Nutritional Advice Please (eating, spin, protein, diet)

[Chatteress]

I am a single female who is struggling with eating a well-balanced diet. On the days that I am at work, I usually eat my breakfast and lunch at work so all I have is a refrigerator and microwave at my disposal. It takes me approximately two hours commute time each way via public transit so I have to be careful of what foods I can bring. What are some healthy alternatives for someone who eats on the run. I'm sick of sandwiches and could use some other creative suggestions. Thanks.

[bongo]

Oatmeal is probably one of the healthiest breakfasts you could bring to work. Add ground flaxseed meal, walnuts, almonds,chopped apple, dried apricots, whatever to add further nutritional value. You can even just heat water then pour it over your oatmeal, cover the bowl & let it steep. I take mine from home in a container with a lid & eat it at work.

I take left-over soups, stir fried vegetables, pasta dishes to work. We make extra for dinner so that I have a glass pyrex bowl with plastic lid to take to work. I even keep a supply of left-over dinners in the freezer for lunches. Then I just thaw & zap in the microwave. Some of my favorites are stir fried vegetables with tofu; split pea soup; lentil vegetable soup; pasta with tomato/vegetable sauce; salmon burgers. Salads with protein in the form of garbanzo beans, cold left-over salmon, etc. are another good choice. Burritos made with whole wheat tortillas, drained canned black or pinto beans, spinach, chopped tomatoes, onions, salsa are another favorite for lunch.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by bongo

Oatmeal is probably one of the healthiest breakfasts you could bring to work. Add ground flaxseed meal, walnuts, almonds,chopped apple, dried apricots, whatever to add further nutritional value. You can even just heat water then pour it over your oatmeal, cover the bowl & let it steep. I take mine from home in a container with a lid & eat it at work.

I take left-over soups, stir fried vegetables, pasta dishes to work. We make extra for dinner so that I have a glass pyrex bowl with plastic lid to take to work. I even keep a supply of left-over dinners in the freezer for lunches. Then I just thaw & zap in the microwave. Some of my favorites are stir fried vegetables with tofu; split pea soup; lentil vegetable soup; pasta with tomato/vegetable sauce; salmon burgers. Salads with protein in the form of garbanzo beans, cold left-over salmon, etc. are another good choice. Burritos made with whole wheat tortillas, drained canned black or pinto beans, spinach, chopped tomatoes, onions, salsa are another favorite for lunch.

Thanks for the suggestions. I do need to start cooking more and relying less on processed foods. At least it is cooling down here in So Cal so cooking won't be too unpleasant.

[bongo]

Chatteress, there are some good vegan & vegetarian frozen dinners that I sometimes get for a lunch treat: black bean enchilladas, vegetable pot pie, vegetable pocket sandwiches. I look for them on sale. One brand is Amy's. But now Safeway has their own "O" brand that is much, much cheaper. Then I just zap them in the micro at work.

Canned soups from the health food section is another option if you do not want to cook. You can just "zap" those.

A salad from a grocery store salad bar is another option for healthy but convenient. Or those bags of pre-made salads.

Your lucky to have a lot of fresh vegetables & fruit that you can take to augment your lunches. Up here in Alaska those cost a lot!

Sometimes I take a ripe avocado & spread it on a whole wheat tortilla.

Hope this gives you some non-cook ideas, Chatteress!

[GK advocate]

You can also try to add some fresh fruits on your breakfast.. Oatmeal is the best food that you can eat in the morning..

[broadbill]

Oatmeal with raisen, craisens, nuts, banana in milk...eaten cold =museli. Very tasty

[Crustedfilth]

Make a big ass salad and keep it in a cooler until lunch time. Thats what I do. Be sure you have protein on your salad, like chicken breast so you keep your energy levels high all day.