Lunch at work

I eat lunch at my desk, while working. I "brown bag" rather than buy so that I can eat healthier. I have found that if I eat a lettuce type salad, I am starving by mid-afternoon. If I eat chicken or tuna salad (no bread no lettuce) I am good until dinner time. Problem is, I am so bored with chicken and tuna salad. Any suggestions? Remember it can't be a hot meal because I get pulled away from it so frequently. Thank you for your input!

I know a lot of ppl don't like "processed" foods but I have come to like Lean cuisine meals...not every day but lately I have, I change it up a bit. I found that if I eat a filling breakfast I am good the rest of the day to where I am not starving and I also snack on greek yogurt, celery, apples, grapes..the good stuff

Can you snack at all?

I keep dried (Not sweetened) fruit at my desk, and will sometimes make a low fat brocc. slaw and pre-portion it out into 8oz containers- or cut carrots/celery- so I can eat the leafy green lunch, and when I'm hungry mid afternoon, eat more snacks! Let me know how it goes.

Full fat cottage cheese. I have mine with salt and pepper or Ms. Dash. The fat and protein keeps me going good until dinner.

Also boiled eggs with a sprinkle of Ms. Dash Chipotle seasoning.

Also, put any protein on a salad... chicken, pork, eggs, tuna, shrimp or even beans... I usually have some type of left over in the fridge and I pop it on top. Veggies alone would never keep me full long. Intead of bread use lettuce leaves to wrap and eat anything that you would put in a sandwich. I second the cottage cheese but the sodium is high so watch that, and I do 1%. What about cheese? I cut an ounce into little pieces (use cabot 50%) and then slice an apple and dip it in a PB and greek yougurt "dip". As I tell others, look at what other people are eating. It's where I have found ideas for the last year and a half when I get bored with something .

You wrote you're bored with Tuna but didn't mention how you were making the tuna salad. Tuna is one of my mainstays of keeping my hunger at bay but as Thynes wrote I too put it on top of a huge fresh salad to give me a good 'volume' and variety so it doesn't get boring. Some days I top it with grated parm cheese, other days a salsa or spicey mustard. Peanut butter or hummus with some celery sticks or cucumber chips for an afternoon energy boost.

You could cut up any kinds of cheese and toss those in a salad, bacon is good too. All the other ideas, shrimp is one of my favs. Veggie slaw, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onion, bacon, cheddar cheese in dressing is wonderful. Hard boiled eggs, just cut them into a salad. Avocado is good if you dip it in lemon so it doesn't turn color on you.

You can take the snacks along if you need them but if you up the protein in the big salad you get your leafy greens plus the protein.

I agree with eggs and avocado, if you like them (and I do!). Egg salad is nice on a whole-wheat tortilla or bread. I sometimes even fry an egg in the morning and make an egg muffin with ready bacon, 2%milk cheese and a whole wheat English muffin. I let it cool, then wrap it in a sandwich bag and zing it in the mircrowave for a minute at lunchtime. (Not as crisp as fresh, but still delicious and very filling.)

I also love almonds as a great source of protein and fiber. (I hope I'm not repeating someone else's suggestion.)

I think the key to being satisfied is to make sure your lunch has enough calories, including protein and fat.

I plan to have leftovers from dinner to use for lunch. Great if you have a microwave and frig avail. Having red rice and stir fried beef and veggies (mostly veggies) as I type. Also handy to make a batch of low cal soup or stew and freeze individual portions to fit into sealable heatable containers.

I make guacamole which has other fresh veggies (onion, tomato, cilantro) and eat it with veggies. The fat and fiber are really filling. Just find some protein to go along with it to make the meal balanced.