Packed Lunch Ideas

[AnewMe]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some healthy & filling lunch ideas for work? I'm getting a little tired of sandwiches!

Any suggestions?

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Anewme,

There was a very similar thread to yours, even down to the title, that was posted a couple of years ago, and there are a few suggestions on there:

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Things I can think of to suggest would be:

Jacket potato with the filling of your choice or sweet potato if you prefer.

Homemade soups made with filling lentils or beans - nutritious and filling.

Salads made with lots of interesting vegetables and ingredients - there are some threads about salad ideas if you put it in the 'Search HealthUnlocked' feature on the top right-hand side, then you can access lots of threads with those ideas.

Hard boiled eggs or tuna or smoked salmon with salad sounds delicious to me.

Not sure if you fancy any of those, but I am sure that people will add their ideas for lunch ideas, so you'll have a range to consider.

Hope you find some lunches you enjoy.

Lowcal

[Gonti 10 kg]

My favourites include bulgar wheat or cous cous with whatever toppings you lie. I also carry in sachets of miso soup which taste brilliant at lunchtime.

[Sprout15]

I like to take the makings of an open sandwich for my lunch (I have to eat at my desk). I use one slice of bread, lots of tasty salad bits then whatever you want - tuna, prawns, egg, chicken etc and a small blob of light mayonnaise. Eat it with a knife and fork and it feels like a treat and is quite substantial 😃

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Bigleg,

Your last paragraph where you state 'Cutting out the carbs" and also the remainder of that paragraph seems quite an unhealthy suggestion and statement to be making, and appears completely at odds with the principles of the NHS 12 week plan, and current Healthy Dietary advice, which advocates having a healthy balance of foods and macronutrients within the diet.

Your links to 'Ditching the carbs' also seem to advocate cutting out healthy foods, such as complex carbs: e.g. bulgar wheat, quinoa, wholemeal grains, jacket potatoes, oats, etc etc. I would like to say that these are all healthy foods, and I really hope that anyone reading your paragraph isn't influenced into adopting a potentially unhealthy diet as a result. There have been numerous side-effects reported by dieticians who have been working with people who have cut out food groups, when following faddy diets, and I do think that advising people to 'cut out carbs' isn't great advice.

Sorry if I sound critical here, but I am concerned about your last paragraph, as it appears contrary to current health advice.

Lowcal

[nhs2015 in reply to Zest]

Good on you Lowcarb for picking this up and speaking up. I have noticed for a while now that "Bigleg" pushes for a specific diet, something like " diet doctor" or similar, and always paste links towards that sort of diet. Most of the time I skip the post (not this time) as it is not really related to the NHS weight loss program.

[LessToLose 4lbs Restart April 2024]

Wraps are a nice alternative to bread (and delicious too).

A pasta salad is easy to make and is very filling.

[Cooper27]

It depends on whether you have access to a microwave at work? I do, so I make lots of soups, bean casseroles curried root veg stews, pearl barley risotto, and leftovers.

For non microwave options, I have pasta, I take sachets of cous cous where you just need to add boiling water, take pita breads, bagels, wraps and salads. If you like the sound of anything, let me know and I can send over some recipes!

Pinterest is very good for looking up this sort of thing too...

[Hidden]

I try to cook a little extra dinner the night before and take that for lunch the next day

[nhs2015]

Any salad. Add on a can of Tuna, or a boiled egg, or some cheese, or left over chicken. How about a can of beans of some sort. I like chickpeas. I have a 400g can with red onion, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. All those fit in a plastic container. All you need is a spoon or fork.