Work-friendly lunch ideas

[lolopopo27]

I'd love to hear what everyone does for quick-prep & healthy lunches. I am 24, work a desk job and I'm really bad about setting aside time to meal prep or pack lunches ahead of time. What are some great ideas for grab and go in the morning that I won't regret once I eat it at noon. Also, stuff that is FILLING. I am always hungry again by 1 or 2 p.m., which makes the afternoon just drag on.

[kikig]

Unfortunately the best answer is that you have to prep ahead! Sunday I make a batch of soup and freeze it for a week (or two) then I cut veggies and package them for a week and buy (or make a batch of hummus). Now that I am pregnant I get so hungry around 3pm so I also pack 5 protions of unsalted nuts.

[shutterbug36092]

Be careful eating tuna so often.  Your mercury levels will get really high.  Light tuna is 12 oz week for women.  Albacore tuna is 4 oz per week for women.  Men can have slightly larger amounts.  It takes the mercury quite a while to get out of your system.  If you eat it every day you are probably eating too much.

[ChristineCz]

The lettuce doesn't start spoiling during the week in a mason jar?

[HelenaFitbit]

Hey there @ChristineCz ! I have found this101 guide for packing lettuce in mason jars. 

Also there is this guide that has a ton of tips to do the best mason jars salads 

Hope this helps! 

[TexasArchie]

My boyfriend and I make lunches on Sundays and Wednesdays. We cook them the same time we cook dinner. Spaghetti squash is easy and filling, even a small cheese plate with a few small pieces of cheeses, meats, fruit and nuts is a great lunch! My favorites are a meat/veggie combo or chili. Soups are good, but then I feel too warm and cozy to be productive.

[cherrie]

I too love boiled eggs. I boil a dozen eggs on Sunday. Then use 2 every morning for my breakfast at work. You can add anything to go with them. I love to chop a bowl of tomatoes and sometimes a little cucumber and this makes a great breakfast or lunch. Make soup on Sunday, put into bowls and everyday you have 1-2 meals to take to work. 

[Charlie-K]

This is what I like to do-  I purchased a salad container from a company called "Sistema"- available at all sorts of stores - just Google it.... It has a built in freezer-keeper (I use additional "blue ice" in my bag too) and a built in container for dressing.  It also has built-in "silverware"... I find the fork is NOT sharp enough, so I carry my own in addition .... should I forget the fork, I have the one in the lid as backup.

On to the FOOD....  I make a nice salad with mixed greens, I chop up a plum tomato and dice some grilled chicken. (maybe a half cup).    You can dress up the salad any way you want... but I like it fairly simple.  I find this holds me pretty well- if I fnd I get a real snack attack, I get about a half dozen wheat thins- Tabasco flavor.... this gives me a little crunch and it just about overwhelms my tastebuds (with a lasting aftertaste) that keeps me away from the sweets and goodies in the vending machines.

[bfforty]

I have to say, I am a grab & go kind of person.  Nothing makes me crazier than having a lot of prep work to do for lunch.  That being said, my favorite health lunch is:

• Lunch meat (I love Oscar Mayer Selects Rotisserie Chicken)
• 1/2 a cucumber (I don't like the peel, so I remove it)
• 2 pieces of string cheese
• Light mayo, light ranch, mustard, Frank's Red Hot, whatever you like on your "sandwiches" (or, nothing)

After I peel the cucumber, I lengthwise twice so I end up with 4 long pieces.  I then cut the seeds out of the pieces (you can discard them or eat them...it doesn't matter).  Cut the 2 pieces of string cheese lengthwise, so you have 4 pieces of cheese.  Put the dressing of your choice on the cucumber.  Place a piece of cheese on the cucumber.  Wrap cucumber and cheese with meat.  Enjoy.

No carb, low calorie.  Filling and delicious.  

[cherrie]

This sounds like such a great idea! Can't wait to try it. Thanks

[MBanks_N49]

For me, Guac & some fresh Nann bread. Fantastic lunch and it tastes amazing. 

Banks' Lunchable Guac

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced (Optional. I like it to have some kick, every now & then)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro (leaves and tender stems), finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• A dash of freshly grated black pepper
• 1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Method To The Madness

• Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avacado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.

• Using a fork, roughly mash the avocado. (Don't overdo it! The guacamole should be a little chunky) Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt & pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness. So, start with half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness.

• Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.

• Just before serving, chop the tomato, add to the guacamole and mix.

NOTE

Chilling tomatoes hurts their flavor, so don't chop the tomatoes or add to the guacamole until ready to serve.

[cherrie]

I want this right now!! Sounds scrumptious. I usually have all those
ingredients right in my apt. Thanks,

[Jamminbeck]

Love my bento box from yumbox...love the portion sizes and it tells me exactly what to put in. 

[HelenaFitbit]

I use a bento box too! I purchased a Picnic Bento from Amazon and I use it whenever I know I'll be out all day, so I carry breakfast, lunch and a plethora of snacks 

[pverdun]

This is something that I will definitely look into. I have never heard of
this. Thank you for the information.

[VivisFitbit]

Mason jar salads! I prepare 2-3 of those and I only add different types of dressings and change some things and I have different salads for the week!

[debrun4life]

I just discovered a Keurig Healthy Instant Oatmeal recipe from Do it on a Dime on YouTube that I absolutely LOVE. It's super easy to make, filling, and healthy!

[debrun4life]

Or I do salads in a jar!

[jpdavid6363]

Take a clue from body-builders and trainers - I am neither - at 70+ years and retired, I workout for health. Prepare food ahead of time: roast sweet potatoes; cook rice; blanch green beans/broccoli/cauliflower; cook beans/lentils; grill batches of chicken breasts, and utilize leftovers.  Prepackage meals for the week in microwaveable containers (measure everything!).  If I was working or traveling, I would prepack the meals. If not working then I have healthy meals ready in a flash with minimum effort and clean up.  Key: take the time to plan.

One big clue is this:  eat most of your meals from your own home-cooked food. It is hard to eat a meal out for under 700-1000 calories, which is not OK for me (female over 70).

[Momma23]

I cook a ton on the weekend to have lefovers.. I also do salads and meaballs for lunch.

I keep greek yougurt, friut and Kind bars around to snack on..Kind bars are great, full of nuts and 5g of sugar and tasty,  I keep one in my purse for afternoon munchies if I am out running errands for work or if I have to take kids to lessons after work.

[Mcore]

That's true @shutterbug36092, however, I believe that I had an allergic reaction to fish. Everytime I eat fish, I get very sick. Maybe it has to do with an enzyme that my body is not tolerating any more. the worst part is, I loved eating fish!