Brown Bag Your Lunch

Packing a lunch and a great way to loose weight and save in your wallet. A simple whole wheat bread with turkey sandwich is a easy 280 calories but if you cut that in half and add a vege sticks or a piece of fruit, it will come to 200 calories. And for the 80 calories left, well, you can have a Quaker Chewy granola bar at 3:00pm to avoid the candy or sugar pop/soda machines. If you do get hunger at 3:00pm have a piece of sugarless gum or almonds which is a great source to kill your hunger and keeps you occupy from having bad foods.

Fruit is a great sweet food to cut the cravings. But if it is a must have, sweet tooth craving, have the 100 calories cookie bags or jello. Don't prive from all the sugar from your body and mind. Like people say, you only have one body and one lifetime to live, just don't go over board. Treat yourself once in a while, but not too much. Enjoy life.

Here is some good packing lunches...
• Tuna sandwich wrap with light mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes
• Egg salad sandwich on whole grain bread
• Peanut butter with a banana on whole grain bread
• Sliced turkey with light mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce and a slice of cheese - wrap sandwich

Side items or 10am or 3pm snacks...
• Cheese sticks (good source of calcium)
• Whole grain snack crackers
• Make a fruit salad with grapes, melons chunks, and blueberries
• Dried fruit, like raisins, dried cranberries or banana chips
• Nuts like almonds, cashews, or walnuts
• Pack a cold pasta salad, cole slaw, or potato salad
• Baby carrots with a small container of vegetable dip
• Crunchy raw green beans with a small container of ranch or french onion dip
• Prepackaged, flavored low-fat yogurt

Beyond the bread...
• Beef and vegetable stew with wheat crackers
• Chicken noodle soup and whole grain crackers
• Vegetable Lasagna with a salad
• Chicken casserole with carrots and vegetable dip
• Chili with whole grain crackers or bread
• Left over stir-fry or sautéed vegetables with whole wheat or wild rice
• Salad greens with tomatoes and grilled chicken, tuna or turkey with parma cheese and fat-free dressing

Here are some web links for healthy lunches recipes...
• Eating Well
• Kaboose
• About.com