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2012-11-30 4:43 PM
in reply to: #4514826

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Champion
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Calgary
Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
can of tuna
banana
apple
oatmeal

all day every day.

If you want to mix it up, bring a can of salmon, or maybe a pear.


2012-11-30 10:35 PM
in reply to: #4517097

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Expert
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MI
Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas

When I want to make a quick and easy lunch (which is often) :

tuna (from the can of course), rice, corn (frozen), soy sauce, black pepper.  mix.

With just a little extra time, sautee some chopped onions and mix in.

Instead of tuna- salmon, chicken, pork, whatever meat is left over, etc work well for me too!

2012-12-01 10:06 AM
in reply to: #4514826

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Veteran
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New Mexico
Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
Lately, I've been stuck on Progresso soups for my lunches, they have a huge variety and most are pretty good and filling.  The wife likes smart ones frozen meals for lunch . . . of course that doesn't help with your request for non-processed stuff.  
2012-12-01 3:47 PM
in reply to: #4514826

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Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
My go-to lunch is cottage cheese with a chopped avocado and cherry tomatoes, and a sprinkle of salt on top.
2012-12-02 9:06 AM
in reply to: #4514826

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Wesley Chapel, Florida
Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
Every other week or so, I buy a rotisserie chicken, and shred off all of the meat (discard skin).  In the rice cooker, I make a big batch of 60% brown rice, 40% red quinoa.  I measure off 1/2 cup of the cooked rice mixture and 3 ounces (weighed!) of chicken into individual bags and freeze.  This is my lunch base.  I also buy the pre-packaged broccoli slaw, cole slaw, spinach, steamer bags of broccoli/cauliflower mix, broccoli, stir fry veggies, or chop up 2-3 zucchini.  I can bring all of these to the work fridge at the beginning of the week.  I then put the rice mixture and that day's veggies in a glass container, cover, and steam for 2-3 minutes.  I'll add a touch of garlic-infused EVOO, low sodium soy sauce, etc.  I generally eat the whole bag of veggies, which is intended to be 4 side-servings, but broccoli, spinach etc. are free foods in my world, and I need the whole bag to feel full.  It's easy because the base is the same, but there is a lot of variety in the veggies.  And you're getting lots of veggies.  For some reason, I get bored of salads really easily ( generally don't do dressings) but the steamed veggies I can eat every day without getting bored.
2012-12-02 9:33 AM
in reply to: #4518185

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Brooklyn, NY
Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
dinabean - 2012-12-02 9:06 AM

Every other week or so, I buy a rotisserie chicken, and shred off all of the meat (discard skin).  In the rice cooker, I make a big batch of 60% brown rice, 40% red quinoa.  I measure off 1/2 cup of the cooked rice mixture and 3 ounces (weighed!) of chicken into individual bags and freeze.  This is my lunch base.  I also buy the pre-packaged broccoli slaw, cole slaw, spinach, steamer bags of broccoli/cauliflower mix, broccoli, stir fry veggies, or chop up 2-3 zucchini.  I can bring all of these to the work fridge at the beginning of the week.  I then put the rice mixture and that day's veggies in a glass container, cover, and steam for 2-3 minutes.  I'll add a touch of garlic-infused EVOO, low sodium soy sauce, etc.  I generally eat the whole bag of veggies, which is intended to be 4 side-servings, but broccoli, spinach etc. are free foods in my world, and I need the whole bag to feel full.  It's easy because the base is the same, but there is a lot of variety in the veggies.  And you're getting lots of veggies.  For some reason, I get bored of salads really easily ( generally don't do dressings) but the steamed veggies I can eat every day without getting bored.


Wow--that's just way more organized and disciplined than I could ever hope to be.


2012-12-02 6:33 PM
in reply to: #4514826

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Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
FloridaTriGirl - 2012-11-29 10:55 AM

Hi!

I'm looking for some new, easy lunch ideas that avoid processed foods. I try to take leftovers when I can. Recently I've been eating a lot of soup but am getting bored. I make salads and chop my veggies Sunday night so even new salad ideas would be great! Anything I can prepare ahead of time for the week.

I keep ending up taking something I don't like or I'm bored of and then eat half of it and end up with something unhealthy to supplement it when I'm hungry.

Any ideas? Thanks so much!



I go to Kroger or Central Market and buy salads that are pre-made. They have all the fixings. All I have to do is pour in a bowl and eat. Easy, no prep, and healthy!

2012-12-02 6:43 PM
in reply to: #4514826

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Regular
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Missouri
Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
wow it seams like everyone is vegetarian now. the first page only mentions meat twice.
2012-12-02 8:23 PM
in reply to: #4518196

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Extreme Veteran
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Wesley Chapel, Florida
Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas

jmk-brooklyn - 2012-12-02 10:33 AM
dinabean - 2012-12-02 9:06 AM Every other week or so, I buy a rotisserie chicken, and shred off all of the meat (discard skin).  In the rice cooker, I make a big batch of 60% brown rice, 40% red quinoa.  I measure off 1/2 cup of the cooked rice mixture and 3 ounces (weighed!) of chicken into individual bags and freeze.  This is my lunch base.  I also buy the pre-packaged broccoli slaw, cole slaw, spinach, steamer bags of broccoli/cauliflower mix, broccoli, stir fry veggies, or chop up 2-3 zucchini.  I can bring all of these to the work fridge at the beginning of the week.  I then put the rice mixture and that day's veggies in a glass container, cover, and steam for 2-3 minutes.  I'll add a touch of garlic-infused EVOO, low sodium soy sauce, etc.  I generally eat the whole bag of veggies, which is intended to be 4 side-servings, but broccoli, spinach etc. are free foods in my world, and I need the whole bag to feel full.  It's easy because the base is the same, but there is a lot of variety in the veggies.  And you're getting lots of veggies.  For some reason, I get bored of salads really easily ( generally don't do dressings) but the steamed veggies I can eat every day without getting bored.
Wow--that's just way more organized and disciplined than I could ever hope to be.

 

But it only requires me to be organized once every two weeks or so (I could probably even do a months' worth at a time).  Then I just bring the frozen baggies of rice/chicken mixture in to work and pop them in the freezer, along with a few bags of pre-washed, pre-cut veggies.  It provides variety without a lot of work every day, and that's what I need -- I am otherwise terrible about feeding myself lunch or planning appropriate leftovers, then I gorge on crap from the deli in the building.  

2012-12-02 9:26 PM
in reply to: #4518620

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Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
nolken - 2012-12-02 6:43 PM

wow it seams like everyone is vegetarian now. the first page only mentions meat twice.


I have been one since 1991.

2012-12-02 9:43 PM
in reply to: #4518723

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Regular
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Missouri
Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
dinabean - 2012-12-02 9:06 AM Every other week or so, I buy a rotisserie chicken, and shred off all of the meat (discard skin).  In the rice cooker, I make a big batch of 60% brown rice, 40% red quinoa.  I measure off 1/2 cup of the cooked rice mixture and 3 ounces (weighed!) of chicken into individual bags and freeze.  This is my lunch base.  I also buy the pre-packaged broccoli slaw, cole slaw, spinach, steamer bags of broccoli/cauliflower mix, broccoli, stir fry veggies, or chop up 2-3 zucchini.  I can bring all of these to the work fridge at the beginning of the week.  I then put the rice mixture and that day's veggies in a glass container, cover, and steam for 2-3 minutes.  I'll add a touch of garlic-infused EVOO, low sodium soy sauce, etc.  I generally eat the whole bag of veggies, which is intended to be 4 side-servings, but broccoli, spinach etc. are free foods in my world, and I need the whole bag to feel full.  It's easy because the base is the same, but there is a lot of variety in the veggies.  And you're getting lots of veggies.  For some reason, I get bored of salads really easily ( generally don't do dressings) but the steamed veggies I can eat every day without getting bored.


this is basically exactly what i do.

I made a "menu" of meals and have the recipe nutrition stored in a database. there is two parts to the menu. individual meals and family meals.

for the individual meals:
i weigh everything. i rarely, if ever, use volume for measurements. i don't buy a rotisserie usually, way too much sodium. i'll buy boneless skinless chicken breast, pre cook a ton of it and either shred it or dice it. sometimes i'll measure it out before hand, but usually i just freeze it all together in a gallon size ziploc bag. about an hour after i put it in the freezer i go in and shake the bag up so it doesn't freeze together. then when i need it i'll just take it out and weigh how much i need. chicken is a base for many things i make. I also do this with brisket, barbacoa and turkey. then i'll either have rice or pasta pre-cooked in the fridge. as for fruits and veggies, I usually slice them up and take the set amount needed for the recipe and either use the rest for another meal or just feed it to the kids (don't have to manage their diet so strictly for the most part). most of meals have different options for sides with the respective weight allowed. Every ingredient of the meal is individually weighed. for example when i make a pb & j, i'll weigh the peanut butter, then i'll weigh the jelly. I always buy the same bread so i don't have to reconfigure the recipe. same when i make a burrito. i always buy the same tortillas, then i weigh the rice, then weight the barbacoa then the pico de gallo/salsa, then the greek yogurt (instead of sour cream). i also will freeze other things like spaghetti sauce for meals (next section)

for the family meals:
when i make things like spaghetti sauce (i don't buy jar sauce, i make my own, as i do with pretty much everything) i'll make a massive batch, then i simmer it down until it weighs a certain amount. again i like uniformity. at that point it's done, and i know that i like 145g pasta and 128g sauce with 2 tsp parmesan, and i know the exact nutrition facts of it. to get the nutrition facts of everything, i recorded the total nutrition of everything i put into it, measured the weight of the final product.

it's kind of difficult to explain everything, but you get the point. it's about as accurate as you can get. i don't keep track of most seasonings and things like lettuce and low calorie condiments of a small amount. of items that weigh a small amount, like parmesan, salt, sugar of small amount i measure by volume. I also eat very regularly, about 5 meals per day.

it may sound really tedious, and i'll admit it sucked while i was coming up with the "menus" and when i first started, but now i love it. it's simple, easy and it doesn't take as much time as trying to come up with something new all the time and having to make a meal 5 times a day. i never realized how much time i spent preparing meals before. and half the reason i used to skip meals was because i didn't know what to make or i just didn't feel like doing it. now i have set options that are easy to make. And i spend less money on food now too, because not as much goes to waste.


2012-12-02 9:50 PM
in reply to: #4518723

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Missouri
Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
dinabean - 2012-12-02 8:23 PM

But it only requires me to be organized once every two weeks or so (I could probably even do a months' worth at a time).  Then I just bring the frozen baggies of rice/chicken mixture in to work and pop them in the freezer, along with a few bags of pre-washed, pre-cut veggies.  It provides variety without a lot of work every day, and that's what I need -- I am otherwise terrible about feeding myself lunch or planning appropriate leftovers, then I gorge on crap from the deli in the building.  



It's hard to sell people on this idea because they think it takes more time and it is a bunch more work. what people don't realize is how much time they actually spend preparing meals one at a time. doing it how you do it probably divides meal preparation time in half.

i challenge everyone to do a time journal for a week. record EVERYTHING you do in the journal, then at the end of the week tally everything. you'll be amazed how much time you waste doing many things. very eye opening, many people realize how much time they would actually have if they just managed their time better. many people who say they don't have time to train as much would actually figure out they do have the time
2012-12-03 8:56 AM
in reply to: #4514826

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Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
Pretty much any meat we make for dinner winds up as a taco for lunch the next day. I just keep salsa and tortillas at work now.
2012-12-03 9:05 AM
in reply to: #4515980

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Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas
I eat sliced turkey and mustard on real bread almost every day. With a piece of fruit. By real bread I mean stuff that comes from a bakery, not the chemical and air-filled stuff from a supermarket.
2012-12-03 9:28 AM
in reply to: #4518783

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Alpharetta, Georgia
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Subject: RE: Healthy Lunch Ideas

KSH - 2012-12-02 9:26 PM
nolken - 2012-12-02 6:43 PM wow it seams like everyone is vegetarian now. the first page only mentions meat twice.
I have been one since 1991.

Well the fact is -- meat takes TIME to prepare. So when we're in a thread talking about lunch ideas, most people don't have time to fire up a grill, oven or stove to prepare meat on the go. More than one person mentioned using leftover meat items for lunches the next day... so there's an idea.

Or it could be because meat is unhealthy and gross Tongue out



Edited by lisac957 2012-12-03 9:28 AM
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