Lunches to buy downtown around 400 calories?

[Anonymous]

According to the NIH website, my calorie consumption should be about 1500 per day if I want to lose any weight. That works out to 500 per meal but I know I go over that for dinner so I’m trying to stay under for breakfast and lunch. Any ideas for things I can buy downtown that will be about 400 calories? So far I’ve found:

Pret lentil soup
Boring salad (no cheese)
Yogurt parfait

I prefer to eat vegetarian for lunch. Wish there were more places that would do egg dishes at lunch.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Anonymous]

Make your own salads.

Au Bon Pain has a salad bar where you can make your own as well.

You can also do eggs for breakfast and stay way under 500

[Anonymous]

Classic Buffalo bowl or salad from The Protein Bar.

[Anonymous]

Poke Papa-- mixed greens, all the toppings

[Anonymous]

Chopt should have lots of options.

[Anonymous]

Some of the Starbucks lunches are just over 400 calories, albeit not just vegetarian.

https://www.starbucks.com/menu/food/bistro-boxes/chicken-quinoa-protein-bowl-with-black-beans-and-greens
https://www.starbucks.com/menu/food/bistro-boxes/eggs-cheese-protein-box

You can get some salads from Corner Bakery under 400 calories. For example, the Spinach Sweet Crisp Salad, minus the sweet crisps and roll, clocks in at 380 calories according to their calculator. https://www.nutritionix.com/corner-bakery-cafe/nutrition-calculator/premium

[Anonymous]

Subway veggie burger or veggie delight

[Anonymous]

Some of the sweetgreen salads are under 400 and very good.

I sometimes get Panera chicken noodle or vegetable soup and a side salad. Avoid creamy ones.

I've found its better to eat protein at lunch, keep you more full.

[Anonymous]

Is there a Pret near you? There are lots of options around 400 calories or less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a Pret near you? There are lots of options around 400 calories or less.

Sorry just saw that Pret lentil soup is on your list. That’s one of my favorites too.

[Anonymous]

Corner bakery spinach summer salad

[Anonymous]

why not bring lunch from home? I find that I can pack a lunch with bigger portions/more filling and for far fewer calories than anything I can get out.

If I do buy lunch out I get a salad form Cava.

[Anonymous]

Most of these sound gross and/or not filling. Fine for days you can't plan in advance, but you would be much better off bringing stuff from home. You can even get pre-grilled chicken at Trader Joe's and throw it on some mixed greens or something and that would be a much better option in terms of nutrition and expense. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

^^Oh, sorry, I see you said you prefer vegetarian. In that case, hard or soft-boiled eggs on top of salad. Done.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the options! Really would like more non salad options. I'm not a natural salad eater, so if I eat salad more than a couple times a week, I feel like I'm punishing myself. I wish carbs had fewer calories!

And I hear what everyone is saying about packing my own lunches, but I already pack lunches for 4 kids and I can't bear to pack myself something too. Plus getting up and walking away from my desk is sort of a high point.