Quick & Healthy Lunch Ideas!

Sometimes it seems difficult to plan a healthy lunch for yourself! It does take a little prep time, but you will have much more energy to make it through the rest of your workday if you do! Here are some quick and easy ideas to make your planning less difficult

• Boil a dozen eggs on Sunday...then put them back in their crate in the fridge. Perfect and quick snack filled with protein that takes around 10 mins for the entire week!
• When shopping at the grocery store for lunch items, purchase processed foods and prepackaged products sparingly. Those items are the easiest way to overload on carbs, preservatives, sugar and sodium.
• When toting oranges, bananas or even apples, seal them in a small plastic baggie. if you don't, the flavors of the fruits can permeate the rest of the items in your bag, making everything take on the flavor of "the fruit of the day."
• Grill or bake 3-4 breasts of chicken on Sunday (skinless/boneless). Have one for dinner that night then keep in the fridge for an easy topping on your salad or main dish for lunch
• When toting a salad, place the salad in a large plastic baggie with the dressing sealed in a sandwich-sized baggie, placing the small bag in the larger one. At lunchtime, pour the dressing over the salad in the larger bag, seal tightly, and shake. No soggy salad, no messy cleanup, and no containers to tote back and forth between home and work!

• Pack Easily Portable foods - Think apples, bananas and pears.
• Keep a small jar of nut butter in your cooler or fridge at work, for a great combination with your apple mid day. Protein packed clean - eating snack. Be sure to get the natural Peanut Butter. Keep an eye on serving size too.
• Carry a pre-measured amount of protein powder with you for afternoon slumps.
• Carry Wraps - Whole grain wraps are ideal to transport food to work. Try feta/chicken you've already cooked and spinach. YUM and easy
• Prepare tons of raw veggies - You can have limitless amounts of these, so be sure to include them in your day. If you're not disciplined to cut them up when you get home (that would be me) buy them pre-cut. Spending a little more on them at the store will get you to eat them!
• Low-fat Dairy - Small cups of plain greek yogurt/1 pkt truvia/fresh (or frozen) blueberries is an amazing snack. Low-fat cottage cheese or cheese sticks are also great to take with you.
• Keep a Protein Bar Handy - Make sure it's the clean-eating type. Lots of them out there are candy bars in disguise. I personally love Quest Protein Bars they are all natural, and tasty!
• Low fat cheese and seedless grapes make a delicious side dish for sandwiches or wraps.
• Chop some assorted veggies and pack a little container of bean dip, hummus, or salsa.
• Make tuna salad with light mayo and eat with a low fat cracker like Triscuits
• Try wraps made with whole wheat tortillas, containing either lean cold cuts or low fat cream cheese topped with veggie slices.
• Mini-burritos are great - made with rice and black beans low fat cheese in a whole wheat wrap  with tomato salsa. These can be heated or eaten cold.
• Greek yogurt with Kashi Go Lean crunch cereal on top for a yummy crunch is a great afternoon snack
• Quick salad - take grape tomatoes, a chopped avocado, some sweet corn, a little red onion, chopped cilantro and parsley, lime juice, evoo, salt, and pepper. So good!!!