need help with work lunches
 

Hi there --

Over the past two months, since starting a new job, I've gained weight. I haven't been eating healthy lunches. Instead, I go out to a restaurant. Partly because I want yummy food, but also partly because I want a "break."

Does anybody have suggestions for how to eat healthy at work? And avoid the temptation to eat a lot at lunch just because you want to get away for a while?

Thanks!

When I want a break from work I come home for lunch, I must want a break every day because when I work I come home for lunch :lol: ... But I think I am the minority of being able to come home, soooo my suggestions is to bring your lunch and go for a walk afterwards.

My favourite lunches are leftovers from the night before with raw veggies, I always purposely cook too much food to have some for lunch for the next day or two...

i have/had the same problem ..but for a lil while now i grab something at subway and go sit at the park ..watch the ducks or whatever..the quiet helps de-stress me ..

This is such a good (and important I think) question... there are so many mornings when I face the "what do I bring??" question.

My advice, ALWAYS have a fresh piece of fruit to bring with your lunch. At the least, you will have something obviously nutritious and tasty with you :)

- the classic: sandwiches. deli if you eat meat, cheese (we do need some fat in our diets, we just have to choose where to get it from) - different forms of cheese, peanut butter, vegetable (I like lettuce, tomato, cucumber, etc) - use some hummus as the spread and yum!, egg, etc.
I'm sure there are more sandwich ideas out there :)

- leftovers are awesome. If you use the microwave (and have access to one) then this broadens your choices even more. Pasta, rice, different type of salads (just make sure the salad has enough calories/fat to qualify as a main dish rather than just a side of greens).

There are so many ways to prepare pasta and rice dishes (in addition to the different types of pastas and rice!), that while this doesn't sound like too many options, it truly is! Oh, and there's also barley, beans, legumes, buckwheat, etc.

- soups

- You can also mix things up: Like bring a muffin, some fruit, some yogurt. Or a salad, some crackers, a bit of cheese. Bagel, fruit, etc.

It takes a little bit of work sometimes, depending on what you want to bring. But for myself, I also feel great when I open a delicious and healthy well-prepared lunch! Aside from the excitement of "mmm I have a tasty lunch", I also feel proud of myself for putting in the extra effort. And if you do cook dinner daily, leftovers are very easy choices :)

As an idea, I try to include all the food groups in my lunch whenever possible, that way I'm ensuring variety. So some grains, some fruits, some dairy, some protein, and always water.

As for actual dishes... I'm still trying to figure that out for myself :)

There are a lot of things you can take for lunches, from veggie dishes (cut cucumber/tomato and vinagarette salads, or lettuce salads) to whole wheat and lean meat sandwiches, to whole wheat wraps with cream cheese and veggies, or PB&J on wheat bread, cottage cheese, fruit, yogurt...or cook larger dinners and wrap leftovers for microwaving at work the next day.

But if you must go out, pick healthier choices. Do without breads, or take whole wheat if they have them. Choose other veggies over potatoes when you can, leaner meats, etc. There are so many places to choose from and so many healthier choices just about everywhere these days. Try delis for lunch, or places with good salad choices...sit down dining is preferable to fast food when you can.

What I used to do was go for a run or walk at lunch, then pick up something on my way back and eat it at my desk. First off, you're getting in exercise to help with the weightloss, secondly, you're not as focused on going out to eat and getting tempted with the smells. Have in mind what you'll get and take just enough money to get it.

Take the time to download and print nutrition menus from some of the more common restaurants you vist. Then highlight items you like. While it is healthier to bring your own food, at least this way you are more prepared if you do go out. If you can't avoid the temptation of ordering something off this list, stick to subway.

I am going to mention somethings here that I am doing that even though you may not choose to do a vegetarian lifestyle the choices I am mentioning are often low in points/calories that you can adapt into most diets.

While the weather is nice I am fortunate enough to work near some great parks and one is near a river so I like to go there and read while having my lunch. The peace and serenity rejuvinates me for the afternoon. I have been bringing with me left overs which I quickly warm up before I leave my work. You can find some low point/calorie recipes from Fatfreevegan.com. Or, pita bread with eggplant hummus, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers,& beets.

If I am going out I will go to a pizza place and order a vege pizza, no cheese, extra sauce, extra garlic. (I know most people say no cheese!!! but try it just once with extra sauce and garlic it cuts the calories/points way down.) Or, I might go to a chinese restaurant and order rice with steamed vege's. If I am going to a fast food restaurant I prefer Wendys or Carls Jr. where I can get a baked potato and salad. Or go to the grocery store and pick up some vege sushi. Anyway you don't mention what type of food you like or what kind of program you are going on but these are some things you can fit into most any program.

Have a great week!!

One thing that helps me when I have to take a lunch is to prepare it the night before and just grab the containers I need the next morning... Or if your fridge is big enough put them in the bag and just grab the bag before going out the door...

We have a microwave where I work so I cook in quantity and freeze the leftovers in individual portions to take to work.

I have fat free cottage cheese already in little containers and I'll take a premeasured baggie of raspberries with me. I 'think' I only have to work for 4 hours. If I have to stay over lunch, I'll have the soup or maybe arrowroots with peanutbutter.

I forgot to say that I will go outside for break. I just need to get away from the atmosphere of work.

Bringing my lunch and snacks was the first big step I made in this process and it has been VERY successful!

I invested in some insulated lunch bags -- everyday I'm going to bring lunch I pack up my lunch AND snacks. All the suggestions above are great, and as has been said, planning ahead is the key.

Tonight is Sunday and I packed up snack baggies of carrots, some of red grapes, and some pistachios for hubby and I to take to work. I have at least one days' worth of salad ingredients from yesterday.

So now, tomorrow I will throw salad stuff in my salad pack, and then add some snacks (also other fruit, and maybe cottage cheese or a yogurt...) and be good to go.

It sooooo helps me to be in control of what I eat at work!

Lots of good ideas given here already.

I'd say the place to start is with the kinds of foods you eat when you go out. Do you like pizza or Chinese, sandwiches or full cooked platters, fast food or fine dining? You can modify many favorite dishes to take to work.

To get away for awhile, you can:
a) eat, then go for a walk
b) eat outside in a park or plaza
c) do something on your lunch break, then eat at your desk as you work (my favorite)
d) eat out once in a while, keeping your choices under control

I adore Chinese food, but instead of eating fried stuff and candied sauces, I take the leaner stirfries, putting in lots of veggies and keeping the oils and sauce ingredients reasonable.

I guess my general answer would be: include a couple portions of veggies some which way, because they do fill you up as well as providing major nutrients.

I mentioned the stirfries, but you can do the same thing with Italian foods.
-- sausage & peppers using turkey sausage with peppers, onions and tomatoes
-- veggie spaghetti, with chunks of broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, and more of the peppers, onions and tomatoes instead of pasta or with just a bit of pasta and a sprinkling of parmesan and/or romano cheese on top. Mix in ricotta, and people will swear they smell pizza.


Sandwiches can be fine if you use lean meats such as chicken, turkey, low-fat ham, flank steak, tuna (seasoned with a small amount of herbed mayo) and stuff with greens and tomatoes. Make a side salad such as carrot slaw or Waldorf (low-fat sour cream) salad.

i also batch cook and freeze then take a baggie to work with a piece or fruit and some celery and cucumber sticks (also presliced). The fact the food is frozen stops me having lunch at 10am! I keep rice thins, tamari sauce, saltnpepper and a jar with measured olive oil and vinegar (for salads) in my desk.

I also batch cook and have extra for lunch... sometimes in a crockpot. I eat at my desk and then go for long walks on my lunch break. Also make sure I take fresh fruit and veggies and other healthful snacks. We have refrigerators and microwaves at work so that helps but if you don't have that then yah the refrigerated lunch bags will work.

I work in an office where I can never be sure I'll get a lunch break so I often have to eat at my desk, one thing I've found which is cheap and filling, is that pre-cooked wholewheat pasta with some Dolmio pasta sauce and a sprinking of cheese. Its tasty, filling and easy to make. I eat on a very tight budget so getting that on offer in the supermarket really helps.

Also sometimes I take tortilla wraps into work and fill them with salad and protein. Usually I fill with either prawn mayo or egg. Again its filling and relativly cheap.

steamed veggies, whole wheat with hummus and cucumbers (my fave), chiciken salad (low on mayo), or yogurt and granola (becareful how much you granola you eat)

Lots of great ideas here so far!

My lunch standbys are:

Progresso soups, esp. Black Bean, Split Pea and Lentil. These have pop-tops, perfect for work.
Foil packets of tuna & salmon. Bring bread & mayo for a sandwich or use in a spinach salad.
Leftovers.
Enthnic Gourmet frozen entrees. Minimally processed - Indian dishes are my fave.
Chicken or veggie wraps I can buy here at work.

I round out my lunch with some combo of grape tomatoes, raw baby carrots, Dr. Kracker crackers, olives. I always bring snacks, also - fresh fruit, nuts, yogurt.

One thing that helps greatly in packing my lunch are the Tupperware Midgets/Midgies (not sure what they're called)? They're small clear plastic cylindral containers w/ blue lids that hold just a few ounces. They're perfect for nuts, salad dressing, peanut butter, olives, etc. Great for portion control! I use them nearly every day.

Lately I have been setting aside recipes that I know my SO won't eat (so I can't make them for dinner) to make for my lunches. On Sunday I'll make about 4 servings of whatever recipe I am interested in for the week, divide it into single serving containers, and it is ready to go for lunch. One week it was shrimp tacos; another week was chicken, apricot, and mango salad with yogurt dressing; another week it was pitas with turkey and cole slaw. I have a whole stack of recipes to get through; each week it is something new. I find that I really look forward to these lunches.

I'm also a big fan of sandwiches but I make a heckova sandwich, a lot more than just your basic meat and bread. Typical sandwich fixin's include roasted red peppers (from a jar), laughing cow light cheese, various varieties of jarred bruschetta, muffaleta spread, horseradish, pickles, fresh basil and/or thyme, lettuce, home-grown or farmers market tomatoes, and cucumber. Of course not all of this goes on the same sandwich, I usually just choose a few items from the list. Everything is on the list is pretty low in calories (some of it, like the horseradish, the basil/thyme, and the pickles are so low I don't even count them); at 35 calories per serving the cheese is the highest in calories. Since the tomatoes will make the bread soggy if you cut them in advance, I usually just grab whole tomato and slice it just before I'm ready to eat. I add a couple of slices to my sandwich and eat whatever won't fit on my sandwich. But I <3 home-grown tomatoes.

Last week I had tuna and hummus (1 can tuna with 4 tbsp hummus = 2 servings) with fresh chives, roasted eggplant and red peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, and lettuce in 1/2 pita pockets. It was yummy and the tuna with hummus was way lower in calories than traditional tuna salad with mayo.

The week before that I had a heartier version of salmon tea sandwiches. I mixed 1 can of salmon with 8 tbsp NF cream cheese, fresh chives, and capers. Then I fried up 1/4 cup egg subsitute (you could fry up 4 servings and store them in the fridge) and made sandwiches with the 1/3 of the salmon mixture, the egg, tomato, thinly sliced cucumber, and lettuce. They were yummy.

I also am a big fan of PB&J. I eat it at least once a week. You can't get much simpler than that.

If you aren't against frozen foods, I really like the Lean Cuisine Panini sandwiches. They are all about 300 calories (give or take 20 calories) and I find them very satisfying. I usually keep one or two in the freezer for emergencies. I also like the Lean Cuisine pizzas.

Another sandwich idea that I'm planning to try is sardines (I have a can waiting for me in the cupboard now). Low in calories (if you get them packed in mustard or tomato sauce, rather than oil) and very high in omega 3 fatty acids! But I realize sardines aren't for everyone.

- Barbara

Good grief Barbara your lunches sound devine :hun:... I also LOVE sardines!

For quite a while I was on a sweet potato kick. Minimal preparation time required in the AM. Just grab a sweet potato, and at lunch time put in the microwave for 7-9 minutes (depending on size). Remember to poke a few holes in it first. Then slice down the middle and eat the inside. No toppings necessary and yum, yum, yum. Several people at my work have been inspired to microwave sweet potatoes because I did this. I usually brought it with a cup of microwaveable soup. A nice warm lunch requiring no preparation!

I try to make sure I always have soups in my desk that way no matter what I have a low calorie, healthy option for lunch. Campbells makes some yummy soups in ready to eat, pop-top containers.

I try not to go out but if I do for fast food, I'll do a side salad with a plain chicken sandwich and then throw away the bread and eat the chicken in the salad. For sit-downs, I try to look at the menus online ahead of time to know what to order.

I just started a new job on friday and there is a huge cafeteria.. but they only have vending machines in it.. so I bring a lunch and keep my money home!