Do you ever go out to dinner while you're dieting and think, "Do they have anything NOT rolled in peanut butter, deep fried, then sprinkled with sugar?" Are you one step shy of trying meth to help your weight loss? Good news, I'm here to help!
I'm the definition of girl on the go. My entire life consists of me going somewhere for someone or finishing something that should have been done yesterday. Although I can't help you with your busy schedule, I can help you with your waistline.
As I've said before, I'm 24 years old and I can tell that my metabolism has slowed down since my early twenties. I also work an office job so I'm stuck behind my desk for most of the day, excluding my thirty minute lunch. Because I get such a short lunch break and I don't really have time in the evenings to cook lunch for the following day, I have learned how to eat healthy from fast food restaurants. Want to know the best part? I'm going to share with you some of my favorite meals. Now, of course packing your own lunch would probably save you some money, but I use coupons for everything, so it doesn't really cost me any extra cash. Let's dive right in!
Wendy's
Wendy's is probably my most favorite place to get healthy lunch at, plus it's super cheap. Most of the meals I will list here should be saved for the cruise phase if you are doing the Dukan Diet with me. Don't worry, I'll throw some attack phase lunch ideas on this post too!
Lunch idea #1:
-1 Garden Side Salad, 20 cals, 4 carbs, 1 protein
-1 Small Chili, 180 cals, 20 carbs, 13 protein
-1 pk reduce fat sour cream, 40 cals, 0 carbs, 1 protein
I hate the beans Wendy's uses in their chili. I am not the biggest fan of pintos, both the bean and the car included, Nor do I enjoy kidney beans, so I pick those out. This probably lowers the carb content for this meal, but I don't take any off of it. I have found in my dieting experience that overestimating calories and carbs is way better than underestimating it. When in doubt, go with the higher number. What I do is scoop the chili on my salad and then squirt the packet of sour cream over it. It tastes a lot like a taco salad, without a million calories. This whole meal has 240 calories, 24 carbs, and 14 grams of protein. When I do the cruise phase, I like to stay between 40-60 carbs. Everyone's body is different, so this carb count may not work for you. If I eat below 40 carbs, I don't lose an ounce, and if I eat over 60 carbs, I gain. You will have to play around with carb count to see what your body likes. If you're in the attack phase, I would stay as low as I could manage. When I did the attack phase, I stayed around 20 carbs a day and saw results.
Lunch idea #2:
-1 Caesar Side Salad, 60 calories, 4 carbs, 4 protein
-1 four piece chicken nuggets, 180 cals, 10 carbs, 9 protein
-1 pk lemon garlic Caesar dressing, 110 cals, 1 carb, 2 protein
I like to get this side salad and chop up the chicken nuggets to top it. The lemon Caesar dressing at Wendy's is AMAZING! Seriously, I would eat the dressing by itself for lunch if people wouldn't stare. All together, you can get this meal for 350 calories, 15 carbs, 15g protein. Remember in my Weigh In Wednesday post last week when I said that I would have a cheat meal that was still healthy? This is usually it. Having a little bit of breading on the nuggets AND allowing myself just a small amount of salad dressing is such a nice little treat. I rarely ever use the entire packet of dressing, but remember what I said? Better to overestimate your intake. With dressings, I will pour them into a cup, dip my fork into the dressing first, then pick up a bite of salad. You still get the flavor of the dressing, but you eat a lot less of it this way.
Also, this on the Price Is Right Menu at Wendy's or whatever they call it, so it's budget friendly.
Mexican Restaurants
How can I eat healthy at a Mexican place with all of those chips in my face? Easy. Send the little Mexican dude with the chips back from whence he came. When I am dieting and I see the chip bearer coming at me, I hiss and chase him off with a pitchfork. Out of site, out of mind. Leave the salsa though, boo. I'm going to need that to keep my sanity. If you're like me and live in a Podunk town, there is a Mexican restaurant on every corner.
Lunch idea #1:
-Tossed salad with grilled chicken, no cheese (unless you're going to cut carbs/cals elsewhere)
-salsa
-sour cream
I love to get a fresh made tossed salad at my local Mexican place. One of my best friends and I go there at least once a week. Of course, you can omit the chicken if you want just a plain salad, but I never do because PROTEIN, I LOVE YOU. Make your own dressing at the table out of sour cream and salsa. If this is just a little too wild for you, then pour the salsa on your salad, take the salsa bowl and fill it up with ranch dressing and use the tip I gave you about dipping your fork first into the dressing rather than dumping a bottle of ranch on your plate. Salsa and ranch is yummy if you haven't tried it!
Lunch idea #2:
-Chicken Fajitas, hold the rice, beans, tortillas
-More salsa
At my Mexican place, they will give me a discount for not getting the rice and beans with my fajita. I tell them I just want the meat with the grilled veggies. When they bring it out, I will squirt a bit of lemon juice on my fajita and then pour salsa on it too because I LOVE YOU, SALSA. Having the nice charred taste of the veggies and chicken with the spicy salsa and acidic lemon is the recipe for deliciousness. This post is making me hungry.
And finally, a couple of attack phase friendly lunch ideas.
Local Grocery Store
-Rotisserie chicken
-Green Onions
-Cucumbers
My supermarket puts out fresh rotisserie chickens around 11:00am on weekdays. If I am doing the attack phase and the thought of eggs is just unbearable, I will run over there and get a chicken. Make sure you take off the skin (yes, the best part) and throw it in the trash. I like to eat the breasts, but eat whatever part you like. There is also no shame in eating a whole chicken. There is also no shame in eating every chicken in the room.
| |||||||
I like to eat green onions and cucumbers with the chicken because it is not a salad, yet is still a veggie that is allowed on the attack phase. You'll really crave veggies after a couple of days of pure protein. If you have a kitchen at work, or a few extra minutes in the morning, you're going to love the next lunch idea.
Lunch idea #2:
-Canned Tuna (Splurge for the white albacore, you don't want cat food)
-Reduced fat sour cream
-Green onions or white onions, whichever you like, dude
-Dill pickles, sweet pickles if you're nasty
-Boiled eggs, sans the yolk
-Sprinkle of ranch mix
Optional:
-Iceberg lettuce leaves
As I am sure you can tell, we are going to make a Dukan friendly version of tuna salad. What I do is take about 2 tablespoons of sour cream and sprinkle with the ranch mix until I think it tastes good. When I hit that point, I will toss the tuna, onions, pickles, and eggs in the sour cream mixture. If you're like me and your gag reflex won't let you eat tuna salad with a fork, take a few iceberg leaves and make lettuce wraps out of them. I know that iceberg lettuce is not attack phase friendly, so I only eat about 2 leaves. If you don't cheat anywhere else on the attack phase, I think you have earned your lettuce leaf for the day.
And there you have it! A few healthy lunch ideas for those of us who don't have time to pack our lunches up in the evening between napping, binge watching whole seasons of Game of Thrones, appointments with your cat's psychiatrist, and of course, taking selfies.
How are you guys doing? Have you lost any weight? Need some motivation? Are you trying Kanye's New Workout Plan? Let me know! Follow me on Twitter @butterybiscuit7 and on Instagram @Bridgetb2011 for more shenanigans!
All the mocha lattes you gotta do Pilates,
--B
For more weight loss information, check out my previous posts:
Fit Friday: Dukan Dieting Tips and a Healthy Recipe
Weigh In Wednesday: My Weight Loss Story With The Dukan Diet
No comments:
Post a Comment