Lunch/Snack Ideals for work

I need help coming up with lunch and snack ideals to take to work with me. I work at a gas station/restaurant and almost everything their is fried and greasy. Even the veggies like the green beans have grease added to them! I'm always strapped for cash, and I always get something to cook for my dinner meals at home, I make these in bulk so me and my boyfriend can eat them for a few nights. I don't really want to use the leftovers for lunch since we'll eat them for dinner the next few nights. In the past I've taken sandwiches and cereal but I need a little variety, they say it's the spice of life lmao. Any ideals would be great.

-pouch of tuna and salad

-canned chicken with some kind of veggie

as for snacks:

-hardboiled eggs

-yogurt

-fruit

apple sauce cup

baby carrots

bread/crackers & peanut butter

cup of soup

I usually keep my eye on the local grocery store circulars and when Lean Cuisines or Smart Ones are on sale for cheap I stock up - same thing with the 100 Calorie Packs.  Both are extremely satisfying and real easy to just throw in a lunch bag with some carrots and fruit and yogurt and be set for the day!

Thanks to all those that have replied so far :D

If there is a microwave there you could bring baked potatoes.  Just bake a bunch when you are making something in the oven anyway.  If you like sweet potatoes, make a few of them too (they will cook faster than white potatoes).  Then all you have to do in the morning is grab one, put it in a microwave container, and add whatever you want.  If you put in some frozen veggies (corn, peas, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, spinach, whatever!) they will be thawed by lunchtime and cook nicely when you warm up the potato.  A little cheese with big flavor (such as blue or feta cheese crumbles) will make your veggie potato extra delicious.  Or have a mexi-potato and add salsa, a scoop of refried or cooked canned beans, and whatever else you enjoy on a burrito.  The potato has lots of vitamins and fiber, and you can just throw whatever is in the fridge on top of it since just about everything goes with potatoes! 

make a ton of rice...a ton..brown rice is cheap in bulk. divvy up 1 cup servings for an entire week. 

cook a crap ton of lean protein--be it chicken breasts, grilled tofu, fish, roast, and take a piece every day to have with your rice.

they make single serving frozen veggies or you can just portion out the big bag and take em to work frozen and use it like an ice pack...microwave and you're good.

you can always substitute the rice for pasta

choose different protein each week

choose different veggies each week

season the protein differently

buy jarred sauces for variety

Original Post by chrissy1988:

make a ton of rice...a ton..brown rice is cheap in bulk. divvy up 1 cup servings for an entire week. 

cook a crap ton of lean protein--be it chicken breasts, grilled tofu, fish, roast, and take a piece every day to have with your rice.

they make single serving frozen veggies or you can just portion out the big bag and take em to work frozen and use it like an ice pack...microwave and you're good.

 

you can always substitute the rice for pasta

choose different protein each week

choose different veggies each week

season the protein differently

buy jarred sauces for variety

 The rice ideal sounds good, I'v bought some to make for supper this week with chicken, I think next week I'll buy some for lunch :D my biggest problem is stocking up, not a lot of cash, but I'm trying to buy atleast one bulk item a week :D

my go-to snacks:

apple slices

yogurt

cheese stick / wheel / wedge

tortilla shell (soft)

whole grain crackers

baby carrots

snap peas

nuts or seeds

Peanut butter (half a PB sandwich on whole wheat bread), yogurt with fruit (tastes like candy), cottage cheese and fruit (low fat, high protein), smart ones or lean cuisine meals every now and then (watch the sales), rice with protein, pasta with protein, tuna sandwiches with veggies (lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, onions).

I agree with Lean Cuisines. Try to go for those...they go on sale regularly and are awesome. The chicken philly cheesesteak is great for something around 330 cals. Filling too. For snacks i eat yogurt, kelloggs protein bars mmm chocolate, 90 cal quaker granola bars, fruit (bananas are filling).

Know you asked about lunch but i have advice on breakfast. Cereal with skim milk is usually around 250 cals. If you dont like the taste of skim milk try it with cereal anyways, most cereals drown out the odd taste anyways. Cereal contains a large amount of vitamins and nowadays even the chocolate flavored cereals are good for you too. I eat only a bowl of cereal every morning and i dare say its helped me lose the weight.