Brown bag lunch ideas

Hi everyone, I was thinking on the lines of what Marie was saying about posting what we eat.  I will be going back to work in a few weeks - my vacation is coming to an end anyway, I'm not sure what to bring to eat for lunch and snacks.  I've had two fills.  By the time I go back to school I'm sure I'll have fill #3 because I know I need it.  Right now I can eat just about anything and almost as much as before.  For breakfast, I either bring a weight control oatmeal or a Proti bar with yogurt and a smidgen of kashi go lean for crunch.  I will be trying Eggface's breakfast bites as well - figure I'll make up a batch and freeze them.  Any lunch and snack ideas will be appreciated.

Also, those Oh yeah wafers..............I was checking the calories:

Total Calories	210
	Calories From Fat	117
	Total Fat	13	g	20%
	Saturated Fat	6	g	30%
	Trans Fat	0	g
	Cholesterol	2	mg	1%
	Sodium	130	mg	5%
	Total Carbohydrates	8	g	3%
	Dietary Fiber	2	g	8%
	Sugars	2	g
	Show Net Carbs Net Carbs Minus Fiber	6	g
	Protein	14	g	28%

OOps, oh well - anyway - is that too many calories for a mid-afternoon or mid-morning snack?  I know I won't be able to eat just one if they are as good as some say they are.  THanks!
Jules

Some things that I rely on that travel well are:

-string cheese
-nuts
-lunchmeat roll-ups
-cold shrimp w/ ****tail sauce
-chili
-carrots/celery
-SF Pudding
-protein bars

Hope this helps!

~Laura

Thanks, Laura - I'm hoping for some restriction so things such as you suggested will satisfy me.  Hope to see you soon!  jules

Hi Jule!

I'd venture to guess that the amount of calories you consume at snack time(s) depend upon how many calories you're allowed per day. If you're on a 1,200 cal a day diet, then I would say yes, too much if you're doing 3 meals a day and 3 snacks a day. Kind of like, where do you want to spend the bulk of your calorie intake? Snacks or meals or divide it all evenly? You know?

Are you still seeing a NUT? A nutritionist will help a lot.

I miss you!

Jules

Hi Jules!  I miss you, too!  You're right about the calorie thing - where I want to spend the calories.  I did make an appointment with a nut and I see her next week.  I've been collecting recipes I like from Eggface and I'm going to bring them to her.  My husband said that he thinks I shouldn't be eating or cooking differently because with the band what I eat gets absorbed normally.  I basically cooked healthy before, just ate too much of everything.  I still want to see what the nut has to say.  Talk to you later!  Jules

Hey Jules, I bring lunch to work every day. I buy the small packages of tuna or the canned ones. They come in a lunch kit with low-fat mayo and crackers. Sometimes I have the crackers, sometimes not. They are the perfect size with no measuring. Also I buy the hormel complete dinners. They have a few that are low-cal/fat. But read the labels carefully!
I always have a protein bar,raw almonds or string cheese... 'cuz sometimes I just dont feel like having a meal. I try to keep carrots and/or celery for munching.. 'cuz again.. sometimes I need to have a mid-morn snack or something to crunch! I also make my own trail mixes. I buy soy nuts, raw almonds, rice crackers, and then I switch it up by adding either dried mango or apricot.. or choc covered soy nuts.. or plain/yogurt raisins. I like the variety. I have also had the choc craving from time to time and will add about 10 choc chips to a baggie of mix. Just have fun and be creative. Have Fun!!  

I usually pack my lunch, but there is also a cafeteria here at work. I do a lot of salad with chicken.  What works best for me is if I buy the prepared chicken and do the beginnings of a salad.  I put roasted red peppers and the chicken, sometimes a sprinkling of Gorgonzola cheese or a couple of Kalamata olives to spruce it up, and I put my own fat free dressing in the bowl.  I then get the basic salad fixings from the salad bar to add to it.  I also do Yogurt with cut up fruit (mango is my favorite, or sometimes some raisins and almonds), sometimes I make a sandwich on 1/2 of a LF wrap or a whole wheat small Pita to change it up.  For snacks I use melba crackers and low fat cheese or a piece of fruit or some soy crisps.  My doc told me I should be shooting for 800 calories a day, but that's really hard.  I think I rarely do that, but I'm not good about counting calories.  I check labels and make sure I'm making good choices, but I don't really keep close track.  The easier I make it, the better I will stick to it.

Hi Jayne, thank you for your reply.  In the beginning, after surgery once I was on food, a half of sandwich was doing it for me.  Now, it doesn't.  How many fills have you had?  Are you satisfied and not dwelling on eating and food after a half sandwich?  I'm hoping for this.  It's why I had the surgery and I'm feeling discouraged.  I've had two fills.  I'll see Dr Giovanni in a few weeks and I'm pretty certain she'll be giving me a fill.  Thanks for you response!  I appreciate all ideas!  Jules

Hi Tammy, thanks for your suggestions!  I never thought about the tuna thing and I do like tuna.  I also will check out the Hormel complete dinners.  I may try your trail mix, too.  I perked up when I read "chocolate covered".  I'll eat anything that is chocolate covered!  Thanks again!  Jules