Advice for healthier packed lunch

[Paul2023]

Hi all , actually after advice for me. Early 40s lorry driver, normally do late shifts so I usually have breakfast, then a main meal about 12pm.
I take a packed much to work with me , normally eat that anytime between 5-7pm, normally get home about 11.30 pm. I start normally at 12.30pm.

In terms of a packed lunch I normally take;

Brown seeded bread sandwich. Filling usually cheese and ham or ham and mustard- Probably not that healthy?

An apple, banana and a tangerine- healthy

A cereal bar- Mainly a Go- Bar, it’s three fruit type biscuits- Healthy?

A packet of crisps- the supermarket own branded ones- Not healthy.

A pack of bevita biscuits- healthy?

Of course the cheap branded crisps are unhealthy and full of salt , but trying to take a packed luck to work that s not expensive and filling enough for a 11/12 hour shift.

I also drink de- caf tea and about 3 litres of plain water.

Cereal bars and belvita bars aren’t healthy, they’re biscuits full of sugar

Aim for veg and sources of protein - a little cool bag with boiled eggs or hummous and veggie sticks would be better

When I’m in the office and I’m not having lunch out I prepare a hearty salad. Usually with a base of quinoa or freekeh or bulgar wheat, then throw in a load of grilled marinaded chicken that i slice up, olives, avocado, tomato, feta, stick a nice dressing on it. I feel so full and it takes a long time to eat!
I avoid bread during the day (weekdays only, I eat as much bread as possible when I’m not working) as it makes me sleepy in the afternoon 😂

I would put a load of raw veggies in and not worry about the other 'unhealthy' bits

Good question, packed lunch is tricky get healthy. One improvement would be to choose cereal bars or biscuits that don't have sugar (glucose, syrups etc) in the top 3 ingredients. When choosing between bars and biscuits, choose the one with the highest protein and fibre content. That would be a good place to start.

I aim to put greenery in my seeded bread sandwich each day. Alternate between cheese, tuna, ham and chicken. A handful of spinach or baby leaves. I also eat washed raw mangetout as a snack. Also green tea and lots of water. I also eat lots of 'junk' too- crisps, biscuits etc

No biscuit bars or cereal bars are healthy, and all the shop bought ones are ultra processed. I'd focus on as much fruit and veg as you can, what about a pasta salad with brown pasta and chicken? You could get a thermos pot so it stays warm?

I am also trying to eat healthier with my packed lunches. I've been told turkey and chicken are I think a good alternative to ham. They have a good protein content which will keep you fuller for longer. I add lettuce and tomatoes to my sandwich for a bit of extra veg.

I've also been told oven baked crisps over fried ones if you want to keep the crisps, or the ones made out of lentils or chickpeas? And to keep an eye on the red/amber/green label and try and chose ones that are mainly green and amber.

You could try taking an extra piece of fruit or an extra sandwich. If you really can't do without the crisps, look at something like Lidl pea crisps - they'll lower in salt (and fat I think) and have a bit more protein and fibre.

I'd add extra protein and veg instead of crisps and biscuits. So lots of lean cooked chicken or turkey in a sandwich. Add salad/veg sticks. Make a wholewheat couscous/pasta/bulghur wheat salad instead of having sandwiches every day. A chunky meat, pulse and veg soup for another day. And try low fat Skyr or Greek yoghurt with fruit instead of biscuits. For the same calories as a serving of Belvita you could have 200g of 0% fat Greek yoghurt with strawberries and blueberries. Think food volume - much more filling.

Those Lidl pea crisps are lovely and their lentil curl ones!

What about a flask of soup? Carrot & Lentil, Leek & Potato, Tuscan Bean - all filling and healthy if you make them yourself in batches - you could freeze them in portions if you have a freezer.

How about something like Cheerios or Shreddies, or some sort of mini cereal that you can eat without milk and will have texture to it - would be healthier than a cereal bar or pack of crisps and will give a texture hit that you don’t get with fruit or protein.

Consider raw veggies - carrot sticks, baby corn, sugar snap peas/mange tout or salad such as cucumber or peppers. You could have hummus or a natural yoghurt dip if you need something with them.

Yoghurt pouches are good for a calcium hit but beware of the amount of sugar in them as they can be high, especially if lower fat.

You could get one of those thermos flash thingys and do warm soup and sandwich for lunch or pasta/stew type lunches

Little cans of tuna or other fish. Mixed beans also in a can. Batch cook some mini quiches that can be frozen.

Add in a protein yogurt, mini cheeses like Babybel, cherry tomatoes, mini. Peppers, hummus.

Do you like porridge/granola type foods, if so you could do overnight oats instead of the cereal bars, just need a clean jam jar, some oats and Greek yoghurt then add whatever extra flavourings you like.

• Apple, cinnamon and maple syrup
• shredded carrot, cinnamon and nutmeg
• frozen summer berries
• peanut butter and banana slices

You can add nuts and seeds for added nutrients, flavour and good fats.

Have you got a good thermos style food flask or soup flask? I find these a game changer - a cold salad stays cold and hot leftovers will stay hot.

You MUST sex up a salad though. Chicken, avocados, few bits of pasta etc will all help fill you up and enjoy it more. Croutons (less healthy) are a nice treat.

Also what ever you are making, double the salad or veg. Think of it as the main component and it will fill you up but unlikely to gain weight. So your ham and mustard sarnie needs to have about half an iceberg and a tomato in it!

Salted popcorn instead of crisps?

Thanks some good advice here

Avoid having ham regularly because it’s a processed meat and regular consumption of it increases your risk of bowel cancer. What about cheese and tomato or cheese and cucumber instead, or hummus and salad? Or wraps with hummus and falafel, tinned mixed beans or halloumi?

Instead of the sugary cereal bars what about rice cakes with peanut butter?

cookies

Personally I would ditch the crisps, cereal bars and biscuits or at least have them less often. I’d have yoghurt, homemade smoothie with peanut butter in, boiled eggs, veg sticks and hummus, dates with peanut butter in, soup, pasta or noodles in a flask.

Carrots and hummous as a pp said is a good suggestion. Also cottage cheese and some healthy crackers is quite filling due to the protein content, but I know some people really can’t stand cottage cheese! You could take a small pot of peanut butter to have with your apple - Aldi do a nice 100% peanut one that isn’t expensive.

Avoid: anything ultra processed and from a packet and that includes ultra processed bread. Ham is very bad for your health. Obviously crisps, biscuits etc

Swap ultra processed bread for homemade bread (but a bread maker uses 3 ingredients press a button and it's done. Or failing that buy non ultra processed bread with few ingredients like Bertinet or Jason's. Or swap out bread altogether.

Add in: more plants, veg, herbs, oily fish, lean protein, nuts etc. So you could have a freshly made bread sandwich with tinned fish and green leaves, cucumber etc.
Houmous with crudite veg - carrots, celery, radishes, cucumber, peppers
Swap processed bars for Nuts and seeds
Swap processed biscuits for a banana / an apple
Add in plain Greek yoghurt with honey and nuts or just by itself. (NOT flavoured or sweetened yoghurt and proper Greek stuff).
Olives make a good snack too
Kombucha is a very healthy drink if you feel you need a "soft drink" type drink

Celery, pepper, carrot, cucumber sticks with hummus or tzatziki

Boiled eggs or egg bites (google recipes)

popcorn or rice cakes

yoghurt and granola/seeds

Never mind the evangelism about ultra processed foods - try to eat wholegrains and good quality bread, etc. If you're wanting to make changes it's more important to eat things you enjoy eating in order to make them a good habit.