Before I dive into today’s post, I just have to say how totally blown away I was by all of your wonderful comments on my “honesty” post. I continue to be amazed by the blogging community – especially that ya’ll are so much more like me than I realized. Not gonna lie – I’m relieved. That I can continue to be “me” without feeling like a fraud or something crazy like that. So thank you. So much. Ya’ll rock!
**********
Now that I’ve buttered you all up (heh), I need a favor. A request really.
Can we do lunch?
By that I mean – can you please share some of your favorite (portable) lunch ideas with me?? I know I’m only into day four of food loggin’ it but I already know that I need to add more variety so I don’t get bored. Honestly – I knew this well before starting the food log, but now that I’m more aware of my eats, I’m not seeing enough variety. And no variety = boredom. And boredom = mindless eating.
Here are some examples of the kinds of lunches I tend to eat (especially during the week- weekends are easier to add variety since I’m home):
- Turkey wrap with fresh veggies and a side of baby carrots and hummus
- Veggie burger on a bagel thin with either a side salad or baby carrots and hummus (see? sensing a variety-less theme here!)
- Salad with “stuff” thrown in (leftover quinoa or cousous or brown rice from the night before plus lots of veggies – hey at least that counts as “variety” right?)
- Egg salad on a bagel thin – again with baby carrots and hummus
- Turkey bologna (yes, I love this – from Trader Joe’s!) on Ezekiel bread with – yup, more carrots/hummus
- Turkey burger (plain – no bun) with a sweet potato (I did this a lot in the winter, was a good comforting lunch, doesn’t necessarily appeal to me so much now that it’s spring)
- Leftovers from the night before – this is rare, I’m not a huge ‘leftovers’ fan in general
So, as you can see, I’m bored. Bored, bored, bored! Even just typing this up made me realize how ridiculously variety-less my lunchtime eats are these days. Geesh.
So please, pretty please – send me your best lunchtime eats! I promise to return the favor in some shape or form. 🙂
*********
In other news, tonight is the official START of the 60-day Barre N9NE challenge – woohoo!!
The plan for day one? As follows:
5:30pm long & lean legs
6:30pm meeting with Tanya (owner of the studio) to take measurements, get weighed (using the “Tina” method, mind you!) and taking our “before” pics <—more on this aspect of the challenge in a future post
7:30pm Barre N9nE Method express class (45 mins vs. 1 hr)
I’ll report back tomorrow, I promise!
In the meantime:
Bring. It. On!!
EatDrinkBreatheSweat 
I can’t really help you out – my lunch is either a salad with “stuff” or a wrap with hummus. That’s pretty much what I do M-F. So you think you’re boring???!!
Heather, I do believe Jess just called you boring. JK 😉
Ok so maybe you need this post as much as I do. HAH!
Routine baby – all about routine 😉
I bring a salad every day – I try to mix up ingredients or go with “themed” salads to keep from getting bored. I got this: http://www.iherb.com/fit-fresh-salad-shaker-with-removable-ice-pack-dressing-dispenser/13175?at=1 and it changed my salad life.
Also – I think I need to check out that Trader Joe’s turkey bologna. Like, now.
I know – the themed salads are good. I like the “santa fe” style with corn and black beans (hmm, maybe I’ll try that next). What other themes do you go with?
And YES, try that turkey bologna, it is SO GOOD and healthy too (and not processed/fake like “real” bologna).
So, your “santa fe” style is my “Mexican style” – I also add salsa and avocado in lieu of dressing. I also like to do garden style with lots of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and sunflower seeds – the crunch is very satisfying. I also do an Asian-style which is really just the same as my garden style but you can also throw in shelled adamame and Trader Joe’s has a ginger seasame dressing that is SO GOOD and only has like 30 calories or something ridiculous like that. I also like mixing fruit and blue cheese on my salads because the flavors compliment each other so well. Then there is Greek style with spinach and feta and olives. That’s really good with balsamic. If I am in the mood for meat in my salad, I’ll do chicken with a marinade that goes with the general theme of the salad. I usually do one theme a week to keep my grocery shopping under control.
And then some weeks I have no patience and I just throw everything in. It’s all good!
Ohhh these are great ideas. I’m a fan of fruit in my salads now and then too – with sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts in it for crunch. I try to add something with protein to my salads – either beans, or avocado, or hard boiled egg, or something like that. I was thinking of trying to use hummus as a “dressing” next week -since I clearly love it so much, might as well try it on a salad, right? Yum!
I used to make a big fruit salad for the week using local or in season fruits or whatever fruit I felt like using. Then I’d take that every day…but the fruit would change some each week. Like… apples, bananas, grapes, pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, pears, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, mangoes….whatever you like. 🙂
Also: Greek yogurt with blueberries, agave and granola was a great snack.
Or a laughing cow cheese wedge with crackers or cucumbers or carrots.
Ohh I used to do that too – in the summer, with yogurt on the side or something. That’s a good idea.
I LOVE laughing cow wedges, seriously the best invention, everrrr.
What about my idea about the black beans and brown rice with veggies n stuff? 🙂
I want to try that next week – though I’ll have to make sure not to eat that ALL week or certain intestinal issues are sure to crop up (ahem, LOL).
That’s so weird you mentioned lunches, I’m only just off the phone to my sister and we were chatting lunches and I was saying I have the same type of lunch all the time and want to save money and make it myself instead of buying out etc. I think the site http://www.bbcgoodfood.com has some really good ideas for healthy easy lunch recipes. My sister loves it and says the recipes are all super easy and tasty.
Ha, we’re on the same wavelength – shocking! 😉
I will check this out, thanks for sending the link!
… That’s 7 different lunches. Two of them with substantial variety already listed.
I once ate the same turkey sandwich every day for almost 3 years.
I am not going to be helpful here.
LOL!! I guess if you put it that way, it is variety…but for me, its too much of the same rotation all the time. Maybe I’m just high needs! 😉
The same sandwich for three years? Wow.
Oh, I LOVE the hummus as dressing idea. I thnk that would be great with a Greek salad! (Sorry, I couldn’t reply to your comment.)
Avacado, cheese, and egg on a whole grain sandwich thin. Quite tasty. I’m also big on canned soup because it’s very easy, and I’m always in a hurry in the morning. Amy’s also has some new “light” frozen meals, which are pretty healthy as those things go–spinach lasagne and an enchilada with brown rice. I think they’re both right at about 300 calories, and they aren’t full of a lot of preservatives and sugar.
Mm. I love avocado!! That’s a great combo for a sandwich. Yummy.
I tend to stay away from frozen meals and canned soups ONLY because of the sodium content…and they usually don’t satisfy me for some reason. Though the Amy’s line is FAR better than others (like Lean Cuisine, for example)
i wish I could have lunch with you! You know my eats, they are weird, but good!
Ha, true! I loved your eats the other day, that lunch combo was, um, unique?? LOL
I eat similar stuff to you, so I can’t be that much help. One thing I do often do though I double up recipes for evening meals and take some leftovers for lunch. Or soup in a thermos flask? That’s always a good one, and it must still be cool enough in MA for that!
I should start to find meals I don’t mind eating as leftovers the next day, that is the easiest option!
One idea I came up with today after thinking about it – smoked salmon on a bagel thin with laughing cow cheese and sliced tomato. OMG I’m now dying to try that concoction next week!
you are awesome! seriously kickin some ass with the workouts! i wanna work out with you! haha…soooo lunch..i suck at lunches so i prob can’t help much. i basically eat the same thing everyday..you just gave me ideas, so thanks! 🙂
I know I’ve said it before, but I’m so excited about this challenge! It really makes me want to do something similar. I have to admit, I pack almost the same things for lunch every single day. But I honestly don’t get bored with it! Might say something about my taste buds. I make big salads – sometimes with no lettuce, but just lots of filling ingredients like avocado, hummus, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, etc. And always a piece of fruit. 🙂
i usually bring leftovers. if i don’t, then i have a few regulars that i go to:
– the asian chicken wrap from jamba juice
– a grilled hamburger patty with steamed vegetables (from a nearby cafe)
– toasted pb&j, although lately i’ve been using almond butter. i admit, this is my favorite 🙂
the lox and bagel with laughing cow you tweeted about is definitely something i am going to try next week!
Soup? Honestly, I mostly eat leftovers for lunch.
Lunch is my least favorite meal of the day. I hate packing hours in advance because then when lunch rolls around, I never have something that I really want. I am not a big sandwich eater, so I usually keep some cooked brown rice on hand and mix it with black beans, veggies, salsa, and cheese. It’s like a quick, healthy burrito bowl. I also like eating yogurt, cereal, and banana for lunch sometimes. And I’m a snacker! I like variety so my lunch box has plenty of snacks!