Some of you seem so eating disordered. How do you get through the day with a 200-calorie lunch with no carbs?

I also disagree that eating the same lunch everyday is disordered. For years I ordered the same salad from my favorite place that I miss wholeheartedly.

For my lunch “entree” I bring a kale salad with a good blue cheese and two jammy eggs dressed with good olive oil and a balsamic glaze. I can’t seem to get tired of it.

I switch up my sides based on what fruit, snacking veggies/dips, or junk food we have in the house.

M through Th my lunch is:

- one serving of oatmeal (1/2 cup dry)
- one hard boiled egg (make big batch on sunday night)
- one laughing cow cheese wedge
- one nonfat plain greek yogurt serving
- one individual bag of skinny pop popcorn

It's about 500 calories.

(The rest of my M through Th routine, FWIW, is black coffee for breakfast and then whatever my family is having for dinner. No snacks. Weekends I eat more.)

I guess that list might sound sort of weird, but it has fat, protein, fiber, crunch. It keeps me full, it's easy, etc.

Anonymous wrote:I meal prep containers of a sort of rice bowl to eat M-Th with a cup of brown rice, a cooked protein, and 2-3 different vegetables depending on what is in season. I add sauce at the last minute that ranges from teriyaki to a vinaigrette.

The protein and vegetables vary by week to keep it interesting but the routine is consistent and keeps me on track.

I do something similar. Cook up a big pot of grains (farro/brown rice/barley, etc), lentils, beans, carrots, and kale. Freeze in individual portions. I eat plain, or with taco sauce, with plain greek yogurt, poached egg, leftover chicken, etc.

Anonymous wrote:OP,

Do you have an eating disorder? Eating the same food daily is a red flag. Are you trying to control your food intake?

I eat the same thing every single day because I need to not be making a decision at that time every day - I’ve identified something fast and healthy that I can cram down between meetings. It’s that or not eating. I don’t have an eating disorder, I have a busy life and just don’t care that much about handcrafting my lunches. -NP

I go hard at one lunch for a month or so and then get sick of it and switch. Right now it’s a pasta salad with sun dried tomato pesto, the chickpea pasta, mozzarella balls and some chicken chopped up. Before that I was all over a quinoa, chickpea, cucumber, feta, herbs, and a lemon dressing. Before that it was soups.

I definitely do not have an eating disorder but my workday is so full that if I don’t have an easy premade lunch then I’ll forget to eat or grab junk and be starving by 4.

Not OP but I don't think eating the same thing is a red flag. It's easy.

OP,

Do you have an eating disorder? Eating the same food daily is a red flag. Are you trying to control your food intake?

An apple or two cut up - dipped into almond or peanut butter.

Soup ! there are lots of varieties . you could also have Ramen. in many Asian countries soup is on the menu every day

At office lunches I eat out. At home lunches I make breakfast for lunch. Eggs all diff ways, ham or sausage, tofu scramble, hash browns, fruit, veggies.

On days I work from home, I make a salad of either mixed greens or arugula, oil & vinegar and top with either fried egg or veggie burger. I throw in whatever veggies we have like cucumber, peppers tomatoes. Sometimes I add brown rice or farro, which we usually have in the freezer. Finish off with a piece of fruit.

If I’m going into the office, I’ll bring a tuna pouch, Triscuits, maybe cheese, carrot or celery sticks, and finish off with an applesauce or piece of fruit.

I vary my lunches, but my "don't have time to think about it go-to" is boiled eggs with pesto, cherry tomatoes, another cut veggie and pita/sourdough.

Usually plain Greek yogurt with defrosted frozen blueberries and granola or grapenuts on top.

Anonymous wrote:Tuesday and Thursday a Thai chicken dish with double chicken after my 11 am workout.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday chicken pho.

What is a 'Thai chicken dish with double chicken'?