Food For Thought

In the morning I have little to no time to spare. Every morning I pack my lunch while the waiting for my shakeology to blend and I am out the door. Although my workplace has a cafeteria, the food is overpriced. We have a salad buffet they weigh by the ounce and I am not kidding when I say that a $10 salad would leave me wanting more food in a matter of minutes. One thing I love about my job is that we have a fitness center right on campus, so oftentimes during my lunch hour I get to work out. The only downside to that is eating lunch at my desk.

Here are a few easy snack ideas and tips on how to pack a delicious and nutritious lunch in under five minutes.

Snacks: First, I make sure I always have snacks on hand. If I have snacks, I won’t be tempted to buy chips and chocolate from the vending machine, or starve myself so I overeat at my next meal. For the salty cravings, I keep nuts, beef/turkey jerky, or popcorn (no, not Butter Lovers!) in my desk drawer. Look for 94 percent fat-free microwave popcorn, like Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop!—only 240 calories for a whole bag and when your coworkers smell it, there’s your opportunity to share. Work alone or want portion control? Look for 100-calorie minis. When I am craving something sweet I go to my stash of dried fruit or applesauce (no refrigeration necessary!). Lately I have been all about the dried cranberries, but be aware of the potential added sugar, check the label. The 10 healthiest dried fruit options are apple, apricot, mango, cherry, fig, papaya, blueberry, raisin and currants. My go-to applesauce, Mott's No-Sugar-Added Healthy Harvest Applesauce- Strawberry flavor, if they have it.  

Lunch: Let’s be honest. I hate to cook. Here are some lunch ideas that get me through the week. Salad- Being the queen of lazy when it comes to food prep, I buy the prepackaged salad mix. One bag lasts me three lunches. I don’t get sick of salad when I play with my food! Each day I try to throw in something different than the day before. Today I had a salad that was lettuce topped with feta cheese and hickory smoked tuna (yup, from a packet) with Asian dressing and it was wonderful. Salad toppings to try: Lettuce, Cheese, Tomato, Egg, Bacon, Spinach, Onion, Mushroom, Cucumber, Carrot, Chicken, peppers, Feta, Avocado, Nuts, Olives, seeds, cabbage, Ham, Turkey, Chickpeas, Corn, Broccoli, Apple, Dried Cranberries, beans, Sprouts, Strawberries, Steak Celery, Carrots, Pasta, Grape, Pepperoni, Avocado, Cilantro, Basil, Mandarin Oranges, Cauliflower, Peas, Shrimp, Tuna, Fruit salad: This can be a LOT of work, so choose your fruits wisely. When I make fruit salad for lunch, I usually use smaller fruits like grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Why do I choose these? They are basically “wash and go” or remove the greenery/stem. There are no pits or seeds to sort out, making them even more convenient. Yogurt or yogurt parfait: Low fat yogurt is a convenient option. If you make the fruit salad listed above, add it to your yogurt and Voila!  

Dinner: This is where I fail… almost every single day. I would love some new dinner recipes! Do you have a go to source for healthy recipes? Let me know what your favorite healthy recipe is, so I can learn to cook!