Healthy lunch ideas?

Laura_107

Laura_107

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Oct 15, 2010
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I am on new meds at the moment which have a side effect of raising your cholesterol (along with many others), so in an effort to avoid that I have decided to (loosely) follow a low-chol/healthy diet. The meal I am struggling with is lunch. I work in an office, so it has to be something quick and easy (I only have a microwave and crappy toaster to play with!).

My problem is I love carbs, I like substance to my meal, so a salad would leave me starving!

Has anybody got any ideas they would like to share?
 
You could be my twin with this - I totally struggle!!!
I'm boring when it comes to lunches, and I'm a veggie so think this just adds to my difficulty.
I alternate between two - home made soup (the thickest and most generous helping I can get in a tub - to make up for my determination not to have bread with it). But you could get some breadsticks or something to go with it.
The second took a bit of getting used to. I'm not a salad person either, but I have one low fat tortilla wrap from tescos, spread with 0% fat greek yoghurt and filled with one quorn slice, lettuce, cucumber, sweetcorn and low fat feta cheese. I take a tub with all the salad bits and the wrap, make up the wrap and then eat the surplus salad before eating the wrap if that makes sense. Takes me a while to eat and really fills me up. I've found I'm getting used to it and actually dare I say, enjoy it.
 
Innocent veg pots! 4 mins in the microwave. I find they are filling and like the flavours - though the majority are spicy (not hot).

Alternatively reheat a jacket potato with some baked beans.

You could make a more substantial salad with beans (eg cannelini, aduki, black eyed peas or puy lentils) peppers, green beans, lemon, parsley and tuna. Prep in advance so it's quick at work.

Or make a lentil soup to take in - with red lentils, cauliflower and some indian spices. You could have some rye bread with it - far less bloating than regular bread.
 
I have just had a banana and chocolate Philly sandwich.......heavenly!
 
I love carbs but because I don't find them satisfying I overeat on them.

For that reason I try to have lean protein at every meal. My fav ATM is chicken breast which has been sat in my chosen herbs and spices then griddled. I like that with salad as its the protein that fills me up. To get the same satisfaction from carbs means I take in far more calories in comparison.
 
Calluna said:
Innocent veg pots! 4 mins in the microwave. I find they are filling and like the flavours - though the majority are spicy (not hot).

.
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Very delicious but EXPENSIVE :(.

Lunch ideas from me -

Tikka Chicken Salad - Tikka chicken chunks, rocket, sweetcorn, beetroot,grated carrot,mushrooms, peppers, few new baby spuds - low in cals, filling and SCRUMMY :wavespin:

Half a packet of pasta n sauce (today i have had tomato & Onion), bag of steamed veggies, with couple of Linda Mcartney rosemary & red onion sausages.

got to go in a meeting ..will be back in a bit with more ideas

back for 2 mins - ok more ideas

selection of crudites ( ie carrot sticks, celery sticks & sliced peppers ) with a wholemeal pitta & a pot of low fat hummous

Wholemeal pitta filled with ham, low fat cheese and some salady bits

Mixed frozen rice & veggies bag with a tin of tuna and low salt soy sauce or a couple of tablepoons of mango chutney (sounds wrong but is LOVELY)

Baked potato topped with tuna , or cheese, spag hoops , beans (although i hate the blighters ), cottage cheese & tuna ??

I often bring leftovers on from the previous nights meal too, its sometimes a stirfry, or curry (sorry office), or a casserole of some sort.

What about WW ready meals served with a big helping of veggies on the side? Do you have a farmfoods/iceland near you? They sell the frozen microwave veggie bags for 50p or you can buy 2 birds eye steam fresh bags for £2.50 (there are 4 bags in a pack)
 
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Im hooked on asda crisp bread with cheese spread/houmus - at 13cal a biscuit, I don't feel like I'm being restricted - and then I have a tin of fruit afterwards - the small tins are about 200cal so you can do a meal in 300-350 calls easily :)
 
Thanks folks! Keep 'em coming - I'm a fussy luncher apparently!

I think I am going to make a pot of ministrone and chuck in everything I am allowed along with some wholegrain pasta, that should fill me up.

I like the tortilla idea FM, I have just been out and got wholegrain pitta's and tortilla's but I wasn't too sure what to put in them! I have bought salad stuff and low fat cheese, so I could do something similar.

I've also bought a couple of Innocent veg pots Calluna - they are nice, but expensive! I can't really afford to eat them regularly.

I was thinking of a tuna salad so the protien would fill me up - it doesn't fill me with much enthusiasm though :frown:
 
Joyscarer said:
I love carbs but because I don't find them satisfying I overeat on them.

For that reason I try to have lean protein at every meal. My fav ATM is chicken breast which has been sat in my chosen herbs and spices then griddled. I like that with salad as its the protein that fills me up. To get the same satisfaction from carbs means I take in far more calories in comparison.
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This is SO true.
I did a brief stint on a low carb and shakes and felt so much more satisfied with protein, where as normally I want bread, pasta, potatoes and loads and loads of them. I have really cut back in general and find I have tiny portions now and give OH the majority.
 
You may vanish if you eat too healthily Laura_107!
If you have a toaster why not try pitta pockets with salad and a boiled egg (maybe not for the office mind you) or some cold meat.
Thats my favourite lunch at the minute with cabbage and onion salad and white wine vinager and caraway seeds sprinkled on them.
 
Are you not allowed bread? I love granary bread (I'm sure it is partially healthylol!) One of my fav's is granary bread with Quorn chicken stylie pieces (no fat and very high fibre) and lettuce, tomato and cucumber and if I'm really going to town - some onion! Yumpers. I guarantee it will fill you up!
 
Another really good one is;
Quorn ready cooked chicken style pieces (can you see a pattern developing here?!)
Sliced apple
lettuce
tomato
cucumber
onion
cous couse
chopped red chilli (or any other hot variety you can find)
I find that salad very filling and tasty - the apple is yum too.
 
Whoops forgot to add; it is good also if you don't have cous cous - you can have it with sliced cold new potatoes that you've boiled in their skins.
 
Another recent discovery of mine is quinoa.

I can only thank god I tried, and loved, it before I googled it. It's so good for you and generally I tend to get a bit turned off by health foods.

I'm going to be having a lot more quinoa from now on.
 
salads don't have to leave you feeling hungry! i cannot do carbs due to IBS so i have salads for lunch. You can add all sorts from olives, tomato and basil to brie and chutney! I also love adding in seeds just to change it about a bit. or add in some cooked chicken or prawns? or why not sign up for a graze box? lots of people at my work have them and they have some interesting stuff in them :)
 
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