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Health Kick.

I have never been a health nut, but I have always wanted to be. I wanted to be the girl who chose yogurt and granola over a chocolate brownie sundae and ate Bocca burgers instead of greasy fried steak burgers. Back in the day when I read “Babysitter’s Club” books, I always wanted to be Stacey because she was a health nut who ate organic food and took multivitamins. And she drank fruit smoothies.

Though I wanted to be this type of girl, I never was.

I was the one who ate french fries with cheese for lunch, sausage biscuits for breakfast and chips ahoy cookies for a midnight snack. Not exactly the essence of healthy, if you will. Oh, and don’t get me started on Mexican food. Ah….

I love junk food and I realize how very.very.very. bad it is for you. But it’s so delicious. In a "this-is-probably-clogging-every-artery-in-my-body-and-creating-cellulite-as-we-speak" kind of way.

Lately, I have been trying to be more conscious of what I eat and realizing exactly what I am putting in my mouth. I eat lunch at fast food places a lot because I like to leave for lunch and those are the only things around. The problem with that is that there are only 3 places by my work place: McDonalds, Sonic and Subway. I have gained 12 pounds since I got married – and I WONDER WHY!?! Twelve pounds in three years is not a good thing. No. No. No.

So. In an effort to shed a few lb’s, I have started bringing my lunch. I bring a turkey sandwich on wheat and some bagel crisps. Also, I bring a banana for a mid-morning or afternoon snack. I still leave for lunch because that is when I like to gab on my cell phone, but I bring my little sandwich to my car and head to Sonic for a large unsweet iced tea with extra ice. Ahhhh…

I can already feel my pants loosening up! Ya know – when I take them off in the evenings, I’m not seeing AS many indentions to where it was cutting off my circulation. ;)

So, for all you working girls like me I want to know – do you eat out or bring your lunch every day? And what do you eat? I need some healthy ideas that stay tasting good after a full morning in an office ‘fridge.

For all you stay-at-homers – what do you eat for lunch? Or do you even eat lunch? I know when I am home during a weekday, I often forget!
I am a modern day homemaker with a passion for family, cooking, celebrating, decorating, travel, and memory making! The Lord has blessed me with the desires of my heart in my husband and our two sons. We recently built our dream home and cultivating a loving and happy haven for my family is where I find so much joy.

Comments

  1. Turkey or egg salad (made with light mayo) on low carb whole wheat bread. And a (Weight Watcher's) homemade chocolate pumpkin muffin for dessert....When I remember to eat.;)

    Yay! Your blog updated on my Google reader, by the way.
    Not stalking though, just excited.:)

    Good luck with healthy eating. I was a "Hostess Fried Pudding Pie" for breakfast kind of girl myself in high school.
    Sigh.

    God Bless,
    Amy:)

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  2. One of the great things about being a stay-at-home mom is that I get to eat "kid" lunches with the kids. Call me a child, but I love things like mac and cheese, pb and j, "dino" nuggets as such. Yep. I am weird. I do, however, make my kids eat "adult" food at dinner time - maybe that is the reason my kids pretty much eat anything - they get a good combo of "kid" food and "adult" food during the day.

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  3. Before my current unemployed status, I always took my lunch. Jonathan and I both like leftovers, so after dinner I would divide our leftovers in little lunch-sized containers. In the morning, we could just grab whatever we wanted to reheat at work. It was great for our budget! At OBU, I got free meals at the ARA,so we ate lunch there most days...lots of salad bar, stir fry, and the new chipotle-wannabe burrito line. And now I'm home during the day, but I still do a lot of leftovers. I love em!

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  4. I usually bring leftovers to work. While I'm making my plate up for dinner, I put my 'lunch' in a container. I usually keep snack food, that I share with one of my co-workers, in the fridge. Things like veggies & dip, yogurt, bagels, etc.

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  5. I usually just eat leftovers. If I am ever out and about for the day I feel compelled to eat fast food but thats probably why I'm still a fat butt.

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  6. I know exactly how you feel. I try to watch how I eat too but I am definitely not a health nut like I wish I was. I pack my lunch every day, more to save money than for health reasons but I guess it works for both! My hubby and I get so bored with lunches...we are always trying to "find" new and exciting things to bring...sadly though we usually end up with the same old sad lunch. Most days I bring a lunchmeat sandwich (which gets really old quick) and those 100 calorie snacks. I LOVE the chocolate covered pretzel ones because they don't taste "good for you" haha I always have a midmorning snack of dried fruits/nuts or a gronola bar or banana or something like that. So there you have it, my not very exciting packed lunch!

    Sometimes I also make extra dinner, like more than I know we will eat, and then we can take that the next day or freeze it for the future!

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  7. I hear ya! I'm also trying to eat better lately and I've found a few things that help. The first things is Sarah Lee's light breads that are only 45 calories per slice. Helps keep the sandwich a little lower on calories. I also love Progressive soups. The light ones usually have just 120 calories in the whole can! But even the regular ones aren't too bad on calories and they taste great! I eat leftovers often too.

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  8. Pack your lunch, that's the best thing... double any dinner recipe for leftovers the next day. 100 Calorie packs are a good thing, fresh fruit, pretzels.
    The thing is, you can eat anything you want, you just have to watch portions. Changing your habits just a little at a time will help create new habits. Keep at it!!

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  9. I'm bad at lunch. After making wholesome lunches for my children, the last thing I feel like doing is making lunch for myself...let alone making a healthy lunch.

    It is bad!

    ~ Sarah

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  10. at home I eat leftovers, and I eat smaller amounts more frequently.
    At work (supermarket), sometimes I will have the hot entree, or chicken strips, or a wrap sandwich. all from the deli (probably not the best calorie wise). Snacks are usually a banana and milk. On weekends (at work) I always have the sausage, cheese egg muffin sandwich mid morning.
    My suggestion is packed lunches, try for some fun flavors, like turkey wrap with just a little lowerfat cream chse and cranberryjelly.
    at home cut up brocalli, cauliflower, carrots and keep them in a container to pull out to snack on before you sit down to eat.
    I have two good friends who are nutrionists, they both maintain that the key is balance in everything. the foods, quanity (I call it portion control) and exercise.

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  11. I loved the Babysitter's Club...the movie was on the other day and I watched bits of it!

    I feel you on the weight gain! I always want to be healthy, but I just can't do it. I am still on my strawberry yogurt kick. I really want to be able to eat 6 small meals a day, but I know it is never going to happen. I like to cook big dinners too much. Plus, my husby is a skinny-mini and needs all the calories he can get. So I am eating half a sandwich at lunch with a small snack like a granola bar. Along with my breakfast of champions: Slim fast followed by morning snack of yogurt. But what really hurts me is the afternoon. I will pig out on whatever I can find: m&m's, skittles, etc. Which reminds me there is still a bag of m&m's in the conference room....I'll beat you there!

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  12. Your'e so funny about the babysitters club thing - I always wanted to be Claudia because she was super artsy and hid candy all over her room!! (o:

    I am also a working woman and bring my lunch to work with me. Most days I bring a salad, because chances are I won't make anything green like that for dinner - I'll want something bigger or better. I make that super easy by preparing the lettuce beforehand - washing it, cutting it into small pieces and putting in large ziploc bags with a damp papertowel in it to keep it fresh. You can add whatever you like to keep it tasty - and it's healthy too.

    I also munch on high protein cereal bars by South beach diet. They're tasty and keep the munchies away during the day since they're high in protein - anything higher in protein will keep you fuller longer and give you more energy.

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  13. Eating a healthy lunch and resisting the lure of fast food has always been tricky for me. Especially when coworkers parade past my office with bags of fast food! If you have access to a microwave-Lean Cuisines are actually pretty tasty and I like the fact that I don't have to worry about portion size. I'm not a big lunchmeat person but turkey lettuce wraps are great. McDonalds has some really good salads and when money is tight I'll get a $1 side salad and a $1 yogurt parfait. Can't beat the price!

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  14. When I was a teacher, I did the worst thing I could do - I ate in the cafeteria (but oh, enchilada day was so good). On top of that, I was pregnant with #3! I'm still working all of that off.

    A year later I went back to teaching and brought my lunch a lot. I loved apples with natural PB, salads, and my "healthier" chicken enchiladas (can't say no to those)...but supper often ended up being Sonic burgers because I was too tired to cook when we got home!

    Now I am a full-fledged SAHM and I'm proud to say that we are eating a lot better. We very rarely eat out anymore, and we're all looking and feeling better for it.

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  15. Whole wheat bagels with laughing cow cheese and turkey is great. Lean cruisines are good and easy to grab and take to work. Just be sure to have some fruit or a salad with it (small portion).

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  16. I think I will be MUCH healthier now that I work from home and don't have anything I want a block away--(the only downside of not living in DC anymore) I would eat a lot of subway, but taking your lunch DEFINITELY saves money. This week for lunch I have eaten leftovers from the night before. Cooking for two is hard! I think it's good not to totally cut out junk food and the yummy stuff you like to eat- if you do that you'll end up diving back much worse than you are eating now. Good Luck!

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  17. Hi Whitney...I do the egg salad sandwich thing..if I can get up earlier in the morning to make lunches. Lately, we've been eating lunch out (Glenn works right across the street from me), but that's been getting really really expensive. I need to start making more for dinner so we have more leftovers..lol.

    Hugz,
    Michele

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  18. You'll be happy to know all your feeds loaded today!

    When I worked I would bring roasted terriaki chicken with green beans and heat in the microwave. It was low in fat but the protein kept me going!

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  19. The best snack or even breakfast is light vanilla yogurt w/either granola or fresh fruit. Yum!! I usually bring lunch with, usually leftovers or lean cuisine.

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  20. ok, so this is the opposite of the health kick. But I'm making mexican food tonight and I remember that you posted a while ago about your dad's tacos. They looked completely unhealthy, but delicious! How does he make them?? I thought about going through your xanga for the entry but figured this would be quicker!

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  21. Hi Whitney! I've been enjoying your blog for a few weeks now, and I definitely think I need to delurk on this topic! I just wrote a post about lunches at my blog. I've been eating this super delicious roast beef wrap lately. I'm a teacher so I HAVE to bring my lunch or I'm stuck with nasty school lunches. I usually stick to sandwich type things or even those lean cuisines aren't too bad.
    Good luck getting healthy! :o)
    Jamee
    yeahexceptfornot.wordpress.com

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  22. For me, the best way to keep me eating healthy is to keep a good variety. Before coming home, I worked at an elementary school but, more often than not, brought my lunch. Sandwiches and wraps were always a favorite; but I also loved things like chicken salad and crackers, couscous salads, pasta salads, or even leftovers from the night before. It helped to have a plan for lunch, just like I would menu plan for dinner.

    Now as an at home mom, we still do sandwiches a couple of times a week. But I try to introduce a lot of new foods at lunch... some of our current favorites are english muffin pizzas and quesadillas.

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  23. I love to make wraps in a whole wheat tortilla. Some favorite fillings are: laughing cow cheese wedge with avocado and tomato (yum), laughing cow with turkey, tuna with a little mayo, relish and chopped cucumbers, carrots and apples). I also like an egg & olive sandwich on toasted wheat bread (one egg grated with a little mayo and chopped green olives).

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  24. I'm right there with ya! I do the left overs alot... I'm not a sandwich eater so I bring ham rolled up, cheese, crackers and fruit sometimes... it gives me an excuse to buy the better cheeses and its quick and easy! I do have to have the tea with extra ice from sonic every morning though!

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  25. I'm right there with ya! I do the left overs alot... I'm not a sandwich eater so I bring ham rolled up, cheese, crackers and fruit sometimes... it gives me an excuse to buy the better cheeses and its quick and easy! I do have to have the tea with extra ice from sonic every morning though!

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  26. Oh, I too wish I were a health-nut. Unfortunately I'm far from it. I just found out I gained 9 pounds in one year-I'm not the one to be giving advice on what I have for lunch;) Good luck! Maybe you can be my inspiration:)

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  27. Well, I'm sad to say that I haven't changed much since college. I still eat the same things every day when I'm working - instant oatmeal for breakfast, slimfast optima for lunch, an afternoon snack, and whatever for dinner. But, I must say that I've not been as strict about my eating this summer as I usually am. I'm kind of glad school is starting for that reason. I need to get this wait under control!

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  28. Well, I'm sad to say that I haven't changed much since college. I still eat the same things every day when I'm working - instant oatmeal for breakfast, slimfast optima for lunch, an afternoon snack, and whatever for dinner. But, I must say that I've not been as strict about my eating this summer as I usually am. I'm kind of glad school is starting for that reason. I need to get this wait under control!

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  29. I try to pack my hubby healthy leftovers.

    At home, I am an all day snacker and sometimes skip lunch. I like to snack on hummus, pita bread, low fat cheese sticks, fruit, etc. A big salad just doesn't cut it for me.

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  30. My favorite lunch is wraps. I love them filled with fresh spinach, boiled eggs, turkey, and tons of crisp veggies..mmmm!

    Check out the fun game on my blog too if you get a chance!! :)

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  31. First of all, thanks for visiting me today! :) I don't have anything to say about healthy eating but I was hoping to get some tips from some of your commenters! Good luck figuring it out!
    -Carrie

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  32. Hi Whitney! I just came across you blog! Love it! First of all, read Baby Sitters Club too, and secondly I so love junk food too (wrote about it recently too)! My Hubby is such a healthy guy so he has coached me, but I do revert to my love for sweet, fried, and fatty food! Super quick and easy: buy a bag of salad and a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and just cut the chiken off and lay it on the greens! Could do balsamic vinegar and olive oil for dressing...gives it some flavor :) I actually just started something on Fridays on my blog about eating well (and more) if you'd like to stop by :)

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  33. I still leave for lunch because that is when I like to gab on my cell phone, but I bring my little sandwich to my car and head to Sonic for a large unsweet iced tea with extra ice. View news

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