Believe it or not, I HATE packing lunch. It takes time out of my night, it’s extra clean up, I have to pack TWO (since I’m a good wife)…I DESPISE it!

The easy way out is to NOT pack a lunch and just spend endless amounts of money day after day. The problem with that?  It gets old fast [...]]]>

Believe it or not, I HATE packing lunch. It takes time out of my night, it’s extra clean up, I have to pack TWO (since I’m a good wife)…I DESPISE it!

The easy way out is to NOT pack a lunch and just spend endless amounts of money day after day. The problem with that?  It gets old fast and the bills add up quickly! Not to mention the fact that day after day you are eating foods loaded with fat and calories. Even if you are eating Subway, I’m sad to say, not ALL the choices are “healthy” and lunchmeat is one of my cancer causing foods. So what to do?

Below are my secrets to staying motivated to get those lunches packed!! I still hate it…these just make it easier.

1. Pack The Night Before! Unless your mom or dad will get up and pack your lunch for you in the morning, my ULTIMATE secret to packing lunches is to always pack the night before! This way, there’s time to really think about your food choices and plan so that you are not starving and option less by 3:30 in the afternoon.
2. Pack as you are making dinner or cleaning it up. I started doing this not too long ago and I’ve found the lunch making process to be MUCH more efficient. If I’m packing as I’m prepping, I can easily chop a few extra veggies for our lunches. If you are making a salad for dinner, it’s so easy to get out a container and make a little extra for the next day. Once I put dinner in the oven, I can use that time to make some sandwiches, etc. I now use up more leftovers and there’s no opportunity for me to get lazy about it later in the evening. It’s done when dinner is!
3. What Do You Want? What is it about eating out that we all love so much? Is it that there are more options? Is it that it’s more convenient? Figure out what you LOVE about eating out and start packing based on those reasons. Packed lunches really can be MORE convenient and appetizing if you put a little thought in to them. If you LOVE the chicken salad sandwich the deli down the street has to offer, why not try mimicking it? Example: I LOVE Pita Pit’s falafel and hummus pitas, but I couldn’t afford to buy one everyday. So what did I do? I figured out how to make my OWN falafel and hummus, and bought whole wheat pitas from the grocery. Simple. Easy. Cheap.
4. Make a BETTER Grocery List. There are too many times I hear about people going unprepared to the grocery (i.e where’s their LIST!??).  For instance, my husband used to go to the grocery store and come back with a loaf of bread, some chips, and an endless supply of beverages; beer, pop, juice, milk, the list goes on and on. What’s with guys and beverages? I would go to pack his lunch and I had to SCROUNGE for ANYTHING that resembled food. No wonder he used to eat out so much! MAKE A LIST! Figure out what you want to make for dinner and if the leftovers could be used for lunch. You will literally slash your grocery bill because you’ll stop making multiple trips to the store for minor ingredients, where you end up buying MORE foods you did not intentionally come for. Trust me, you’ll start looking forward to your lunch and others will be jealous.  ;)
5. Get Away From Your Desk. I know a huge reason people eat out is because they want to get away from the office. I get it. When you can get away…DO IT! I hate hearing that people eat as they work. Take a time out!! I encourage it!!  However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to eat out. Take a drive and eat your PACKED lunch at the park. Go for a walk with a coworker. Sit in the lounge and eat with friends. Anything you can do to get away and NOT eat out. Do it!

Hopefully these suggestions will help you get more motivated to pack lunches! Your wallet will grow while saving your health! I love multitasking

What are your favorite foods to pack for lunch??

Usually I avoid granola bars because typically they’re just a glorified candy bar; lots of sugar and low in protein and fiber. I have found that Kashi brand granola bars are probably one of the better options, with more fiber and protein, but if you don’t want to spend $3.50 for a box of 6, [...]]]>

Usually I avoid granola bars because typically they’re just a glorified candy bar; lots of sugar and low in protein and fiber. I have found that Kashi brand granola bars are probably one of the better options, with more fiber and protein, but if you don’t want to spend $3.50 for a box of 6, then it might be a good idea to try and make your own! I have made granola bars without sugar before and to me, they were incredibly tasty. However, since I did not want to scare people away at the thought of a sugar-less bar, I decided to start with this next recipe. Plus, it looked amazing!

    I found the original recipe at SmittenKitchen.com for Thick, Chewy Granola Bars and I was lured into attempting my own version. I ended up replacing half the butter with mashed banana and using 2 T of canola oil instead of corn syrup because I wanted to be cautious (I’m still new at this baking business).

    The result was a nourishing bar that was both moist and chewy, with just the right amount of crunch. Truly, they make a delectable snack that will leave you feeling full, with about 3 grams of fiber per square!  If you are watching your weight, be mindful of your portions. I think that adding only 1 cup of dried fruit/nuts and decreasing the peanut butter and sugar would not compromise the taste too much, so I appreciate hearing if you try this! I would not advise omitting the peanut butter completely, as I felt it really added a great flavor! I will work to lower the sugar content of these for next time.

    I also highly recommend these granola bars for parents. I think the recipe is a fantastic way to get kids to help in the kitchen and are an excellent source of whole grains and other important nutrients, without artificial ingredients. They can even help those parents struggling to get their children to gain weight.*

 Chewy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Adapted from SmittenKitchen.com
1 bar per serving, 16 servings per batch

1 2/3 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup Oat flour (or grind 1/3 cup of oats in blender or food processor)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups dried fruit
     *1/3 cup craisins, 2/3 cup raisins, 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, 1/3 cup pecan halves, 1/3 cup walnut halves
*Experiment with different combinations of nuts and fruit!1/3 cup natural peanut butter
*Optional additive

Mix the above ingredients in large bowl.

1 tsp vanilla extract
3 T Butter or Margarine
3 T mashed banana (equivalent to about 1 small banana)
1/4 cup honey
2 T Canola oil
1 T water
Mix above ingredients in separate bowl, stir well.
Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees. After you have combined dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another, add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until a crumbly batter forms.

    Place in an 8 x 8″ pan lined with parchment paper (spray parchment with cooking spray) and bake 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven once the top is golden brown but is still slightly “undone.” Place pan on cooling rack, cool 20 minutes and then remove the parchment from pan. Continue to let cool. Slice into 16 equal squares once bars have completely cooled (they are excellent warm but will fall apart if sliced too soon). Wrap each individually in saran wrap for the perfect afternoon snack or seal in airtight container.

As you can see the bars may be small but thick, which makes them deceivingly filling.

Nutritional Profile per bar: 180 calories, 8.3 g fat (1.1 g sat., 4.1 g poly, 3.1 g mono), 32 g carbohydrate, 3.2 g fiber, 2.6 g protein, 12 g sugar (high, I know…)
Good source of Vitamin E, Copper, Magnesium, and Phosphorus.
Iron: 7.4 %
Manganese: 62%

*On a daily basis, I consult with parents who have children struggling with adequate weight gain and fall in to the category of “underweight.” This refers to the child falling below the 5th percentile on the growth charts. This can sound scary to some parents and the tendency is to take offense and feel as if they have done something wrong as a parent.
    I encourage parents NOT to feel this way, as there are more reasons than improper parenting that lead to underweight.  After ruling out any underlying condition that might be preventing weight gain, take in to consideration activity level of the child, texture aversions, picky eaters, etc. The fact is, most children would rather not interrupt play time for a snack or meal. So it’s up to the parents to come up with ways to make snacking fun and encourage snacks every 1-2 hours. Children below the 5 th percentile risk malnutrition and can develop improper bone growth, weakened immune system, or anemia.
    Looking to healthy fats is a great way to promote weight gain. Whole milk, Olive or Canola oil, nuts, natural peanut butter, and dried fruits are excellent snacks to encourage weight GAIN.  The recipe above is terrific for kids because it tastes good and a small portion (~2″ x 2″) packs about 180 calories a square! Paired with a glass of whole milk, you have a wholesome after school snack that could potentially add an additional 300-400 calories to their daily diet!!