If these were your lunches what would you have for dinner?

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I am very fortunate to be provided with a free, home cooked lunch at work.

So far this week I have had:

-Macaroni, caulflour and brocoli cheese with salad
-Roast dinner (chicken)
-Beef chilli, rice and salad
-Chicken and veg curry and rice

I need to be careful not to over eat, but find despite the main meal at lunch, I get home hungry for a proper dinner. Soup etc isn't going to cut it. I also live alone so cooking properly isn't always an attractive proposition, I used to love cooking for my family but it seems a bit pointless for one, so I end up picking at rubbish or having loads of toast.

What would you have?

Soup with protein in it and a small bit of fat. Proper soup isn’t nothing like tinned or even fresh supermarket soup.

Omelette or jacket potato and beans?

But I'd probably have a sandwich most days or bowl of cereal.

I'd have either...

Stir fry

Hummus with pita

Salami, cheese and rye bread

Toasted sandwich

Baked potato with a filling
Beams on Toast
scrambled or Poached eggs with toast.
soup and crusty bread.

Soup with a roll and cheese.

Massive salad with plenty of protein and olive oil. If you need something warm to feel properly satisfied you can add a cooked veg element such as butternut squash or tomatoes/peppers.

Dal and veg with a small amount of rice or a naan/chapati/poppadom/etc.

Omelette/frittata with lots added - veg, bacon, cheese, etc.

Foods on toast. Anything warming, melty and delicious.

And so on.

I'd probably do it this way; have normal dinner meals but have a half portion. If you don't want to have to cook for yourself too often then maybe get dinner kits and the odd ready meal but just use half one day and half the next.

Oh yes, a small jacket potato with whatever you fancy on the day would be good. Remember the lettuce/leaves/raw veg.

I would have 'lunch' when I got home. So a sandwich, soup, jacket potato, omelette, that sort of thing.

You're essentially swapping lunch and dinner around so I'd eat on that basis.

If you want a “proper” dinner, just make sure it’s super healthy. For example, a chicken breast or salmon fillet with loads of veg won’t have any more calories than an average Pret sandwich.

I'd go for something heavy on veg and a little protein. Could be just a poached egg or two. Enriched salads, grain bowls. Soups can be substantial rather than appetizers, especially with the addition of a small quantity of carbs - soba noodles for a miso vegetable soup, you can also add some shrimp/salmon cubes/egg. Rice in a Greek garlic and lemon soup, with tons of veg and an egg mixed in. Shakshuka with feta. Pappa al pomodoro - really really good tinned tomatoes just with garlic, basil, and olive oil and chunks of stale white bread thickened in it.

Fish and vegetables? My old flatmate hated cold food so would always have hot dinners for lunch and dinner. She wasn’t overweight and very healthy.

I'd go for a hot meal at this time of year, so a stew, a curry, but maybe a smaller portion than I'd have normally and have it with loads of veg.

Op I have just put to e left over broccoli and cauliflower in the oven with grated cheese over it I can't wait till it's ready.

Personally, I like to keep things simple and usually go for something like grilled chicken breasts with roasted veggies or a big salad. It’s quick to prepare and feels like a proper meal without being too heavy. If I don’t feel like cooking, I’ve also grabbed takeout from a restaurant Sydney that does great grilled chicken dishes with fresh veggies. Sometimes it’s just easier than cooking for one, but still feels healthy.