Healthy Meals Without the Meal Prep
Meal prepping is extremely popular right now and it has every right to be! It helps to keep you on track, the meals are usually healthier, and makes your weekdays much easier! Meal prepping also helps to keep you accountable! Accountability is especially needed in the beginning and helps us all so stay on track. I have found my clients are able to reach their goals much easier when they are held accountable. But, what happens when we don't have a hour or two on a Sunday to meal prep for the week? This is not a free pass to eat whatever you want and get lunch at the food truck all week.
Here are three tips to still pack a healthy lunch that does not involve meal prepping!
1. Prepackaged Salads
There is nothing wrong with the prepackaged salads in the supermarket. They actually have a large variety of different types of salads, including vegetarian options. Most of these salads are 300 calories or less and the perfect portion size! Surprisingly, these salads are also inexpensive. I have found them to be $4.00 or less at my grocery store. I pick up a large variety of them of the week for my husband and I! It's also a great way to ensure you are getting in all of your vegetable in! I would recommend pairing this with a greek yogurt and a piece of fruit! This lunch is packed with protein and fiber and will help you get through that afternoon lull!
2. Leftovers
Cooking dinner nightly can be extremely rewarding and also very relaxing! We have a nice set up in my home: I cook and my husband cleans up! Recently, my goal has been to try a new recipe weekly. It helps with my cooking skills, but also keeps us out of rut of eating the same thing! Often times, we find our comfort zone and tend to only cook dinners that we are comfortable making. I encourage you to try a new recipe new this week! Research has found that when we cook dinners at home we eat much healthier and our meals are much lower in sodium- it's a win-win! When cleaning up, portion your leftovers to make your lunch for the next day. If the recipe only calls for 2 servings, double the recipe for your lunches the next day. This is a great way to avoid wasting food and will also help you to choose healthier items!
3. Old Fashion Sandwich
There is nothing wrong with packing a good ol' sandwich for your lunch! Here are a few tips:
1. Swap your mayo for hummus. This will still give you a the creamy texture, but add fiber and protein!
2. When choosing your protein, use in-house roasted. These meats have less sodium in them then traditional deli meats and tend to have a lot more flavor! Also, chose a white meat because they are lower in saturated fat.
3. Layer your sandwich with veggies! Don't forget to add the lettuce, tomato, onions and be generous with it!
4. Choose a whole grain bread! This will increase your fiber intake and also provide more nutrients to your body!
5. If adding cheese, choose a white cheese. White cheeses tend to be lower in fat!
6. Instead of packing chips, cut up some cucumbers and peppers! These veggies will still provide you with the crunch, but are a much healthier option!
If you're someone that prefers to eat out for lunch I will be discussing healthier fast-food options next week! If you have any tips for packing a healthier lunch please comment below!
Becky
