Do you eat "real lunch" or junk?

**TigerGirl1226** · 05-12-2010, 01:17 PM

I have a problem that's been bothering me for a while. I never seem to eat a real lunch. I'll eat a cookie, a snack bar and sandwich...basically carbs, carbs, and more carbs. If DH is home, we have "real lunch"...meat, veggie, and side. DD is now home for the summer and I really want to keep from teaching her this bad habit, so far so good for her, but I'm still eating crap.

Am I the only one that does this??

**happymomof4** · 05-12-2010, 01:18 PM

I pack my lunch for work every day. I usually take leftovers from dinner the night before. I keep stuff in the cabinets to make a tuna wrap or sandwich. I try and stay away from the junkfood by planning my lunch.

**shoiji** · 05-12-2010, 01:21 PM

When I am not at home and out without any food with me I tend to eat a cookie or something carb. I do have carbs at home but tend to not eat them regularly.

Try prepping some veggies and fruit for the week. Then when it comes to lunch you have some handy substitutes to carbs. Also, since you eat less carbs with your husband the same may be true with your daughter.

**Russ** · 05-12-2010, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by shoiji

Try prepping some veggies and fruit for the week. Then when it comes to lunch you have some handy substitutes to carbs. .

This is the ONLY thing that stops me from eating junk for lunch. My problem is actually taking the time to fix it.

**Josephhgoins** · 05-12-2010, 01:33 PM

When I worked at the office, we all went to a resturant for lunch. Not sure what you would consider that. Yes it was meat an vegatables, but prepared in the least healthy way possible.

Now that I work at home, I usually just fix something quick. Today was fish cakes, corn and potatoes. Yesterday was left over casserole and rolls.

My problem seems to be dinner. Around 4:30 I start snacking and will snack pretty much all evening only taking time out to actually eat dinner. I am trying to get out of that habit, but it is hard.

**tigo** · 05-12-2010, 01:39 PM

Lunch is leftovers or a sandwich.

**mek42** · 05-12-2010, 01:40 PM

I am making an effort to eat either fish, steamed for me at the grocery store = 0 prep, or leftovers, also 0 prep from the perspective of lunch (there is prep to make the last night dinner, but no extra prep to have a little extra for lunch). When I eat fish, sometimes I'll divvy up some premade mashed taters from the same grocery store - probably a net loss as far as health goes, but still cheaper than eating out.

**Contrary Housewife** · 05-12-2010, 01:58 PM

I snack a lot during the day, it works for me to eat small amounts more often rather than big meals 6-10 hours apart. However I eat nuts, fruit, whole grain cereal, etc. and not junk. Don't even keep it in the house.

I discovered Lean Cuisine the summer between high school and college. Rather than grabbing chips or ice cream or skipping a meal I could just grab one of those out of the freezer and heat it up. Some of them are relatively nice, and have controlled portions of meat, grain and vegetables. They go on sale from time to time for about $1.50, too, so they can be quite inexpensive.

Not a perfect solution, but they can help you break the pattern of bad eating, and get out of the "what to have" rut, too.

**Jamielane** · 05-12-2010, 02:14 PM

I eat leftovers alot and sometimes a can of soup . I dont really like sandwiches much so I dont eat them very often. Sometimes I just have a bowl of cereal. Today I had a piece of pita bread and some hummus with a glass of ice water.

**mndtrp** · 05-12-2010, 02:29 PM

We buy raw vegetables once a week, which I immediately cut up and put an assorted variety in small tupperware containers. That way, I just grab a container to take to work. I'll also have really small containers of dressing ready made for dressing.

Same thing with nuts, individual containers I can just grab and go.

For actual meals, I usually cook on Friday nights, while my fiancee cooks on Monday or Tuesday. The leftovers last through the week.

When I make tacos, soups, burritos, stir fry, just about anything that's not baked, I make a lot at once. I'll then divvy up a serving or two into freezer bags so I can grab a package on the way to work. Most things freeze fine, the stir fry loses crunchiness, but is still good. With the stir fry, I'll use Minute Rice, since you can make that in the microwave easily. Burritos just need to be reheated, tacos just need a shell of some sort, barbecued beef from the crock pot just needs some bread or a potato. Soups are even easier. By the time lunch rolls around, the soup has thawed out enough to put in a bowl and reheat.

**Neeley** · 05-12-2010, 02:39 PM

DS14 is home everyday for lunch. He and I alternate cooking. We will normally have something like a salad with some kind of pasta dish, hamburgers w/baked beans and fruit, soup and tuna sandwich, meatloaf with potatoes and a salad or chicken with peas and a roll.

If we are out and about then we go to Subway, his favorite place.

When DD 17 is home with us in the summer, she joins in to help cook, too.

**Grainlady** · 05-12-2010, 02:55 PM

I guess I've taught nutrition classes for WAY too many years, and took it seriously. All our meals are part of a "plan" for the day, and that plan is based on the predecessor to the Food Pyramid - the old Basic-4 (fewer servings of carbs than the Food Pyramid - which works well for us). When I teach classes, I use the new "My Food Pyramid" as a guide.

MyPyramid.gov - United States Department of Agriculture - Home

Following a plan helps us to stay on track to consume a variety of foods from all the food groups each day. I try to incorporate as many whole foods (Nature's original "FAST FOOD" - wash, cut/slice if necessary...serve) and whole grains as possible.

Lunch is more-often-than-not leftovers, but the freezer is full of homemade entrees to use as well.

BASIC-4 (served daily)

Bread & Cereal - 4 servings
Fruits & Vegetables - 4 servings
Meat/Alternative - 2 servings
Milk/Dairy - 2 servings

We also eat some kind of nuts each day (usually as a snack); and if we consume more from any food group than what is listed above, it's in the fruit/veggie group.

As close to "junk" food as I get just happens to be one of my favorite quick-to-fix lunches. A handful of almonds, stalk of celery (or tossed salad if there is some in the refrigerator), apple (or home-dehydrated apple slices), and a chunk of Cheddar cheese (or a serving of cottage cheese).

After years of following this plan, it's just second nature.

**craftypam** · 05-12-2010, 02:59 PM

Thank you for that website. I have been wanting something to read that is easy to understand about nutrition.

**leighcat** · 05-12-2010, 04:19 PM

I usually have a sandwich on wholegrain flatbread with sunchips or crackers and a bottle of water. Sometimes I have natural applesauce, yogurt, or fruit with it.

**YankeeMom** · 05-12-2010, 04:33 PM

Lunch here is usually leftovers, a sandwich (which for us includes lettuce & tomato) or mac & cheese and veggies. As a treat the boys will occasionally have a can of spaghettios or frozen pizza.

Today my lunch was turkey cutlet wrapped in bacon on whole wheat sandwich thin (Arnold's brand) w/ lettuce & tomato and fresh pineapple on the side.