Darlene and all working people - help!

I just got a full time job and for the first time in over five years I'm going to have to start bringing a lunch to work. It was easy before surgery, I ate anything. But I'm looking for good ideas for easy lunches to bring to work. Darlene, you mentioned a chicken salad with grapes, walnuts and other stuff that sounded wonderful. Have you already posted the receipe for that on this forum? At home it's pretty easy but I'll have a strictly scheuduled lunch time and only 30 minutes. So because of the fact that I have to eat slower now, I'd like stuff that doesn't need to be heated up. Thanks ladies. You are all the greatest! Hugs, Tina 315/222/140

I posted "a" recipe for a chicken salad like last week maybe... under sandwich/wrap ideas... I don't often follow recipes... I use them for an idea then go off on my own LOL Pretty much I diced chicken breast, added finely diced onion, grapes (I quartered them), pecans, mayo & salt n pepper to taste.... yummy I love the La Tortilla Factory brand wraps, they are smaller, 50 calories a wrap and very high in fiber--- they are great to fill with deli meat, cheese & vegies etc and make your own lunch wrap. We make sure we have cooked ready to go meats in the fridge--- so we can just grab a 2oz bag of cooked chicken breast and put it on a salad etc...

Tina, chicken salad is a good choice. I sometimes buy the single serving cups of tuna (these are not packed in water, so no draining needed). I'll either eat it by itself or if it fits into my budget for the day, I'll have 3 reduced fat crackers. I also make lettuce wraps with a slice of fat free cheese and a slice of lower-sodium roast beef. And if I have room after I eat that I'll chase it with 3 Splenda-sweetened gherkins from Vlasic. Yummy! Another staple that is easy to eat at work is cheese. You can either buy individually-wrapped slices or buy a block and slice it yourself. When I buy it in a block I slice it into 1 oz servings and put them in little snack bags as soon as I get home from the grocery store. I like to have fruit and cheese together (I have cheese and 4 strawberries almost every morning for breakfast). Frigo makes individually-wrapped pepper jack cheese sticks that I enjoy eating for lunch ocassionally. A lot of people like the Laughing Cow wedges (I didn't care for them). Do you like cottage cheese? There are a lot of things you can do with it. The fat free is low in calories and high in protein (the brand I buy has 80 calories and 14 g of protein per 1/2 c). I like to mix in sugar-free apricot jelly (just a tsp full) or a packet of Splenda and some pumpkin pie spice. I bought a can of Carb Select Fruit ****tail and I like to mix 1/4 c of it into the cottage cheese as well. One time I just put pepper on top. There are a lot of options with cottage cheese! I make quiche muffins that I like to eat cold. I make them with Egg Beaters so they are low in fat and calories and add whatever fresh veggies I have on hand (last week I made them with tomatos and asparagus from a friend's garden). I can post the recipe if you like. I also a custard called "Almost Rice Pudding" that I like to eat cold. It is made with cottage cheese. Again, low in calories and high in protein. If you want the recipe let me know. Congrats on the new job! Laura

Hi Tina....hope you enjoy your new job...that's half the battle of working if you enjoy what you are doing! I am a big fan of the rotisserie chickens - although I only think they are good for about 3 days, but I buy one on Sunday and divide it up - hubby takes some and I portion out my 3 days worth of servings. I try to make green beans (my personal fav) on the weekends also and take 3 days worth of chicken and green beans (hopefully you will have a microwave at lunch). I do this about every other week or you will get sick of the chicken before long! I also mix up tuna salad on the weekends and package 3 days worth and some triscuit reduced fat crackers and store them all in the refrigerator at work. Good thing about what we are eating, most people don't bother to "take or help themselves" from those things in the refrigerator! I also try to slice some strawberries up on Sunday and have a few bites of them at work. Now I admit sometimes on Thursday and Friday I have to scramble to get something! A low fat tortilla wrap with turkey or roast or ham and cheese isn't too bad. I will make one on Thursday and split it for Friday! And of course the old standby is salad with chicken preferably. Sometimes on Wednesday night I will go by Wendy's and get their BLT Chicken salad or a small bowl of chili for lunch the next day. You really have to be prepared when thinking about lunches because if you are like everybody else you won't have time in the morning to figure it out or fix it! Good luck and maybe you will get enough suggestions off your post to last you a week or 2! Barbara

When I buy my grocieries. I portion out and package my meals for work for the week. My doc and nut have me on a 5 mini meals a day plan, so I end up eating 3 times at work. I don't know what kind of job you have, but mine is a desk job. I usually package lowfat or fat free low sodium deli meats and cheese or a protien bar for my 2 meals that are not lunch. For lunch, I will usually pack 4 oz of turkey chili, tuna salad or chicken salad. My meals are very boring and are usually the same thing for the entire week, but it works for me. My girlfirend (we had the same surgeon) has a job where she only gets 30 minutes for lunch and is on her feet all day. She is living on protien shakes right now. Its harder, but she manages to do it. She just started working again after being a stay at home mom. She is still in the stages of trying to figure out what works for her. It will probably just be trial and error for a while, but you eventually get into a routine that works for you. Kathy

Congrats on your new job Tina! I am glad you asked this question because I always struggle with what to do for lunch. I can't afford to by a $6 salad every day and I would tire of that really quickly. I am trying to plan ahead but find myself getting busy and then forgetting to plan my lunch for the next day. I like the ideas that everyone shared and will be trying them myself. So Good luck on the new job. You'll do great! Hugs, Robin

Check out this link for some ideas too.... http://www.calorieking.com/recipes/Lunch-Box/

Thanks so much everyone! These are some great ideas and have inspired some more ideas as well. Hugs, Tina