Make Lunch Happen Fast

One of the questions that I get from a lot of my clients is what they should eat for lunch. Breakfast is usually fairly easy because it is easy to whip up a quick and healthy breakfast for one. Dinner is usually cooked for a bigger group, which can be easier to plan for. Lunch, on the other hand, oftentimes requires thinking of something that is portioned for one. If you are trying to find healthy things you can eat at work, or even if you are trying to make something healthy for yourself while you are busy with kids during the day, trying to determine quick meals that fit the bill can be hard to do.


The easy thing to do when you are hungry for lunch might be to...take a bite of the kids mac n' cheese, run through the drive through, or grab handfuls of whatever is closest to you (enter goldfish, cereal, Doritos, wheat thins, etc. etc. etc.) While all of the things you are grabbing may not be unhealthy, they are not portion controlled, and just grabbing whatever you see might never fill you up. You could end up eating hundreds of unwanted calories. Being prepared for lunch is a great way to avoid binging on unhealthy items, and will keep you in control of your diet.


Healthy Lunchtime Do's...
- Purposely double your healthy dinner recipes, and save some leftovers with lunch in mind.
- Prepare some "go to items" for me this is grilled chicken, vegetables, and salad fixings.
- Fix the same food for you and your kids. No, this doesn't mean you should eat dino nuggets and mini corn dogs too. Maybe it means THEY should be eating fresh fruits and veggies & homemade hummus, a wrap, or sandwich on whole grain bread. A lot of the time parents assume their kids won't eat healthy foods without ever even offering them the chance. Expand their palates and test their taste buds!
- Crock pot it. Some of my all time favorite meals come in crock pot form. Have you made my crock pot cream cheese chicken chili yet? You should...it's kinda my favorite. It also makes AWESOME leftovers.

 

- Keep quick items on hand. La tortilla factory wrap + PB + Banana slices = quick and healthy. Other items like whole wheat bagel or sandwich thins are great. I always have cottage cheese, string cheese, almonds, and fruits and veggies on hand that I can throw together. Keeping some good protein on hand at all times is smart too. Easy quick high protein lunches? Easy cheesy chili & Pesto Chicken Salad. There are a lot of great soup options that you can whip out in an instant and will make life much easier.

- Plan or pack your lunch the night before. If you are getting lunches ready for your kids or hubby, take the time to get one ready for you too. Preparation is the key to weight loss!
- If you have no time, don't let the drive through dictate your diet. Determine some healthy places you can get a quick salad (make it a healthy salad, read HERE for smart salad tips) or a whole wheat sandwich packed with lean protein and veggies.

Make an effort to make your lunches healthy. You will feel better, you will be able to make it through the day with more energy, and you won't be ravenous at dinner! Oh and if you are going to make Mac N' Cheese...at least make it Healthy Mac N' Cheese!

What is your go to lunch option? Do you eat leftovers a lot? Will your kids eat health foods?

Don't forget...only a few more days to enter the March Musicality Mix Giveaway!

The Inagural Bike Ride and a Return to Paleo

The weather this weekend was awesome. I loved it. All I wanted to do was be outside. (Happy sigh) Because the weather was so great outside I got to dust of my sweet lil' beach cruiser, and SB and I for the first bike ride of the season! It was so much fun.

It made me almost wish I lived in a little place where I could just ride my bike allover all day...until we came home and I remembered that my pleasant bike ride quickly turns into what could be a hard core spin class. My bike has no gears, so hills give your legs a workout!

I started feeling much better on Saturday, and was actually able to eat. Awesome, I know. I stocked up on fresh goods at Costco, and I picked back up where I left off Paleo-wise. It seems like the majority of my diet is consisting of eggs, chicken, and roasted veggies.

 I have always loved roasted veggies, but I can't get enough these days. When time is short, and you want to be able to eat healthy just roast a big batch, and divvy them out for the days to come. Today I did a medley of broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, and a sweet potato. SO GOOD. Try THIS recipe here. You will be so glad you did, promise.

Workout for the day
Cardio: 20 minutes of intervals on the elliptical
Weights: 50 minutes of full body

- 3 sets of 15 assisted pullups

3 sets of each alternating between each exercise:
- 12 single leg squats with a bicep curl on the left (15 lb)
- 12 single leg squats with a bicep curl on the right (15 lb)
- 12 squats with dumbbells (20 lb db)

3 sets of each alternating between each exercise:
- 12 chest flies with dumbbells (20 lb db)
- 12 triceps kick backs with dumbbells (15 lb db)
- 1 minute plank with 25 lb plate on my back

3 sets of each alternating between each exercise:
- 12 upright row to a dead lift
- 12 step ups on the right leg (quick tempo)
- 12 step ups on the left (quick tempo)

Ab Work
15 leg extension hip raises
20 leg climbers
15 pilates crunches
40 cherry pickers
20 v-sits

DONE!


Have you been able to get outside and enjoy the warm weather yet? Do you like roasted veggies? If you have never tried them you really really need to!

Don't forget to enter my March Musicality Mix Giveaway! You have until Friday March 30th at Midnight!

March Musicality Mix Giveaway!

Warmer temps than normal, sunshine, and a little bit of hope for summer...March is shaping up to be A-OK. Warmer temps means that running outside is actually an option! Running outside means there is a definite need for some new jams. Here is March's Mix Giveaway!!

So Good - B.O.B.
Wild Ones feat. Sia - Flo Rida
Is Anybody Out There feat. Nelly - Knaan
Part of Me - Kay Perry
Give Me All Your Luvin feat. M.I.A. - Madonna
Rack City - Tyga
Cinema feat. Gary Go & Skrillex - Benny Benassi
It's Time - Imagine Dragons
Some Nights - Fun.
Take Care feat. Rihanna - Drake
We Are Young feat. Janelle Monae - Fun.
Beautiful Killer - Madonna
Glad You Came - The Wanted
La La - The Cab
Simple Song - The Shins
U Know It Ain't Love feat. Pitbull - R.J.
Breakn' A Sweat - Skrillex
Eyes Open - Taylor Swift

To enter to win this month's playlist...
1) Become a follower (& leave a comment, or tell me you already are one!)
2) Tell me why YOU are happy for warmer weather.
3) Tweet about it, Facebook it, blog about it, pin it...etc. and tell me about it.

Good Luck!!

Friday Happy Thoughts

Things that are making me reaaaally happy today... 
- Last night I was invited to go Yogurtland's premier of Hunger Games. 

It was AWESOME. I was surprised at how much I really liked it. I am usually a pretty tough critic of books that are made into movies, and I thought they did a great job. My friends and I like to play the game of "would they make it as a pioneer crossing the plains..." and I always like to think that I would. I'm pretty tough...I can hold my own. After watching The Hunger Games and seeing their survival skills in the wilderness I have since changed my mind. I don't think I'd last. Is there a Pizza Factory Salad Bar Wagon on the wagon train??? Anyways...the movie rocked. Go see it, and Go get some yogurt from Yogurtland too. It's the best. Thank you Yogurtland!!

- I am feeling WAY better. I haven't been able to work out in a week, and I'm missing it. I've got my fingers crossed that tomorrow I'll be able to get in a good workout. I still don't have much of an appetite which is so weird to me. Normal Megan is ALWAYS hungry.

- It is Friday. Duh.

- I have been jamming to some great new tunes that are sure to make March's Playlist Giveaway...coming to you Sunday. New music + warm weather + windows down + sunshine = happiness. 

- The weather forecast for tomorrow and Sunday is saying 70 and 71. Yes please. You may just see me laying out in my grass. Just saying.

- I have found some amazing new healthy recipes to try via Pinterest. Do you pinterest? You can follow my healthy recipes board HERE my motivational board HERE, or my paleo board HERE.

Just a reminder that tomorrow is our last free Saturday Restore Yoga class at The Lab 7:30 AM. Be there! EVERYONE is invited. If you have questions about it, let me know!

What is making you happy today? Are you as excited about this awesome weather as I am? 

One Stomach Flu Away From My Goal Weight...

I had a friend say that one time as a joke. I laughed pretty hard. After this week I don't think it's so funny. I caught the stomach flu Tuesday, and had to conquer that beast while flying on an airplane. I can tell you this much...I hope to never have to do that again. Ever. I have polished off a sleeve of saltine crackers this week and two sprite zero's from sonic...and that is about it.

I'm sure cavemen ate saltines, right?

Quick and Healthy Chicken Kabobs

One thing I miss about being home is the grill. My family loves to bbq. While I was home this week we had a meal that made me wish I had a grill of my own. We made delicious chicken kabobs with roasted veggies and they were so easy and delicious.

Chicken Kabobs:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut up into one inch pieces
- zucchini
- yellow squash
- mushrooms
- onions
- red, yellow, and green peppers
- whatever other veggies you'd like to skewer.

Fire up your grill. Stack your veggies and meat on a skewer stick. Place them on the grill and season away. My brother in law seasoned ours with olive oil, salt, pepper, lowry's, and garlic salt. 
Allow your kabobs to cook for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

 

So tasty!

We had a greek salad on the side. Lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, red onion, yellow tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, and a sprinkle of parmesan. Topped with a dressing made of olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic seasoning, salt, and pepper. SO tasty. 

 

As the weather warms up and the bbq's come out, this is the perfect healthy go to meal. You can whip these up in moments, and it always hits the spot! You really can use any meat and vegetables that you like. Kabobs are also a fun meal for kids to help with because they will love helping to build their skewers!

What is your favorite quick way to fix up your meat?

Paleo On The Go (And other travel friendly eating tips)

I was surprised at how I was able to keep the paleo going over the weekend away. I had no idea what my eating situations were going to be, so I was pleasantly surprised. I know not all of you are looking to eat paleo, but because eating paleo could be synonymous with eating clean in many situations I think these tips could give some of you a few ideas of how to make eating out a little easier.


Breakfast: 
I personally think breakfast is the hardest meal when you are traveling or on the go. We had some continental breakfast options, so I was able to get some eggs. I also had some almonds and turkey jerky that I had brought with me in case I needed them.
Sometimes bringing your own goods is the only way to know you are going to be prepared. You CAN bring nuts, fruit, and jerky in your suitcase with you. Other non-paleo options...oatmeal packets, protein bars, pre-made healthy muffins. Avoid having to go to the convenience store. Look around for restaurants or locations that serve healthy breakfast options.
Stop in at Starbucks, Denny's or even Mcdonalds for some oatmeal. Just promise to skip over the hotcakes...
We went to a nearby Whole Foods one morning for breakfast and it was SO GOOD.

 

I ended up with some eggs, fruit, grilled zucchini, and some pulled chicken with a little Teriyaki sauce. It was tasty.  

Lunch: 

Lunch and dinner could probably be one and the same as far as do's and don'ts, but I'll split them up for the purpose of showing food you can choose vs. food that has been ordered for you. It just so happens that for both lunches in San Diego we had Mexican food. In eating out, I am a believer that you can find something just about anywhere you go. You simply have to be willing to stick to your plan. 

Lunch #1 was at Chipotle. I had never been there before and it was SO delicious. I ordered the chicken salad, with no beans and no rice. I added in grilled vegetables, and told them to load on the fresh salsa. Salsa is an AWESOME option when it comes to adding flavor without calories. I topped it off with some guacamole. YUM. This was perfectly paleo.

 Lunch #2 was at some hole in the wall mexican restaurant. You know, the kind where everything is doused in cheese and basted in lard. A definite caloric disaster in the making. Things to avoid in these scenarios...the chip basket, excess cheese, tortillas, and depending on the rest of your diet...rice and beans. Most restaurants cook their beans and tortillas with lard. If you are eating paleo the rice, beans, and tortillas aren't an option anyways, so it doesn't matter. I avoided the chips and salsa, and ordered another chicken salad. The salad came in a tostada shell which I left alone. I ordered my salad without beans and cheese. It came with lettuce, grilled chicken, veggies, salsa, fresh avocado slices, and tomatoes. It was tasty!
When ordering out I'd suggest you skip the bread baskets. Pick options that have a good amount of protein and lower amounts of carbs. Ask how meals are prepared if you are watching certain ingredients and don't be afraid to make special requests. Also, feel free to oder a combo of sides to make up your meal.

Today my mom and I went to one of my favorite places, Pita Jungle, for lunch. I ordered a side of grilled chicken and a side of grilled veggies. It was AWESOME.

Dinner: For both dinner options we had food pre ordered for us. Sometimes this is life. Not being in control of what you are ordering doesn't have to mean you go buckwild and ruin your good eating streak.
For our first meal we had bruchetta with artichoke dip, a green salad with chicken and veggies, a few different choices of pizza, and cake. I bypassed the bruchetta, loaded up on the salad, took a small piece of bbq chicken pizza, and bypassed the cake. I actually just ate the chicken off the pizza and didn't eat the rest of it. Nobody took note of what I was or wasn't eating. It is just a matter of sticking to what you are trying to accomplish.
Our second dinner was a dinner roll, a small dinner salad, chicken, green beans, potatoes, and wedding cake. I didn't take a roll, ate my salad, ate my chicken and green beans and passed on the potatoes and cake. I was perfectly fine, and once again, nobody took notice of what I did and didn't eat. Now, in some scenarios you may not have options that coincide with your health eating plan. In these situations, just do the best you can. Don't overdo it on the bread baskets or desserts. If you know your main course is something that doesn't align with your usual diet, don't make matters worse by caving completely into your appetizer and dessert.

Do the best you can, and you will be glad you did!

Do you have a hard time eating on vacation? Which meals seem to be the most difficult for you? How do you get by when you have food ordered for you?