Lunches - Light on the Waistline as well as the Wallet

[Luckybustert]

I fell off the wagon a bit recently and was buying lunches in the cafeteria at work. End result....the wallet is about $7 to $8 lighter each day and the waistline....well, I've put almost 10 lbs. back on in a very short time! I know I can do better than this by bringing my lunch from home....where I control what I pack, and where I can better control my portions (if it gets on my plate I'm eating it, so the trick for me is to make sure it doesn't get there!). I'm convinced it doesn't have to cost me $7 or $8 a day, either.

Today I'm taking a cup of cottage cheese with orange sections for lunch and I'm taking a plum for my afternoon snack. And I would just love for you all to share your lunch ideas. I'm trying to stay away from sandwiches, but find that taking a sandwich filling and pairing it with celery usually works pretty good for me.

My waist and my wallet thank you in advance for sharing your lunch ideas!

[druthb00]

I pack BF a tuna sandwich for work sometimes and I only ever use about 2/3 of the amount of tuna salad that one can makes. Then I'll cut a bell pepper (green is the best IMO, but red is good too) in half and spread the remaining 1/3 of tuna salad on it.

I like keeping a few hard boiled eggs in the fridge to make a quick salad with. Just lettuce, tomatoes, and an egg with some vinaigrette dressing. Or if we have black bean & corn quesadillas the night before (black beans, corn, tomatoes, jalapenos, onion mixture,) I'll heat some of the leftover mix up and put it over lettuce with some light sour cream. It's an awesome taco salad.

Some days I just have a hodge podge of snacks for lunch. A wedge of cheese, a few almonds, an apple, and maybe a kashi bar. (protein/calcium, protein/omega3's, fiber/vitamin..c?, fiber)

Celery sticks are great with just about anything. cottage cheese, cream cheese (neufatchel,) peanut butter, hummus

[Libby]

I like taking snacky things for lunch.

Carrots, celery, peppers, cucs, zucs, melba & snacking crackers to dip or scoop with tuna salad/salmon salad/egg salad, flavoured light cream cheese, pb and sliced or cubed block cheese.

Sometimes I'll make celery boats with the (flavoured) cream cheese or pb.

I used to take cups of soup and add more water then recommended but I considered the sodium levels and tried to bring 1c portions of hm soup instead

I used to round out those lunches with a Kashi granola bar, hm instant jello/pudding/fruit cups-fruit salad. I even used to bring a sammy made from 1 slice of bread.

[McD]

Typcially, I bring leftovers from the night before for my lunch. Today, I had a lunch meat on a leftover onion roll with a little baggie of chips.

[lisaflex]

hummus and veggies are a great choice!

good for you and fill you up

[Mrs K]

I'm also a great fan of leftovers which I pack right after dinner,instead of having a second serving. I also keep individual size tuna cans to bring with veggies and crackers if I don't have leftovers. Because I need something sweet, I'll usually oack a yogurt or fruit for dessert
Oh and I usually keep frozen meals handy for super busy weeks; healthier and better than fast food or cafeteria... Bleh!

[bookworm]

I'm also a great fan of leftovers which I pack right after dinner,instead of having a second serving. I also keep individual size tuna cans to bring with veggies and crackers if I don't have leftovers. Because I need something sweet, I'll usually oack a yogurt or fruit for dessert
Oh and I usually keep frozen meals handy for super busy weeks; healthier and better than fast food or cafeteria... Bleh!

Exactly what I do!

[Luckybustert]

hummus and veggies are a great choice!

good for you and fill you up

Oh I wish I could have this for lunch! But unfortunately, hummus gives me big time "gastrointestinal distress".....and somehow I just don't think my co-workers would appreciate being in the same room with me if hummus was on the menu

[valerian]

Use a bento box...they hold more than you think, but yet you control the portions and they're fun! My kids have lots of them. I have a lavendar Snoopy one and dh has a dark blue one made for men. Now that my kids are homeschooling again we only need to pack a lunch once a week for when we go out of town to our co-op group. For myself I usually take a sammie, a laughing cow light cheese triangle with six or so low-fat Trisquets, a few grapes or chunks of pineapple, and a bottle of water. Sometimes I'll throw in a few animal crackers (pretty low fat) and just a touch of sweet. Now for dh, his box gets a little fancier if I pack it. I pack salads sometimes with cute cut-out radishes, cukes, tomatoes, peppers, cheese. I use cutters for this or free-hand them. He's had trees (broccoli) with birds cut from pepper or mushroom slices, little animals cut from cheese. I use egg molds to make shaped hard-boiled eggs (also have done all of these things for the kids). I have a car mold and a fish mold. I'll cook dh a small piece of meat and stir-fry some veggies the night before for his lunch. I make pudding cups and jello in silicone molds ahead of time and just slip one into his bento box. I put in a few nuts. Sometimes I'll make him pumpkin spiced pecans or just use store bought cashews or whatever. Nuts are filling! You can put fruit or cheese on cute sticks (I have all kinds) to dress up your bento. It makes eating more fun and it's pretty!

[valerian]

Oh, and mini homemade muffins fit well into bentos.

[JanieD]

Val's fixing these amazing lunches & here I'm having a bowl of Kashi cereal w/soy milk most days. Sometimes I have leftovers or a frozen dinner, but I'd love something different.

[pollypurebred39]

Now that's pretty neat Val! Lucky DH!

[The Muse]

I like hummus and veggies or this taco salad:

Fry 3 cups or so of chickpeas and 1/2 cup of their cooking liquid with a packet of taco seasoning. Serve over lettuce, dress with salsa, chopped tomato, onion, or whatever you like. Cheap, filling, delicious, easy, and healthy!