[uhohitsamb]

I was wondering what every one does about meals at work? Maybe it's because I'm un-prepared but I have a hard time finding things I can bring with me to work short of snacks. Any suggestions? It's just really bad on days like today when I work an 11 hour shift and have to plan for 2 meals + snacks at work :/

[runningfromfat]

Originally Posted by uhohitsamb

I was wondering what every one does about meals at work? Maybe it's because I'm un-prepared but I have a hard time finding things I can bring with me to work short of snacks. Any suggestions? It's just really bad on days like today when I work an 11 hour shift and have to plan for 2 meals + snacks at work :/

I hear you! Getting to work for me takes over an hour long bus ride so I'm always scared the food is going to get bad too. Thankfully we have a salad bar available (but it's expensive) so that helps but I need to start planning stacks because they don't have any healthy snacks available.

[Munchy]

For lunch I almost always pack salads, wraps, or soup. I do two snacks, usually a fruit for one and carrots and hummus for the other. When I had full days out of the house from 8am-10pm, I would pack dinner too (whatever I'd normally eat for dinner - at that time it was usually two veggies and a protein). If you have access to a refrigerator, then you can just pack what you'd normally eat.
The only thing to get used to is packing up the previous night.

[chubbycanuck]

In winter I always take a food thermus sometimes of left overs the night before or a soup/ stew that I made on the weekend before work. I found that was the key with me, I had to prep lunches on the weekend for during the week.

In summer I take salads in a cooler bag so it stays nice and crisp (I don't dress it until just before I eat it). I also take pottles of yogurt and fruit to snack on.

[tuende]

I just make whatever I'd eat at home and throw it in containers. I always do it the night before so I don't have to think about it in the morning. My issue would always be having no food in the house! My go-to, I-desperately-need-to-grocery-shop lunch is cottage cheese, almonds and whatever fruit/veggies I can scrounge up. I usually have at least that in the house!

[uhohitsamb]

Thanks every one. It looks like I need to start planning my meals. I've been avoiding counting every single calorie and planning anything but my exercise as I have not had the greatest experiences in the past with an eating disorder.

The more control I put into a "diet" just drives me right into unhealthy eating habits. Or at least it has in the past! I will try it for a week with some support/help with my meal plans from my boyfriend!

[ade903]

I cook just for myself. When I'm done eating, I always have tons of leftovers. And I don't like eating the same thing every single day (unless I'm busy and don't have time to cook much). So I use plastic bags and separate it into single serving sizes. I usually leave one or two in the fridge (for that week) and then put the rest in the freezer. If I grab it that morning, it is usually thawed before lunch. I don't like breakfast, so I usually just grab 2 or 3 of my single serving packets and I'm good to go for the day (2 if I need breakfast and lunch, and 3 if I need dinner, too). It's simple, and doesn't require too much planning ahead. It works for me. And I keep a glass bowl in my drawer to heat up my meals (so I don't have to use plastic or throw away 2-3 plates a day). It works for me.

[bleujean]

I'm a big salad fan and usually either bring one or just bring ingredients. Do you have access to a kitchen at work? What about a fridge? I'm a big fan of prepping Sunday nights before work. I chop lettuce, spinach, kale, and toppings (carrots, raddishes, raw almonds, seeds, dried cranberries, sundried tomatoes, whatever!) and separate them into little baggies. When it's work time I can just toss a handful from each bag into a zip lock and be good to go. I usually throw dressing on too and just let it hang out for a few hours, it's a good way to make 1 tablespoon go a long way.

Favorite work meals and snacks:

1) Hardboiled egg and sliced veggies (carrots, celery, cucumber)

2) Canteloupe and prosciutto

3) Canteloupe or honeydew (I straight up bring an entire melon into the office, cut it in half, and eat it with a spoon. Co-workers think I'm insane).

4) Yogurt/Kefir Mess.
Generally Fage 0% with frozen blueberries. If you toss frozen blueberries into the yogurt container in the AM, by lunchtime they've melted and left a little bit of juice. I try to keep away from sugar but a drizzle of honey is good too. Kefir with some sort of fruit works too. You can also bring an apple, slice it up, and add yogurt or kefir. A few flax seeds and you have protein, fat, and fiber. Once made the mistake of pre-mixing psyllium husks, kefir, and frozen blueberries. Do NOT do this. The psyllium husks gel up and it was like kefir psyllium jell-o. That was a fasting day

5) Deli meat/cheese or deli meat/fruit

6) Back when I ate carbs (sigh) La Tortilla Factory tortillas made great wraps. They have like 12 grams of fiber, too.

7) If you're really stumped, Lara Bars. I hate them though because they don't fill me up and they're around 200 calories/10 grams of fat each and it feels like a waste of a calorie allotment. Some people love them and do well on them though, so more power.

8) Cottage cheese and _______. Works with everything!

My best tip and the one that worked well for me when I had a long commute, no kitchen, and a long shift, was to bring a bag with a few pieces of fruit and protein-y stuff. A large container of Fage and an apple and a pear could keep me busy for years.

9) Veggie burger (cooked at home so you can either heat it up or eat it plain), preferably Amy's Texas Burgers because they are AMAZING, on top of chopped broccoli with a generous dollop of sriracha or tabasco. I buy chopped frozen broccoli from HEB (Texas grocery chain) that's cheap and easy to dump into a container, or if I'm inspired I can stand around stir frying.

I hate planning meals too, so I try to keep cals reasonably low at work so that I can splurge, or not, when I come home. Good luck to you, it's a bummer to figure out meal plans but if you're not surrounded by food at work it can be great for your diet! I always lose big when I am in a place that does not have access to a kitchen !

[Moonsai]

I make a ton of food for dinner the night before, and then have some for breakfast and then for lunch.

I don't think I've had a real "breakfast" in ages.

[CorinneIrene]

I work in a residential setting, therefore we're supposed to eat what our clients eat.

I used to bring meals in when we weren't preparing a particularly healthy meal or one I didn't like, but was reprimanded because we're not supposed to bring our own food to work, because we're supposed to be modeling for our clients. Which, I think is ridiculous because I eat MUCH healthier than the suggested menu guidelines for our ladies and what I eat is much better modeling than the misguided nutritional crap we're supposed to feed them. *Some* things they eat are pretty healthy, but they still eat a lot of processed crap.

Anyways, off that rant- I usually would bring in yogurt, nuts, fruits/salad, sandwiches and soups. Occasionally I'd bring in a Kashi frozen meal.

[shellofself]

Anyone have advice for meals that don't need to be kept in the fridge or heated?

There's mold in the company fridge, and the microwave smells like something died in there. (I work in a newsroom. People here drink more than they eat..)

[Marms]

I'm a big fan of crockpots. I made shredded buffalo chicken in the crockpot on Sunday and then just use that in all my meals for the week. Sandwiches, salads, mini pizzas etc.

[uhohitsamb]

Originally Posted by CorinneIrene

I work in a residential setting, therefore we're supposed to eat what our clients eat.

I used to bring meals in when we weren't preparing a particularly healthy meal or one I didn't like, but was reprimanded because we're not supposed to bring our own food to work, because we're supposed to be modeling for our clients. Which, I think is ridiculous because I eat MUCH healthier than the suggested menu guidelines for our ladies and what I eat is much better modeling than the misguided nutritional crap we're supposed to feed them. *Some* things they eat are pretty healthy, but they still eat a lot of processed crap.

Anyways, off that rant- I usually would bring in yogurt, nuts, fruits/salad, sandwiches and soups. Occasionally I'd bring in a Kashi frozen meal.

I must ask, where do you work?

[bleujean]

Most things are okay if they're room temp. I don't worry about yogurt or cottage cheese sitting out for a few years. If that bugs you, cheese fruit and vegg are always find, as are trail mix and Lara bars.

Originally Posted by shellofself

Anyone have advice for meals that don't need to be kept in the fridge or heated?

There's mold in the company fridge, and the microwave smells like something died in there. (I work in a newsroom. People here drink more than they eat..)

[chubbycanuck]

Originally Posted by shellofself

Anyone have advice for meals that don't need to be kept in the fridge or heated?
There's mold in the company fridge, and the microwave smells like something died in there. (I work in a newsroom. People here drink more than they eat..)

I take my hot food in winter in a food thermos, it keeps things hot and then I don't have to touch the work dishes which are never washed properly ick!

My cold lunches I take in a cooler handbag with an mini ice pack. It looks like this, many people were surprised it was a cooler, it's the size of a regular handbag. I got it at costco for $20.