Lunch Ideas

I've officially stopped eating microwaveable dinners. My only exception is Amy's burritos, which are healthier. Why? Simple: I got tired of dreading lunch every day at work. And there's that little thing about getting cancer from the plastic you microwave those things in.

The main reason I ate them was convenience. Now, I think I'd rather have more to do in the morning and actually look forward to lunch all day long - rather than dread it!

So, I came up with a healthy lunch. Thanks to Mr. Higgins and friends, I've had great fun eating out at lots of yummy restaurants. Unfortunately, that has me paranoid about gaining weight. So, I devised a lunch that is healthy and, together with snacks, will get me 80% of my daily fruits/vegetables. All I need once I get home is one more serving of something green! Plus, I get my dairy out of the way! It's a win-win (-win!) solution to a boring lunch. Here's what it is (with Weight Watchers points!)....

-Carrot sticks (a little more than a handful) and 2 tbsp hummus (1 WW point - some brands are 2 pts)
-5 Whole Wheat Ritz Crackers and 1 slice of 2% Cheddar Cheese (3 WW points)
-1/8 cup of almonds (2 WW points)

It doesn't sound like much but it's actually really filling! (And, of course, I'm going to change it up from week-to-week.)

Then, for snacks throughout the day, I munch on...
applesauce (natural with Splenda) and/or raisins (1 WW point each)
another fruit, such as strawberries and blueberries (2 WW points)
sugar-free pudding (Splenda!) (1 WW point)

I throw in a few more snacks (and breakfast!) (alternating with granola bars, WW snack cakes, Laughing Cow cheese with Triscuits, etc) so that I don't get hungry. Yes, I eat a lot but these are small portions spread out through the day - in the hopes of helping the metabolism (more small meals vs. three big meals). Personally, I think it works. My dinners out have not affected my weight in any way over the past few months. I've kept up with my four 30-minute workouts a week and nothing has changed. I've only had problems getting enough fruits/vegetables, so hopefully this new lunch plan will solve that problem.

Truthfully, I love food way too much. I'm a bit obsessed. But my dinners at home are nothing exciting (ranging from cereal to a chicken breast) - cooking for one is not much fun, after all. So, when I go out, I don't want to be confined to eating salads and chicken breasts....though I eat those at times. Life is too short to be afraid to splurge! That's my new motto, at least!

Anyway, I thought I'd share as several of you have asked about my Weight Watchers meals.