I hope there's some "old hands at this" out there who can offer some good advice on lunch ideas. I'm having a very difficult time and I know I'm eating the wrong stuff. Here's the problem: I work all day, and we have only a fridge and microwave at the office. I HATE every thing that's seafood, so I can not figure out what to bring for lunch every day that's nutritious enough, yet will keep me feeling full. I also can't stomach the smell of protein shakes anymore. So what's been happening is that I end up going to Wendy's or someplace like that and eating "fast food". True, I can't eat as much as I used to, but they're still bad choices. So... if you brown-bag it to work, what kinds of foods do you pack on a regular basis? (Stuff that doesn't swim!) What does your normal work-week lunch have in it? I do NOT want to fail at this, but it's frustrating every day to figure out what I'm going to eat for lunch. ANY advice will be greatly appreciated!!!

I bring a Lean Cuisine to work everyday for lunch. Or leftovers from the night before. I heat 'em up and eat the protein bits and veggies from the Lean Cuisines and if I bring leftovers, I know its nutritous and will go down. These are my quick and easy lunchtime solutions that I've come up with...

I HATE every thing that's seafood, so I can not figure out what to bring for lunch every day that's nutritious enough, yet will keep me feeling full. I also can't stomach the smell of protein shakes anymore. So what's been happening is that I end up going to Wendy's or someplace like that and eating "fast food". True, I can't eat as much as I used to, but they're still bad choices. So... if you brown-bag it to work, what kinds of foods do you pack on a regular basis? (Stuff that doesn't swim!) What does your normal work-week lunch have in it?

If I bring lunch, and it's not left overs from whatever I cooked the night before, then it's something like pepperoni chips, <meat>salad (tuna, chicken, turkey, etc.), hummus/pita, cottage cheese, etc. If I eat lunch out then it's usually an organic soup, or maybe a baked potato. Lunch is a difficult meal for me so I try to keep it to things that don't cause me much trouble, in lieu of not eating anything.

Salads

Chicken salad - Canned chicken, light mayo, relish, boiled egg and anything else you like in it.

Lean Cuisines

Deli meat

Canned chili

soup

Left overs

Sandwiches if you can handle the bread

Lettuce wraps - same as a sandwich but with out the bread

Boiled eggs

Egg salad

Taco salad - Cook taco meat and bring to work and heat up and put in a salad and top with salsa. I like this idea, I think I will do that.

Thanks for these wonderful suggestions! I'm still at the discovery stage of figuring out what I can and cannot eat, and these are great ideas! I'll make a list to take to the grocery store next time I go.

Chicken breast

Chop the chicken add mayo and make a chicken salad

Turkey burgers or ground turkey

Yogurt

Cheese sticks

Salad

I buy a rotisserie chicken breast once a week. Weigh it into 3 oz servings, put that in snack bags, and cut up celery, then I make chicken salad with light mayo or light miracle whip. And a small salad. I like to make a few salads at the beginning of week, and then I can just grab them. Or Turkey chili, or a lean cuisines, leftovers.

I just keep telling myself, "if your fail to plan, you plan to fail" Not going to do that this time! Good luck.

I can handle bread so I like to eat sandwiches. I've never liked sandiwches much but I find when I eat one for lunch, I stay full for hours and hours and I dont eat half as much at dinner either. It really is my top weight loss tool. I usually just have a small filling - even Peanut Butter.

Other than that, I like things on crackers - cottage cheese, hommus, cheese and tomato, avocado and tomato, vegemite (lol) and some fruit.

Or one of those gourmet yogurts (the greek style with pureed fruit) and a piece of fruit.

Soup. You could make a big batch and freeze, or buy it in tins.

*LOL* I feel as though I've reduced the chicken population since my surgery! I even bought a book called "365 ways to cook chicken".

Check out this link...I has what people are eating daily. I have received lots of ideas from it. Hope it helps.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f9/share-ideas-what-did-you-eat-today-36828/index37.html

This is another good thread for lunch ideas:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f9/lunch-box-ideas-54501/