla pudding pack with hot, hot hot water and instant coffee in it for breakfast on my way to work. It's my Starbucks replacement. no cream or milk , which was my biggest barrier on starting the program. The vanilla pudding is creamy and it's easy to just add hot water and the instant coffee. Then another pudding drink for lunch, with the veggies I brought from the night before, and a head of lettuce with diced up dill pickles in it for flavoring. I've been eating a teeny bit less than two cups of veggies so I put WF dressing and pickles on my lettuce. I also have been using Tamari sauce, an allowed seasoning, on my salad just to get a change and real strong flavor. I just bring a bag of lettuce with a couple heads in it.
I've been eating mostly zuccini and broccoli for veggies, and cauliflower. Recently, I realized that even half a rutabega, or turnip, ( allowed but slightly higher carbs than green veggies ), almost taste like potatoes if I put salt and pepper on them. Cauliflower does this for me as well.

I also have an extra pack of pudding in my purse, in case I have to go somewhere on my way home from work and am starving. I don't like to do that, because I save that last pudding pack for my after dinner-before bed sweet "snack". but I have been glad a couple times that I had a pack with me, it kept me from craving other things. oh. I also started drinking my water with half a lemon squeezed in it, and I've been drinking my hot chai tea with half a lemon squeezed and several drops of nu-stevia.
I've not been real hungry on this diet, which is great. My weakness was sweets and baked goods, AT NIGHT. So the pudding shake at night helps a lot, and for some reason, the hot chai tea with lemon helps a lot.

I hope this helps. I got a lot of my tips from earlier threads and some in archives.

I'm just ending my second week and have lost 13 pounds, with one more day to go. wooo whooo!

Ooooh --- someone should repost the pic of Rainbow's (I think??) travel bag that had all the fancy pockets, containers etc. By "someone" I don't mean me -- can't remember when I saw it but it was pretty cool.

Sounds like you have a great plan in place!

One thing I love to do is wash/scrub a turnip, pierce with a fork, steam in microwave until soft, cut open, spray with "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" and sprinkle on sea salt and pepper = faux baked potato!!!

PS. If I'm feeling fancy I top it with a teaspoon of WF Blue Cheese dressing!

I am a teacher and a mother of two small children. I must prepare everything on the weekend the portion it into serving sizes. I was doing veggie purees with an IP soup (got burned out on just soup eventhough the flavors were different), but this week I'm switching to veggie stir-fry with veggie omlet. Next week I might do both, so I don't get burned out.

I like to pack a veggie stir fry with an IP potato pancake for lunch, but sometimes I like to take a pile of broccoli and drink a chocolate shake with coffee mixed in. I also add veggies to my soups sometimes. My favorite veggie is fresh jalapeños stir fried, yum!

OMG! Veggie stir fry with IP potato/zucchini muffins have become my new go-to! I dropped all the soups and most of the restricteds when I dropped soy. I'll have to try adding some jalapenos in my stir fry. I think just a few chops, tho.
I also do veggies with IP FHC omelet. Now, Jalapenos would really compliment THAT!