What’s For Lunch?
Salad and Photo by Deirdre
Make it easier for yourself!
Any video or blog post I publish related to food gets far more engagement than anything else I post. What I know is that as we change how we eat, decision by decision, we are slowly shifting our habits, behaviors and mindset.
I have been on the food relationship journey for a long time and over time I have made many tweaks to maintain my success. At the age of 56 I get away with less than I did when I was 45, and I know a lot more about food, and I understand what works best for my body.
I eat mostly the same rotation of foods day in and day out except for when we go out to eat - then I get something I never have at home. For instance, I rarely order salad of any kind when out because I eat a lot of that at home.
There is not a program that does not encourage us to eat produce and lean protein. That is where my food prep focuses and here are my essentials:
Raw Vegetables: I am not a big fan of raw vegetables but I do love arugula, celery and cucumbers. Each week I buy arugula, take it out of its container and put it in a large glass bowl. Next I cut up fresh herbs (usually cilantro, parsley, and basil), cucumbers, celery, and maybe some peppers, and put them on top and seal the bowl up. The lettuce keeps better, the herbs add lots of flavor, and the other vegetables add nice crunch and texture. When it’s time for lunch I take out a couple of handfuls and put them on my plate.
Cooked Vegetables: Cooked vegetables are so versatile. Once cooked you can heat them up and have them in your salad, put them in a taco, put dip on top of them, add them to a sandwich, have them as a side dish, or add them to eggs. My preferred method of cooking is to roast them. I often make butternut squash, but last week I roasted asparagus and brussel sprouts. I also roast carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, sweet potatoes, celery, and grape tomatoes. I chop up the vegetables, put the cut vegetables on the cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper, toss with my hands, and then arrange them on a cookie sheet and cook them at 400 degrees until they have some color on them.
Mix Ins: I add these items from time to time for variety in taste and texture. Beets (precooked from store), feta cheese, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, some sliced apple or orange sections.
Protein: Every week I make either a pound of taco meat, a Waldorf-like chicken salad, or chicken with salsa.
Frozen Foods: I like to cook a bag of frozen broccoli, or cauliflower rice to use at lunch. But, I also like a few prepared foods for variety. They are not as clean as what I make myself, but variety is important. Morningstar makes some good bean burgers, and I will occasionally have some Perdue gluten free, organic chicken nuggets.
Hard Boiled Eggs: I cook these in the Instant Pot and keep them on hand to add to salad.
Avocado: I keep these on hand and add ½ of one to my salad when they are ripe.
I start my meal construction with the salad piece, then heat up the cooked vegetables and protein if needed, cut up an egg and some avocado and toss it really well with olive oil and salt and pepper. I often have some pretzels or rice crackers on the side as well because I like something salty and crunchy with lunch.
This is my biggest meal of the day - by far. Play around with the idea and see what works for you. The objective with food planning is to reduce or eliminate friction in your environment. Opening the fridge and having a few things on hand that you like to eat, nourish you, and come together quickly can be a game changer.
