Planning is Key

Without planning, where are we going? Nowhere. What are we doing? Nothing. Planning is key for any goal you have whether it is something as simple as which route you plan to take to work or something a little more time consuming like planning meals or workouts for the rest of the week. Or how you plan to divide your time to complete upcoming class assignments. You name the task and some sort of planning is necessary.

This past Sunday I made five prepackaged lunches to take to work with me for the week. It was the best thing I think I've ever done! I've been able to grab my Tupperware container as I walk out the door in the morning and not have to spend time the night before when I'm tired (and probably making irrational decisions ha) or time in the morning when I am already playing beat the clock to prepare something health conscious.

I made a quiche with spinach, pepper, tomatoes and onions topped with a Mexican cheese blend that I have been slicing for breakfast in the mornings. Excellent protein and a serving a veggies before 8 am? BAM. Yes. Then I mixed and matched chicken (protein) with either quinoa or sweet potatoes (as my complex carb) and some sort of vegetables or a piece of fruit in all different combinations and viola. There were my five lunches for the week. And breakfast too!

Pictured above are a couple chicken breasts I baked alongside sliced up sweet potatoes.



Here is the spinach veggie quiche. I added some crushed red pepper to it for a little extra kick and it made a world of difference :)

Next. In one of my recent previous posts I talked about making healthier substitutions/modifications. I thought I would share a couple more with you. Pictured below (to the untrained eye) looks like a pancake with whipped cream and slivered almonds on top. Really though, it is an "egg cake". Now don't knock it til you try it. Keep in mind that eggs are very diverse. With spices and flavorings almost anything is possible with eggs. In this particular case I beat one egg and two egg whites together, added some cinnamon and vanilla and a little raw sugar and then poured it into a small skillet. Cook over medium/low heat and once the top is set, flip it over. Afterwards just toss it onto a plate, top it with a dollop of cool whip, nuts, dried fruit and a splash of syrup and you're in business. Like I said, don't knock it until you try it. It tastes just like a pancake AND it's gluten free too. High protein, low carb, gluten free goodness.

 

 

 

The next order of business we owe a special thanks to Lauren for. I can't believe I didn't think of this! I've been eating a lot of Oasis hummus. It's 1/2 the calories and only about 1g of fat per two Tbsp. instead of regular hummus which is 70 calories per serving with about 7g of fat. The secret is less oil. It tastes just as good as regular hummus though! The roasted garlic is amazinggggggg. I normally eat mine with nut thins crackers. Lauren introduced me to these carrot chips. You can buy them right in your produce department. They are raw carrots, just sliced up differently. Genius. In Lauren's words she can "almost convince herself she is eating chips and dip". 

 

Hopefully these ideas help you out as much as they have me! It's difficult to find something healthy and satisfying sometimes. Happy Tuesday! :)