Cutting out bread - suggestions of what to have instead.

[Imtoooldforallthis]

Decided to cut out bread for a while as I think this is a big factor in me being overweight. I love bread in all forms, but also find it very convenient. I always have bread in for a sandwich or a slice of toast or a crumpet. So please give me suggestions for lunches and snacks that are just as quick as making a sandwich or slice if toast. We eat a lot if salads but there is quite a bit of faff and a lot of ingredients to make them interesting.

Oatcakes!
Oatcakes with soft cheese, hummus, tomato puree, cottage cheese, cucumber, smoked salmon, sliced meats, olives … etc!

Quick, easy, filling. I do this nearly every day!
When I feel like a change, I swap them for Ryvita.

Oh, and Nairns do fruit oatcakes too, if you need a sweet fix.

Hi @Imtoooldforallthis Ryvita, Lidl do a nice version with sesame seeds 👌

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll stock up on oatcakes and ryvita.

Kallo do a really nice high protein lentil cracker - like a rice cake but nicer. I have them a lot

I have an omelette for lunch to steer clear of bread. More filling and doesn't leave me feeling sluggish and bloated

I find nothing really completely takes the place of bread so I go with smaller portions, then load up on high protein toppings like egg to make it more filling and to help break down the carbs.

1 slice of the little loaves of bread is around 90 calories (122 for a standard sized slice)
Sainsburys do mini Greek flatbreads which are lovely - 100 calories each
Bagel thins - 130 calories
Warburtons sandwich thins - 100 calories
Warburtons crumpet thins - 61 calories each
Pikelets - 55 calories each

Protein shakes are filling too, as a snack. I have one mid-morning. Greek yoghurt is also good (you can add sweetener/honey/agave nectar to sweetener) with fruit, boiled eggs...

Agree with omelette. I like tomatoes inside the omelette and green veg (spinach, pre shredded kale or green beans/tenderstem broccoli) on the side. All of those veg can be wilted with water from kettle or quickly microwaved so are done in as much time as it takes to cook your omelette.

No cheese though, even a small bit is calorific and not needed really

I rarely eat bread - yoghurt for breakfast, and lunches are soup, salads, omelettes. I cut up a bowl of carrots, celery, cucumber and snack on that during the day. Otherwise have breadsticks or ricecakes

Omelette and you can have mozzarella in it instead of cheddar. I always lose weight when I have omelettes for lunch.

Those having omelette for lunch, are you at home to cook at lunchtime or do you take a cold one into work with you?

I have ryvita dark rye instead of bread, it doesn't affect my stomach the way bread does.

I have a lentil mixture for lunch with cold salmon or chicken. I make a batch once week which does take time and effort but after that it is just heating up in the microwave. Low but not zero carb, good omega 3:omega 6 ratio and I do quite like it.

I boil some lentils while I chop and fry (in olive or coconut oil) onions, carrots, garlic, ginger and any other veg I have (cougettes, broccoli, spinach etc). Then I add flaxseeds, the lentils and a tin of tomatoes. Simmer for a while. Allow to cool and refrigerate.

For lunches I quite like at the moment salmon fillet (the precooked ones for extra quickness) with a couple of veg e.g beetroots (the precooked kind - super cheap) and carrot sticks.

I find the dark ryvita also doesnt upset my system in the way bread does but I just started making meals that dont need a bread 'carrier', then you dont have to try to find a replacement as such

Apart from cheese and crackers, I use a thick slice of tomato or cucumber and put a wodge of cheese on that. Several of them in fact.

I WFH so I took mine fresh but you could easily warm it up at work

*cook

The Zoe account on Instagram has some super healthy lunch ideas.