What do you eat for lunch if working from home and dieting?

[Lovemusic33]

I get really stuck for lunch ideas, I usually end up eating bread in the form of a Sandwich, soup and bread or punched eggs on toast but I really need to cut down on bread. What do you have for lunch that doesn’t involve bread? Also not keen on eating salad during the winter 😬.

I just had a portion of baked aubergine slices in a tomato sauce with black olives, harissa, and a bit of feta.

Really easy to make and delicious. Warming and filling but veggie-and-vitamin-heavy and low-carb.

Thank you, lots of great ideas.

I had a omelette for lunch which was really filling. I have made soup for tonight and have enough to last me tomorrow too, I will try ryvita with it instead of bread.

I am lactose intolerant so I can’t have feta cheese, shouldn’t really have cottage cheese either but can get lactose free cheddar.

I also have a terrible habit of having to have something sweet after eating something savoury, I’m trying to make sure it’s a piece of fruit rather than a chocolate biscuit 😬.

Air fried Salmon fillet, half pack samphire, pan fried spinach, 6 baby plum tomatoes and a hard boiled egg with 8 olives generous seasoning snd fills me up until dinner around 7:30pm. 4g carbs, 378 cals and 13g fibre!

Soup

I often have a stir-fry; whatever veg I have, different herbs & spices or sauces to make it e.g. Italian, Indian etc.
Prawns & chicken are good as they're very low calorie.

I make veggie scramble most days. I saute mushrooms, courgette, pepper and jalapeño. When that's cooked I will some spinach into it then scramble an egg n Black pepper in with it. I sometimes put a very small amount of grated cheese on top too and it's very tasty.

What kind of soups are you having? Could you have a chunkier one? Eg thick peasant soup (sub cream for a lactose free alternative like Alpro or Oatly cream) or sweet potato lentil soup. Or you could have something like 3 bean chilli or ratatouille (made in advance/as leftovers from dinner).
Dates might be good for your sweet snacking habit, two count as one of your 5 a day. You can also use them to sweeten bakes.

I’m pescetarian and don’t eat carbs or heavily processed food (or breakfast).

Lunch is

Omelette with coleslaw (homemade, white and purple cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, spring onion, radishes and homemade mayo)

Broccoli or cauliflower soup

Tuna melt (tin of tuna, homemade mayo, really finely chopped celery, red onion and carrot topped with spicy cheese and grilled) with handful of salad leaves.

Homemade nut, cacao and coconut granola with a dollop of full fat Greek yogurt

Veg sticks with hummus and homemade seed crackers

Spicy scrambled eggs (eggs, peppers, mushrooms, spring onions, chilli flakes)

Fry up (veggie sausage or halloumi, mushrooms, spinach and fried eggs)

Apple and celery with crunchy almond butter

Tuna Niçoise salad (leaves, tuna steak, boiled eggs, green beans, French dressing)

Egg mayo salad

Leftover prawn stir fry

Loads of options, no bread/spuds/pasta/rice in sight. Lost nearly 3 stone in 3 months eating like this.

@Cheeseandlobster

I make veggie scramble most days. I saute mushrooms, courgette, pepper and jalapeño. When that's cooked I will some spinach into it then scramble an egg n Black pepper in with it. I sometimes put a very small amount of grated cheese on top too and it's very tasty.

Almost snap!

Homemade soup without bread! It’s not the same as devouring half a baguette loaded with lurpak but I’m really trying

@Lovemusic33

Thank you, lots of great ideas.

I had a omelette for lunch which was really filling. I have made soup for tonight and have enough to last me tomorrow too, I will try ryvita with it instead of bread.

I am lactose intolerant so I can’t have feta cheese, shouldn’t really have cottage cheese either but can get lactose free cheddar.

I also have a terrible habit of having to have something sweet after eating something savoury, I’m trying to make sure it’s a piece of fruit rather than a chocolate biscuit 😬.

The sweet thing after savoury is evolutionary. But it’s not brilliant biologically to eat fruit after other foods. Best to eat them on an empty stomach, I believe.

I’m pescetarian and don’t eat carbs

So you have magic carb-free apples, peppers, carrots, beans etc do you?

I have the big pots of fresh soup or tend to go towards eggs, ham and a single slice of toast. I prefer a high protein lunch, but need a bit of carbs. Lots of protein stops me snacking in the afternoon. I also like Heinz tinned spaghetti/beans and sausage/ravioli if I'm rushing. Warburton's thins or the thin bagels are a good for a bread fix without loading up on carbs, but unfortunately I've recently discovered I can't eat a particular preservative found in most breads so I've had to ditch them.

@PattyPan

I’m pescetarian and don’t eat carbs

So you have magic carb-free apples, peppers, carrots, beans etc do you?

They’re all extremely low in carbs compared to other foods like bread, potatoes, rice etc. 🖕

Jacket potato with a topping and salad or sometimes I do a quick shakshuka with whatever spices I have kicking about

I had a fritatta today.

I don’t actually eat loads but usually graze. A jacket potato would be too big for my lunch, I often have one as a evening meal, usually with tuna and salad. I usually have something lighter for lunch. A small omelette (2 eggs) seems to keep me full until dinner time. My main issue is with sugar 😬 which is partly why I want to cut down on carbs. I’m still snacking on the left over chocolate from Christmas but it’s almost gone and I won’t be buying any more, I rarely eat crisps and hardly any cheese.

I have been trying gusto this week to give me more idea on healthy meals and to get me out of the rut of making the same thing each week.

I love stir fry so I will try and get some stir fry veg, I have some prawns in the freezer.

@Scottishnewbie2022

Homemade soup without bread! It’s not the same as devouring half a baguette loaded with lurpak but I’m really trying

Exactly I've trained myself out of having bread and butter with my soup!

Placemarking as I struggle to have any kind of lunch without bread! Some really good ideas here 😊

I love raw cauliflower. Yesterday I made a salad with some mixed greens, a carrot, some red pepper, celery, and a bunch of raw cauliflower. I topped it with cottage cheese. I sprinkled apple cider vinegar, a bit of low salt soy sauce, and about a teaspoon of mayo on it. I have some spice mixes that I can sprinkle for extra flavour.

If I am going to have s salad I like lots of zesty flavour.

I had an orange later on.

Trying to avoid snacking which is my downfall.

Frittata – great to eat hot or cold. Throw lots of veggies in – spinach, pepper, mushrooms, cooked potatoes...whatever you have leftover. I also make mini ones for kids lunchboxes.

Omlette wraps - use a thin omelette as a base to wrap up ham, cheese, lettuce or anything you like…

Cous cous with roasted veg - made the night before which saves time and tastes better :-)
Sushi - yes, I buy supermarket sushi - it is fine for what it is!
Falafel and salad (Gosh! do nice ones if you cba making your own)
Soup without bread
One mini wrap instead of a big one - less carbs and less filling fits in it!

Stir fry is my go to. I buy it ready chopped from the supermarket and add prawns.

Leftovers
Make a batch of soup every week
Cheese and crackers
Yoghurt and cereal
Jacket spud
Tesco sushi
Big salad

Interesting omelettes. This week have had mushroom, red pepper and goats cheese (some sundried toms would have taken it to the next level!) and also a courgette with feta and mint.