is this lunch okay?

araic88

I'm hoping to lose some weight in the next few months.
My diet isn't particularly bad, I have porridge every morning & decent dinners but I find it hard to say no to chocolate & such things! I also want to increase the exercise I do (it used be about twice a week, am trying to make it 3-4 times) I am on some medication which has caused me to gain weight which iv found very hard to shift.
Anyway, for the last couple of months instead of bringing sandwiches to work for lunch, iv been having 3-4 rice cakes with hummus, a banana & another piece of fruit. I hadn't tasted hummus before but love it. My lunch fills me up I would think its healthy but I mentioned it to my mum who doesn't think it sounds like "enough". My lunch break is very short & I can't heat up food so it limits what I can have.
What do you think? Sorry for the long post!

SamforMayo

araic88 wrote: »

I'm hoping to lose some weight in the next few months.
My diet isn't particularly bad, I have porridge every morning & decent dinners but I find it hard to say no to chocolate & such things! I also want to increase the exercise I do (it used be about twice a week, am trying to make it 3-4 times) I am on some medication which has caused me to gain weight which iv found very hard to shift.
Anyway, for the last couple of months instead of bringing sandwiches to work for lunch, iv been having 3-4 rice cakes with hummus, a banana & another piece of fruit. I hadn't tasted hummus before but love it. My lunch fills me up I would think its healthy but I mentioned it to my mum who doesn't think it sounds like "enough". My lunch break is very short & I can't heat up food so it limits what I can have.
What do you think? Sorry for the long post!

It sounds good to me and if it fills you up that good. Could you bring homemade soup in a flask or a salad with some protein(egg, chicken, ham, cheese, nuts or the like) for a change.

silverharp

if you can get protein in some form for breakfast/lunch it will keep you from saying "yes" to the bad stuff. Otherwise in the evening maybe limit wheat (bread, pasta, pizza etc) to the weekend. If you feel the need for a snack maybe a piece of dark chocolate.

Stench Blossoms

No, that's not a good lunch.

gg2

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

No, that's not a good lunch.

..........Why?

Stench Blossoms

......because there is f all protein or healthy fats there.

DonnaDarko09

hummus is usually made with healthy olive oil though so healthy fats there. Also some protein.

araic88

Thanks for the replies. Maybe I could bring some mixed nuts & yogurt?

DonnaDarko09

A handful of nuts is a good idea and should not derail weightloss goal. Alternatively, boil a few eggs the night before and bring in next morning?

thegreatiam

DonnaDarko09 wrote: »

hummus is usually made with healthy olive oil though so healthy fats there. Also some protein.

hummus is about 8% protein. a few smears on a rice cake wont really give enough. unless you're having about 200g on it.

DonnaDarko09

thegreatiam wrote: »

hummus is about 8% protein. a few smears on a rice cake wont really give enough. unless you're having about 200g on it.

Exactly. That's why I said 'some' protein. I did not say it was a good source and so suggested nuts would be a good addition.

dylbert

DonnaDarko09 wrote: »

hummus is usually made with healthy olive oil though so healthy fats there. Also some protein.

Any hummus I've seen in supermarkets is made using veg oil. Much better making it yourself.

thegreatiam

DonnaDarko09 wrote: »

Exactly. That's why I said 'some' protein. I did not say it was a good source and so suggested nuts would be a good addition.

and the point made was there wasn't enough protein in it.

Some isnt enough. There is protein in rocket too, but no way near enough. unless the OP is loading 100g-150g of hummus onto each rice cake then there is fluck all protein or fat in that meal. 1 large egg would be more.

However, OP if your lunch is filling you up then you don't need to change it just because someone else thinks it's not enough.

If you are sufficiently sated eg. do not get hungry before dinner, aren't snacking to compensate then your lunch is fine.

Having said that, your lunch is mostly sugar, 2 pieces of fruit, this will lead to you being hungry soon after. So I would suggest replacing the fruit with veg.

If you like hummus then making some crudites from veg and having it on that may help. Try to get a bit more protein in the meals, this will also help you stay fuller for longer.

Eggs can be boiled a few days in advance and would go in a lunch box with veg sticks and hummus. Nuts and yoghurt as suggested are a nice addition, but in small quantities as they are both high in fat or sugar and can be a lot of calories.

Just make sure to track the calories of your meal and keep it under the daily total.

DonnaDarko09

thegreatiam wrote: »

and the point made was there wasn't enough protein in it.

Some isnt enough. There is protein in rocket too, but no way near enough. unless the OP is loading 100g-150g of hummus onto each rice cake then there is fluck all protein or fat in that meal. 1 large egg would be more.

However, OP if your lunch is filling you up then you don't need to change it just because someone else thinks it's not enough.

If you are sufficiently sated eg. do not get hungry before dinner, aren't snacking to compensate then your lunch is fine.

Having said that, your lunch is mostly sugar, 2 pieces of fruit, this will lead to you being hungry soon after. So I would suggest replacing the fruit with veg.

If you like hummus then making some crudites from veg and having it on that may help. Try to get a bit more protein in the meals, this will also help you stay fuller for longer.

Eggs can be boiled a few days in advance and would go in a lunch box with veg sticks and hummus. Nuts and yoghurt as suggested are a nice addition, but in small quantities as they are both high in fat or sugar and can be a lot of calories.

Just make sure to track the calories of your meal and keep it under the daily total.

I was not disagreeing with the point of there not being enough protein or fat for that matter. I was merely pointing out that there was indeed some fat and protein in the likes of hummus and to say there was none would be incorrect.

I never eat the stuff myself but as someone suggested making your own would be much better. I just googled the brands that tescos have and the majority do indeed seem to be made from vegetable oil rather than olive oil.

thegreatiam

DonnaDarko09 wrote: »

I was not disagreeing with the point of there not being enough protein or fat for that matter. I was merely pointing out that there was indeed some fat and protein in the likes of hummus and to say there was none would be incorrect.

I never eat the stuff myself but as someone suggested making your own would be much better. I just googled the brands that tescos have and the majority do indeed seem to be made from vegetable oil rather than olive oil.

I can't stand it. but i would imagine it is fairly easy to make.
chickpeas and flavours (garlic herbs etc) in a blender add oil whisk. would probably be cheaper too, as a bag of chick peas would be a fraction of the cost of a weeks worth of hummus from a shop

edit, also need tahini, which can be got in any asian/middle eastern supermarket for cheap. ( I saw some the other day and wondered what it was for. now i know)
http://mideastfood.about.com/od/appetizerssnacks/r/hummusbitahini.htm

liliq

It's really easy to make. You need a decent blender though, as its hard on the motor.
It freezes really well too, so whenever I make it I make a huge batch and freeze it in portions.

araic88

Thanks for all the tips, definite food for thought ;-)