lunch to go

One of the biggest complaints I hear from people is that it's too hard to eat healthy when you're away from home most of the day.  People who commute up to 3 hours and work another 8 tend to be the ones I hear this from the most.

Today I'm going to be leaving my home at 4:30 a.m. and probably won't be home until about midnight.  As a photographer I have the luxury of getting to work from home.  That means if I want to have a really fresh spinach salad for lunch, it takes about 5 minutes of prep and is only 10 feet from "the office".  There is, however, another side to being a photographer and that's working in the field.  Long days far away from a home base are a reality of my job.  In most instances I work on location, which means no cushy studio with a kitchen either.  I'd like to tell you that being a photographer is glamorous, but mostly it's working out of Starbucks or your car.

On days like today it's especially important that I keep my energy level up, which means eating healthy food.  So how does one do that on the road?  Plan ahead.  I did an hour of prep work & cooking this evening and have all my food for tomorrow ready to go.  I'll be taking a fruit salad, tabbouleh, plantain chips, almonds, banana muffins & lots of water.  Sound complicated?  No way!  Those of you who read the site often know I'm all about the fast & easy (food, that is).  But this is not my first rodeo.  Over the years I've mastered the art of taking a packed lunch with me.  The last thing anyone wants when they're low on sleep & high on stress is lunch bag letdown.  So here's some tips of how I pull it off...

pack a cooler ~ Just a small cooler or cooler bag with an ice pack will keep your food cold all day so you don't have to worry about spoilage

think outside the lettuce ~ When most people hear "salad" they think lettuce.  In my experience making salads out of other things tends to work out better.  You won't have to deal with a wilted lettuce/dressing situation for starters.  Also, a lot of people have issues with greens if they're under stress, so it's better to keep to the safer foods.  Today I made tabbouleh, but often a nice caprese or greek salad is amazing.

h2o ~ I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay hydrated on a long day away from home.  It will keep your energy levels up and your body functioning normally.

small snacks ~ Today I'm taking plantain chips that I found in the health food section at my local grocery store.  Usually I take trail mix with me as well.  You don't need a ton of it, only a few handfuls.  Little snacks that you can grab in between will help keep the hunger monster at bay.

fruit ~ Packing an apple is always a good idea.  If you're like me and know that your body can't function without fruit during the day I'd recommend a simple fruit salad.  I did a layered one in a tall reusable container.  Diced granny smith, the juice of 1/2 lemon (to keep it from going brown), sliced strawberries, 1 tbsp honey & 1 diced peach.  When you're ready to eat just shake it up and dig in.

stay away from sandwiches ~ It's easy to associate lunch with sandwiches, but I'd recommend staying away from them.  They can get soggy and gross sitting in a cooler all day.  Instead take a muffin.  I've made whole grain banana muffins, which will curb my carb cravings and stay fresh all day.

I didn't want to leave you without a recipe today, so here's my last minute take on tabbouleh.  Traditionally it's a middle eastern salad made of bulgar, parsley, mint, tomato & lemon juice.  This is a really loose translation of that dish.  I used what I had on hand instead of making my life too difficult.  The trick is to dice everything quite finely so it mixes in better.

ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked whole wheat couscous
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 carrot, finely diced
• 1/2 orange pepper, finely diced (you can use red or yellow, I happened to have orange)
• a handful of raisins
• 1 oz feta cheese
• the zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp greek seasoning

Dice everything up and toss it together.  Dress with the lemon juice, olive oil & seasoning and give it a stir.  Voila, salad.  Wasn't that easy?