Lunch Ideas?

[beausmom1]

Second week of school, and I am already tired of sandwiches and chips! The cafeteria lunches are WAY too greasy. Any ideas for a tasty packed lunch? :hug2:

[Orchid Crazy]

Tuna with crackers, canned salmon with crackers, either with a salad, hummus, tabouli, salads, carrots with a side of ranch for a snack, apple with peanut butter for a snack.

I'll have to think of other things I send off with my kids....

A thermos is indispensible, IMO, as you can bring along leftovers particularly in winter when you can do soups, stews, chili, pasta, etc.

[beausmom1]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention we have a microwave! Soup sounds delicious, thanks Sandy!

[Suzanne R]

I get a LOT of TV dinners on sale (Lean Cuisine, WW, etc.) and heat them up at work. It costs too much to eat out all the time and with a microwave, it's perfect for TV dinners or leftovers!! Get out the crockpot and make enough stew/soup/etc. for the week!! Another perk of living alone - you can eat whatever you want!!

[Kaity-Did]

I make extra dinner so I have enough left overs for lunch b/c I don't have enough time between work and school to stop and get food, plus it helps me save money! I get lots of recipes off of foodnetwork.com (the healthy section) and discoveryhealth.com

[Irminsul]

I love those pouches with Indian dishes. Healthy, tasty, not too filling.

[Cocoa and Me]

I probably didn't eat too healthy when I was on campus, but what *I* did was have a light breakfast (pop tart, cereal...) at home, and then bring protein shakes and granola bars to school with me. I was on campus for most of the day too, and I'd get home around 6pm and have dinner. Sometimes, if I really felt like taking lunch I'd bring canned soup and heat it up at school. I keep a nice big Costco pack of soup in my car. Then, if I had made spaghetti or noodles or something like that the night before, I'd bring that in a container and heat that up at lunch. We had the normal food court and stuff, but I didn't like eating fast food all the time. Another thing I got a lot was fruit smoothies (like Jamba juice) or get coffee. Like I said, I didn't eat *that* well on campus LOL. But I always had healthy granola bars, they are GREAT sources of energy actually. To be honest, my lunches are never really that big and filling. But I like to think that is my special solution to keeping my weight nice and steady too LOL. My dinners were pretty healthy though :)

[maddoxies]

I do not like fish, but I am trying to eat better and include fish in my diet. I bought some Highliner Breaded Filet of Sole and I cook 2 pieces; one for my supper and one for "fish on a bun" for work the next day. On a kaiser roll with an apple and a piece of cheese it is a very filling and healthy lunch to help me make it through the loonnnnggg afternoons, zzzzzzzzzzzzz. I also try to bring veggie juice (like V8) at least 3 times a week with my lunch too.

I also "tolerate" tuna, so I cook up some macaroni add tuna, mayo and either frozen peas or celery. (add the frozen peas will the macaroni is hot). A touch of ground pepper and you have a healthy lunch that will not "drop" you during the afternoon.

A ziplock bag of raw veggies (carrots, brocoli, celery etc) and a small container of dip instead of chips with your sandwich.

Crockpot and tupperware containers is the other suggestion: chili, stew (beef and chicken stew with lots of veggies), soups (barley, veggies chicken or beef broth)

For the really hectic days, Ensure or other liquid dietary supplement; it has the nutrients and is better for you than fast food.

[SirOliversMom]

Switch your sandwich up with pita pockets. It's a great and healthy alternative. Dab some salad dressing in there or mayo or mustard and stuff it with your favorites including lettuce. You can make it the night before no problem.

Also buy some low fat muffin mix in your grocery store, add 1/3 cup of pumpkin and one of those small applesauce cups and raisins or nuts or frozen fruit like cranberries plus a bit of water. Bake according to directions, freeze in individual baggies when they're cool. Low fat, filling and satisfying, oh yeah and moist too!

Mexi roll ups are easy, low fat cream cheese spread over a tortilla (whole wheat) sprinkle your favorite stuff over the cream cheese like green onions & pimento or even some canned salmon. Roll it up, cut in half and wrap.

[Suzanne R]

More great ideas, guys - I'd forgotten about pita pockets and roll-ups -- those are nice changes from the "usual" stuff!

[Jacqueline]

I have a big corningware cup that I picked up in the dishware section at Wally World, and it is great for heating up stuff in the microwave. You can take any kind of canned soup, stew, tamales, etc for a nice hot lunch. There are a lot of things that have the pull tab lids on them. In the past couple of weeks, I have had chili, oatmeal (instant, felt blah that day), shepard's pie from home, beef barley soup using that cup. It has a nice tight lid so nothing spills out. And since it is Corning, you can go right from fridge,freezer...to microwave.

[BeauBuddy]

More great ideas, guys - I'd forgotten about pita pockets and roll-ups -- those are nice changes from the "usual" stuff!

Yes, I agree!!

Banana loaf and pumpkin loaf is nutritious and freezes well.

Toasted almonds!! Those sure help around 3:00!
1/2 cup almonds:
350 oven, 5 min stir, another 1 or 2 min
OR: microwave 2 min stir, 55 secs stir, then about 40 sec.

[Lambygyrl]

How about a wrap??

Take flatbread and spread with regular cream cheese or the herb kind, and then layer turkey breast, sliced cucumbers and shredded lettuce, and then roll it up! A different kind of sandwich... I also make ham & cheese & broccoli & cheese.