Best LCHF lunch options on the high street?

[georgianakate]

Hi All,

I have a lengthy commute to work, and often travel away from home for a few days at a time, so I can't always take my lunch with me.

I received formal diagnosis of Type 2 a couple of days ago and need to look at what I'm eating for lunch (previously Subway/wrap from a sandwich shop/Pret etc.) to keep to LCHF (which is going well for me - have spent 3 weeks working away staying in hotels and have lost 7lbs - I would never have imagined that it was possible to lose weight and not be insanely hungry...).

Any thoughts/recommendations welcomed.

Many thanks

GK

 

[Applenerd81]

Best option for food on the go is salads with fatty dressings. Subway can still provide these, just avoid the sweet dressings.

Coffee with a generous helping of unsweetened whipping/ double cream (served in all coffee shops) is great if your in a rush.

Alternatively you could eat a bigger breakfast and skip lunch, or take a prepared lunch (walnuts/almonds/cheeses/ sliced meats).

Simples

 

[DeejayR]

Sit-down lunch? Omelette is always my first choice with mushrooms, ham, cheese and whatever else they're offering.
Some places will do a decent burger without the bun and I add bacon, cheese, mushrooms and a fried egg (bit OTT perhaps )
Undressed salads and ask for olive oil & vinegar separately.
Beware of all soup.

 

[sanguine]

Salads from M&S, Sainsburys etc are good, or if you have access to some kind of kitchen/fridge at work stock up on low carb dips, olives, cheese, tomatoes, salami etc and make something up from that.

 

[lovinglife]

Pret do great bread less sandwiches and salads subway do salads, miso soup from pret is good too

 

[LucySW]

Yes, sadly most soups even Pret ones are *loaded* with sugar, have had so many heart-breaking 11s when it ought to have been all right. And as a T 2 you can't just take the insulin.

I now avoid all soups unless I've cooked them

Salad and you add your own olive oil

Also I don't know ANY coffee shops where one can have cream in ordinary coffee. I sometimes think of carrying my own little carton, as coffee with cream is so delish and so sustaining.

 

[Phlogiston]

It can be hard if you're looking for finger food on the go. (That's why sandwiches were invented).
If you can sit down, then omelettes, salads, bunless burgers and loads of other things are great.
My impending problem is that I work with a boy who doesn't go to school, and on Tuesday I will be taking him out to lunch. Trouble is, he only eats sausage rolls, and even if I find a baker that does both sausage rolls and a salad, he may not sit still long enough for me to eat a salad.
I suspect it will be lunch in my pocket. The tins of tuna and salmon with salad give a reasonable lunch that doesn't have too many carbs for me.
Hey ho.
P

 

[LucySW]

It can be hard if you're looking for finger food on the go. (That's why sandwiches were invented).
If you can sit down, then omelettes, salads, bunless burgers and loads of other things are great.
My impending problem is that I work with a boy who doesn't go to school, and on Tuesday I will be taking him out to lunch. Trouble is, he only eats sausage rolls, and even if I find a baker that does both sausage rolls and a salad, he may not sit still long enough for me to eat a salad.
I suspect it will be lunch in my pocket. The tins of tuna and salmon with salad give a reasonable lunch that doesn't have too many carbs for me.
Hey ho.
P

 

[LucySW]

I carry nuts with me ALWAYS. Whichever nuts I like on the day. Usually Brazil's or walnuts at the mo since overdosing on almonds once, which was like trying to digest twigs.

Not really a lunch substitute, but will tide you over in emergency b

 

[lovinglife]

It can be hard if you're looking for finger food on the go. (That's why sandwiches were invented).
If you can sit down, then omelettes, salads, bunless burgers and loads of other things are great.
My impending problem is that I work with a boy who doesn't go to school, and on Tuesday I will be taking him out to lunch. Trouble is, he only eats sausage rolls, and even if I find a baker that does both sausage rolls and a salad, he may not sit still long enough for me to eat a salad.
I suspect it will be lunch in my pocket. The tins of tuna and salmon with salad give a reasonable lunch that doesn't have too many carbs for me.
Hey ho.
P

This is very like the problem I have when out with my son who has autism - i make myself a snack box of baby bel cheese, chunks of pepper, carrot cucumber and celery. Strips of ham rolled up even a cold sausage left over from breakfast in this weather will be fine I also have a couple of Nairn oatcakes just in case I go a bit low - a couple of squares of dark choc to sneak out of my pocket in the cafe

 

[lovinglife]

Meant to add I know you won't be able to eat this in the cafe, I put mine within easy reach in a sandwich bag in my pocket so I can nibble it whilst I'm walking or travelling etc. if you aren't going out until near your normal lunchtime have a small snack to keep you going.

 

[))Denise((]

I have great problems eating out being low carb and wheat intolerant. M&S plain salads are boring and their others have rice and wheat in them. My solution is a burger (throw away the bread) with a salad and a diet coke - works for me.

 

[georgianakate]

This is all really helpful, thank you.

 

[noblehead]

The Carvery pub/restaurants are good for meals as you can load your plate up with the foods you want to eat

 

[Daffodils1]

Pret salads but skipping their dressing. Itsu do great low carb salads, but not sure how widespread they are. Pizza express do a big super foods salad with optional chicken, dressing is balsamic vinegar.

Big thumbs up for nuts, also olives. Not sure if this ok with no fridge,but I took some smoked salmon on an over nighter for work, left it in my bag overnight and had it for breakfast.

I'm still waiting for the designers of Eggxactly to put their product on the market! It's a tiny electric thing that cooks one egg with no water, will be perfect to use when travelling!!! Was on Draggons den agers ago and apparently it's in final test stage

 

[Brunneria]

I regularly get coffee with cream in little local cafés, and Costa are always willing to oblige (Americano with cream). Starbucks have looked at me as if I have asked them to stab me in the heart each time I have asked.

In our town centre I would go to Wetherspoons (mixed grill or salad) macdonalds (2x burgers minus the buns), burger king likewise, cold stuff from M&S, a lump of cheese (or baby bels).

In all circs I would prefer to take my own food and snaffle it on a park bench, so those listed above would be emergency dipping-too-low damage control options.

I suppose the very best option would be a humungous very low carb breakfast, which would make me forget about food until after 3pm...

 

[Arab Horse]

On an outing to the O"2 recently we had lunch at a Harvester and I had steak with veg instead of chips. The veg was not really what I could eat so gave it away but they have a "help yourself" salad bar so I had lots of salad and it was delicious. You can go back as many times as you like and they had lots of dressings so you could chose one that was (hopefully) low carb.

 

[lizzi51]

You can buy small(ish) insulated lunch bags from some supermarkets and keep snacks which need to be kept cool in them. On the other hand, if you want to go into an eating place, then there are some very good suggestions from other posters here - I must make a note of them!

 

[LucySW]

I regularly get coffee with cream in little local cafés, and Costa are always willing to oblige (Americano with cream). Starbucks have looked at me as if I have asked them to stab me in the heart each time I have asked.

In our town centre I would go to Wetherspoons (mixed grill or salad) macdonalds (2x burgers minus the buns), burger king likewise, cold stuff from M&S, a lump of cheese (or baby bels).

In all circs I would prefer to take my own food and snaffle it on a park bench, so those listed above would be emergency dipping-too-low damage control options.

I suppose the very best option would be a humungous very low carb breakfast, which would make me forget about food until after 3pm...

Okay I'll be more optimistic about the cream. It's so delicious and sustaining oh yumble yumble

 

[ewelina]

I always go for salami, ham,cheese, olives and pickles. I create mini board with some veggies and its the best lunch ever
If you have any polish shop nearby go and ask for kabanos (thin, dried sausages) which are delicious