office lunch ideas please?

[focus83]

sorry if this has been asked many times before but can everyone give me a idea about what you bring into work for your lunches? i tend to eat alot of salads, normally chicken, but i feel i need more variety before i get soooo bored that i want to cheat

so are there some great recipes or ideas you guys use regularly that i could cook in advance then bring into work. thanks

[not2late]

First off, do you have access to a refrigerator or microwave oven at your office? If you do, then you can prepare "proper" meals the night before (leftovers, perhaps) by packing them into a microwave safe container, then heating it at lunchtime.

I'm a soup person. So in winter I pack soups into a thermos container. In summer, I prepare cold soups, like gazpacho or cucumber, put it in a labeled glass jar and store it in the office frig (my co-workers don't know that cold soups are extremely refreshing during the summer months, so they don't touch my colorful soups.)

I often have leftovers for lunch, usually the leftovers from two nights before. For example, if I have salmon on Monday for supper, I pack a portion of it and a veggie for lunch on Wednesday. I find that eating "heavier" during the noon-time meal keeps me going longer in the afternoon, than if I eat lighter, a salad for example. It also keeps me from overeating supper or having that "starving" feeling around 4-5 PM.

[not2late]

PS. I read a number of old cookbooks and such. It's kind of funny that working people used to eat the major meal of the day at noon-time---because they needed that energy from that meal to continue working the rest of the day. So they ate roasts, veg, etc. In the evening, their meal was lighter--leftovers or soup.

Light lunches of salads etc. were often served to ladies---particularly the non-working ladies of leisure because they didn't need to work in the fields or scrub floors etc and therefore, didn't need to eat huge roasts and veg.

I think, energy-use-wise, it makes more sense to eat a hearty breakfast and a hearty lunch. The breakfast will keep you going throughout the morning. The lunch will keep you going throughout the afternoon. And supper is kept light---because you are sleeping throughout the night and don't need the same amount of energy as you would when you are awake during the day. Just my 2 net carbs..........

[ShannonK]

I think that it is always smart for me to pack and bigger lunch than I need. That way I am not as tempted and if I get the munchies later (not to be confused with the real feeling of hunger, btw) I can reach into my goodie bag.

I try to bring a salad of some sort, but I also bring a steak or a chicken breast. One of my favorites right now is cold chicken breast that has been marinated in hot wing sauce and baked. The salad with celery and blue cheese dressing and tomatoes. Sometimes, I do taco salad or cobb salad. I agree, though, it has to be different every day as much as possible. I am the worst for eating the same thing over and over. Best to plan ahead on the week-end.

[MsUnderstood0000]

I cook a few casseroles from Linda's site and take them for lunches. This week, I had made the yummy thin crust pizza, chicken enchilada casserole, a two bean salad, regular salad with chicken breast, and an awesome broccoli, sausage and egg quiche were my lunches/breakfasts this week. Variety is the spice of life.

Meg, wow those cold soups sound awesome and I would really like to try that.

[JulieB]

I usually bring leftovers - or a green salad with tuna, chicken, salmon salad on top. I make lots of Linda's recipes ahead of time. I agree - variety is key!

Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes - Recipes

[chillispice]

It's kind of funny that working people used to eat the major meal of the day at noon-time

thats how I was brought up, but it is difficult to manage these days when there isn't someone at home cooking and cleaning - and it fits with the advice to " breakfast like a king, dinner like a prince,supper like a pauper".

Having said that, growing up in post-war Britain, most of our meals were mainly cheap carbs - potatoes and other root vegetables were the basis of our meals, with meat used as not much more than flavouring!

[not2late]

The gazpacho recipe I use is the one by Jose Andres. It's here: http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...best-ever.html (Patricia's Gazpacho: the best ever.)

For the cucumber soup, I toss peeled, cut up cucumber into a blender with mint leaves and enough water to get the blender going. Puree it. STore it in the fridge---tastes best cold. To serve, I add a tablespoon of sour cream or heavy cream for each 1 cup serving.

Originally Posted by chillispice

Having said that, growing up in post-war Britain, most of our meals were mainly cheap carbs - potatoes and other root vegetables were the basis of our meals, with meat used as not much more than flavouring!

I remember reading a World War II site that people thought that they would lose weight, due to the rationing. But instead they gained weight.

[focus83]

thanks for everyones reply we do have a fridge but it always full to the brim so i tend to not bother putting anything in there and normally my chicken salad is at room temp but i dont find that a prob. we do have a microwave but its not always active, sometimes the staff room is closed off for certain reasons.

Tonight i made stir fry so made enough to bring in tomo. Might have to do some omlette for some of the days this week. Not only do i want something filling im trying to watch my money as well and having chicken salad everyday isnt cheap for me. Especially because i like roasting chicken and im watching my electric and gas bills. lol

[Elizellen]

Do you have a slow cooker/crockpot? They are an economical way to cook food.

You can sort of 'roast' a chicken in one if you rub it with spices, push some butter under the skin or lay bacon over it and add only a little water to stop it burning.