I am struggling with healthy alternate ideas for work lunches. I need to lose weight and currently have sandwiches with cheese, ham, chicken, etc. each day for work. I would like to move away from bread, but I need something quick and easy without loads of ingredients/waste. I live alone therefore don't need to buy much food in so I don't have a big selection to choose from in the mornings to make up for work. I like the idea of rice or pasta tubs but I don't know what to put with it.
Any idea's would be much appreciated.
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Dudydoo
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i was thinking that you said that you liked pasta and what could you put with the pasta so i said tuna or salmon, you could have that with rice too iv had this myself.
Sorry yes! I didn't make myself clear. I mean't if I've got rice, bread, or pasta with fish, chicken, etc. what can I put with it to make it healthy and tasty? e.g. dressing, veg, beans. It that part I'm not very good at.
You could put steamed vegetables (especially broccoli) on brown rice with a bit of soy sauce. Also you could use rice or pasta in cold salads with blanched vegetables. Peppers, tinned sweet corn, cauliflower florets with eg a vinaigrette dressing. Also a handful of cherry tomatoes and/or grapes is nice on the side. Or apples with peanut butter.
Hi Dudydoo I've swapped bread for a wrap filled with turkey or chicken dressed with a tiny amount of mustard (I like French or Dijon). Have a side salad of webbs lettuce, cherry tomatoes, grated carrot and cucumber dressed with ground black pepper. It makes a very satisfying lunch taking only a few minutes to make the evening before. I like a separate salad as the wrap doesn't get soggy and it makes my lunch seem so much bigger.
have you looked at the ingredients in the wraps I bought some and when i saw the ingredients you would think it was from the pharmacuetical company. i threw then away.
Last year, I started doing my salads at work. Do you have a fridge and kitchen in your office? I do a weekly shopping that includes salads of all sorts and proteins. I eat a lot of carbs for breakfast and dinner so I don't need any at lunch, or if I do, I add croutons. You can have a look at my instagram (same name as here), I've posted a few (among my personal photos) #lunchatwork. I find that if I eat enough salmon or tuna or eggs, I'm full and don't need the afternoon chocolate. Doing that and stepping up my exercises, I've lost 4kgs in 4months (tracking my calories on the Lose it app also helped me)
I feel healthy and because it's nothing drastic, I know my body is not going to go into saving mode and make it get it all back like crash diets. I'm planning on keeping up with my #lunchatwork as long as my office allows me to use the kitchen.
I also don't usually have a large selection of foods unless I can pick exactly how much of something I am buying. I normally plan for the week so I can have variety in what I eat (healthy or not healthy stuff). It's a good way in my opinion.
If you add more fibers (I forgot which ones, soluble or insoluble) it might help. There are some that make you absorb everything slower so you will stay full for longer and not go snacking or eat more. Since you we're worried with bread this might help a bit.
For quick salads I suggest:
I have basically a blender with lots of speed options. There's low ones that allow to chop veggies into chuncks, kinda like grated veggies.
I choose some for the week like bell peppers, red cabbage, cucumber, broccoli, etc. Throw individually in the "blender" and then put each in Tupperware in the fridge - if some would get spoiled before the end of the week I eat them first. Then next week I rotate some of them out and eat other things.
Of course you can also have cans of beans or chickpeas - those are ready to use, just take the water out of than can when adding to the plate.
Without any machine or tool it will of course take more time, but I bet it wouldn't take more than 30min every week (I take like 5min with the tools).
For leaves I do something similar. Wash, break apart, put into bag. Still only spinach and lettuce.
For the meats/fish I usually use canned tuna - again just take out of can, ready to go - or I fry some chicken and either shred it in the "blender" or just cut into pieces. Usually the chicken I save up to 2 days in fridge. There's many more options of course.
Then I just pick 2-3 "toppings", pick lettuce or spinach, pick a meat/fish put all into a big glass Tupperware I use as a plate, mix around and done.
You can off course take the dressing with you to add later. I would only add it right when you're going to eat. To take it's good to use vinegar or olive oil if it's a hot day since most dressings might spoil.
This is how I take almost no time during the week to prepare food.
These of course can be applied to wraps! To me that's just changing the plate into the wrap thingie.
Lazy mode: get a bag of those vegetable mixes that you can just put in a pan with olive oil and just eat a bit.
Hi Grace. I am trying to eat healthy but finding it hard to lose the weight due to sedentary lifestyle and too much beer. I find it hard to exercise due fatigue and spinal problems that I have. I can walk but don't like going alone. I need a walk buddy! ... I am eating healthier all the time though. How are you doing?
im glad that your eating healthier as thats a good start. its better than doing nothing isnt it? also you can get sitting down exercise videos on utube.all you have to type in is cardio exercise sitting down, into google and then hit the video links. or go directly to utube and type in cardio sitting down. i tried one last week and i was getting quite out of breath even sitting down so it does work. I had very bad pains in my legs for a while and it seems to be settling down now. I'm seldom out my house much at all and i must be needing some vitamin D by now. I just thought i would say hello and wondered how you were getting on. all the very best. love grace xoxoxo
Yes any change is better than nothing. Thanks for the tip, I will have a look on youtube. As fot Vit D take a supplement if you can, about 1000IU per day or sit by a window where the sun is coming through. I'm always happy to chat!
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I find it hard to exercise due fatigue and spinal problems that I have. I can walk but don't like going alone. I need a walk buddy! ... I am eating healthier all the time though. How are you doing?
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