Hi
I’m a newbie only on day 2 of this lifestyle change.
I work 11 1/2 HR shifts as a nurse and will need to take packed lunches now not involving sandwiches. Don’t always have access to a microwave, any ideas to keep me on track?

Hi Lizzy – how about a big serving of salad with cottage cheese/hardboiled eggs/mackerel fillets/chicken breast?

Full-fat yoghurt with berries, apple, seeds.

I’m sure others will be along soon with more ideas 🙂

Hi Lizzy

Try making the egg muffins and take them with salad and fruit – keeping within your daily limits. Also the indulgent prawn salad recipe I posted is great for a packed lunch. I have had Ryvita with Cottage Cheese or with laughing cow light cheese triangles. One Rivita is only .5 g of carbs and the seeded ones are lovely. You could get away with 3 Ryvia if youre really hungry. AGain with salad. Hard Boiled eggs and salad or on the days you can get to a microwave the cream of mushroom soup if you want something hot with a Ryvita crumbled into it. Again keep count of your carbs and you should be fine. Im on day 3 for the secone attempt. Weighed myself this morning the scales say 5lb loss!!! Given youre a nurse and run off your feet each shift hopefully all this will fit in.

Good luck

Hi Lizzy, If you have a good food thermos, then I suggest soups. I make a veg soup – 1l stock, 2 onions, 2 leeks, 3 carrots, 1 clove garlic, tsp cumin seeds, tsp, mustard seeds, 2 tsp curry powder and that is about 120-140 cals (depending on sizes of veg) – but very filling (from Newcastle website). 10 mins in pressure cooker or 20-30 normal cooking then blitz with hand blender. It make 3 portions – one for the day and 2 for the freezer. In your case I would probably add a tin of cannellini beans to bulk up and add protein. If you have that 3-4 hours into the shift plus a hardboiled egg (or feta cheese) and a tomato, cucumber and spring onion salad – that as a lunch keeps me going for a good few hours. If there is a microwave, I would be tempted to take another soup for later in the day as well – they are easy to carry, few mins to heat in microwave or 20-30 mins depending on microwave strength to defrost. I am veggie so this option works well for me – I am sure others will chip in with other ideas.

Hi Lizzy. We (husband and I!) are also on day 2! Recipes we have tried from the book are chicken, butterbean and walnut salad (delicious) and the chickpea and hazlenut salad (also lovely but I must say I missed the ‘meat’!). I thought afterwards that these would be two recipes I could take for a lunch when I am going out. The avocado options are also good. And the no-carb ploughman’s we will try tomorrow. Hope that helps!

Thank you all for these ideas, they sound great. Will definitely give them all a go!!

HI, I mainly eat plain salad( celery, red pepper, cucumber and tomatoes) with an individual pot (40g) of houmous. Today, I have just had an individual pot of greek yoghurt with a courgette muffin (from the freezer). I did like the beetroot falafel with greek yoghurt but it was a lot of effort to make; I have since found them in a supermarket (and also spinach falafels).

Hi Chezza,
What Ryvita can you get that’s only .5g carb per serve? Is there a special low carb one?
I used to love them but the only ones I can find have over 6g carb per slice ( I’m in Aus so may not be available here).
Three of those would put me at over 20g.

Hi lizzy you can also take any of the dips with crudites 🙂