I have been on a mission for the last couple of months. Cutting out the greasy and fast food and substituting more fresh veggies and fruits. Summertime is here and let's face it ... not only do you not want to eat and feel full and weighed down afterwards but we all want to look just a little nicer when poolside. Summertime seems to be a very good motivator for me and getting more creative and back to basics with my food is one way to stay on a good track.
I'm a career woman and constantly on the move. From 6am until 11pm Monday through Friday I can be a bit .... frazzled. Work all day, come home long enough to greet my husband exchange a couple of stories from our day and then he's off to work for the night. My evenings are spent telling my toddler "Mommy said no" and cleaning the house. And then picking up again after the toys have made their way back out into the living room. And then picking up again when I ran in to grab my shower and my little one decided that the laundry basket would make a perfect spot to sit and watch tv. Then there is dinner, the dishes and if I have timed it just right I can get in one (maybe two) of my weeknight shows before it's time to do bathtime and the final pick up of the house before getting everything all together for the next day. From 9pm - 10pm is spent getting any of MY chores/projects done before laying down to relax, (play a game or 10 of Candy Crush Saga) and drift off to sleep.
Is it just me or am I tired just from typing it all out?
Needless to say in the middle of the hectic week not only is it a challenge to put a good, healthy dinner out on the table for my family but also remembering to eat well myself during the day.
Working in an office-setting can be dangerous to your eating plan. When co-workers say, "hey, let's run out and grab some lunch!" You pretty much know it's not going to be the healthiest meal. My office is smack-dab in the middle of fast food heaven. Five Guys and a Burger, Chick-Fil-A, Culvers, McDonald's, Panda Express ... the list goes on and on. While it all sounds great ... I honestly don't feel good after eating all that grease. So ... I avoid the temptation and I make it a point to take my lunch. Not only is this more cost-effective, but it's a healthier option and keeps me on track.
This why I say that lunches are a lost art. They are forgotten. They are a second thought in the middle of the day when you are busy and just need to grab something quick. Fast food chains count on that and are ready with the newest Bacon-Wrapped, Jalapeno, Onion Ring topped, extra cheese Burger. No thank you.
So I suggest that while making your dinner meal plan for the week to also remember your weekly lunch plan. Here's my standard lunch plan.
A sandwich is good, a wrap is better. Not as many carbs and doesn't leave you feeling overly full after eating. The beauty of wraps is that the possibilities are endless on what you can throw in. Your favorite meat, veggies, cheese, nuts/berries ... you get the idea.
I start off with a tablespoon of Ranch dressing. Not light Ranch - regular Ranch. Everything in moderation. I spread the Ranch dressing out over my tortilla of choice. This week I chose Sun Dried Basil. It depends on your local grocery store, but you can get pretty creative with your wraps. My second favorite is the spinach tortillas, followed by the Jalapeno flavored when I want a little kick.
Now comes the goods. I chose oven roasted turkey breast and thinly sliced cucumbers. Lay out in an even layer in the middle of your tortilla. Then simply roll up and cut in half.
Yummy. You see that you could add in tomato slices, cheese slices, lettuce - the point being - get creative. Make it what YOU want.
So that's the basic of my lunch bag. I will eat some light Key Lime yogurt, (my absolute favorite flavor) and my snack is the string cheese. I love string cheese ... don't know why - but it is one of my favorite snacks. (maybe because I like to play with my food and you can do that with string cheese?)
The banana is my breakfast. I'm not a huge breakfast person, but I know that it's better for me if I do eat breakfast. So the banana is a staple as it's something that I can grab and go and not really feel like I'm eating. Does that even make sense??
There you have it. An easy lunch with just some slight changes from the standard lunch fare. And it's SOOOO much better than the fast food. I know a lot of us love our fast food .. but I have found that once I cut it out I really didn't miss it. Every so often yes, I will stop with the husband but it never fails - I don't feel good afterwards. I think because my body finds it hard to process all that grease when I don't put it in my body that often. If you have to have it ... everything in moderation. Make it a once or twice a week thing rather than every day.
Keep it light during the day and not only will you feel better about your eating but your body will thank you as well.
Have a great week!
Cheers!
~Jacqui
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