What do you eat for lunch?

mwhitson14 · May 2010

Now that I'm back at the library, I get hour lunches and I'm getting in the really bad habit of just going out to grab something instead of bringing lunch from home, which is starting to take a chunk out of my wallet.

I usually do frozen dinners, but I'm starting to get sick of those.

So, what do you have for lunch, if you bring it? I would love some ideas, I really suck at eating sandwiches, but if you have a really awesome sandwich you make, I'm open to new ideas.

future-mrs · May 2010

Leftovers are popular around here. Whatever I make for dinner usually works well for lunch the next day with a microwave. That or sandwiches. I hear ya on the to-go food, it does get expensive, so we avoid it as much as possible.

katiewhompus · May 2010

I fall into routines which normally consist of the following parts:
sandwich : bagel or rye bread, dijon mustard, spinach or lettuce, turkey/ham and cheese
yogurt
apple/pear cut up
carrots with hummus
special k bars (or other yummy bars)

Sometimes I also do the microwavable soups. Creamy tomato is my favorite.

thesuninherhead · May 2010

H and I always make a few meals with left-overs during the week, which we take for lunch.

Today is Mexican Chicken Bake from last night. Others we do frequently are spaghetti, other pasta dishes, pizza and curries.

kimheartsscott · May 2010

I do frozen dinners. I'm a picky eater so I'm used to eating the same few things over and over though. Sometimes I get sick of things and take them out of the mix for a while, but I've been eating pretty much the same 4 or 5 things 5 days a week for 2 years.

nda_roxybabe · May 2010

Leftovers, sandwiches (egg salad and tuna salad are my favorite), frozen meals, Soup, chili, Chili with cream cheese and crackers, crackers and cheese, cereal, cheese tortillas

mwhitson14 · May 2010

I have gotten into the habit of only cooking enough for two, so we rarely have leftovers.

I forgot about the microwaveable soups, I do like those. And our Dollar Store around here usually carries them. Maybe I just need to buy some snazzier bread and I'd do sandwiches?

katiewhompus · May 2010

Here's a scary thing, when Dh and I both worked at Petsmart this was our eating

morning : bagel and cream cheese and a coke on the way to work
9am : 2nd coke (or mountain dew for him)
11am : 3rd coke and chips out of vending machine
1pm : lunch at Dunkin Donuts for me, Mcdonalds for him
3pm: 4th coke
5pm: 5th coke to get me home
7 pm: dinner at either taco bell/arbys/wendys

Yeah...I want to puke just remembering it. We were blowing about $400 a month on fast food and caffeine.

shellydiane820 · May 2010

I eat chips and salsa almost every day. I keep it in the fridge at work and it never gets old

Sometimes, I'll take a cucumber and slice it up and eat it too.

mwhitson14 · May 2010

katie, I'm falling into that and it needs to stop immediately. For breakfast this past week? I've been stopping at the gas station next to the library and eating a packet of donuts and a coke. Lunch has been whatever fast food I feel like eating, and I've been snacking on chips and moon pies. Gaaah.

katiewhompus · May 2010

Don't give in to the processed food! That's part of what made me gain 25 pounds after the wedding. It's hard when you are tired though. You're going, "hm...I could make something...or I could spend 5 bucks and be full now..."

thesuninherhead · May 2010

I would say that you might want to consider getting into the habit of doubling the size of the meals you're making.

There's more benefits than just $'s: you control what goes into the food you're making at home, so can ensure it's healthy. You control portion size so ensure that you are taking an amount you're happy to eat at lunch. It's easy and simple to double a recipe and put the remainder into containers.

mwhitson14 · May 2010

Katie, for sure! It's just laziness and I'm so tired too. I'm working three jobs right now that easily amounts 60+ hours, and I'm just sick of having to worry about what to have for lunch! So I'm falling into that trap.

Sun, I need to start doing it. I'm sure that would help, a lot.

pooh8402 · May 2010

frozen dinners (these are a staple in our house)
sandwiches (ham and cheese, tuna, grilled cheese, strawberries and cream cheese, pb & j) with
leftovers

in nursing, I may not have time to actually sit down and eat, so I pack little snacks with all of the above--all kinds of fruit, appliesauce, pudding, yogurt, string cheese, crackers, mini candy bars, chips and dip... if this seems protein heavy, it is. that's what it takes to get through a 12 hour shift. (not all of this at once though! I pick 2-3 from this list and add to my lunch bag.)

the variety within these three main categories have been enough to keep from being bored.

AlexiaANDRobert · May 2010

Lately, I've had more time on my hands, so I've been cooking decent dinners and preparing the "lunch portions" that same night.

Otherwise, we each go grab something, but we've both been a bit better about what we're grabbing. It costs more, but we've been getting salads and veggies.

kate51485 · May 2010

I have a sandwich (tuna, or meat and cheese, with lettuce and tomato), a fruit (frequently grapes, just had the first peaches of the season this week), and a 100 calorie pack of cookies. Oh and a Diet Coke, it's one of my few vices. I don't get tired of lunch stuff being the same very quickly, so when I do I just switch from meat to tuna, or a different 100cal choice.

mwhitson14 · May 2010

Pooh, that sounds like a good idea, especially when I'm going from one job to the next, like yesterday. Snacks and variety would probably change grabbing crap habit.

Alexia, that's also a good idea, when I start having leftovers. Going ahead and having them dished out in lunch sized portions would help just grabbing and going.

Nebb · May 2010

1/2 a sandwich with meat and lettuce on it on 12 grain bread, 1 cup of soup, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese or a yogurt cup, maybe some fruit.Thats my typical lunch

katiewhompus · May 2010

Yeah, when you're working+commuting for 16+ hours a day the last thing you want to do is spend even 30 minutes making food.

Also, when I cook enough for leftovers I put the food into leftovers containers first, then get the plates ready. When I'm making things like Chow Mein it's far too easy to eat my serving, then go "yum that was good" and go finish the whole freaking thing. If you put it into the leftovers container first and put it in the fridge you won't eat it as seconds.

anna.oskar · May 2010

Flatbread with some diced chicken breast, cheese, ranch dressing and whatever veggies I have leftover in the fridge is favorite lunch. It's super-tasty!

Other than that I do leftovers or just a good ol sandwich. I also bring 1 piece of fruit, 1 yogurt, and some pistachios. i'm trying to snack throughout the day to up my metabolism.

The soda is hard to cut out for me but i bought a bunch of those crystal light type packets and am going to start bringing that to work with my water bottle.

Nebb · May 2010

I think if you really want to make sure you stay full, and are satisfied, you need a proper balance of fiber and protein - making sure you have a good breakfast is going to set you up for the rest of the day, and then you just refuel at lunch time. I didnt used to be a big breakfast eater, but once I got in the habit it became a lot easier. You make better choices if you arent starving.

andyandhillary · May 2010

I get tired every few weeks so lately it's been:

cheese quesadillas
english muffin with pb & j
egg burritos

I also bring some kind of fruit.

I am one of the few people who doesn't buy lunch everyday. I think soon i'll start making my own chicken caesar salad wraps. It's hard because I cook for myself (Andy is in MI) so I have to use things fairly quickly before I either get sick of it or it spoils. Once he's living here though I think it'll be easier.

mwhitson14 · May 2010

Anna, I have some grilled chicken that I need to do something with! That's a good idea. I was debating making some chicken salad with it. I know it's not usually made with grilled chicken, but I want to use it.

andyandhillary · May 2010

You could just make easily microwaveable things on the weekends and stock up. I get the not wanting to cook a lot the night before but even if you whipped up a few complete meals on the weekends while you're lounging around you could save them for a few weeks even.

mwhitson14 · May 2010

Nebb, I was doing really good with breakfasts during the winter, doing oatmeal. I posted a few weeks ago about warm weather breakfasts, so I just need to get back in that habit.

These are good ideas ladies, thank you!

LP11509 · May 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_eat-lunch?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:06cb6af5-2ecf-4a69-b3cc-294e7ada9e48Post:a92f3fec-b280-45fd-85c2-4bb244ed2d81">Re: What do you eat for lunch?</a>:
[QUOTE]. Also, when I cook enough for leftovers I put the food into leftovers containers first, then get the plates ready. When I'm making things like Chow Mein it's far too easy to eat my serving, then go "yum that was good" and go finish the whole freaking thing. If you put it into the leftovers container first and put it in the fridge you won't eat it as seconds.
Posted by katiewhompus[/QUOTE]

I do this too. I have lunch ready to go the next day, AND I've lost 8 pounds by having better portion control!!

mwhitson14 · May 2010

hillary, my weekends are my busiest times! Saturdays from 8-11 I tutor, 11-3 library, 3-11 hotel. So, I have very little lounging around time, haha.

andyandhillary · May 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_eat-lunch?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:06cb6af5-2ecf-4a69-b3cc-294e7ada9e48Post:27143e00-44c2-4808-a98e-30811e6abe42">Re: What do you eat for lunch?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: What do you eat for lunch? : There is a great cookbook by Better Homes & Gardens called "Cooking for Two." I used it a ton before FI and I lived together. Keeps waste down and a recipe doens't make enough to get sick of something by eating it for three of four days in a row.
Posted by ILoveMilkDuds[/QUOTE]

That's perfect! Thanks!

Sorry, Whit! That's no help at all. What about making easy casserole-ish dinners when you do have an hour to spare. One I saw was just a ravioli bake/lazy lasagna. I also make tuna casserole but that's not everyone cup of tea.

SonaliPop · May 2010

I had some spaghetti in a vegetarian bolognese. It was lovely and didn't take long at all. Worth the cooking time.

Loopyseven · May 2010

Today I had a Lean Cuisine (followed by some vending machine cookies..) sometimes I bring sandwiches. When we cook we always make lunch portions when we put it away so it's easy to grab and go. If I run out and grab something I tend to stick to the grilled chicken sandwiches (Wendy's is closest to my work).

What do you eat for lunch?

Re: What do you eat for lunch?

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