I need healthy lunch ideas!!

[nikkiluvsu15]

This semester I'm determined to bring my lunch to school and eat healthier... but I have no clue what I can bring!

I love sandwiches, fruit, veggies, salad... really ANYTHING. I'm not picky at all. However, I just don't know what I can bring and really need some ideas

I've looked online some, but haven't really found anything that really sticks out and that is easy to make/take. I have a lunch box and an ice packet thing to keep stuff cool, but won't have access to a microwave or anything like that.

Also! Healthy snack ideas... I'll be there from 9:30-3:30, so a snack to bring along would be nice. I think I've got breakfast figured out, just cannot find anything quick, easy AND healthy for lunches and snacks!

[swolek]

I'm no help but I'll be watching this thread! I spent too much money last semester eating out so I want to bring lunch to school this semester. My only ideas so far are bagels and salads. For a snack, I usually bring nuts, popcorn, dried seaweed, or granola bars.

[Huginn]

For snacks I got to the local health food store and raid their bulk bins to make an awesome trail mix. For lunches, pita bread and hummus with veggies makes a delicious sandwich. I'm a pbj kinda girl too so I bring those a lot. I also stocked up on cliff bars as those are filling enough for lunch.

[bridget246]

I think it really depends on what you do. I would get to campus a hour ahead of time and run for 30 minutes. Shower, change into my day cloths and eat a bagel with peanut butter on my walk to my first class. I also had pita bread and whole food bulk items. Mid day I would switch between weights and swimming with homemade protein shakes. At night I would start off with a salad and then move on to a bunch of stuff. I had to eat a very high crab dinner if I wanted to not eat myself the next day. Oh and I forgot my morning cereal before my drive to campus.

Sounds crazy but here is what I noticed. The fitness increase my focus by a huge amount which made long study session without distractions a breeze. I needed a little less sleep and went to sleep much faster with low interruptions. At first I was trying to correct my day by focusing only on what I was eating at school then working out at home. That didn't work for me. Found I did much better if I switched things around with the fitness.

That was way off topic. On food I completely agree with Huginn.

[NZ Raw]

I don't know about how quick this is but can be made ahead of time. These are my favourite

http://video.about.com/thaifood/Fres...ring-Rolls.htm

They don't take long once you know what you are doing and you wouldn't need to make many.
My kids take these to school along with Chicken and salad (lettuce ,carrot, spring onions, tomatoes etc) wraps (tortillas) and yoghurt and rosemary for a dressing.

[funshine]

For snacks I love raw almonds (not roasted or covered with anything).
Even healthier... I recommend mini carrots, mini tomatoes, and mini bell peppers (I've got those from Costco) with no work except rinsing and snack packing or with little prep work cutting celery, bell peppers and carrots into strips.

For maybe something different that comes to mind right now...
If you consider rice healthy, making some sushi rice and sprinkling some rice seasoning on top is super easy (rice seasoning from any Asian store, all kinds)
Needs no refrigeration (sushi rice gets hard in a fridge, so just leave it out in a semi cool place on a counter or something) and draws attention if you eat it with chopsticks You can pare this with any left over protein like some chicken (if you don't mind it cold like in a salad) or boiled eggs or "seaweed snack" that look like little seaweed squares to me (you wrap this around "chopstick full" of rice, but might require some practice).

[chewice]

I slow cook mass meals...since I am lazy. I picked up one of those 5 ingrediant slow cooker cookbooks. Sunday, you just throw on the footballgame and wait for meals for a week.

I would look at crazy plates cookbooks. They are a life saver!

[sozzle]

Packed into a plastic tupperware type container, salad with hard boiled eggs (make good filling snacks too), tuna fish or cold chicken or feta cheese with some kind of dressing that you add at the time otherwise it might go soggy. If it's winter where you are you might prefer to take homemade soup in a thermos with bread.
I second the nuts snack too, very good.
Keep away from cakes and cookies and potato chips as snacks they raise your blood sugar sky high and you end up feeling sleepy.

[magicre]

it depends on the time constraints....

i make my honey's lunch....

he always gets bananas, clementines or another fruit, a container of raw veggies to snack on, oatmeal, soup or leftover one pot dish, applesauce.....those are the basics....sometimes croissants...

the name of the game for him.....he has to be able to eat bits at a time.....so finger foods.....

trail mix is good....we also make our own....

fruits and veggies vary.....but it's usually finger foods.....plus one main dish....i supply him for when he leaves the house to the snack that gets him home...he has an hour commute.

[nikkiluvsu15]

Thanks everyone!! And yes, Huginn I'm a PB&J kind of girl too... that is definitely going to be in my meal "rotation"

it depends on the time constraints....

Time constraints to make it or to eat it?

If your talking about eating it, I'll have plenty of time. LOL! My first class is at 9:30am and I have a break until my second class.. which is at 2:15 or something like that. So I have a pretty big break to enjoy lunch and snacks