[Nutrition] Lunch Box Ideas

BeepBeep67

Ok, so back in the office tomorrow and even though there's a decent selection to be had in the canteen, it can be a bit random. One of my new year resolutions is to start bringing in a packed lunch so I have more control over what I eat.

I'm thinking.
Sandwiches on brown - Tuna/Egg/Turkey/Salad, etc.
Rice / Pasta / Mixed beans.
There's normally a decent soup on - leek and potato, broccoli and cauliflower, tomato and basil, etc, so I can supliment there.

So what's everyone's stables, does it vary if you're going long after work or hitting the intervals?

rom

My lunch now is salad nearly all bought in Aldi

1/2 head of lettuce (aldi)
3 sun dried tomatoes (aldi)
2 slices of turkey (aldi)
3 cherry tomatoes (aldi)
onion (aldi)
chopped walnuts (aldi)
1/2 an avocado (pealed and chopped) (aldi)
a few pumpkin seeds (aldi)
chopped cheddar cheese (aldi)
2 figs chopped (lidl)
a sprinkle of Balsamic Vinaigrette (dunnes)

I don't get that 3/4 PM slump that I used to get when I used to eat bread. I have tried all breads. Was paying 4.50 for one small loaf but they are all bad IMHO

PaulieC

You can get a joint of unsmoked ham in tesco for about €4. It takes about 45 minutes to boil in a pan and would give you enough for about three days.
Sliced on brown baps with either brown sauce or English mustard. As you slice it, bit tend to break off. Keep all these bits to make a pulled ham and garden pea mix with a bit of mayonnaise.

huskerdu

We have a fridge, microwave and small kitchen at work. I keep a stock of muesli, butter, jam, peanut butter and Ryvita.

If I am running after work, I have Ryvita, with butter and jam a few hours beforehand.
If I run into work, I have muesli or Ryvita and peanut butter when I get in.
I am not a porridge fan, but the guys who have >45m cycles to work have tonnes of the stuff at work.

I bring in soup and home made brown bread a lot of days. I have celeriac and carrot soup bubbling away at the moment.

RayCun

Bag of apples, bag of bananas, box of oatcakes, small lunchboxes with sliced cheese and serrano ham. Bag of nuts for a while too, but I'm giving them a rest for a week, something was going through me a bit too quickly and they were the prime suspect...

RacoonQueen

Salad for lunch is fine, getting out of the bread habit is hard though... I have 3 eggs either in an omlette or scrambled more or less every morning for breakfast(it a couple of rashers on toast if I'm treating myself) and I'm never even hungry by lunch time. Throw together a rake of salad and you'll probably be good till you get home.

Snacks are easy fruit or veg. Melon is a great morning snack, but bananas, apples, kiwis etc are probably easier. Chopped carrots, chopped peppers in a lunch box at your desk can prevent you reaching for the bag of crisps or m&m's

Hermione*

I keep oatcakes, bananas, nuts, ryvita, and dark chocolate in my desk drawers for snacks. I have Nairn's dark chocolate oat cookies and Nakd cacoa bars for the days where you just have to have something nice. I also keep porridge and seed mix for the days when I forget my lunch. I usually have Glenisk yoghurts and hummus in the fridge for a protein snack around 3/4pm if I have a workout planned for the evening. I find this selection means I never take advantage of the vending machines.

My lunch is home made soup: I make a soup nearly every Sunday for the week. That's no use to you as you have soup ready-made for you. If I happen to have no soup and no energy/time to prepare a lunch, I make a salad of tinned fish, rocket, seeds and half a lemon for dressing. I'd possibly add some citrus segments if I could motivate myself to take out a chopping board. It means lunch is done in under five minutes with no effort, so I have no excuse for buying an expensive sandwich

rom

Nakd Cocoa Orange
and
Nakd Cashew Cookie
I find the best flavours.

pistol_75

I notice a couple of you mention oatcakes for snacks. What brand/type do you recommend?

RayCun

pistol_75 wrote: »

I notice a couple of you mention oatcakes for snacks. What brand/type do you recommend?

I eat the M&S ones. Lidl ones are crunchier, don't go so well with tea...

tunguska

I always bring a homemade smoothie to work. Saves a lot of hassle, you can cram a fair amount of good stuff into one smoothie. Heres one that I use:

- 1/2 pint of water
- 1 cup of frozen blueberries
- 2 scoops of hemp protein
- 1 banana
- 1 kiwi
- 1 teaspoon of moringa olefeira powder
- Pineapple chunks
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinammon
- chopped beetroot
- Watercress/spinach/kale

huskerdu

pistol_75 wrote: »

I notice a couple of you mention oatcakes for snacks. What brand/type do you recommend?

i'm a fan of oatcakes too, but they need a bit of butter and jam.

Nairns are fab, and come in lots of flavours and are a wild price. They are widely available in supermarkets and health food shops.

http://www.nairns-oatcakes.com/our-oaty-food/oatcakes

Tesco own brand are good value and are fine with butter and jam.

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=251373824

pre

Super noodles

RandyMann

rom wrote: »

I don't get that 3/4 PM slump that I used to get when I used to eat bread. I have tried all breads. Was paying 4.50 for one small loaf but they are all bad IMHO

I hear you about the bread, it was wrecking me literally 30min to an hour after eating it. Falling asleep and no energy for evening training session. Dont touch it now and I replace it with some rice and more salad.