Lunchtime food/salad ideas?

I've just got back from a rather extensive week of eating at my sisters wedding in Italy.

Now while I have no doubt that my Pastrami, smoked cheese, onion, mayonnaise and barbecue sauce sandwiches are pretty amazing, I feel that I need to get back on the salads to adequately coincide with my new gym routine.

I'm thinking that my usual salad consisting of Caesar Sauce, salad, tuna, spring onions and onion is a little on the boring side and was wondering if people could give me healthy alternatives that they use? Either that or healthy lunchtime ideas? (p.s, lunchtime = midday, 12 o clockish round these parts, the one you have after breakfast)

Cheers. x

Try salads with chicken or turkey, or a Cobb salad, as they are called here, that have cheese, an egg, bacon bits and other veggies in it. Or try a flatbread sandwich or your fav sandwich fixings in a low carb or whole wheat wrap. For regular types of sandwiches, try bread with lower carb or calorie content. But depending when you work out, mine are right after work (~6pm-ish), those extra carbs can be handled later on. Also, I would avoid mayo since it can add many unwanted calories to any meal.

Eggs, quinoa, bell peppers and beans, spiced up with some garlic and whatnot.

swap your caesar dressing for olive oil and balsamic vinegar
subsitute fat free greek yogurt for mayo
stop eating white carbs (ie bread, pasta, rice)

Try one of these salads..always pack 'em with fiber (beans) and protein (meat, soy)
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutr...m_mmc=Newsletter-_-2009_Jul_3-_-Dose-_-readon

Oooh yes quinoa! There is one in that link.
Don't forget a salad does not have to have lettuce in it.

Perpetual Indulgence said:

swap your caesar dressing for olive oil
Don't forget a salad does not have to have lettuce in it.

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No, but there should be some vegetable in it, right?

Also, vinegar is great tasting and lowers GI so I'd use that as well.

I meant as the "base".

Try different greens that are more nutrient dense... use cold-pressed oil based dressing and sesame seeds-the black ones if you can find em. Add veggie fruits like cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, olives, and top with any type of sprouts you can get.

Perpetual Indulgence said:

swap your caesar dressing for olive oil and balsamic vinegar
subsitute fat free greek yogurt for mayo
stop eating white carbs (ie bread, pasta, rice)

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This is one of my main problems, I don't tend to like the vinagrette dressings, including balsamic, yet plain salads can be a bit dry and tasteless I find. How do people tend to combat this whilst remaining healthy?

I think I'll definitely give the egg a shot and try the others.

What sort of low fat/calary dressings do people like?

Tranced said:

plain salads can be a bit dry and tasteless I find. How do people tend to combat this whilst remaining healthy?

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Think of eating as a means to an end (a better physique), and not as something that should be enjoyed in and of itself.

i like greek and thai salads with grilled chicken.

for greek, i do feta crumbles, klamata olives, peperocini's and greek dressing.

thai is just an oriental dressing (i like ginger garlic), and you can throw some mandarin oranges in as well.

likewise, i like to mix up the greens. spinach, arugula, etc.

Binge Artist said:

Think of eating as a means to an end (a better physique), and not as something that should be enjoyed in and of itself.

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Although I agree to en extent, I'd hate to think I would have to eat plain and less than tasty food just to satisfy my self image.

Wyld 4 X said:

Although I agree to en extent, I'd hate to think I would have to eat plain and less than tasty food just to satisfy my self image.

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I guess it depends on your individual goals and expectations. I tend to see it as a 'challenge' to change my body, and I enjoy putting in the work and seeing what happens.

You're never going to make healthy shit taste excellent. YOu can make it taste a lot better with a decent effort, but there's no way "good tasting" healthy food is going to be as good as "great tasting" fatty food. As in make you fat.

Sorry OP, i really don't have any great tips on salads. I just mix up some grilled chicken, onions, iceburg(I know i know) and if i'm really getting serious, just some lemon juice and salt as a 'dressing'

Food doesn't need to be fatty to taste good. If you are worried about taste try to incorporate some spices to add flavour. A piece of grilled skinless chicken with the right spices tastes excellent.

What are you like with calslaw? A mixture of different color and shape cabbages, grated carrot, celery, parsley, corn and olives-at times throw raw vegies in ( a few) and toss it with lemon and oil. Not many people like cabbage, I hope you like it!

You can use no fat greek yoghurt with parmesan and garlic to make an approximation of a caesar dressing that is actually very tasty and less fatty.

wibble said:

You can use no fat greek yoghurt with parmesan and garlic to make an approximation of a caesar dressing that is actually very tasty and less fatty.

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Why be afraid of fat in the first place? It's way, way better than refined starch. As long as you watch total calorie intake, roughly.

I love using baby spinach leaves in salads, so much tastier than lettuce. Add spring onions, tomatoes, goats cheese (or feta cheese) and mackerel in tomato sauce... mmmm.... then stick it in a tortilla wrap.

This is something very relevant for me too, I'm going to have to start thinking of ideas for packed lunches since I refuse to eat the shitty food they serve us at work anymore (work in a bar/restaurant). I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible though...

I'm thinking:
lots of wraps with salad and tinned fish or grilled chicken inside
couscous or pasta salads
side dishes with carrot sticks, celery etc
home-made smoothies with oats

I'm also going to bring a box of muesli with me to work for those quick fixes.

Mjäll said:

Why be afraid of fat in the first place? It's way, way better than refined starch. As long as you watch total calorie intake, roughly.

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Saturated fat should be avoided. 20 grams a day. I keep my intake within the guidelines about 80% of the time.

I like to get my fat elsewhere. Greek or regular yogurt doesn't need it to taste great. Non fat for yogurt is where it is at.

Ricardo, I am glad you know iceberg lettuce is nutritionally poor and tasteless . I would have went off on you.

KStoner6tb said:

You're never going to make healthy shit taste excellent. YOu can make it taste a lot better with a decent effort, but there's no way "good tasting" healthy food is going to be as good as "great tasting" fatty food. As in make you fat.
'

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Lies, healthy food tastes way better than a greasy hamburger or frenchfries or some horrible abomination of fried hog lips and newspaper shreddings (ie. fast food)

anyhow +1 on greek salads, just use a good vinaigrette (i really enjoy Braggs brand healthy vinaigrette, give it a try) i use feta cheese, kalamata olives, onions, diced tomato, those spicy pickled yellow peppers, and mixed greens (substitute for spinach if not available)

another great one is using chicken (optional) dried cranberries, walnuts, onion, croutons and strawberries or halfed grapes.

there are many other options for healthy lunch besides salad though, maybe a tuna, tomato, avocado sandwich with sprouts and onion? one of my favorites anyway...

i also really enjoy a salad of fresh mozzerella, roma tomatoes, fresh basil onion and then some high quality olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar, super refreshing and delicious!

burritos can be really healthy and good too, try salsa or pico of some sort, a bit of cheese and rice and beans, maybe some onion and lettuce too, chicken or pork or whatever if you want in moderation and a spinach wrap.

you can wrap just about anything for that matter so just grab some foods and twist it up! then id advise twisting something else up and enjoying the feeling of being on a healthy diet.:D

you are what you eat.

one of the best lines in the simpsons:

junk food company executive guy: 'if kids figure out the link between eating right and feeling good were screwed'

I like putting little baby shrimp in my salads

also a matching dressing is whipping up some cocktail sauce, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil

extremely refreshing, and different but soo good