Lunch at work for the unorganised?

[Glitterkitten24]

Hello,
I've been low carbing for about 2 months now, am really feeling the benefit and have lost 20lbs!

I work in an office in a shopping centre, with a tesco, marks, cafes etc.
Most days I prepare a salad of some description and take to work for lunch.
But sometimes, if I'm running late or forget to lift my lunch I need to buy something to eat.

I'm really struggling to pick up something low carb to eat!
Supermarkets are awash with sandwiches/ pasties which I can't have.
I've tried some chicken from the rotisserie and some salad on occasion, but need some inspiration for alternatives please?

[mollycuddles]

Subway chicken tikka salad bowl is my lunch on disorganised days.

[RawCoconutMacaroon]

I'm low carb, grain free, if you have a Marks and Spenser close to your work, you will have no problem picking up an emergency lunch when needed.

For me, that would be, small bag of washed salad leaves, a packet of cooked chicken (minimally processed, ok ingredients - Marks is better than many ie even Waitrose has gluten in all it's cooked chicken!!). I might have a small bag of raw nuts too.

I'm not above eating straight out of the packet, but maybe a packet of paper bowls, cutlery in your desk?

[RawCoconutMacaroon]

Ha! Just re-read and saw you do chicken-salad already!

[snowlie]

How about soup? Ham, olives, coleslaw, prawn cocktail. Curries are often low carb, eat without rice - Waitrose do a brilliant Chicken Madras.

[elvisola]

M&S do lovely marinated king prawns in the deli bit. I have those if I need a quick lunch on the go. Garlic and coriander are amazing but they do other flavours too.

[WillieWaggledagger]

do you eat dairy? if so, a packet of ham (as low on ingredients as you can get), a packet of sliced cheese (emmental or similar like maasdam is good as it's not crumbly), and a pack of little gem lettuce and you can roll a lettuce leaf, slice of ham and slice of cheese together for a quick wrap. spread some cream cheese or mayo between the ham and cheese if you're worried about it being a bit dry, though i don't find it so

[WillieWaggledagger]

any other sliced cooked meat would do (chicken, turkey, beef - as minimally processed as you can manage)

[WillieWaggledagger]

well done on 20lb by the way, that is brilliant

i've tried having chicken tikka before but i find it repeats on me for the rest of the day and i hate that (others are probably fine, i think i bolt my food!)

[IBO]

I usually have smoked salmon cucumber and rocket salad if I don't have packed lunch.

[Glitterkitten24]

Wow thanks for all the replies! Some great ideas- I didn't even think about prawns or rolled up ham.
Marks have lots of nice salads and things in their deli range, but because I'm still quite new to low carbing, I'm having to check labels on every single thing, I don't have the hang of what is high and what is low yet.

[Glitterkitten24]

I guess the answer really is ... I should just get up 10 mins earlier to make my lunch!

[GinOnTwoWheels]

Many of the supermarkets (Waitrose and Morrisons at least) have a 'pick and mix' salad counter where you fill a container with prepared salads incl boiled eggs, and sometimes olives but no meat sadly. I sometimes get one of these, and maybe get a pack of ham, smoked salmon or cheese portions to go with it.

I like cottage cheese so sometimes eat a tub of that - I get Longley Farm which is the highest fat type and the carbs aren't tooo bad (I think).

[Secondsop]

As you've got an m&s handy you're well on the way. The deli counter will have something you can pick up eg little sausages (but check for carb count), they do a pair of roast chicken drumsticks in a little package, theyve also started a frittata but youd have to pick your way past the potato!, pots of mozzarella and tomato, little individually wrapped cheeses. I prefer to pick up a bag of salad rather than their prepared takeaway salads as they nearly always have unhelpful things like pasta in them.

As an aside this was the way I ate when on a recent UK holiday that involved stopping at innumerable motorway services. Most have an m&s Simply Foods now, which is v helpful when faced with Burger King etc.

[herecomesthsun]

an avocado is a good snack