I have a really hard time coming up with healthy lunches. I don't eat much meat aside from chicken, and I save that for dinner. So, I need meat-less lunches that don't take too much time to make. I do flat out wrap pizzas often, but I don't have a lot of ideas beyond that. I need to start doing some wraps with turkey breast and veggies. I do salads also, But what ELSE is there? I need to find some yummy, filling lunches. I am hungry, but just can't decide what to eat. Ack!
Need a little more info - are you at home for lunch? Are you at work? Is there a frig, microwave, oven?
My favorite lunches:
Veggie tacos - 2 whole wheat tortillas (La Tortilla Factory, 50 calories each), 2 veggie burgers, tons of spinach leaves, pico de gallo, a little low fat cheese. I nuke the burgers for 2 minutes, then dice. I put the tortillas on a plate, divide the burger bits evenly, top with the cheese, nuke for 1.5 minutes. Then, I add spinach, pico, salsa - delish!
Salmon salad - you said you don't eat much meat, but canned wild caught salmon has a TON of health benefits! I mix one can with a dollop of low fat mayo, chopped dill pickles and onions. I cut a whole wheat pita in half and warm it up, then scoop in salad, add sliced heirloom tomatoes and spinach leaves. 1 whole pita or 1/2 pita and a bowl of tomato soup!
Salad - my favorite salad is spinach leaves, grilled chicken, grape tomatoes, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/4 cup nuts, red onions and fat free balsalmic vinaigrette
I love to roast a huge pan of vegetables, they are so versatile. I usually dice up sweet potatoes, green beans (or chickpeas), carrots, onions, garlic, tomato, zucchini, pepper, 1 tbs olive oil (spray the pan with PAM) and roast for about an hour at 400 (stirring a few times). I can serve it over whole wheat couscous with a little spicy stir fry sauce, toss it with whole wheat pasta and a little pesto, put it into wraps with salsa, use it as quesadilla filling or omelet filling. I can make a huge pan (enough for 4 days) and eat it differently every day.
When I am in school I eat normally the same thing every day for lunch:
1. Chicken Salad Sandwich and veggies (sometimes a piece of string cheese or yorgut.
2. Chicken or ham luncheon meat (90something fat free) sandwich with cheese, cucumbers, lettuce, and mustard, veggies or light potato chips.
3. Salad with corn, blackbeans and maybe chicken, with salsa as a dressing.
If you aren't eating meat at lunch you might want to look into other sources or protein to help you stay full. Some suggestions are fake lunch meat (soy based), beans in your salad like chickpeas or blackbeans, or dairy such as a bowl of cereal with skim milk, cheese or yorgut.
I'm at home, but I work from home and have a high-energy toddler- so I need fast ideas, haha.
I have looked everywhere, but can't find La Tortilla Factory tortillas here, so I usually use flat out wraps (10 g of carbs). I am not a fan of veggie burgers, unfortunately. And I am not really a fan of salmon.. and I don't like beans.. haha. I guess I'm picky! I love your other ideas though!! I will definitely try roasting veggies. Do you season them or use any kind of spray/oil?
Last edited by MAMA2CHUNKEYMONKEY; 05-23-2007 at 01:58 PM.
I eat salads with fish or chicken most days, but several days a week I wind up making a zucchini and mushroom frittata. It's delicious and really filling--probably my favourite lunch. If I've just come from the gym, I'll have a piece of whole wheat toast as well.
I make it with one small zucchini, some minced onion and 3 mushrooms, all of which I saute with a teensy bit of cooking spray beforehand. Then I use 1 whole egg and 1/2 cup of egg whites along with 1/2 ounce of cheddar. That comes in at 215 for me, and it's really yummy!
Frittatas are a really nice lunch idea if you're at home. You can add whatever veggies you like and you get a filling, tasty, protein-alicious lunch.
(I also like a "greek" frittata, with spinach, feta, diced tomatoes and a few kalamata olives. It's a bit higher in calories, because of the olives (15 cal each!), but still very reasonable and very tasty.)
Lentil soup is what keeps me going all afternoon. If I have the time I'll make a big pot of it and freeze it for the week, but if I don't then I have Progresso's.
Beans, lentils, and rice....those are my lunch staples.
I'm at home, but I work from home and have a high-energy toddler- so I need fast ideas, haha.
I have looked everywhere, but can't find La Tortilla Factory tortillas here, so I usually use flat out wraps (10 g of carbs). I am not a fan of veggie burgers, unfortunately. And I am not really a fan of salmon.. and I don't like beans.. haha. I guess I'm picky! I love your other ideas though!! I will definitely try roasting veggies. Do you season them or use any kind of spray/oil?
You can order La Tortilla factory tortillas online, if you want:
For the veggies, I normally just roast with a little olive oil, onion and garlic and then season them differently based on how I'm using them. Salsa with quesadillas, stir fry sauce over brown rice/couscous, pesto with whole wheat pasta, etc etc.
If you don't like veggie tacos with veggie burgers, Morning Star farms makes some other interesting products, I love their "steak" and "chicken" meal starters. The steak strips are delicious for fajita style soft tacos.
Another thing I like is the breaded "chicken" patty on a whole wheat hambuger bun with lettuce, tomato and a side of sweet potato french fries.
I definitely agree with the soup recommendation. I love making a big pot of tomato, spinach, zucchini, leek, chickpea soup. It is delicious, low cal and filling.
Any veggie would work, really. Diced red and green peppers would be nice and colorful. I leave the skin on the zucchini and grate it coarsely with my cheese grater. You could do zucchini and peppers, zucchini and garlic, zucchini and low-fat turkey breakfast sausage. Asparagus. Tomatoes. Olives. Whatever you like. The trick is to cram the thing so full of veggies that you wind up completely stuffed. The world is your oyster
If you haven't made frittata before, the basic method is to 1. saute your veggies; 2. mix your eggs and whites together and then stir in cheese, salt, pepper and finally the veggies, once they've cooled a bit. 3. Heat a small frypan over a med-low heat and spray with cooking spray. 4. Pour in the egg mixture and leave it over the low heat until the middle is almost set. It takes about 10 minutes and you want to do it slowly so that you don't burn the bottom. (I usually take this time to jump in the shower to wash away the gym sweat )Then you stick the pan under the broiler for a few minutes until it becomes browned and puffy. Tada. Delicious lunch. I think you can also do the whole thing in the oven, but I always do the stove top/broiler combo.
The nice thing about frittatae is that they can be eaten at room temperature, sorta like a crustless quiche, if you like. This means that you could make it ahead of time and then eat it when you're ready. My preference is for straight from the broiler though. With tapatio hot sauce.
Mmmmm. I think I know what I'm having for lunch today
I cook four portions of whatever I cook for dinner. The next day, my partner and I both have an on-plan lunch that can be quickly reheated in the microwave whenever we want. It also helps to balance my days better so I don't eat like a bird all day and then overeat at dinner time.
Im actually really digging the frittata suggestions, I have 6 eggs in the frig, sounds like what I'm having for dinner on the weekends! Mine will be: a little low fat feta, mushrooms, a few kalamata olives, sun dried tomato, and spinach!
What about good old fashioned peanut butter? or
Hummus with a pita
egg salad
tunafish salad
But my pick of the week would have to be: (drum roll please)
Tbl avocado mixed/smushed with tbl of sour cream, shredded turkey breast, lettuce, onion, tomato (all mixed together) in half a whole wheat pita with some soy chips on the side for crunch. Double yum, i had this twice this week so far.
I love peanut butter, and have found that simply jif tastes like the real thing- but it's still 190 calories for 2 tbsp, which seems like a lot.. especially if it's also on bread. I can't get into the taste of 'natural' peanut butter. Your wrap sounds yummy though! I may do wraps for the rest of this week, those are always a winner.
Get some canned tuna in water, and add in some chopped onions, tomatoes, pepper, and a hint of lemon juice. Then I would eat it with some ww crackers, or use low fat cheese and ww bread to make a tuna melt. Filled me up every time.
Egg white ommelettes are also a great for lunch. Add in a good carb and you´re set to go. I don´t use cheese for my ommelettes, but if you do, keep it to one portion and fat free or reduced calorie.
Lunch is so hard!
