Lunch is the most commonly eaten out meal of the day, but it costs half as much and is much healthier if you bring it from home. But who has the time and energy to pack something before rushing out the door? What if I told you it only takes 5 minutes, and in another 5 minutes, you could have your breakfast and coffee ready as well? Not sold yet? What if I told you by making these two weekly meals at home, you could save more than $200 per month?
Geez…need more? Fine. It will help you drop as much as 10 pounds in that same month. How about that for saving money, time, and inches off your waistline? Follow these few simple tricks to success, and be well on your way!
- Make your own coffee at home and use a BPA free thermos. The extra time it takes you before you leave the house is the same amount of time you would be spending in line. Plus you will be making breakfast while you wait. That same fancy cup of Joe, WITH all the fixings, costs only 50 CENTS at home!
- Now there are some “healthy” items on the breakfast menu, but they still will probably have more fat, calories, sodium and sugar than my quick breakfast suggestions. Check out my book, The Eat From Home Diet: How to Get a Slim Body and Fat Wallet for the top 5 breakfasts in 5 minutes or less! From eggs, to breakfast parfaits, smoothies and more, there is something for everyone.
- For lunch, invest in a nice little foldable cooler (with a side pocket for vitamins and other additions) and a reusable BPA free beverage bottle. I use these ALL THE TIME! Put a re-freezable ice pack in the cooler, and some sugar free drink packets in the side pocket. Find the top 5 quick packable lunches ideas in my book as well, including easy soups, salads, sandwiches and burritos.
- Find healthier places to eat on the go when you just don’t have time or forget. Jamba Juice is perfect for a breakfast protein shake, or snacks like a fruit smoothie or a granola bar. Subway has excellent low fat sandwich choices, plus baked potato chips or fruit for side options. I also recommend Pei Wei for Chinese takeout, but be careful and make mindful choices as all these places do have fatty menu items too. Look for lean meats, non-fried foods, low-fat options, and low-sugar and low-sodium choices.
- I strongly recommend Eat This, Not That since it gives you a reality check on how much fat is hidden in your favorite picks at chain restaurants (of course, my recipes are much easier to make than the other options offered there).
It sounds difficult at first, but once you find them and know where to go it becomes simple, and the weight starts dropping off.
Here are some other dining out tips:
- For breakfast out, order your eggs with the whites only, and tell your waiter to use cooking spray instead of oil and to go easy on the cheese. Order whole wheat toast as well. Try to find places with healthy alternatives too, like sugar free syrup for the pancakes, or turkey and chicken sausage.
- For lunch out, limit the amount of dressing on salads. I do this by dipping my fork in the dressing and then loading it with salad. If you pour the dressing all over you are doing yourself in big time! If it is not reduced or non fat, you are adding tons of unneeded calories to your diet. Don’t be fooled by vinaigrette either, it has oil in it and is not lo-cal. On sandwiches and burgers use ketchup or mustard instead of mayo, and ask for a side salad instead of fries.
- For dinner try to order lean meats, and when that bread comes out try to eat it without butter. For you butterholics, try lightly buttering every other bite. I have also started asking for a side of marinara to dip my bread in instead. Split dessert, or order a non fat cappuccino to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Of course, you can find more tips and tricks by going to my website, www.quickandfit.com, and purchasing the book from Amazon, Barnes&Noble or Itunes.
Ayla Skye 
Another good idea for coffee, is to drink the office coffee, its free!