You probably already know I’m a health and wellness enthusiast, wanderlust traveler and recipe creator. Did you know I’m also a financial analyst who sits at a desk from 9-5?
Bet you didn’t see that last one coming! Balancing a healthy lifestyle with a career is probably the most frequent topic I’m asked about. Friends on Instagram, people at work, everyone’s always hoping for tips and tricks about balancing it all.
So we know that meal prep is a huge key to eating healthy when you’re on a time crunch. It’s also helpful in allowing you to carve out time for other priorities during the week- fitness, school, family, friends, etc. After all, mental and physical happiness are key to a healthy lifestyle! But sometimes we find that we’re bored of our meal prep OR it’s just not keeping us FULL. How do we avoid those 3pm munchies? When you’re about to crash and you can almost taste the freedom of 5pm while your cube mate tastes their chemical ridden energy drink. Maybe you’re looking for a healthy snack to boost your energy? Something to keep you clear of the vending machine! Or maybe you’re the type that just knows they’ll feel awful after they eat those gummy bears, so you wait it out until you get home. But as soon as you walk in the door you are just RAVENOUS and eat all the ‘healthy’ snacks you can get your hands on.
To me, it’s all about well-rounded meals and snacks! Whether it’s a sandwich or salad- I’m always sure to include a protein, vegetable and healthy fat. My friend and health coach, Carly always emphasizes these three aspects of your meal and after incorporating them, I’ve seen a big difference in my energy throughout the day. They are the key factors to keeping my tummy full until my next meal or snack. Here are some of my favorite combos:
Honey oat bread with baby kale, cucumbers, avocado and True Story Organic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast with a side of crunchy sea salt beet chips!
Protein: turkey Vegetable: kale and cucumber Healthy fat: avocado
*Pro tip: slather your spicy mustard on your deli slices and roll them up to keep your condiments on the inside and avoid soggy bread!
Mason jar taco salad packed with green goddess dressing (get the recipe below!), black beans, tomatoes, corn, red peppers, True Story Organic Sriracha Jalapeño Chicken Sausage and spinach.
Protein: chicken sausage Vegetable: e. All of the above Healthy Fat: green goddess dressing
*Pro tip: bring a bowl! Mason jars are great for storing and mixing salads, but unless you happen to have an extra long fork on hand, they can be a bit of a trip to eat from.
Green Goddess Dressing
1/2 half an avocado
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c Greek yogurt
1/4 c water
1 c fresh cilantro
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tspn sea salt
a squeeze of lemon juice
Blend until smooth.
Now let’s talk about snacks. Sometimes it’s tempting to munch on empty carbs for a snack. While there are tons of healthy options for this, I much prefer sticking to a fruit or veggie + protein, as they’re more likely to keep me full! Somehow eating tortilla chips just makes me want to eat more tortilla chips… so here are some of my favorite desk friendly snacks:
True Story Organic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast + veggies plate
Apple + almond butter
Energy bites! I love these chocolate mocha protein bites and these coffee balls!
Hope you’ve found this little chat helpful in packing up your lunch for the day! Hope it’s a great one.
This post is sponsored by True Story Foods. All opinions are my own. To view my full disclosure policy, click here.
Just last night I was guilty of saying, “I’ll just eat a few tortilla chips” but actually ate almost half the bag! #snackdisaster
Been there, done that!!