I am sure I have mentioned my black and white rule regarding food choices and what to eat. To sum it up, in case you missed it the first time around, here it is: The foods we eat will either build our health or build our disease. And then picture me dusting my hands of the matter because it really is that simple.
The tough part is putting our good judgement before our taste buds. As you know, my kitchen is currently a disasterous wreck. I have been working odd hours in an effort to keep up with my work and refinish my furniture. The most challenging part is lunch time.
The other day, I had been working non-stop from 8:00 am and when 1:30 rolled in and I started feeling all wonky, I realized it was time for a break. I walked out into my neighbourhood thinking I would grab a salad from the local cafe. I looked at the menu of sandwiches and cheese and chicken filled salads and just wasn’t feeling it. I walked further up the street and saw a roti shop and since I had been all in the Caribana spirit I thought I might go that route.
I took a moment and thought this through. I thought about what I had to get done in the afternoon, what my dinner and evening plans were and knew that some big heavy hot lunch was going to weigh me down like an anchor our at sea.
And so I went into the little grocery store, not really sure what I would be able to put together but was thrilled with what I came away with. Hummus, baby spinach, brown rice wraps and a little dried mango for an afternoon snack. Total cost was $11.00 and I now had lunch for at least three, if not four days.
It is always easier to take the easy route, but it is definitely not always worth it. And I know, I know… I should have packed a lunch like I tell my clients to do and been prepared but I wasn’t. At least, my good judgement was in full force ’cause goodness knows I would not have been bragging had I blown myself up on garbage food and then felt poopy for it.
I am curious about your favourite go-to, non-cook meals are. Share with me… please! I may kitchenless for a few more weeks still.
PDF 
Facebook
Flickr
LinkedIn
Twitter
RSS
Youtube
iTunes
This is a great post and the unfortunate situation that the food companies have put us in. They make things so convenient to make those bad decisions.
Then you start looking at the labels and see a million whacky ingredients into a loaf of bread or something.
I just realized recently that there is no place in my neighborhood where I can get a large fresh organic salad.
My go to meals are fresh made salads in my apt. Something along the lines of Romaine Lettuce, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion, Apple and Olive Salad.
I like left overs, I’ll eat anything cold (except soup, I have to draw the line somewhere)!
I have a similar problem. My town offers nothing vegan! We have to travel 15 min to Whole Foods for a “quick” lunch. I can always walk into one of the many bistros/restaurants and ask for a salad with no cheese or meat, but then I get left with a few pieces of lettuce and a tomato.
Booo!
I like Lara Bars and fruit when I want something quick and filling. I do this for lunch when I am too hungry to make anything.
No-prep go-tos are larabars, or fruit for quick food.
But I try to find a few hours once a week to make a big batch of hummus for carrot sticks and hummus, and I’ll bake a batch of healthy muffins or scones and freeze them to take one at a time to work.
Salads take a lot of prep time, but I make them a lot, too.
Another favorite is chick pea salad. Mix a can of chick peas (I actually sprout some chick peas and then boil them instead of using canned) with a couple tbsps of olive oil or flax oil, apple cider vinegar, a couple tsps of sucanant, some green onion and some red pepper flakes… yum! And easy to take in a tupperware for on-the-go lunches.
For summers I’ll make a big batch of quinoa with some curry powder, and cut up some chunks of mango, then portion it out into single-serving tupperwares of curried quinoa with mango and stick them in the freezer. Then when I have a day that I know I’ll be out running errands by lunch time, I’ll grab one from the freezer and by lunch time it’s thawed and I have a good chilled lunch.
This is a great post! I am working on this in my life – focusing on food as sustenance. Some days I feel like my inner three year old will forever throw temper tantrums until she gets ice cream.
My favorite quick, healthy lunch is the simplest – salads, fruit or vegetables and crackers and cheese. That’s it. Works for me every time.
I second Lrara bars… I always carry one in my purse so if I am ever feeling hungry I have a healthy snack handy!!
oh you had me worried there Meghan. I currently have all the items pictured in my fridge minus the dried fruit and I thought you were going to say to not eat them. whoo…I can breathe now.
sorry no go to meals I can think of everything has to be cooked for me.
I always cook up my lunch for the week on the weekend or use leftovers from dinner, so I rarely run into that problem. But when I do need a quick, no-cook lunch I try to nab bread, hummus, and fruit–pretty much like you did!
I always bring leftovers for lunch and a little bit of fruit. In the fridge at work I keep salad dressing and raw veggies and hummus. I usually have an “emergency” salad, soup, and/or baked potato in the fridge for those days when I am hungrier or the mid-afternoon munchies hit. I also have rice cakes and salsa available.
In my immediate neighborhood I have two places that have Mongolian grills where I have gone for a working lunch, a sushi place (haven’t been there yet), a Japanese place (ditto). I have two regular grocery stores within walking distance, and a health food store about a 20 minute walk away. There are other places that I am sure have salads, but since I always bring my lunch, I have never checked the other various restaurants out.
TOUGH ONE
I really don’t have much helpfull tips (remember fatburger?)
I just try and be as PRE pared as I can… so I don’t need to get a bite out if I know it’s gonna be poor choices.
I try and pack larabars and bring a smoothie. I actually have been really struggling with this!
Almond butter on anything! Bananas, toast/tortillas, chicken, etc. It is so quick and filling with healthy fats and protein. Plus it doesn’t spoil like produce so it works when you don’t have a fridge around. Also avocados. Make an avocado smoothie. Mmmm! Can’t wait to see your finished masterpiece of a kitchen! xoxo
Can of chickpeas + salad greens + sprinkling of nuts…And when in doubt, I’ll just have a spoonful of nut butter, right from the jar, cause I’m that classy
Thanks for all the fab suggestions. I seriously must have the healthiest readers on this side of blog land. Great ideas! I think I am personally having such a challenge because I am off dried fruit and nuts in whole and buttered form at the moment… for no other reason than I like a good challenge. Seriously… that is really the only reason and I am sticking with it. Was eating too much of both and you CAN have too much of a good thing.
The ladies with the tummy troubkles- be uber careful with those larabars. Date paste, the first ingredient, can make things move awfully quickly through the digestive system and cause all kinds of gurgling. And we know what follows the gurgling
I think I”m going to print this out and post it near my computer! Love the approach, and while I KNOW what’s best for me, I don’t always manage it. This will be my reminder and motivation in one!
Easy dinners? Raw collard leaves spread with hummus, a few slices of tomato and avocado, then rolled up. Love these. Raw kale salad (quick, easy, still our favorite salad at home). Fresh fruit salad with nuts/seeds. Raw almond-veggie pate on thin sweet potato slices (recipe also on my blog). Oops, just saw you’re off nuts/seeds. . . maybe some of these for when you’re back on!
…nuts, dates, raisins,
dried fruit, fruit, avocado pear
cashew butter, cheese, salad greens,
pickles & peppers, hummus & tahini,
a variety flat breads, crackers,
terra chips & veggie straws are a staple
I have a Toddler Son,
so I keep things grape tomatoes, sliced
cuke chips, carrots & stuff sliced and ready
& on hand to snack on .
My all time favorite, a bowl of mixed fruit with some orange slices, fresh mango, watermelon, pineapple, etc. and a little bit of fruit seasoning. Really yummy and healthy!
I also like to eat some cucumbers, and it may sound weird but they taste even better with a tinsy bit of salt and lime. You should try it.
You could also make some yummy sandwiches, green salads, tuna with saltine crackers. Raw carrots, broccoli, green bell peppers, and celery with ranch dressing also sounds really good.
There’s so many great things you can make without having to “cook” them.
I think the more people realize the affect that the food they are eating is having on their bodies, minds and spirits, the more they will start to make healthier choices.
It is still hard to come by something whole and healthy, gluten or dairy-free at most restaurants and even grocery stores, but hopefully the awareness is growing in a positive direction.
The trick is to do just what you did and weed out something healthy at the store. This can be a challenge but in the long run, it is so worth it for the sake of our health.
I think the more people realize the affect that the food they are eating is having on their bodies, minds and spirits, the more they will start to make healthier choices.
It is still hard to come by something whole and healthy, gluten or dairy-free at most restaurants and even grocery stores, but hopefully the awareness is growing in a positive direction.
The trick is to do just what you did and weed out something healthy at the store. This can be a challenge but in the long run, it is so worth it for the sake of our health.
I eat many a hummus salad, and mine aren’t small. We are talking about 1 1/2 lbs of salad, plus a container of Trader Joe’s Eggplant hummus (which is like a seriously garlicky mixture of baba ghanouj and hummus and I am a complete addict.
[...] body and think about the effects of food before you put it into your mouth. Ask yourself “Is this food healing for me, or is it harming me?“ If you know the food isn’t good for you, you can still eat it, but don’t make up [...]
[...] year changed not only the way I eat, but the way I see food: what you put in your body can either heal or harm. That’s a no-brainer way to cut through all the debates around foods, and man-made [...]
This is my first visit here, but I can already say that I love it! Keep up the work!
That’s usually my go to- the no fridge has been a challenge. What I want to know is how much of that do you grow yourself on your fire escape?
Only the lettuces are grown on the fire escape…for now. My cherry tomatoes and peppers should be ready for some salad soon too.
Another tip is to pre-shred veggies likes beets, carrots and onions. Have them on hand in fridge, so you can easily throw in a salad. Or to keep marinated veggies in the fridge for easy access – marinated kale or carrots and beets or broccoli and carrot, you get it. The point is to keep things convenient and easy to grab. So all you have to do is chop up greens.
For me I only mess with Larabars when I am camping. The nut and fruit mix don’t do my stomach well as you said with the gurgles. Plus since GM bought them out a few years ago, they’ve changed up the make up a bit. Still better than all of the other candy energy bars out there…imo.
Great list!