I was asked after my last post to give examples of all the food that I bring to work. (Thanks Moi Aussi!) I usually pack some food for breakfast, lunch & dinner, all of which I’ll eat at work during the week. At least while the overtime lasts.
I’ll admit to being pretty lazy and/or tired, so I try to make things easy on myself by preparing food on the weekends and putting it in the freezer to be able to grab and go later. I also make a lot of salads, which are really quick to make & can be prepared a day or two ahead of time. I also use fruit, which is easily grab and go or quick to cut up. I’m not above using canned fruit or veggies either.
I also take time once a week or so to make up individual servings of snacks that I can grab & go… like dry cereal, crackers and baked Cheetos. I just have a basket of baggies that sit in my pantry ready to grab when needed.
All of this helps because I’m very portion-conscious. I’m not a fan of leftover and I’m watching what I eat, but I refuse to eat only diet food.
Here are some examples of my breakfasts. I mix & match, but usually have one fruit & one grain-type item.
-Strawberries & Splenda or Lite Cool Whip
-Sliced green apples
-Fruit cocktail
-Banana
-Dry Cheerios
-Dry Rice Chex
-Oatmeal (the individual packs that you just add water to)
-Granola bar
Lunch Examples (sometimes I switch lunches with dinners)
-Sandwiches – turkey & chase, peanut butter & jelly, tuna salad. I vary them up by using different types of breads, pitas and wraps
-Different types of salads
– Big ones with Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, celery, green pepper and I vary my dressings a lot, as well as change things up with toppings (green beans, sunflower seeds, croutons, bacon bits, cheese, chicken and/or turkey)
– Cucumber & tomato salad (a summer favorite)
– Pasta salad with a little pasta & a lot of veggies and turkey pepperoni (very filling)
-Crackers with Peanut butter
-Crackers with sharp cheese & turkey pepperoni
-Soups in the winter-time
Dinner Examples, which could easily become lunch examples:
-Pasta with meat sauce or with red sauce & chicken strips
-Sloppy Joe (easy to freeze) with toast, bun or over pasta
-Meatloaf muffins (made with ground beef & stuffing – also easy to freeze)
-Chicken – lemon, shake-n-bake, barbeque
-Veggie burgers (can be cooked in the microwave) with bun
-Breaded chicken patties – on a bun or with a side of pasta
-Beef stew (easy to freeze)
-Chili (easy to freeze)
Sides/Snacks- baked cheetos, fruits & veggies, green beans, peas, apple sauce, baked fries (sliced potato baked with Old Bay), crackers and microwave popcorn
I drink lots of water (a minimum of 64 oz a day), have sodas at my desk (limit to 1 a day).
Hope this is helpful to anyone looking for meal ideas!
Saving on Food - Meal Plans (Long)
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