Before I was banded I ate fast food for lunch every day. Since I have been banded it has been easy to pack my shakes during the liquid phase, and some cottage cheese and apple sauce and yogurt for lunch during the mushy stage. I'm now moving on to solids and I am at a loss what to pack for lunch. I want something with some substance to it, but I cannot stand tuna, and microwaved or cold chicken appear not to be a bandsters friend. I just need some ideas so I don't have to eat the exact same thing every stinkin day for lunch forever because I can't think of something to bring that is easy to just grab out of the fridge and go. Thank you so much in advance for your suggestions.

My surgeon suggested RNY, but didn't try to talk me into it.

I was scared of it, I had heard too many bad results (yes, I know RNY works well for many, but it just wasn't for me). I did not want to have dumping .. I had similar reactions before WLS from eating the wrong foods and know how miserable it makes you feel.

I'm post-menopausal. RNY is not always recommended for women who are post-menopausal and have a family hx of osteopenia/osteoporosis (me). I have some other medical issues that would make malabsorption not advisable.

All I needed was help to control my appetite. The band does that most of the time.. hehe.. I am a member of the Bariatric Bad Girls Club.. I don't follow the "rules" 100% of the time.. but I do work at it pretty hard.

Thanks for the compliments. Ideally, I still need to loose about 20 more lbs.. which some of which probably needs PS to get off. I'm still on the fence about that.

I'm an oldie moldie, but I'm still planning on PS. My Mom had lost a lot of weight and ended up with a physically irrating, heavy, huge apron stomach, which the insurance wouldn't cover and she couldn't afford to have removed. So I'm saving my pennies, as I see the apron emerging. I'm starting to do arm exercises, but since they already do the super dangle, I will probably do those as well. I would really like to wear sleveless for the first time in 30 years, so PS will probably be the solution there, long scars or not! So if you can afford it, I'd say go for it! You only live once!

I regularly take left overs and I agree with Melissannde about lube to help with dry meat. I love alfredo sauce and found that Ragu has a lowfat alredo that only has 60 calories (2 Protein, 2 carbs) and I put that on chicken or shrimp to add flavor and help keep it from being dry. I also like the chicken sausage from Sam's club - you can eat it plain or add marinara sauce. In a pinch, I just do a salad with 3-4 oz protein and low fat dressing.

I know that everyone has their own opinions about Snacks, but I take snacks with me to work just in case I need them...while I rarely eat them, it is good to plan for it so you don't grab junk if you get hungry. My favorite small snacks are Babybel Light cheese (50 calories, 0 carbs, 6 protein) or Light String Cheese (50 calories, 1 carb, 6 protein).

I love alfredo sauce and thought we'd never get to meet again! So thank you for the info that Ragu carries a lowfat alfredo!!..and 2 protein to boot! Thanks!!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention a bandster's favorite lunch: meatballs! I make a small (I do mean small!) baking dish of turkey meatballs (8 per dish), covered in marinara and parmesan or moz cheese. Then divide it in half so I have 2 days of lunch. 4 meatballs is more than enough- sometimes 2 or 3 will even do it.

I am a leftover-taker for lunch, so another of my faves is chili. With the Beans and ground meat it is very high in Protein and super filling. The rotisserie chicken idea is a life-saver because you can do so much with the leftovers. My fave is to make chicken enchiladas with low-carb tortillas-- half an enchilada is a perfect lunch and man, those things taste better as leftovers than they do originally! Sometimes I will also take a grape tomato/fresh mozzerella/cucumber in balsamic vinagerette salad as a lunch. I also always keep turkey pepperoni and full-fat cheddar cheese cubes in my work fridge to eat for lunch on days I might forget or not have time to bring something.

I make big pots of Soup (zucchini and leek is a fave) and portion into individual containers and freeze. Those are easy to take to work with perhaps a ziploc bag of cut up raw vegies for a snack. I also take things like:

crispbreads with cottage cheese or cheese, or a small can of tuna or salmon (which you dont like, so maybe a can chicken instead?) and some sliced tomato and cucumber

dinner leftovers if its something like curry and rice or Pasta dish

four or five slices of cheese (usually a mix of whatever I have like brie, camembert, tasty, edam etc) and crackers and maybe a little pot of chilli jam to go with it

small tossed salads (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, grated carrot) with a tun of chicken or tuna and a little olive oil and salt and pepper in a small container

I can eat bread so sometimes I'll take some bread and a slice of cheese to make a toasted sandwich

I would be remiss if I didn't mention a bandster's favorite lunch: meatballs! I make a small (I do mean small!) baking dish of turkey meatballs (8 per dish), covered in marinara and parmesan or moz cheese. Then divide it in half so I have 2 days of lunch. 4 meatballs is more than enough- sometimes 2 or 3 will even do it.

I am a leftover-taker for lunch, so another of my faves is chili. With the Beans and ground meat it is very high in Protein and super filling. The rotisserie chicken idea is a life-saver because you can do so much with the leftovers. My fave is to make chicken enchiladas with low-carb tortillas-- half an enchilada is a perfect lunch and man, those things taste better as leftovers than they do originally! Sometimes I will also take a grape tomato/fresh mozzerella/cucumber in balsamic vinagerette salad as a lunch. I also always keep turkey pepperoni and full-fat cheddar cheese cubes in my work fridge to eat for lunch on days I might forget or not have time to bring something.

Great suggestions! I love the meatball idea-- meatballs freeze well, so I think I will make up a slew and baggie them up in 4-piece sets and throw them in my freezer to add to my rotation. Thanks for the idea!!

Hi Rachel!

So almonds are ok? For some reason I thought they'd be hard to get down. I would imagine you'd have to chew them reeeeeally good! I like your suggestions here for lunch! How about some dinners?

Jen

I have the same thing most days- deli turkey and cheese on a low-carb wrap. For a side I'll have cocoa or cinnamon almonds. Sometimes I'll add veggies and hummus, sometimes I'll have cottage cheese that I scoop up with soy chips... but it's easy to pack and easy to grab.