Construction worker ISO healthy lunches.

[CWS4322]

Welcome to DC! Pita pockets. A zippie of roasted chicken breast, another with veggies, e.g., tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, bean sprouts, shredded cheese to stuff in the pita pockets. Carrot and celery sticks. Hard boiled eggs. A can of smoked oysters or mussels. A mix of almonds and other nuts, raisins. I mix peanuts or pumpkin seeds, chex cereal, choc chips, raisins when I travel on the train for a snack food. If you have access to a cooler, a container of yogurt is always a good idea. I'm a protein person. I eat hb eggs as a snack. I don't eat a lot of carbs, but bring on the protein. Working construction, eggs or other protein would get you from one break to another more than a carb snack/meal will.

 

[Slkylo]

I see you have gotten lots of help but may I offer this? I think that you will find that unprocessed foods will stick with you longer than processed things. Fresh fruits and veggies are often portion controlled by nature. A tomatoe eaten like an apple with a small amount of salt can be a real treat in the late summer. A big cucumber can give you a satisfying crunch, and there are apples for wvery kind of taste preference. The biggest thing is remembering that you need food to live and not the other way around. Maybe for just one meal a day eat what is good for you. I find it easiest to do that at lunch especially when I am busy. Then at the other meals when I have time to enjoy them I allow myself to be a little more free with my eating. Hope this helps.

I agree with the unprocessed food 110% but as with all the lighter meals I'm not sure it's enough for the energy level I need to complete a day.

With my job its hard to covey the level of labor I put out every day. We are a trench-less sewer and storm line rehabilitation company. Using a resin soaked felt liner we install it by inverting it with water pressure and cure it in place (CIPP) cured in place pipe. So it's tons, and tons of heavy lifting, hot weather, I live and work on Florida's west coast so heat and humidity play a huge part in my day to day. So I look at it as I'm a body builder that works out all day in a sauna.

 

[Slkylo]

Welcome to DC! Pita pockets. A zippie of roasted chicken breast, another with veggies, e.g., tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, bean sprouts, shredded cheese to stuff in the pita pockets. Carrot and celery sticks. Hard boiled eggs. A can of smoked oysters or mussels. A mix of almonds and other nuts, raisins. I mix peanuts or pumpkin seeds, chex cereal, choc chips, raisins when I travel on the train for a snack food. If you have access to a cooler, a container of yogurt is always a good idea. I'm a protein person. I eat hb eggs as a snack. I don't eat a lot of carbs, but bring on the protein. Working construction, eggs or other protein would get you from one break to another more than a carb snack/meal will.

I really like this idea. Sounds pretty balanced with enough protein for the work I do.

 

[Slkylo]

Pretty much i'm up at 0430 and off to work by 0500, I ride 4 miles to work on my bike which is about 25/30 min. It's go go go for about 12 to 18 hours a day, then another 4 miles home. That may give some people a better idea of my life right now lol.

 

[taxlady]

I see you have gotten lots of help but may I offer this? I think that you will find that unprocessed foods will stick with you longer than processed things. Fresh fruits and veggies are often portion controlled by nature. A tomatoe eaten like an apple with a small amount of salt can be a real treat in the late summer. A big cucumber can give you a satisfying crunch, and there are apples for wvery kind of taste preference. The biggest thing is remembering that you need food to live and not the other way around. Maybe for just one meal a day eat what is good for you. I find it easiest to do that at lunch especially when I am busy. Then at the other meals when I have time to enjoy them I allow myself to be a little more free with my eating. Hope this helps.

Are you saying that you think eating what's good for you is less enjoyable or less tasty?

 

[joesfolk]

No, I'm saying that I often skip things that I can manage without when I am really busy and don't have the time to enjoy the full flavor of them. In other words I just eat for the energy I get from the food. I may just do some sliced meat (chicken etc) and some sliced veggies on the run, just to get the energy I need and to fill the hole in my belly. When I have the time to savor my food I make myself something that takes more time to prepare. This gentleman has specified that he is very busy and works at a very physically stressful job. IMHO what he needs is to take care of the basics at lunch and save the rest for when he has the time and energy to really enjoy them. I mean he could do donuts and soda for lunch, no work, fast energy, but what would that gain him? He would be hungry again in minutes and he just doesn't have that kind of luxury. I think it's key to get the essential nutrients in even if he has to forgo the cooking and prepping to do it. But of course I am sure that you realized that when you made your last post.

 

[taxlady]

No, I'm saying that I often skip things that I can manage without when I am really busy and don't have the time to enjoy the full flavor of them. In other words I just eat for the energy I get from the food. I may just do some sliced meat (chicken etc) and some sliced veggies on the run, just to get the energy I need and to fill the hole in my belly. When I have the time to savor my food I make myself something that takes more time to prepare. This gentleman has specified that he is very busy and works at a very physically stressful job. IMHO what he needs is to take care of the basics at lunch and save the rest for when he has the time and energy to really enjoy them. I mean he could do donuts and soda for lunch, no work, fast energy, but what would that gain him? He would be hungry again in minutes and he just doesn't have that kind of luxury. I think it's key to get the essential nutrients in even if he has to forgo the cooking and prepping to do it. But of course I am sure that you realized that when you made your last post.

Okay, when you explain it that way it makes perfect sense.

I'm always concerned when I hear something that makes me think someone thinks healthy food doesn't taste good.

While I was visiting a friend, one of her friends kept telling her child to eat various foods on his plate because, "It's good for you." Well, this poor child certainly thought that "good for you" meant it was something he didn't want to eat. When it was time for strawberries for dessert, I told the little brat, "Those strawberries are good for you." He wouldn't eat them, though he had been happily eating them until I told him. His mother was furious with me.

 

[Rocklobster]

Pretty much i'm up at 0430 and off to work by 0500, I ride 4 miles to work on my bike which is about 25/30 min. It's go go go for about 12 to 18 hours a day, then another 4 miles home. That may give some people a better idea of my life right now lol.

Sounds like you would burn lots of carbs. Are you overweight? "cus with lifestyle like that you shouldn't be. Lots of cold, lean meats and greens for protein and vitamins(roughage too). Fruit for carbs, 64 oz of water a day. I would stay away from bread products if you can. At least for on a daily basis. Are broth soups in a thermos bottle possible? Put more fruit and fruit juice than you could eat and drink in your lunch box. If energy levels feel like they are getting low, eat or drink some quickly. .

 

[Aunt Bea]

Pretty much i'm up at 0430 and off to work by 0500, I ride 4 miles to work on my bike which is about 25/30 min. It's go go go for about 12 to 18 hours a day, then another 4 miles home. That may give some people a better idea of my life right now lol.

I don't understand where yer gut came from, I worked up a sweat and lost three pounds just reading this!

I think rocklobster is on the right track, cut out the bread, pasta, beer and mayo for a couple weeks.

 

[Slkylo]

I don't understand where yer gut came from, I worked up a sweat and lost three pounds just reading this!

I think rocklobster is on the right track, cut out the bread, pasta, beer and mayo for a couple weeks.

Yep, i eat lots of rice, pasta, breads. I don't like sweets. Beer is only a weekend thing.

 

[betterthanabox]

Here are my thoughts on how to get good nutrition and still lose weight.

The key is to have lots of fruits, veggies, protein, and fiber. You're gone a good portion of the day so I would say you need lunch and at least two snacks and plenty of drinks.

Snack: Whole Wheat Tortilla spread with a few tablespoons of peanut butter and a big handful of berries. Roll it up and toss it in the lunch box. As the berries get bruised, they make a delightful jam.

Lunch:
Grilled Chicken Sandwich with lots of veggies, an apple, a yogurt and some pretzels

Snack:
String Cheese, baby carrots, and a juice

That should keep you full most of the day, while providing you with energy and it's not too calorie dense. Let me know how your lunches turn out!

 

[CWS4322]

Another thing if you LIKE chick peas, kidney beans, etc., is to add some of those to your diet. A 3-bean salad with lemon juice and a bit of EVOO (and some seasoning--I like to add curry to mine) will be very filling and provide protein. If you have a juicer, juicing carrots, beets, greens, cukes, fruits, is a great way to get your vitamins. If you don't have a juicer, you usually can get one fairly inexpensively at yard sales or thrift stores. Of course, if you don't have a dishwasher, they can be a pain to clean--my theory as to why people get rid of them.

 

[Merlot]

You could try lettuce wraps, as a snack or lunch dependent on what you put in them Basically replace the bread with a large lettuce leaf.. heres some links/ recipes Lettuce Wraps, How To Make Lettuce Wraps, Lettuce Tacos

Now that I remember them I think thats what I will start taking in my lunch, I'm a carb addict

 

[CWS4322]

You could try lettuce wraps, as a snack or lunch dependent on what you put in them Basically replace the bread with a large lettuce leaf.. heres some links/ recipes Lettuce Wraps, How To Make Lettuce Wraps, Lettuce Tacos

Now that I remember them I think thats what I will start taking in my lunch, I'm a carb addict

Get over the carbs, Merlot, and come on the protein side of life. For lettuce wraps, I like romaine--put all the goodies in zippies, and then make them on site. I love cold steak sandwiches and cold steak in lettuce wraps with a splash of black bean sauce is divine. And, I think not too bad for you.

 

[taxlady]

Get over the carbs, Merlot, and come on the protein side of life. For lettuce wraps, I like romaine--put all the goodies in zippies, and then make them on site. I love cold steak sandwiches and cold steak in lettuce wraps with a splash of black bean sauce is divine. And, I think not too bad for you.

For most of us getting rid of carbs goes hand in hand with more protein.

Low carb/high protein isn't all that healthy for everyone. You have Scandinavian ancestry, like me. At this time of the year our ancestors were living off seal willies and fish heads. High protein works for us.

As a friend of mine put it, "So perhaps if you and yours come from nice warm climes where olives grow on trees and clothing is optional, a low-carbohydrate diet makes about as much sense as giving up wine. But for those for whom fermenting honey was actually more convenient than fermenting grapes (what, after all, are a few bee strings when you don't have any grapes...) the situation, by which I mean the inherited metabolic situation, may be a little different."

 

[Merlot]

For most of us getting rid of carbs goes hand in hand with more protein.

Low carb/high protein isn't all that healthy for everyone. You have Scandinavian ancestry, like me. At this time of the year our ancestors were living off seal willies and fish heads. High protein works for us.

As a friend of mine put it, "So perhaps if you and yours come from nice warm climes where olives grow on trees and clothing is optional, a low-carbohydrate diet makes about as much sense as giving up wine. But for those for whom fermenting honey was actually more convenient than fermenting grapes (what, after all, are a few bee strings when you don't have any grapes...) the situation, by which I mean the inherited metabolic situation, may be a little different."

Well... I did take a blood type test just for the fun of it and it said I needed to eat protein primarily As for ancestory, I am Irish/ German so not really sure what I should be eating I have switched to wholegrain carbs and thrown out the white bread and pasta! I'm at least headed to a semi better start.

 

[Merlot]

Get over the carbs, Merlot, and come on the protein side of life. For lettuce wraps, I like romaine--put all the goodies in zippies, and then make them on site. I love cold steak sandwiches and cold steak in lettuce wraps with a splash of black bean sauce is divine. And, I think not too bad for you.

It sounds great and I have some romaine in my refrig, I can't wait until Monday's lunch... ok well I can wait.. I'm ready for the weekend

 

[4meandthem]

Canned tuna/shrimp or chicken over a bagged salad. (keep the dressing in another container)add some garbonzos or white beans for carbs.

Quinoa with nuts and veggies you like dressed lightly

Chicken sandwiches

sauteed Shrimp po boy

chili

grilled and marinated veggies with a little pasta and meat

My big one was a can of tuna in water dumped over a microwaved cup of instant brown rice and some sauteed spinach. I ate this for almost a year straight.Tastey but I lost my appetite for it eventually.

 

[Merlot]

Canned tuna/shrimp or chicken over a bagged salad. (keep the dressing in another container)add some garbonzos or white beans for carbs.

Quinoa with nuts and veggies you like dressed lightly

Chicken sandwiches

sauteed Shrimp po boy

chili

grilled and marinated veggies with a little pasta and meat

My big one was a can of tuna in water dumped over a microwaved cup of instant brown rice and some sauteed spinach. I ate this for almost a year straight.Tastey but I lost my appetite for it eventually.

I am like you, I can eat the same thing everyday and be ok with it so I usually find something and stick with it, maybe adding a few seasonal things here and there. (in fact I may try your idea, it sounds great to me!)
I can't do bagged salad, I have a personal dislike for stalks in my salad, it drives me crazy to go to a restaurant and get a salad full of stalks.. maybe my one pet peeve!

 

[Dawgluver]

BTW, Slkylo, 4meandthem is a weight lifter. His food needs might be similar to yours.