The road to wellness isn't straight, clear, or predictable. It's a path you forge yourself.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Ideas for Lunch on the Go

Since my quest for health led me to do away with fast and pre-packaged food, I had to come up with some easy and quick ideas for lunch.  I work full-time, so they had to be portable as well.  An insulated lunch box with an ice-pack makes life easier.  Also, when I can, I go ahead and put leftovers from supper into a tupperware to have for lunch the next day.

Here are some ideas:

1.  Salmon and broccoli:
-a can of salmon (they have "pop-top" ones these days)
-a half of a lemon
-frozen broccoli with sea salt and oregano

(Note:  Frozen veggies are life savers!  No need to prep.  I put them in a container and put them in my lunch box.  They keep the food cold as they slowly melt.  By lunch time, they've thawed out and you only need a minute to heat them up.  Genius!)

2.  Hummous and avocado sandwich with tomato and cucumber on rice bread.  I like to have grapes and carrot sticks with it.

3.  Soup  (You can either make it and freeze it into 1 serving portions, or get healthy canned soup.  Make sure there are no preservative or MSG though.  I like Amy's soups.) 

4.  Salad:
-whatever greens and veggies you want
-whatever protein you want (beans, sardines, turkey, nuts, hard-boiled egg, etc.)
-dress with olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and oregano
 

After lunch, I like have hot tea with either soy or almond milk.  I bring it to work with me in a thermos.  Sometimes I have it with some nuts.  I'm not going to say it's as good as a dessert, but it eliminates my craving for one!

(Note:  Actually, nuts are another life-saver!  I always have a small container of them on hand in case I get hungry.  It saves me from caving in and eating something I shouldn't.  Brazil nuts have really grown on me lately.)

Any other ideas out there?  I'm all ears!

3 comments:

  1. Have to be careful about nuts, too. Certain brands, like Blue Diamond, have MSG in theirs. They may use one of the "disguised" labels for the MSG.

    I like the salmon-broccoli lunch idea!

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  2. Thanks! It's my old stand-by.
    Good point about the nuts. Some nuts have added trans fats too! (WHY??) Luckily, they make packets of just plain, raw nuts too. You just have to be vigilant and read the ingredients.

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  3. A friend of mine told me about two things she likes:

    "...Nile Spice soups (I keep a case of these in my office - the ones I've checked have no MSG) and then Sahale nut mixes..."

    Good idea to keep a case at work. How convenient!

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