Drive-thru lanes will eat your arteries and your pocketbook. The innocence of just not knowing the glory of fast food is long gone once we reach adulthood. Do you remember back in the day before the school year began lunch boxes overflowed the store shelves? There were so many different kinds to choose from… because there was no way you would be uncool eating in the cafeteria. Where did we stray from this way of thinking? Nowadays it seems the drive-thru lines at lunch are inching their way into the streets. If we could only go back to our childhood ways of lunch we would save money and live better.
Studies have shown we spend about $3500 a year on eating out. Rolled into that large amount of money is a large amount of calories. Unless as a consumer we stand there watching them prepare our food we have no idea what is packed into it. MSG, preservatives and additives are thrown into food to help it taste better. In 2010 there was a study done on McDonalds proving after sitting its food on a shelf for a few years there was no change in appearance. This same thing sure could not be said for the sandwiches and fruit we packed in our lunch as children.
The biggest advantage to making your own lunch is the fact you know exactly what is in that lunch box. If you want to cut fat, then cut fat. Cut carbs, then cut carbs. You can measure your caloric intake as well as make sure everything is balanced. If you were to go out every day it would be a hassle to look up the calories before you even ordered. And, if you did look up those calories, you would probably wish you had brought your lunch in the first place!
The number one complaint about taking lunches to work is the time it takes to prepare the meal. There are many ways to combat this complaint. Stock the fridge at work with salad dressings and condiments. Take your dry salad to work without the dressing and add it later to ensure it is fresh. One thing to be sure to include in that lunch is protein. It will stick with you so you are not hungry until dinner. A small amount of protein will fill you up longer and better than chips or candy. You can always take pre-cooked meat to heat up, but if that is not exciting enough, hard boiled eggs are a staple. Fish is great even cold. Putting nuts in a bag for a quick snack throughout the day is also a great staple of protein. Remember back to that childhood lunch as there was usually a fruit thrown in the lunch box. Fresh fruits, carrots, celery or tomatoes are an easy portion of carbohydrates and fibers. No, you don’t have to forget the dessert. Trail mix or peanut butter is great to fill that sweet tooth. It shouldn’t take long to throw together a lunch that will fulfill both your stomach and your pocketbook.
After a while of taking your lunch to work you should begin to find it routine. Preservatives and processed foods will suddenly begin to taste too salty and too fatty. Your stomach will begin asking for its lunch brought from home! It’s all about making choices to change your destiny. That new destiny can be found right in your own kitchen. The one thing you know for sure is that new destiny will not be found in the fast food lane.
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