Needs some food ideas

I start school Thursday I was wondering what I could take in my lunch. I am 5 weeks post and I am eating most foods. I can't have raw veggie, hard meat and nuts. Other than that it is open. My ideas so far are cheese sticks and Atkins shakes. I am fresh out of ideas. I need to keep it Low carb and low fat. Do some of you take your lunch to school/work? Is it easier to avoid the food you can't have if you take your own. Thanks for the help Heather

Hi Heather, I go back to work on Monday and this has been on my mind a lot too! One of the things I saw posted on the August surgery date board sounded good to me: take a slice of deli turkey or ham, spread low fat chive cream cheese (I've also tried Alouette cheese) on the slice and roll it up. Where I work, they have a cafeteria with several different soups each day, at least half of them are lower in fat, so I plan to take advantage of someone else's cooking on these! I also plan to take yogurt occasionally. Plan to keep a jar of peanut butter with a package of low fat graham crackers. Hope this gives you some more ideas!

Dollar General down here in Cincinnati has "snack packs" of Turkey, ham, or chicken salad with a small pouch of crackers. For people on the soft foods diet, this makes a great meal, is pre-packaged, does not need to be kept in the fridge. Another idea is the Cambells instant soups - Just pop the top and microwave. This works for all levels - Just dont eat the veggie chunks if you cant yet. Those seem to be the simplest - as you can keep them with you and not worry about them till you open them. Lunch meat is great too, or chunks of cheese, but you gotta be carefull they dont sit out too long and spoil. Darrell Brooks www.ImLosingIt.net

Underwood Chicken spread in a can is awesome. Very soft, good taste, and great protein. Baybell Laughing cow makes these nifty little individual servings of cheese (they come 6 to a bag) in the deli. Three different flavors, soft, and perfect for one serving. Carb Countdown yogurt smoothies are good too! Oh, string cheese comes in individual servings, and the cheese and peanut butter crackers (6 per pack) are really handy to keep in your pocket. Hope these are helpful! If I can think of any more I will post. I am tired and my brain stopped hours ago!

The cottage cheese with pinapple is good snack pack. Try some sugar free pudding too. In the beginning I took my jar of peanut and spoon with me everywhere. If you are out and need something on the go @ fast food try Wendy's chilli....it task so good! Keep things like crackers with you b/c when the urge hits you to eat you gotta have something handy. Karie -110

Heather, At 5 weeks it is sometimes tough to get in your protein. I suggest that you ask this question to Erin Hurst, Dr. Curry's dietitan. She is a huge help to me and members of my website. Something I really liked was pureed chicken salad in the blender with FF mayo. I agree on the veggies. I wouldn't be in any hurry to eat them, or salads. The Atkins shakes in a can are really handy. You could keep them in a cooler along with the string cheese, and deli lunch meat and cheeses. In one more week, you should be able to eat anything other than of course salads, and possibly steak/beef. I wouldn't recommend rushing on any of that. At almost 4 years out, I still can't eat steak. Sandy Pierce imnotfatanymore.com

Thank you all! I feel like a little kid going to school for the first time instead of being in my final year of my masters program. Tomorrow I have class from 12pm to 8pm. I have my big bottle of water. In my lunch box I have a tuna salad kit, cheese sticks, peanut butter crackers, a peach and a protein shake. I don't know what I will feel like tomorrow so I packed them all. Thanks for all the ideas and support.