Good Lunch ideas?
 

Hi there! I'm looking for some tasty, low-calorie lunch ideas. I'm trying to wean myself off noodles and microwave chicken nuggets...so hard! Those Hot Pockets also are a weakness of mine. I need something tasty with very little fat so that I don't eat too much in a day. I'm trying to lose 37 pounds by May 15, and 12 by Christmas...thanks for any help you can give...I'm not a good cook so salad and sandwich ideas are best :)

Thank you!

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Lauren

Taco salad with either chicken or Greek yogurt or a little of both.
Canned "Healthy" soup of some sort, and I usually eat the whole can.
Garden salad with turkey, boiled egg and ff cottage cheese.
Sandwiches made on whole wheat bread with rf cheese and a piece of fruit.
Leftovers from dinner the night before.
I also do a lot of seasonal veggies from the garden and generally I prepare them very simply baked, broiled, boiled, mashed etc etc.

In terms of chicken nuggets, there is an episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution that covers that topic in such a way that you'll be cured of your craving. Trust me on that one.... After watching it even my kids won't eat them anymore.

I love the FlatOut wraps--lots of fiber and only 90 cals. I like tuna or chicken, sometimes with the pre-cooked thin bacon (avoid if you're super low-fat). Deli ham or turkey and low fat cheese is good in them, too. One of these and a fat-free, low cal yogurt or serving of fruit is a very filling lunch. This is what I eat for lunch most work days.

ZOMG (and no, I don't say that often), Flatout wraps are amazing!!!!! My husband is less than into what he calls my "health food" (haha), but even he is addicted to those things. Like Mecompo was saying, they are very versatile and very tasty. I also like making them with (my own) tuna or chicken salad.
For days where you're pressed for time or just don't want a lot of lunch, you could also go with a protein bar, probably for around the same calories as a Hot Pocket (I could be wrong on that one; been a long time since I had one).
I second Almeeker's congrats, and wish you all the best on your journey. :)

I purposely cook extra at dinner for leftovers. I always buy big tubs of greens at Costco for salad. Sunday, I bought some tapioca rice stick noodles and rice paper at an Asian grocery store. Both products have only 20 calories per serving.
I just ate less than a portion at supper with broiled salmon and a green salad and was absolutely stuffed. Those noodles are great and only 3 g of carbs too. I am thinking of ordering those miracle noodles. Unfortunately, the rice version isn't available here yet...can you imagine rice pudding with it? Cool... They would make a good lunch too...especially if you are craving pasta.

Taco Salad sounds really tasty. Can you tell me how you make it healthy? I am only used to the ones you get a restaurants that I am sure are very high in calories and fat!

Hi there,
 

Can I recommend a really good book. It is by Anita Bean and titled Sports Nutrition, we are using it for our foundation degree in Sports Exercise and Science. At the back of it are healthy receipes and sandwhich filler ideas. My favourite is Spicy Chicken with Rice, you would divide the receipe up in half as it suits two. Calories wise you'd be eating 325 calories per person. Can forward it to you if you'd like.

Best Wishes,

Tiarella:D

For taco salad, use salsa instead of dressing and lean meat (chicken or turkey) instead of beef. Go heavy on the tomatoes, skip the sour cream or substitute a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt, and use crushed tortilla chips as a garnish on top (like croutons) instead of a big portion at the bottom of the salad. Go with fat free cheese, or if you don't like the taste, a small amount of regular cheese. Diced avocado is a nice touch too.

I'll often use spinach instead of lettuce in a salad, but that's too strong a flavor for taco salad. Romaine is nicer than iceberg lettuce.

Thanks for the suggestions!! I will try to use them in the future!!

I make it lots of different ways, but my favorite way is to have leftovers from chicken fajita night. When I make the chicken I slice it into strips and pan fry it in a little cooking spray with peppers and onions and toss in a packet of fajita mix and some water so the packet makes a bit of sauce. So to make the salad I just pile a plate up with shredded lettuce, I'm with Lizzy on the Romaine but I'll use iceburg if it's on sale. Then I add the meat 3-4 oz, like 1/2 cup of salsa (20 calories so dump it on), then I add about 1/2 a container of Greek yogurt to the top. Very rarely I add a little sprinkle of rf cheese to the top, with all the Greek yogurt you don't miss the cheese at all. I also like to sprinkle the top with spicy black beans or maybe some black olives and a big handful of diced tomatoes. Again I'm with lizzy on the avocado, better yet mash it up and make some guacamole and skip the Greek yogurt.

Another way I like to make taco salad is with crock pot salsa chicken. I just take 4-5 frozen chicken breasts toss them in a crock pot with a quart of salsa. You can rush the process with a pan on the stove top and half the ingredients. Once the chicken is cooked through, shred it with a pair of forks and toss it back in to the salsa. This keeps well in the fridge so once I make a batch I can eat taco salad for days without having to cook anything. You can also take the crock pot salsa chicken, toss in a can of black beans and some chili powder and have a rock'n awesome chicken chili.