Inspirations for bringing lunch to work?
Discussion
Tired of wasting money buying fast food during my lunch. Can anyone offer any ideas for things to make for lunch? I'm on a calorie deficit so it would be ideal if I can make something as filling as possible that's low cal. Perhaps something that's around 500 calories.
Had a skim through the lunch topis and I like the idea of cooking some chicken breast and throwing it into a salad. But I'm not sure what to do beyond that. Something with chicken & broccoli? It would be ideal if its something I can chuck it into a plastic container and eat it at room temp, or microwave for afew minutes.
I figure that I probably spend £5 in somewhere like KFC/McDs. Salads cost about £2-3 and have about 300cals. so I figure I could spend that amount (or less) making something nicer, that's more higher in protein & lower in carbs.
I was thinking just buying stocks of frozen chicken breast, drenching them in various marinades and grilling them the night before.
The simple, the better.
Had a skim through the lunch topis and I like the idea of cooking some chicken breast and throwing it into a salad. But I'm not sure what to do beyond that. Something with chicken & broccoli? It would be ideal if its something I can chuck it into a plastic container and eat it at room temp, or microwave for afew minutes.
I figure that I probably spend £5 in somewhere like KFC/McDs. Salads cost about £2-3 and have about 300cals. so I figure I could spend that amount (or less) making something nicer, that's more higher in protein & lower in carbs.
I was thinking just buying stocks of frozen chicken breast, drenching them in various marinades and grilling them the night before.
The simple, the better.
DIY salads and a bit of chicken or mackerel with a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar (a good vinegar). I take the oil and vinegar in separate in a small conatianer and chuck it last minute so it is not a soggy mass. That way I say what is in the salad not 9/10 lettuce and a slice of tomato from the usual suspects and anything else being charged at an exorbitant rate.
My healthy lunch at the moment is.
Tin of Sardines (ALDI 45p), Avacado (70p), Lemon Juice (say 10p), Spinach (Say 20p), all in a wholemeal wrap (say 25p).
Mix the sardines, avocado and lemon, whack it in a wrap with the spinach. Done.
A good healthy balanced lunch for approx £1.70. Hungry? Make Two.
Tin of Sardines (ALDI 45p), Avacado (70p), Lemon Juice (say 10p), Spinach (Say 20p), all in a wholemeal wrap (say 25p).
Mix the sardines, avocado and lemon, whack it in a wrap with the spinach. Done.
A good healthy balanced lunch for approx £1.70. Hungry? Make Two.
It's a minor faff putting the dressing together but it's vital to making this one of the few low fat, healthy salad dishes I actually want to eat: http://www.asianfoodchannel.com/recipe/834-crunchy...
The dressing gives it that sweet, sour, salty, spicy edge and you can omit the cashews to keep the calories down. Most meaty things, cold chicken, left-over Sunday roast meat, tuna, prawns etc will sit on top nicely.
The dressing gives it that sweet, sour, salty, spicy edge and you can omit the cashews to keep the calories down. Most meaty things, cold chicken, left-over Sunday roast meat, tuna, prawns etc will sit on top nicely.
I chop up a load of seasonal vegetables, roast these for an hour with a drizzle of oil, allow to go cold and then mix with pulses / tofu plus some seeds on top.
Today I have butternet squash, fennel, onion, and broccoli roasted together with garlic, chilli and fresh turmeric as a 'base'. Smoked tofu marinated in ketsap manis and sesame seeds on top.
The vegetable base is the key. Make enough of this once a week to last all week, and then add whatever you fancy to it each day.
Today I have butternet squash, fennel, onion, and broccoli roasted together with garlic, chilli and fresh turmeric as a 'base'. Smoked tofu marinated in ketsap manis and sesame seeds on top.
The vegetable base is the key. Make enough of this once a week to last all week, and then add whatever you fancy to it each day.
A typical lunch for me would be to cook some rice and shove a tin of fish in (there are loads of different types so you can vary your lunch a fair bit, all about £1 each, mackerel in Indian sauce is lovely) and half a tin of fruit cocktail (I would use fresh but would never use one of each fruit in time).
No idea of the calories mind...
No idea of the calories mind...
FunkyNige said:
A typical lunch for me would be to cook some rice and shove a tin of fish in (there are loads of different types so you can vary your lunch a fair bit, all about £1 each, mackerel in Indian sauce is lovely) and half a tin of fruit cocktail (I would use fresh but would never use one of each fruit in time).
No idea of the calories mind...
That doesn't sound particularly appealing. No idea of the calories mind...
HarryFlatters said:
I've been having Ryvitas, blue laughing cow, hot sauce and some cold meat for lunch for about a year.
Dull, but I've lost 2 stone.
I'd demolish them all. My Achilles heal is Jacob's cream crackers, dairylea and or pate..or sometimes with just sandwich spread. Always with lurpack. I can eat till they're all gone.Dull, but I've lost 2 stone.
I don't do it anymore
Mr Roper said:
I'd demolish them all. My Achilles heal is Jacob's cream crackers, dairylea and or pate..or sometimes with just sandwich spread. Always with lurpack. I can eat till they're all gone.
I don't do it anymore
I only take 2 biscuits, 2 cheese triangles and the ham or chicken that I'm going to eat with me to the office. If I took all the biscuits, butter and cheese, I'd similarly eat all the biscuits, butter and cheese.I don't do it anymore
I am not a disciplined man.
nagsheadwarrior said:
The way I do it is pretty simple.
Most dinners i make an extra smaller portion or two,whack em in the fridge and thats lunch sorted a day or two later.
Curries,pasta,roasts,stews all good and most taste better reheated a day or two later.
See, I'm the type that doesn't like eating the same thing 2-3 times in a row. If I've had something at dinner, I wouldn't want to have it again the next day for lunch.Most dinners i make an extra smaller portion or two,whack em in the fridge and thats lunch sorted a day or two later.
Curries,pasta,roasts,stews all good and most taste better reheated a day or two later.
Pferdestarke said:
Roasted vegetable cous cous.
I've never made cous cous before, I wouldn't mind trying it. I much prefer turkish 'Kisir'. I wouldn't mind a small amount of that with a chunk of meat which can be eaten cold.jmorgan said:
DIY salads and a bit of chicken or mackerel with a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar (a good vinegar). I take the oil and vinegar in separate in a small conatianer and chuck it last minute so it is not a soggy mass. That way I say what is in the salad not 9/10 lettuce and a slice of tomato from the usual suspects and anything else being charged at an exorbitant rate.
What do you do with the chicken? captainzep said:
It's a minor faff putting the dressing together but it's vital to making this one of the few low fat, healthy salad dishes I actually want to eat: http://www.asianfoodchannel.com/recipe/834-crunchy...
The dressing gives it that sweet, sour, salty, spicy edge and you can omit the cashews to keep the calories down. Most meaty things, cold chicken, left-over Sunday roast meat, tuna, prawns etc will sit on top nicely.
Sounds like a great idea. Not sure how adaptable it is to make different types though (to keep it interesting). Would need to find some kind of tiny bottle that would be enough to throw in just enough dressing for one meal. The dressing gives it that sweet, sour, salty, spicy edge and you can omit the cashews to keep the calories down. Most meaty things, cold chicken, left-over Sunday roast meat, tuna, prawns etc will sit on top nicely.
Pferdestarke said:
FunkyNige said:
A typical lunch for me would be to cook some rice and shove a tin of fish in (there are loads of different types so you can vary your lunch a fair bit, all about £1 each, mackerel in Indian sauce is lovely) and half a tin of fruit cocktail (I would use fresh but would never use one of each fruit in time).
No idea of the calories mind...
That doesn't sound particularly appealing. No idea of the calories mind...
NISMOgtr said:
Bread, margarine and Jam.
Terrible! I'm not much of a bread fan to begin with.Mastodon2 said:
Calorie deficit diet - bag of basmati microwave rice with some chilli sauce. Winner.
Far from inspiring though. I'd like to make something tasty. When I was a kid my last resort food would be eating rice with ketchup, so this doesn't sound too different, or inspiring.bobbo89 said:
Baby spinach, chicken and hot sauce!
ONLY those two things?I eat rice (uncle bens micro pack) with a can of makerel fillets (spicy tomato usually) quite a lot. Keeps me pretty full and has a decent flavour. I wouldn't eat it in a busy office because of the fishy smell but eat it in the staff room happily.
Give it a try?
I also make a extra portion of chicken,steak, lamb when I have some self control and take that the next day and either chuck it in a wrap or add rice or noodles.
I've got all your usual fast food places within walking distances but they never live up to a lunch I'd bring from home.
Give it a try?
I also make a extra portion of chicken,steak, lamb when I have some self control and take that the next day and either chuck it in a wrap or add rice or noodles.
I've got all your usual fast food places within walking distances but they never live up to a lunch I'd bring from home.
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