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.

[HighAltitude]

I love the mason jar idea for a salad!!  I bring a salad everyday for lunch.  It never puts you in an afternoon slump!!  I also bring a piece of fruit and nuts for snacks and a green tea for the afternoon!

[tirednurse]

I too make a salad in a bag every day for work. I put the dressing right in the bag and shake and eat it right out of the bag. Why waste a plate!

I find that delaying my first meal of the day helps reduce my appetite during the workday. I get up at 5am, but try to wait until after 830 am to eat. (Other than water and coffee that is.)

[HelenaFitbit]

I wish I could do this @tirednurse but I used to have gasthriris and my stomach hurts when I have not eaten anything, even worse when I only dump in a cup of coffee! When I know I'll have a rough morning and I'm not sure when I'll have breakfast, I purchased a case of Silk 8oz Soy Milks and I drink one while I'm on my way to work 

[pwebb]

I have trouble making good tasting hummus and would be interested in your recipe!

[Lizabelle]

Mmmmm. I love food, cooking, etc. There is usually a huge batch of chili or some other filling leftover in our fridge for lunches. But honestly . . . my favorite "meals" to bring to the office are some mixed nuts, half an avocado with a little soy sauce drizzled on it, and a couple pieces of seasonal fruit to snack on in the afternoon. I eat half the nuts, the avocado, and one piece of fruit with a cup of hot tea for lunch. Then I have the rest of the nuts and fruit in the afternoon for a snack. It keeps me going and I'm a very active person - a long-distance runner and then on my feet a good portion of the day at work. I'll admit, I'm not a huge eater but the healthy fats keep me full all day long. I love this lunch/snack combo because it doesn't have to be refrigerated or heated and I can eat it at my desk during my office hours.

[KarenAnn24]

The mason jar idea is good.  I will try it.  I bring plastic containers.  I keep salad dressing in the refrigerator at work, so that helps.  Is it the standard size mason jar?  Also looking or snack ideas other than nuts....I have a tree nut allergy.  

[HelenaFitbit]

Hey there @KarenAnn24 ! I found a great image that may be a good guideline to make Mason Jar salads 

[Tamalina]

helenarriaza, thanks for sharing that picture!  What a great idea.  I need all the help I can get for meal ideas.  I get so bored with the same thing all the time.

[HelenaFitbit]

You are very welcome! It's time to rock your mason jars 

[elvisdog13]

I do the mason jar salads  yum.  Hard to believe they stay fresh but they do!  I make them 5 at a time and they are always fresh, just be careful not to tip them over on your way to work or the dressing gets on the salad and over time it gets mushy.

[neiturner]

I LOVE the mason jars!! I am a very inconsistent eater,  as I get bored really easily.  However, I must say, the mason jars are amazing and always interesting.  Today I had grilled chicken, onion, avocado, cheese and romain lettuce for my salad.  The ideas are endless.  I did get tired of the same salad for 5 days in a row, so now I make a salad every 2 days to keep myself interested. 🙂

[desmona]

Try this - so delicious and filling.  Fill a whole wheat pita with hummus and microwave for 1 minute.  Slice it like a pizza then top with fresh salsa.  I take a whole bag of pitas, large hummus and fresh salsa from Sam's Club in on Monday and make it right at work.  I also keep a large real plate and silverware at work to make it even better!!  Is about 300 calories.

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@lolopopo27 wrote:

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.

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[azkevina]

I pack a small soft sided cooler with a couple of pieces of fruit, half a quart size baggie of fresh veggies, a carton of low fat yogurt and a dozen or so of almonds.  I eat that throught the day along with a medium size salad from the salad bar from the work cafeteria or Whole Foods or something similar.  With this I always have something healthy when the urge to eat strikes and feel satisfied all day.

[KarenAnn24]

Ah, perfect picture.  Thanks!

[Becky29H]

I like to make salads in a canning jar too!  They stay fresh for a long time.  Place your dressing in the bottom of the jar and then be sure to put your hearty veggies on the bottom, the stuff that won't get soggy.  Put your lettuce in last.  Before you dump it on your plate or bowl you can flip the jar upside down and let the dressing run through the content of the jar!

[AFinn]

You would need to add up the calories for everything you put into the soup and then split that out per serving.  You can look up calories online like at myfitnesspal for your fresh ingredients.  

[Nestory]

I kept some emergency lunches in my office.  Several cans of organic lentil soup, rice cakes, and no sugar added apple sauce in serving size packages.  That way when I fogot my lunch or didn't get it together to make one I had a healthy plan B.  

[Jackafunk]

Hey man! I hear ya, I am 26, work at a desk job and usually just want something to go.

Sundays are my weekday food preps. I have been keeping my calories at 800-1000 per day by doing this including my dinner Cals.

For Breakfeast I have about 175 Calories;

• Sunbelt Bakery, Peanut Butter Chip Granola Bars 
• Coffee with Coffee Mate Creamer (vanilla sugar free)

I have a Salad prepped everyday that is at 176 Calories which includes;

• A serving of Spring Mix Salad
• A serving of Cherry Tomatoes
• A serving of Sugar Snap Peas 
• A serving of my homemade Sundried Tomato & Basil Vinigarette or I buy Maple Grove Farms Fat Free Poppyseed Dressing

I have a Veggie Snack and Banana for morning time snacks that I premake every Sunday a total of 178 Calories which includes;

• 1oz of Baby Cut Carrots
• 1oz of sliced Sweet Green Bell Pepper
• 2 tbsp of Hummus

Then for dinner its up to you, I work out after work and dont get home till 7 oclock and don't eat till 8pm, which has actually helped me avoid nighttime snacking. But for Dinner I usually aim for 300 Calories to 500 Calories. For example one night for dinner I had 310 Calories which included;

• "Our Best" (brand) Turkey Meatballs, 6 Meatballs total
• Francesco Rinaldi Hearty Pasta Sauce, Tomato and Basil, .5 cups worth
• 1 Sliced Roma Tomato
• 4 Tsp of of Parmesan Cheese

When I feel like eating more, like last night I had a bunless turkey burger, 856 Calories for Dinner which included;

• Two Turkey Burger Patties 11oz 
• 1 Half of an Avacado
• 1 Roma Tomato
• A serving of Romaine Lettuce.

I have been keeping up with my Calories and have lost a pound this past week. I am eating over 1,500 less than my recommended calories per day and I still feel full all day, cause I graze on food all day!

So I hope this may help you or anyone reading! 

Cheers!

[MRose]

This was one of my most frustrating issues after graduating college, especially trying to do the eat-healthy-and-cheap-at-the-office schedule! Here are some of the go-tos I make for me and my husband:

Salads with romaine or butter lettuce (they are heartier leaves so you can buy them in bulk without them going bad before you can eat it), grilled chicken, and hard boiled egg whites. Add either salad dressing, avocado, or a few sunflower seeds/nuts as the healthy fat.

Chili made earlier in the week (can be either frozen or just left in the fridge)

Cucumber-turkey wraps -- Take a cucumber, slice it lengthwise, and place on a paper towel. Layer turkey (about 3 oz total), sprouts, and LF cheese (if you want it) on top of the cucumber slices, roll, and toothpick 'em! If you don't do cheese, add 1-2 macadamia nuts or pecans.

Smoothies! Whoo! Just be sure they have protein, and you have something to chew on the side, such as celery and carrots. If you aren't actually making the chewing motion, your body doesn't register all of what you've just eaten. Not saying you'll be starving or anything, the chewing just helps 🙂

You should be eating frequent, small meals or adding 2-3 small snacks throughout the day as well, both for your blood sugar levels and so you don't feel like a water balloon at lunch and a raisin by 1:00. I bag and bring some of these:

2 Deviled eggs: Dump the egg yolk and fill it with traditional hummus. You'll never miss the yolks!

Celery sticks, a LF cheese stick, and a macadamia nut.

Plain greek yogurt with a few almonds, cinnamon, blueberries, or vanilla and stevia (or a few teaspoons of sugar, if you prefer).

I always felt SO hungry after lunch when I did sandwiches, meal bars, or just lettuce. After getting mad about gaining weight at the desk job, I added a ton of fiber and annihilated the refined carbs, and it's been amazing! The fiber keeps you full, but whenever I start feeling hungry, I go get a full glass of water and try to drink the entire thing in one go. No more hungry. Once you make meal planning a habit, it just comes naturally. What has worked the best for me is while making dinner, I just take the "down time" (while waiting for something to boil, that 10 minutes when fish is in the oven, etc) and just toss some stuff into a container or a baggie, then you have your lunch ready for the next day and no extra time has been spent.

[MRose]

I have gastritis as well, so I know your pain! I keep the gluten-free Pirate Booty white cheddar rice puffs on hand. They're really the only carb items I eat, but they are 100 calories for a baggie, and you can eat enough of them to ease the pain without eating yourself out of house and home! 😛

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@helenarriaza wrote:

I wish I could do this @tirednurse but I used to have gasthriris and my stomach hurts when I have not eaten anything, even worse when I only dump in a cup of coffee! When I know I'll have a rough morning and I'm not sure when I'll have breakfast, I purchased a case of Silk 8oz Soy Milks and I drink one while I'm on my way to work 

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