Work Week Lunch Box - Rosemary Chicken Beet Salad

Chicken
Marinate chicken in a bag with:
1 large chicken breast
2 sprigs chopped rosemary
1/8 c evoo
1/2 squeezed lemon juice

Cook in George Foreman and cube

Salad: 

Toss:
1 box organic baby spring mixed greens
1 box organic baby kale
1 box fresh mint (chopped)
1 box fresh basil (chopped)
1/2 bag organic shredded carrots
1/2 bag organic shredded broccoli slaw
sugar snap peas
1 large beet - shredded (and squeezed dry)
1 bunch radishes (sliced)

Toppings: 
1/2 box strawberries (sliced)
sun flower seeds
pumpkin seeds
dressing of choice (I like Litehouse Blue Cheese or *in this pic* Bragg Organic Braggberry dressing *Fred Myer's health food section*)

I store the salad, chicken, strawberries, and toppings in different 'glass' containers for longest freshness in the fridge and it lasts from Monday to Friday! :) 

This is one of my favorite salads! I love getting in my beets without having to taste the overly "earthiness" of them. Shredding them in a salad is perfect!!! 

Work Week Lunch Box: Awesome Chicken Salad

Awesome Chicken Salad

This came from the Clean Eating Magazine Facebook Page!

EASY

GREAT TO PACK FOR WORK FOR THE WEEK

HEALTHY

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts

Olive oil

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chile powder

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup nonfat, plain Greek yogurt

5 Tbsp. low fat buttermilk

1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp hot sauce

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 head red leaf lettuce, chopped

1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup peeled and shredded carrots

2 oz blue cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

Preheat broiler to high. Brush 1 tsp. olive oil on a baking sheet. Place chicken on baking sheet and sprinkle on both sides with paprika, chile powder, and salt. Broil 6 to 8 inches from heat until center of chicken is no longer pink, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before cutting into bite size pieces.

In a food processor puree onion, yogurt, buttermilk and 1 Tbsp hot sauce. Taste and add remaining hot sauce if you'd like it spicier. Divide romaine and red leaf lettuces among 4 plates and top with bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots and chicken, dividing each evenly. Serve yogurt mixture on the side or drizzle evenly over each plate. Sprinkle with blue cheese and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories: 258, Fat: 6 g., Carbs: 13 g., Sugars: 6 g., Protein: 35 g.

This is how I pack it up for my work week. Keeping the ingredients separate will keep it fresh for the week. You can toss a salad together each morning on the go, or (as I do) take it to work to toss together each day at lunch.

Work Week Lunch Box Turkey Style!!

Open Faced Turkey Swiss, and Cranberry Feast!












What you need!

• 1 slice Dave's Bread, "Good Seed"
• 2 oz. Deli sliced smoked turkey
• 1- deli sliced Swiss cheese ( great without if you need less calories in this meal!)
  
• sliced Roma tomatoes
• sliced purple onion
• sprouts
• red leaf lettuce
  
• brown spicy mustard
• horse radish
• 1/8 c - organic whole cranberry sauce

Assemble as you would a sandwich, (only do not top with 2nd peice of bread) top with cranberry sauce! Grab a small knife and a fork and dig in!!

SOOO Holiday GOOD!!

Calories =398
Protein = 23

I prep all ingredients and package up on Sunday to take to work on Monday and make a fresh sandwich each day for lunch. If you do not have a work fridg, you can prep for the week and throw it together in the mornings before work!

NOTE: I use organic cranberry sauce because all others are made with High Fructose Corn Syrup. If you want to go healthier and have the time you could make your own...=]

Bon Appetit!

WORK WEEK LUNCH BOX !!

CHICKEN SALAD SALAD!







Chicken Salad:

** 2 - 10 oz. cans chicken breast
** Light mayo ( sparing if your a mayo junkie like me)
** Brown spicy mustard (to taste)
** Chopped red peppers
** Chopped purple onion
** Chopped jarred (tamed) jalapenos
** Chopped raw pecans
** Sea salt/ pepper to taste
** 2 tbs. wasabi sauce (optional)

Salad:
** Organic's mixed greens
** Red and yellow pepper strips
** Chopped tomatos
** Avocado (chopped fresh when piecing salad together *)
** Pecans
** Craisins
** Eating Right blue cheese yogurt dressing (I only use this if my chicken salad portion was not enough for the salad - Usually the chicken salad dresses the salad nicely on it's own)

Throw salad together and add a generous (ice cream scooper) Scoop of Chicken Salad on top!
YUM!
*Avocado keeps best after opened when stored in ziplock with all the air sucked out!

THE LOADED BOWL from the Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients

3 c quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 can balck beans, rinsed and drained

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1 c fresh chopped cilantro

2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and chopped

fresh lemon juice, to prevent avocado from browning

salt and pepper

juice of 4 limes

zest of 1 lime
Sauteed shrimp (optional)

DRESSING:

1/4c EVOO

1/4 c white vinegar

2-3 cloves minced garlic

salt and pepper

Directions *

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Cover and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add beans tomatoes, and cilantro. Toss to combine.

3. Dice avocado, drizzle with lemon juice, and set aside in fridge.

4. Add all dressing ingredients to a food processor or mini chopper. Pulse until garlic is blended and dressing appears creamy. Set aside in fridge.

5. Fluff quinoa with a fork and add bean mixture. Season with salt and pepper and add lime juice and zest. Toss to combine.

This salad keeps well, covered, in the fridge for 3-4 days. For best results, add avocado just before serving.*However when prepping for work, I keep the dressing, shrimp, and avocado in separate bowls and assemble daily for added freshness!

Love Clean Eating Magazine for inspiration!! Packed with Great ideas!

WORK WEEK LUNCH BOX !!

CHICKEN SALAD ON RYE

I stock my work frig every Monday with everything I'll need to throw together my lunch each day. Like many of you I have little or no time in the morning to pack a lunch. The night before doesn't work for me either because of my night job. I find this method to be the most efficient. If you don't have a work frig, or are a student, this same method works for a quick morning throw together as you head out the door.

This particular meal is great for those times (ladies) when we are craving extra carbs, but don't want to eat the things we crave. The dark rye is very healthy and helps to satisfy the extra hunger we sometimes feel during certain times of the month. I Also find this to be more hardy when I am in need of something more filling than a salad.
Here is what I pack Sunday night to take to work Monday morning:


** Chicken Salad ( recipe below)
** Oroweat Dark Rye ( I put it in a ziplock since the rye bread is cellophane)
** Romain lettuce
** Sliced tomatoes
** Sliced onion
** Sprouts
** Avocado

Chicken Salad
** 2 - 10 oz. cans chicken breast
** Light mayo ( sparing if your a mayo junkie like me)
** Brown spicy mustard (to taste)
** Chopped red peppers
** Chopped purple onion
** Chopped jarred (tamed) jalapenos
** Chopped raw pecans
** Sea salt/ pepper to taste
** 2 tbs. wasabi sauce (optional)

People are particular about their chicken salad which is why I didn't add amounts for most of the ingredients. I like mine full of texture and favor, so I add a lot of vegies and pecans. I also love the taste of wasabi so it goes in my salad! I don't feel the heat of it but I get a hint of the taste.

HAVE A GREAT WORK WEEK!!

WORK WEEK LUNCH BOX !! HEALTHY AND YUMMY!

Organic Whole Wheat Pasta with All Natural Pumpkin Pasta Sauce and a Chicken Pear Salad



This is a new fall inspired lunch! I just put this together tonight and can't wait to try it and let you know how it tastes! Here is what I packed for the week:

• Cooked Organic wheat pasta



• World Market all natural pumpkin pasta sauce



• Eating Right oven roasted chicken (salmon would be really tasty too)



• red and yellow pepper strips
  


• chopped pear and honey crisp apple w/ lemon juice



• rosemary
  


• roasted soy nuts (unsalted)



• Litehouse pear Gorgonzola vinaigrette

I will add to the blog and let you know how it turned out!
TURNED OUT GREAT! YUMMMMMMM.....

Who has Time to Pack Healthy Lunches Anyway??

I am such a girl of convenience! Before getting healthy, I was the queen of fast food, take out, and processed frozen and boxed foods. Anything that made life easier! Even now I love finding the easiest, quickest way to get the job done. While I no longer eat fast food, and I loathe processed foods like, mac-n-cheese, chicken patties, fish sticks, frozen diet meals, and so on, I love finding short cuts, to eating clean! I do still eat some processed foods like breads pastas, yogurts, and cereals, but I rely on ingredient labels to tell me what is healthy and what is not.


Like most, I'm a very busy girl! I have a full time day job, a part time night job that requires a lot of time and planning off the clock , a family, house, laundry, yard work, friends, bills, and.... well you get the point. In this day and age, I am no busier than anyone else reading this blog. Like most of you, I would not be successful in my clean eating habits if I had to chop vegies and make a fresh salad, or wrap every morning before work. Back in the day (when I was trying to lose weight) I relied on Lean Cuisines for a quick lunch. While is was calorie controlled, it certainly didn't fuel me with the nutrients I needed to get through my day! Not to mention, I was always hungry an hour later! So how did I do it?

Prep!! Prep!! Prep!!

I'm still a girl of convenience! Every weekend I decide on one (yes one) lunch for the week. I don't mind having the same thing each day for 1 week if it means quick, easy, and healthy! Some of the lunches I choose from each week include:

~ Wheat Pasta w/ sauce and a chicken Caesar

~ Santa Fe Quinoa salad (aka Clean Eating's "The Loaded Bowl")

~ The Chicken Salad, Salad

~ Salmon Salad

~Turkey and vegie Wrap

~ Tuna and vegie on Rye

~ soft taco on wheat

~ Santa Fe Chicken salad

~ Spinach and shrimp salad

~Spinach, salmon, and fruit salad

Once I pick my lunch, I shop for the week. Sunday night I prep all of my ingredients. Because I know a mixed salad or pasta with sauce won't hold all week long, I keep it all separate. For example, If I'm having wheat pasta w/ sauce and a chicken Caesar, Sunday night I will prep it all separate to take take to work. It looks like this:

• 1 Jar of pasta sauce
• 1 gladware full of cooked wheat pasta (add a little olive oil for no stick)
  
• 1 gladware w/ cooked, chopped chicken breast (or canned chicken breast if crunched for time)
• 1 zip lock bag of mixed chopped vegies (broccoli, red peppers, purple onions, cherry tomatoes, ex.)
• 1 ziplock bag full of mixed baby greens or romaine
• 1 bottle Newman's Own light Caesar

Monday morning I bring it all to work and put it in my work fridge ( you can put it together in a lunchbox each AM if you don't have access to a fridge). Each day at lunch, I have an easy lunch to put together in just 3 minutes!

I'm fueled, satisfied, and never feel left out when others go for a fast food run!
Stay tuned for more lunch ideas! I'll blog my "Lunch of the Week" each week for great lunchbox ideas for your work week, to keep you on track and less temped to eat on fly!