Im struggling with what to eat for lunch!! please help!

Some sort of simply cooked chicken breast (no skin) over lettuce is always a safe bet. As long as the dressing is thoughtful.


Sometimes I like to make myself a little sampler box - a few olives, a little bit of cheese, some cut up veggies, etc.

What way of eating do you follow?

At the moment, I am keeping an orange and Kashi bar in my purse. I eat that around 'brunch' time and then lunch isn't so big of a deal.

Don't get me wrong, I still eat lunch, but it's not as hard to be satisfied with whatever I chose to eat.

It's cold weather, so I'm eating a lot of soup at the moment. A huge can of the chicken pot pie soup (yes, I love it) is only about 200 calories, and after my earlier snack it fills me up nicely.

For the time being it's working for me. Of course, I'll change up when that starts getting boring . .

Great idea's, a grilled chicken salad sounds good and healthy ....

When I'm on a class break, I would normally go to subway and get a turkey and cheese sandwich (a lot of fast food restaurants by my college) but I want to eliminate bread from my diet!

I like to pack a huge salad (yes, huge) with romaine lettuce (crunchy!) and spinach, arugula or other dark leafy green. Add as many different colors of veggies that I have, in different textures (grated carrot, sliced rep pepper, leftover cooked broccoli, etc...). Add a can of tuna or some chicken and/or beans and/ or some nuts for protein, homemade dressing with good olive oil and good seasonings... that's a lot of filling food with nutrients, protein and healthy fats and not a lot of calories (since it's mostly veggies!) I feel like I have really eaten and not just snacked. (I make my own dressings and pack them separately, so the salad gets dressed at the last minute and doesn't get soggy)

If I want something hot, the same idea goes with veggie soup. I can have a big bowl (or two smaller bowls, because sometimes I like having "seconds" of soup that is low calorie and veggie-based, and as long as i have some protein/ beans in there, I'm satisfied and I know I got a lot of nutrients in there!

(you can always add some whole grains, too, if they help you feel more full and you are aware of the calories)

All of Subway's sandwiches can be made as a salad NO bread. I would take your own dressing or have them put vinegar on. Just an idea. I like the tuna, most places use a low fat mayo. Also the turkey, roast beef, roasted chicken all can be a salad. Get all the veggies, our Subway had cucumber, avacado, spinach, along with the regular stuff.

There are also low carb tortillas that you can make into wraps, easy to take along.

Good Luck

Today, I had some left over chic breast, chopped up, added a can of tomatoes with diced chilis and a packet of taco seasoning, some fresh onion and various bell peppers, added some lettuce, fresh spinach, a bit of cheese and salsa. Yummy!

Tomorrow is cabbage and lean hamburger, onion, and pepper prepared like you were gonna make cabbage burgers, wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla! Yeah, I'm strange!

I make a big stir fry with veggies, legumes, tofu and sometimes eggs for dinner and eat half and pack the other half for lunch. Go crazy with mixing up spices and herbs and making your own sauces. I don't feel like I've eaten a "real" meal unless it's heated up/hot so I opt for options that microwave well.

I usually have salad for lunch with “Spring Mix”, tomato, cucumber and 2 tbsp of salad dressing (about 200 cal). I am lucky as O love salads and don’t get tired of eating them every day.

When I don’t have much time in the morning to make salad, I just grab 2 boiled eggs (always have them in the fridge for quick fix) and couple of cucumbers and tomato.

Sandwiches can be healthy/low cal if done properly.

I get 40cal/slice wheat bread, fat free turkey slices, use flavorful mustards, and pile on the veggies. I've never liked cheese on sandwiches for some reason. My sandwiches are big and yummy and only about 180 cal. So a sandwich and a big salad can be done in 300 cal or less.

I've had a thing for miso soup lately. I know it sounds weird, but miso soup with eggplant and tofu is my current thing. For some reason the texture is really satisfying to me. My husband things the eggplant is slimy and mushy, I think it's delicous. And it's easy to make. Water, 2 tbsp miso (about 40 cal), as much eggplant and tofu as you want, whatever other veggies...I add carrots and onions sometimes, any additional seasonings, and simmer until it's all soft and cooked.

Leftovers from a healthy dinner...I just cook for my husband and I, but most recipes make more food than for just two people. So instead of cutting back recipes, I save the leftovers for lunch the next day.

The trusty old standby of a grilled/baked/stir fried chicken breast with veggies in whatever form.

I like breakfast foods more for lunch and dinner than I actually like them for breakfast. Scrambled eggs (egg whites are remarkably low cal) with veggies and maybe some cheese and a piece of toast. Oatmeal with yogurt and berries mixed in, etc.

I've never found the motivation to actually do this, but I know a lot of people take one day a week or every few weeks and make huge batches of healthy food, separate it into measured portions, freeze it, and heat it up as they want to eat it. Essentially making your own Lean Cuisines. I love the idea, but like I said, I have never gotten myself to do it.

Just a few ideas...

Do you cook? I always cook in big batches so that I can bring my lunch with me to work the next day. We have a cafeteria at work, but all they provide is soups (not even made there, some of them seem to be reheated Campbell's soups with that canned taste and a ton of sodium ....) and sandwiches, mostly on white buns. Even though there is usually a chicken breast on one of those sandwiches, it typically comes on a white bun or with mayo and other stuff so buy it only exceptionally (if I have nothing and the weather is miserable to leave the office). Most of the days I have my own lunch. Today: mousaka - with lots of grilled eggplant and zucchini in it, ground beef mixed with ground turkey, lots of tomatoes, and mashed tomatoes consisting of 50/50 Yukon Gold and sweet potatoes. Only very little butter was used for the mashed potatoes, otherwise milk. No cheese on top. Oh, I also incorporated a can of chickpeas - they typically don't go into a mousaka but I try to increase my consumption of legumes and I also like to cook as my fancy strikes me.

I had a hodge podge today: a cabbage roll stuffed with turkey, a piece of cheese, a yogurt and a banana.

Usually it's chicken stirfry over rice that I bring from home.

I need a quick fast lunch because I have a baby and often don't get more than 2 seconds to wolf it down.

Sandwich
2 slices sesame ezekial bread (80 cal each)
4 slices natural selects turkey breast
30g light cheese
28g avocado/guacamole
mustard
lettuce
+ any other veggies wanted

+
150g non fat no sugar plain yogurt
10 almonds
35g frozen fruit from a bag
some stevia

= very healthy lunch with plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, and proteins. It takes 5 minutes to prepare. It's also good to bring to work if you want (I make it for my husband too, except his sandwich is in a wrap instead of bread slice)

If you don't want bread in your diet, google "Paleo lunch ideas", a no-grain diet.

Lately I have been on an egg kick. I have found that nothing keeps me full longer than the protein from eggs. I am an at-home-mom/student so I usually have time to cook at home. My standard lunch is an egg sandwich made with one whole egg plus one white and a light cheese slice on a Weight Watchers wheat english muffin. I have a salad, soup or apple slices on the side. It usually keeps me full until dinner for less than 400 calories