5:2 LUNCH (only) ideas to take to work - any suggestions?

[FifiVonEpstein]

Other than soup Soup is fine sometimes but I get so sick of it, I want to actually EAT something!

I always do one of the 5:2 days when I am at work. I have to eat something at lunchtime as I am on my feet a lot with my job (teacher) and I couldn't get through the whole day without anything - I don't have breakfast on a fast day.

Any suggestions please? [desperate face]

Ryvita crackerbread, spread with reduced fat houmous and sliced cucumber, black pepper. I have 3 of those for something like 150 cals

How many calories canyou have? A snack pack of sushi canbe 150 kcal

That sounds good stealth! Vege sushi would be fine too although I was trying to avoid the pre packaged stuff as I am very lazy about evening meals and tend to have ready meals on my fasting days - also so I don't have to inflict crap like cauliflower rice on dh .

I try to have no more than 100-150 calories - sorry, forgot to answer that!

Whoerlmeal pitta stuffed with salad.

On my fast day at work I take (already prepared in a small lunch box) a tub of 0% Total yoghurt with a handful of raspberries mixed in. The yoghurt is 87 cals and the raspberries are about 25/30.

Mixed salad e.g. lettuce, tomato, cucumber, beetroot, carrot, raw mushrooms ..
with a boiled egg / cottage cheese / prawns / tuna / smoked salmon ...
Dress with lemon, balsamic vinegar, anything up to 10 cals

On FDs, many folk avoid starchy carbs - Dr Michelle Harvey's study showed good weight loss with 2 low carb FDs per week.

I'm also a teacher and want to try 5:2 this term.

So far I've thought of:

a slice of Spanish omelette with extra veggies in it
a hard boiled egg plus salad
tsatziki (sp?) with vege sticks
hoummus and vege sticks

Ok I've ordered my Ryvitas and houmous etc any other ideas?!

We have a teeny weeny staff room, not sure boiled eggs are going to be very popular

Cottage cheese is unobjectionable. So is chicken breast.

I find that if I eat lunch, I get hungrier than if I eat a small low-calorie lunch, so I just have a cup of vegetable bouillon. I am generally pretty physically active on fast days (rarely sitting down, walking 15-20,000 steps over the course of the day, some moderate lifting and carrying and sometimes an exercise class) so it might be worth trying.

I know that other people disagree with this but I just have an apple for occasional fast day lunches, other days are veggie soup. I do tend to keep mine under 100 cals if possible. I like the Ryvita idea though.

I can't cope with a really low calorie lunch, I get too hungry, so I tend to have around 250-300 calories at lunchtime and then soup for tea when I get home.

As we have M&S close to my office, I normally pick one of their calorie counted salads or sandwiches. If I make lunch, I normally have 1 slice of bread with 1 slice of ham and low fat spread, and then carrot and cucumber sticks and an apple.

It's interesting how everyone makes fast days work for them.

I skip breakfast, and always just have a 30-cal cup-a-soup (with chilli flakes added in to make it more interesting), and save my calories for dinner. Then a small handful of raw nuts mid-morn and afternoon, as my blood sugar levels get too low if I go too long without food.

Yes, soup is boring, and there's no way I'd be able to do it routinely if I was at home, so I always do my fast days at work. I take my hat off to anyone doing 5:2 with their fast days at home!

Yes JapaneseMargaret! I know exactly what you mean. I only work the first half of the week and struggle when I try to fast on a non-working day. There always seems to be a reason why I can't fast on that particular day and then there's a larder full of food crying to be eaten. I do like this way of eating but I hate the bastard fast days.

Me too!

Had to unexpectedly work from home today, and Weds is one of my FDs. It has basically gone out the window.

Annoying, because like you, I like this WoE, and it definitely works for me, when I obey the rules!

Chunks of carrot, cherry tomatoes, nuts, raisins and water

as for "sharing" food at work
ask yourself
how well did all of my colleagues wash their hands before helping themselves to that plate

Ask yourself when offered cake / bix at work: "Does this have poo crumbs

I had tesco vegi sushi snack pack for lunch actually. Very nice, 100 cals and on two for two pounds

Wow, 100 cals, that's alright. I always thought sushi was deceptively calorie-laden. It definitely fills you up, so it's a good option.

..I'm on my second ever fast day I've picked my non-work days, my job is on my feet all day so i thought i'd struggle but then again with 2 small dc I'm pretty active at home too - and this afternoon was VERY long Not struggled with hunger (although i did on the first FD) just boredom May try work days next week! thanks for interesting thread

I have three eggs for 240 mashed up in a cup. It really fills me up