What do you have for a normal healthy ish lunch?

[ImFree2doasiwant]

Just that really. I'm addressing my bad eating habits and planning my food.

I don't mean "massive salad". I do like a nice salad but not generally in winter.

Egg on toast

Errmm.. probably sounds a bit odd but I love having porridge for lunch. I add lots of different seeds and some berries or sliced banana. I like trying different porridges as well, I love mornflake Oatbran at the moment.

I had homemade lentil and bacon soup today followed by a home made salted caramel and chocolate brownie.

Usually leftover dinner, so the same sort of food, curry, chilli, risotto, dhal, today I had Thai basil rice with pork and peppers.

If we don't have leftovers, mainly soup, noodles, omelette, egg on toast, or falafel, hummus, pitta, bit of salad etc.

All have lots of veg in and not massive portions, I tend to eat little and often, so eat better this way, more veg, less bread for a start. 'Normal' lunch of sandwich and crisps or cake, is probably not great, if you're trying to eat well.

I'm very partial to some good toast with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon at the moment. Lots of protein and can skip the toast if you're wary of carbs.

Currently eating griddled veg, halloumi, mango and salad leaves with balsam
I’m dressing. So delicious

Homemade soup
Hummus with carrot sticks or sugar snap peas

@cobblers123

Most days I have two ryvita with half a cheese triangle on top, with ham and sliced vine tomato.

I am trying to do low carb, and have not had any potato, rice, pasta, bread, pastry or biscuits for six weeks. I have slipped up a little and had a couple of cherry bakewell tarts but that's not bad I think for six weeks.

If someone knows a bread that is really low in carbs, I'd love the occasional sandwich as a bit of a treat.

Or just have a smaller amount of nice, normal bread? Then you don’t feel so deprived. You cold have it with soup or something. I only say that because you’re having ryvita, so maybe just swap those carbs some of the time.

I am really enjoying salads right now! Not the proverbial MN "massive salad" though, just a bit of lettuce, cucumber, few cherry tomatoes and then either cooked chicken and avo, prawn and avo or grated cheese and mayo as a treat.

If it's a chilly day I like the big chunky chicken and veg or beef and veg soups from aldi/lidl or a portion of leftovers from the night before.

I would still be hungry on your lunch, OP. But if you aren’t, great. I’d have to add a yoghurt or I’d half the sandwich and have soup with it.

I tend to have leftovers from the night before, or a wrap with falafel, salad, maybe some feta - buying a panini press/toastie maker makes them much nicer. Sometimes I’ll have one with tuna and cheese instead. Or a jacket potato with beans or tuna with salad on the side. I do have mayo in my tuna though so not Uber healthy!

Half an avocado, 4 king prawns, 30g smoked salmon, 5 nocellara olives. Weirdly specific but I've just put it all into my fitness pal.

Soup and gluten free pita bread.
Tortilla, ham and tomatoes.

Every weekend I make soup from left over veg (carrot, onion, coriander, peppers etc) and through in red lentils. Serves for 6 portions. I always sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top and serve with homemade bread.

Or a wholemeal wrap/pitta with hummus, grated carrot, grated red lettuce, pea shoots etc.

Poached eggs on toast with a tomato, red onion, coriander, chili mix.

Scrambled silken tofu with turmeric and veggies.

Homemade or fresh soup, a good substantial one so no bread needed (pulses veg etc) Something on wholegrain toast (beans eggs cheese) Omlette. They are my go to lunches

I often roast some veggies in the oven and have that with an omelette. Lately I’ve been having miso soup with wholewheat noodles, shredded chicken, mangetout and spring onion. Feels like a proper meal but really quick to make and nutritious too

Have a 4.5 month old so keeping it pretty basic right now. We have a rotation of hummus and cucumber on whole-wheat pitta, halloumi and fried tomato on whole-wheat pitta, cheese and pickle sandwiches, grilled cheese, tuna salad on toast. Some fruit with it.

Pre-baby and WFH, I made things like mac and cheese, smoked mackerel dip on toast, spicy microwave aubergines and rice, egg mayo sandwiches, broccoli cheese melts. But then cooking is my hobby and hours are flexible! Oh, and in winter DP would make a batch of soup on Sunday to last us half the week.

Today was smoked salmon, avocado, pepper seeded granary roll. Not the lowest calorie lunch but so nice and satisfying.

Just keep mayo, olive oil, cheese and ham to a minimum. Swap ham sandwiches for turkey (lean but still filling) on wholemeal bread instead of white. Swap shop-bought soups for homemade. Try and have as much protein as possible as that will fill you up. Otherwise you risk snacking in the afternoon or eating a bigger dinner.

I have chopped cucumber and peppers with a bit of ham and some hummus

Or two boiled eggs, chicken and a couple of thin slices of cheese

Both very filling actually!

Cous cous with baby plum tomatoes, cucumber, coriander, peppers, feta and avocado. Shove in a stick blender for a couple seconds so it’s not too bitty.

I am trying to continue losing weight, so am planning my meals. Today I had half a tin of red salmon (skinless and boneless) seasoned with salt, vinegar and black pepper, ryvita and cucumber and rocket.

Cherries and grapes for pudding.

I find this fairly filling, and then have the same as the rest of the family for dinner. If I think that meal is particularly creamy, or heavy on pastry, mashed potato etc, I adjust the portion size.

Usually leftovers from tea the night before. If not, beans on brown toast with various pickled veg or a jacket potato.

@ImFree2doasiwant

I've just had a sandwich with seeded bread, ham, mustard (no butter). Some cucumber, and grapes. Is this way off the mark do you think?

Sounds good to me. I have never dieted but am a healthy weight. My lunches are a bit repetitive but are usually; Sandwich with tuna or egg and salad or Home made veg soup and a bread roll. Fruit fresh, frozen and cooked or tinned - and (full fat) Greek yoghurt

[quote ImFree2doasiwant]@CaptainCarp I do want to lose weight, but I want to do it sustainably and am happy for it to be slow. I've got 2 small DC so want to eat well in front of them if that makes sense, normally rather than "diet"[/quote]
That's good. Drastic changes never work as you cave wanting to eat "normal" food & then cycle round again & again.

As another posted said I have logged calories in my fitness pal. It helped me Stop & think what I was about to eat... Although I majorly "fell off the wagon" in January with the miserable days & lockdown... I have piled on all the weight by boredom eating & eating far too much chocolate.

I've upped my exercise this month & now cleaning my diet up again. Although for me thats stopping buying biscuits & chocolate to start.