eating healthy on the run
 

Hey all. Hope you're all having a good week. Anywho I am very, very slowly improving what I eat and I realize that everyday I have fast food for lunch. Why you ask? Because it's the only time I get to see my parents. We eat lunch together and usually we hit a fast food drive-thru. Since I'm home in the mornings I'd like to start making lunch and taking it to them but I'm not sure what to make. I need something that can be packed up and go. Sandwiches get old fast and weird as it sounds I like my food hot. Is there any websites and/or books that specialize in this kind of thing? Any help will be vastly appreciated.

Hi seeking - what a nice idea that you want to spend that time w/your parents !! Even if you do fast food, there are healthier choices you can make, and maybe just do it once a week - such as grilled chicken sandwiches, salads, and baked potatoes or fruit cups. The rest of the time, why don't you try packing some Lean Pockets (they make a wide variety), and make a big salad or some fruit and take. That wouldn't cost much, and would be quick. Or - the night before, bake or grill some chicken breasts, and then reheat them at your parents' house the next day, with some salad or fruit. Good luck and hope you have a great bonding experience!

I've recently fallen in love with frozen meals. Soooooo easy and way better for you than fast food (at least i think they are. Less fat, anyway).
And also, I am the same way about liking my food warm. Eating fruit other than bananas is always a struggle, and baby carrots and salads and all that good for you stuff...I think it's mostly because of my sensitive teeth!
S

Try The No Time To Lose Diet. It's quick and easy and sensible. :)

Just some examples I always use and I wrote about them in another post:

- veggie stew - we cook a big batch and it's great second (and third) day for lunch; we love adding chickpeas to it + bell peppers and tomato pure/pieces at the end (so they stay crunchy). Can be packed in a tight plastic box; To thicken the stew I mash the potatoes in it (or let them boil longer - they mash themselves :) )
- roasted chicken breast with some wild rice cooked in the evening; to roast the chicken I do this: lightly cover it with Dijon mustard (just enough for the breadcrumbs to "stick") and then cover it in breadcrumbs+herb mixture; in the oven at 450 for 25-30 min and it's done!
- whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce - you can make a large portion for dinner and have some to reheat for lunch next day

Also look on the web for recipes "that freeze well" - they are also easy to make in larger portions, are very good the next day, and you can have them made for lunch next day. There are many many choices, you can decide depending on your tastes.

One of my favorite warm lunches is 1/4 tube of pre-cooked polenta, 3 oz pre-cooked grilled or roasted chicken breast, 1/2 cup refried beans, and 2 tbsp salsa. Put everything in a bowl and pop it in the micro for a few minutes.

I also think soups and casseroles would be a great choice for you, since you like warm foods. You could make a big batch of soup or a casserole on Saturday or Sunday, then divide into individual portions for your lunches during the week. And there are endless varieties of both. Try Cooking Light for some great recipes.

I was going to suggest casseroles myself. You can make great quick lasagnas, enchilada casseroles, pot pie types of things, etc. and heat them up at your folks place.

also ... pregrill some hamburgers and just heat them up in the microwave when you get there ... and make your own hamburgers with wheat buns and lots of veggies. Better for you than a fast food burger by far.

.

oooh. So many good ideas. Oh and I just checked out The No-Time-to-Lose Diet: The Busy Person's Guide to Permanent Weight Loss on Amazon.com and I am really, really impressed. Got to wait for my next paycheck and then it will be mine. Hmm now do I want to make Blue2Blue's delicious sounding recipe or a casserole for tomorrow? Thank goodness for this site, I was really stumped. If anyone else has suggestions I'd love to hear them.

By the way, if you go to Amazon.com by clicking the link on the 3FC pages, it will help our site. :)

Jay

I know someone mentioned frozen meals up above, the lean cuisine meals have some great tasting and filling options for 160-300 calories! These are definitely worth trying and seeing if they're for you.

Fabulous ideas. I'm adding Lean Cuisines to my shopping list. I'm planning on buying that book when I get some more funds. And I am going to thru the link on this wonderful site. Digging thru the recipes I already have for casseroles. And darnit but Blue2Blue's recipe makes my mouth water. Sigh, but I have to wait until my next paycheck to go shopping. I overspent (darn you Gothic Beauty and Amazon!) so no groceries, no books, no yarn and no make up. Until the 29th at least. And if anyone else has a clever idea or three I would love, love love to hear it.

ralu i love the idea of veggie stew, i was going to suggest my Italian soup, YUMMMY, so it's like veggie, cuz you put a lot in there, but throw some darn sausage in there too! =)
I call it "German Italian Soup"
Quantity Food Item.... Calories... Fat (g)... Sat. Fat (g)... Carb (g)... Prot (g)
28 oz diced tomatoes(can).175... 0.0... 0.0... 35.0... 7.0
14.5 oz stewed tomatoes 122 0.0 0.0 31.5 3.5
8 servings VEGGIE SOUP MIX 424 0.0 0.0 88.0 8.0
(consists of 4 carrots, 4 celery, 1 onion, 4 potato)
28 fl oz Water (or more)
4 links MILD ITALIAN SAUSAGE 425 35.0 12.5 0.0 25.0
8 tbsp Ketchup 120 0.0 0.0 32.0 0.0
4 large ZUCCHINI RAW FRESH 208 2.4 0.4 43.2 12.0
Totals 1474 37.4 12.9 229.7 55.5
(Zucchini goes in the soup in the last 10 minute)
THIS IS AWESOME, one of the only things I cook that involves any thought, and it is to DIE FOR! Anyways, we are talking 10 servings on average
I have it saved as 700 mg of sodium per serving