alternatives to sandwiches at lunchtime... trying to cut down on bread in new year to help weight loss

[walkingonthemoon]

feeling uninspired... need a variety of yummy but filling ideas... not a great fan of soup though..... TIA

Soup was going to be my first suggestion.

Omlettes?

Something protein based will fill you up for longer.

Is this for a packed lunch or eating at home ?

I often take left over mince and veg to work for lunch - and eat with a couple of crisp breads (I usually make a bit extra when I cook some).

I also cook up a batch of chicken breasts and have them cold (again with crispbread).

The obvious salad isn't an option for me as I hate lettuce and tomato.

Have you tried fresh soup? So much nicer than tinned , bought or homemade. I've recently bought a soup mug one where you can store in fridge then pop the lid to microwave. I'm not a tinned soup fan but have really been enjoying the fresh soups as an alternative to sandwiches.

I take (well, will so from next week)
Oat cakes
Cottage cheese
Cup a soup
French fries crisps (I'm a crisp addict)
Low fat yog

I'm trying to cut down on bread too. I quite like soup, as long as I can have bread with it. You see my problem

Will watch other suggestions with interest

Lidl does a pack of smoked salmon with a horseradish sauce sachet.

Salads.
Tagine
Rice noodles
Sushi
Soup

Make a potato salad with a low fat dressing

Cold chicken, avocado ( chop up fresh at lunch), cucumber, tomato, carrot and anything else salad

Roast veg couscous

Big tupperware box.
into it put small tubs of

• sweetcorn
• grated carrot
• halved cherry tomatoes
• sliced sundried tomato
• teeny cubes of really strong cheddar
• chopped lettuce
• mayo or a nice dressing
• a fork

at lunchtime, empty all the pots into the tub, stir, scoff

thousands of variants : think "bento box"
but mixing the ingredients just before eating makes it all taste 'fresher'

If it's to eat at home I'd suggest an omelette, the hairy bikers do a nice one in their diet book with feta

Couscous or quinoa based salads
Leftovers
Tortilla (the egg kind) with potatoes, veg and a bit of cheese.

One of my favourites is tin of tuna mixed with mayo, tinned sweetcorn, diced red onion and peppadew peppers (in a jar) on a bed of sliced tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I add rocket as well.

Or tinned pilchards in tomato sauce on a bed of green salad.

for eating at home I either have nothing (fast days) or a single slice sarnie or 2 scrambled eggs on a slice of air dried ham with slices of tomato

I'm lucky that I can cook at work and the lunch that I have found works best for me (in terms of keeping me going all afternoon) is a chicken breast, sliced and fried in olive oil and a plateful of stir fried veg (today was pepper, courgette and asparagus). I sprinkle it with some Schwartz herb and spice seasoning.
Avoiding carbs at lunchtime really helps me to stop craving snacks all afternoon.
Aldi do a nice hot smoked salmon fillet that I have instead of chicken sometimes.
If I need to take a packed lunch, it's usually a hard boiled egg and oat cakes with peanut butter.

I do a variety of veg- and protein-packed quinoa or bulgar wheat salads (loads on BBC Good Food site); pasta salads; soups; leftovers from previous night's dinner in Tupperware; quiche/flans.

Oh yes, savoury muffins too eg feta and olives, or ham and Cheddar. Easy to make and freeze.

brilliant ideas! keep em coming!

forgot to say that I work from home but not much time for lunch, so nothing to fancy IYKWIM....

I tend to alternate between homemade soups and salads. Favourite salad is grilled chicken, baby leaves, cherry tomatoes, black olives, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

I take Ainsley Harriot instant soups - they are the best I've ever found, I never really liked cupasoups very much until I found them. I particularly like the Thai spiced chicken one and the butternut squash one. Don't make them TOO huge as they are much better when thicker - they also need a lot of stirring.

I then chuck a handful of salad leaves into a box, add some cold meat or a couple of hard boiled eggs (they can boil while I do my teeth and wash in the morning), a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds (seeds REALLY help if you are low-breading) and then take a tiny pot of dressing (e.g. balsamic vinegar). I have got a few tiny jam jars from a B&B that I use for that. TBH when I've had the soup, salad and a fruit, I genuinely feel very full.

Marking my place - I really need lunchbox ideas.

I try not to eat too much bread, it makes me feel bloated and tired all afternoon. I have been taking oatcakes, cheese, celery, grapes and apple to work but I am starting to get bored with it.

I start a new job next week so I'm not yet sure what kitchen facilities there are. I'm hoping there is a microwave though as I have bought one of those soup mugs (probably the same as Shargaff's) in the sales. I was also thinking of making up a batch of roasted veg and having them with couscous and feta. I also like Nicoise salad, which is nice and protein packed.

Me too.

Drain a can of tuna in brine, mix with a little vinegar and one tablespoon of low fat mayonnaise. Then slowly mix in a whole big bag of fresh spinach. By lunchtime the spinach has wilted so its quite a reasonable sized portion of protein, veg and a little bit of extra from the mayo. I add chopped gherkins.

Rice with tuna and cumin seeds, fresh tomatoes on the side.
Omelette or fried eggs
Salad with olives
Cauliflower cheese