Packed Lunch for work

mariannemarlow

Thanks Samsara

I am not very good at sticking to it as I am such a fussy eater so I feel awful most of the time.

I do allow myself pizza once a month even though it makes me feel ill the next day (i have to make sure it's the weekend!)

How do you cope with it?

Penny-Pincher!!

Samsara-May I ask what you eat generally? Just being nosey thats all..LOL.

PP
xx

samsara

:wall:

Penny-Pincher!! wrote:

Samsara-May I ask what you eat generally? Just being nosey thats all..LOL.

PP
xx

Usually something along these lines:

breakfast: Quinoa porridge or a soya shake and fruit
lunch: veggie soup, salad. I really like broccolli with a drizzle of walnut oil
Dinner: more salad or veg with tofu, soya or nuts and seeds. In the winter I make more thick veggie soups or chilli with lentils and other pulses- the family eat with garlic bread or potatoes and I have on its own.

Treats are usually a bag of nuts or a piece of Green&Black dark chocolate. Also love the food doctor seed/fruit bars or sesame bars with date syrup.

I rarely eat potatoes as I find they make me feel bad but occasionally will eat chips at a restaurant when options are low. Another welcome reward is a nice vodka and sparkly water after a hard day!!

It used to be a real trial but it's fine now - the only problem is that I eat out a lot for work and it can be a real pain getting something appropriate - and then I get really embarrassed - hate drawing attention to it because then everyone on my table starts asking questions and a big deal is made :wall:

Penny-Pincher!!

Your meal ideas sound scrummy. I have a friend who is vegan and had problems as what to cook him and youve now given me some great ideas. Thanks!!

Sorry, hope you didnt think me rude for asking.

PP
xx

samsara

Penny-Pincher!! wrote:

Your meal ideas sound scrummy. I have a friend who is vegan and had problems as what to cook him and youve now given me some great ideas. Thanks!!

Sorry, hope you didnt think me rude for asking.

PP
xx

Of course not - the only time I have a problem with people asking is when it makes me the centre of attention and I get the whole table looking at me as if I'm a sorry exhibit in a zoo. - And I get questions like... "where do you get your protein, iron, etc if you don't eat meat, fish, eggs" etc as if they're the only sources on the planet, or "you'll have to make sure you don't get a deficiency in (whatever) because, (for example) my cousin was a veggie and ended up with (rickets/the plague/ yellow monkey fever) but now she eats properly". Often people think that as a vegan I'm going to get at them for eating animal stuff and they either get all defensive or they tease in the hope that I'll lose my temper which will prove to them how weird I am!! never rise to it! Being a vegan is a choice - like I choose not to wear yellow but I don't get upset with anyone else who does :silenced:

I'll shut up now!! Rant over...

mariannemarlow

samsara wrote:

Of course not - the only time I have a problem with people asking is when it makes me the centre of attention and I get the whole table looking at me as if I'm a sorry exhibit in a zoo. - And I get questions like... "where do you get your protein, iron, etc if you don't eat meat, fish, eggs" etc as if they're the only sources on the planet, or "you'll have to make sure you don't get a deficiency in (whatever) because, (for example) my cousin was a veggie and ended up with (rickets/the plague/ yellow monkey fever) but now she eats properly". Often people think that as a vegan I'm going to get at them for eating animal stuff and they either get all defensive or they tease in the hope that I'll lose my temper which will prove to them how weird I am!! never rise to it! Being a vegan is a choice - like I choose not to wear yellow but I don't get upset with anyone else who does :silenced:

I'll shut up now!! Rant over...

I sat here and nodded my head at everything you said there!

Gets on my wick when i get judged and constantly questioned about being a veggie, like i have done something wrong for making my own choice!

angelatgraceland

mariannemarlow wrote:

Hello guys. I have a challenge for you, I desperately need to cut back on what I am spending on lunches for work.

I am vegetarian, not supposed to eat wheat or anything that is high in carbs that aren't complex - as it sends me to sleep (Making sarnies is so cheap aswell and I love bread ) and would rather not have salad every day. Everything seems to cost a fortune!

Anyone got any idea on what I can make and bring in to work with me?

I tried just making too much dinner the night before and saving it - but it didn't taste that nice the next day

Thanks in advance

Marianne

Take a look on www.Atkins.com I know its aimed at losing weight but the recipes are low carb and although a lot of them have meat in, you could replace this either with quorn or cheese or fish, depending on the recipe. There are also ideas for making low carb bread. Also, see my thread for Atkins recipes.http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=140031&page=3&pp=10

samsara

mariannemarlow wrote:

Thanks Samsara

I am not very good at sticking to it as I am such a fussy eater so I feel awful most of the time.

I do allow myself pizza once a month even though it makes me feel ill the next day (i have to make sure it's the weekend!)

How do you cope with it?

It can be really difficult to stick with a rigid diet at first whether self imposed or for medical reasons. I really understand that but you will feel so much better if you do actually stick to it properly. And it gets easier to the point that after a while you're not bothered about the things that you used to crave. That was brought home to me recently when I made a chocolate cake for my family. I didn't fancy it at all. My 9-yr old asked me to try a bit because it was so delicious and although I wouldn't normally I had a small bite and discovered that I'd completely lost the taste for chocolate cake (got rid of it when my boy wasn't looking!). I used to miss pizza too and it's a great favourite with my boy so I've endured many a meal resisting the urge to steal it from him. Nowadays it's really not a problem and I can happily sit in pizza express with friends while they stuff huge pizzas and I get the salad. Trust me - if you can stick with it completely for a week then a month will go by without noticing. Reward yourself with something else that won't make you feel ill. :T

nic82

Further up the most someone mentioned about gluten free bread. Several years ago I was put on to a gluten-free diet by my doctor and bought some of it. It really did taste like cardboard (not that I've tried cardboard, but you get my drift!!).

However, I did find that it tasted perfectly fine when toasted, so if you have got a toaster at work and some toaster bags, it might be a good way of being able to enjoy a sandwich?

mariannemarlow

angelatgraceland wrote:

Take a look on www.Atkins.com I know its aimed at losing weight but the recipes are low carb and although a lot of them have meat in, you could replace this either with quorn or cheese or fish, depending on the recipe. There are also ideas for making low carb bread. Also, see my thread for Atkins recipes.http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=140031&page=3&pp=10

thanks very much for that

I don't eat fish, but thanks for the other suggestions