Need alternatives to sandwiches for work lunch

thirtythirty

In the lead up to christmas, over christmas, and in january I wasn't exercising, and ate and drank what i wanted. The result? A slightly squidgy tummy and a mildly fuller neck, which is the first time in my life i've had one and i do not like.

So, i've got back into cycling (40 mins 4 times a week), occasional home-weights the days im not cycling (room for improvement there i know).

I've started having either a banana or glass or two of innocent smoothie instead of either A) big bowl of cereal with full fat milk, or no breakfast at all.

And i'm ending my dependance on freezer food for dinner, and having more fresh meat in wraps / pasta. Might have freezer food twice a week - usually friday and saturday.

I'm struggling with how to change lunch though. Using one of those calorie counters, it seems like my lunch is ~1000 calories a day! Usually white bread, mayo, chicken, onion or stuffing esque sandwich. Which i know is no good. But i'm not a particularly good eater - i don't even really like apples because their texture makes me shiver!


So what are my options for lunch? I have the usual shops around my office. I'd make a "mass-lunch" for the week at home, but i'm definately not going to prepare lunch every night or every morning, so what would you suggest?

Is there some magical food group in between straight pieces of individual fruit and a tasty sloppy sambo that I'm unaware of?

Cheers

Red Cortina

What I eat for lunch most days is a whole chicken breast along with a salad made up of lettuce, peppers, tomatoes and cucumber dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Hope this helps:-)

syklops

By freezer food, do you mean food you make yourself, freeze and bring into work? Or do you mean tv dinner type things you buy?

thirtythirty

I mean frozen ribs / pizza / fish fingers / kiev type food. Normally fri / sat for conveniance.

In the last 10 minutes i've also taken the brave step and decided that 4 days a week i'm going to go for a 30min jog before work

ROMARHEATING

I buy a few bananas on the way to work on monday and keep them in my desk for snacks.

When getting lunch you could opt out for a wrap instead of sandwitch, plain chicken, loads of fresh veg and lettuce on it.

What about a salad?

Soups are great as well, as long as they are not too creamy...

xgtdec

I normally have soup ready for the week ahead and frozen, zapped in the microwave and your done, i also eat a lot of stir fry etc so i make sure to do double of everything and bring one portion for lunch, for work snacks i have banana's, some rice cakes and some whole earth peanut butter on my desk, i aint been for a lunch sandwich in a long time and i think its saves you a decent few quid aswell!!!

thirtythirty

Ok, got a few ideas for food alright, cheers. I'd completely forgotten about soup for one!

Last question - protein shakes; good or bad idea before the morning run if i'm looking for fat burning?

Colm_OReilly

Your breakfast could do with some protein. You're probably taking in just as much carbohydrate with the bananas and smoothies as you were with the cereal.

Ciaran500

spottyelephant wrote: »

Last question - protein shakes; good or bad idea before the morning run if i'm looking for fat burning?

Bad idea, protein in your stomach during cardio = vomiting.

Best off having something simple and light, bit of fruit would do perfectly and then get a proper breakfast into you when you finish the jog.

thirtythirty

Hmm, ok. I need a little help with the breakfast / jog / protein thing then.


Please note that breakfast is a struggle for me anyway, really don't like eating in the morning, and i definately won't have time to cook something.

So, what should i have that I can lash down my throat easily before the jog, and quickly put together after? What would you have? (Porridge is out of the question!)

Cheers

HardyEustace

If you have access to a microwave in your office - Cook up a batch of home made curry. I use free range chicken thighs with the fat trimmed off. Makes a great curry and is very healthy, very cost efficient as well.

Then get sandwich bags and just freeze one chicken thigh plus assorted sauce (I usually make a tomatoe based curry sauce so would have about four or five tins of tomatoes per 6-8 chicken thighs thus upping my veggie content) in each bag.

Boil up a big pot of rice, weigh out 100g (or whatever portion you prefer - also stops you over-eating on carbs) into more sandwich bags.

Then every day/ evening grab a bag of curry and rice from the freezer and hey preto - lunch. Very easy and very healthy.

Ciaran500

spottyelephant wrote: »

So, what should i have that I can lash down my throat easily before the jog, and quickly put together after? What would you have? (Porridge is out of the question!)

Cheers

Fruit should do you fine although I've had no trouble going jogging for ~20min before having breakfast.

Why no porridge? If its the taste then you really should work on it, I used to despise the taste of the stuff but persisted and had it every few days before beginning to like it.

Red Cortina

spottyelephant wrote: »

Please note that breakfast is a struggle for me anyway, really don't like eating in the morning, and i definately won't have time to cook something.
Cheers

Just finished reading a great book by Rachel Cosgrove and she saysthat your metabolism is in the gutter first thing in the morning so one of the most important things you can do is eat something as soon as you can in the morning:-)

Assets Model

I eat dinners for lunch in work like a chicken breast or pork chop or even easier fish you can do salmon & broccoli in the microwave in about 3 mins.

columok

If you have a fridge in work then this might help.

Monday I head up to tesco and buy a bag of carrots, box of cherry tomatoes and a big giant bag of salad leaves. If you can't bring meat from home M & S do full roast chickens for around 6 quid that you can split over two days.

So giant plate, few handfuls of greens, small handful of cherry tomatoes, two raw carrots, a half chicken and an apple or orange. BOOM!

xgtdec

ah yeah for ages i struggled with breakfast, i was up at 6 but not eating till i was in work at 9 as the canteen did eggs etc so i got my protein then, bu 3 hours no grub wasnt good, i tried a week of porridge and man did i struggle, i kinda like porrdige but i just can not get that down me at 6am, im now set on 1 weetabix and a whey shake with some nuts blended in, i do all my gym work in the evening after work so i cant imagine what its like jogging after breakfast, what about doing the run before breakfast, get up an hour early kinda thing? then get stuck into the grub?

ROMARHEATING

A berry salad for breakfast - quick and easy, wash a handful each: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, throw the lot into a cereal bowl and breakfast ready to serve. Besides they are rich in vitamins while blueberries are a great source of antioxidants, and will improve ur energy levels for the rest of the day. Can top up with natural yoghurt.
If u have a bit more time u can mix chopped bananas with berries, add some natural yoghurt if u like.
I tend to stay away from fruits that need to be peeled or have seeds simply due to the lack of time in the mornings.
Kiwi fruit is great as well, just cut in half and scoop the stuff with the tea spoon, very quick breakfast or snack!

COUSCOUS! It's like the easiest thing in the world to make and healthy too! Mix with a chicken salad!

legend365

Buy a juicer/blender and blend the crap outta some fruit and veg.

Spinach can go into any mix and not be tasted. Thats 1 green outta the way before you've even woke up!

I usually make an oat shake in the morning to get the porridge in:

1 banana
1 cup of oats
about 200-400ml of milk depending on oat countage

Takes abit to get used to but delish now