Spec me a good mas producable, healthy lunch

Lunawolfy · 18 Sep 2012 at 22:11

Hey all,

Since starting my new job (and neglecting the gym I'm puting on a bit of podge)

To help get me back there and to curve my biggest demon, snacking. Can you all help me create a dish I can mass produce on the sunday, then freeze and nuke portions at work.

Gotta be:

Good protein source
Fiberous
Not too carby

Filling.

And damn tasty!

I was thinking chicken in a vegetable salsa or something, mixed through with frozen veg, but then again. I am no cook...

bsoltan · 18 Sep 2012 at 23:10

I take the following:

lettuce, mixed leaves, rocket, radish, spring onion, tomato, cucumber, beetroot, mushrooms and any other veg I like.
I then chop it all up and put it in a box, throw in a tin of tuna, or some leftover cooked chicken or fish or eggs.

Hey presto, delicious, filling, healthy lunch. Don't forget to find a dressing that you like, keep it to a minimum if it is sugary. I like lemon juice and wine vinegar.

It isn't hot though.

Stew?

D.P. · 19 Sep 2012 at 07:01

Chili con care, done properly, and served the American way in a bowl with a little cheese and green onions! I.e no starchy rice.

Almost all soups, make good heart soups with chunks of meat.

Lasagne with brown pasta, and not too much pasta.

Most Curries, serve with limited rice or small an, or a separate portion of spiced vegetables.

Stews, served like a soup. Lots of tasty things like coq au vin or beauf burginion?

These are all easy to make in large batches, some are relatively easy to make full stop. They freeze well and reheat well in a microwave, most have little starch, all are tasty and healthy. Pretty much my lunch staples that I've been making for myself years and years. With a big freezer you can freeze up huge batches and always end up with a different dish each day. I generally cook 1 big batch at the weekend, enough to last about a week, but will eat 1-3 portions and freeze the rest, choosing other frozen lunches for the other days.

In the evenings I mostly eat a salad, soup, omelette, etc.

Freefaller · 19 Sep 2012 at 08:28

Just make a big batch of mince (either chilli con carne, or a tomatoey based sauce). You can try swapping beef for lamb, or pork mince just to change things around a little. Then split it into tuppaware and freeze it or leave it in the fridge. Add some veggies into it as well and you're sorted.

I used to do a vat of the stuff myself (using 1.5kg of mince), and have that. Each sitting was high in protein and good fats, low in carbs, and calorific which is what I was after as well.

Alternatively, roast a chicken, and create a "power salad".

Spinach and rocket
Shredded chicken (that you've roasted)
Lardons
roasted pine nuts
Boiled eggs
A little bulgar wheat or cous cous to add a bit of depth to it
Loads of olive oil
Pepper
(You can shave some parmesan on it too if you're feeling naughty)
Or add an avocado too but I'd remove the egg if you do that.

Again, turkey or chicken breasts / thighs, roasted/cooked in a big batch. Make a sauce with it of your choosing. And tupperware them up for the week. Doesn't take long. I'd fit 2.5 large breasts, or 3 smaller breasts per serving per day for lunch.

Then you can just add some brown/wild rice, or some salad, or cous cous, or whatever to add some interest.

The thing about these healthy diets, is that I prefer variation - now when I was at my biggest, and needed 3-4000 calories to maintain and keep my performance up (I was playing rugby and training in the gym, doing strongman stuff) - i used to do bulk cooking,... but it got SO boring. So I did several dishes on a Sunday night, and invested in lots of tupperware, and therefore had a choice every day!

Lunawolfy · 20 Sep 2012 at 08:15

Freefaller said:
Just make a big batch of mince (either chilli con carne, or a tomatoey based sauce). You can try swapping beef for lamb, or pork mince just to change things around a little. Then split it into tuppaware and freeze it or leave it in the fridge. Add some veggies into it as well and you're sorted.

I used to do a vat of the stuff myself (using 1.5kg of mince), and have that. Each sitting was high in protein and good fats, low in carbs, and calorific which is what I was after as well.

Alternatively, roast a chicken, and create a "power salad".

Spinach and rocket
Shredded chicken (that you've roasted)
Lardons
roasted pine nuts
Boiled eggs
A little bulgar wheat or cous cous to add a bit of depth to it
Loads of olive oil
Pepper
(You can shave some parmesan on it too if you're feeling naughty)
Or add an avocado too but I'd remove the egg if you do that.

Again, turkey or chicken breasts / thighs, roasted/cooked in a big batch. Make a sauce with it of your choosing. And tupperware them up for the week. Doesn't take long. I'd fit 2.5 large breasts, or 3 smaller breasts per serving per day for lunch.

Then you can just add some brown/wild rice, or some salad, or cous cous, or whatever to add some interest.

The thing about these healthy diets, is that I prefer variation - now when I was at my biggest, and needed 3-4000 calories to maintain and keep my performance up (I was playing rugby and training in the gym, doing strongman stuff) - i used to do bulk cooking,... but it got SO boring. So I did several dishes on a Sunday night, and invested in lots of tupperware, and therefore had a choice every day!

I like the chilli idea, how much does a weeks worth cost?

Freefaller · 20 Sep 2012 at 08:31

Depends what deals your local butcher or supermarket has.

I used 3x 500g packs of mince.
Lardons.
Mushrooms
Onions
Garlic
Chopped tomatoes (usually 3 tins)
Kidney beans
Selection of herbs and spices
I like to add carrots to it (chopped finely).

Then whatever veg you're interested in.

Since most of these I tend to have in my larder the only items I'd buy often were the meat products.

Cost me around £10 or so depending on how clever I was with my shopping or whether I needed to add mushrooms or onions to my shopping list.

Lunawolfy · 22 Sep 2012 at 12:17

I reckon i'll try the chillli idea this weekend. When I come to dish it up how big should the portions be?

James J · 22 Sep 2012 at 14:21

Lunawolfy said:
I reckon i'll try the chillli idea this weekend. When I come to dish it up how big should the portions be?

Try get hold of some takeaway plastic pots and just spoon the chilli into 5 of them until you run out of it. Usually have a portion size thats pretty much spot on then.