Between prepping for classes, teaching classes, grading papers, keeping up a blog and writing a book, I don't always have time to cook home-cooked meals, so sometimes I do have take out food or go out to eat. I like going out to eat with my husband on the weekends. If I haven't had time to prepare anything, I try not to eat "fast food" that is devoid of any nutrition whatsoever.
I'm on the Paleo diet (no grains or sugar), so my options can be limited, but I've already identified take out food that works for me. One of my favorite places to go when I need a quick bite to eat is Central Market near my house in Seattle. They have the freshest salad bar I've ever seen. The lettuce and veggies look like they've just been plucked from the garden. The best part is they use compostable containers, so everything goes back to the earth.
My habit before, when I was in a hurry, was just to grab anything. The worst place to grab something, I've realized, is the staff table at work. It's so tempting when I'm hungry, but it's full of things that I know are not good for me (i.e. chocolate, candy, chips, coke, etc.). I used to just grab a cookie from the table and not think about it, but now I pause, think about it and turn away. I've been down that road already.
The great thing about healthy take out, is that it doesn't just give me a quick pick-me-up, it gives me nutrition that sustains me throughout my day and does not leaving me feeling hungry or crashed out from sugar.
I start with mixed greens and spinach, then I add veggies like broccoli, tomatoes, etc. and I always make sure I have protein on my salad. There is an excellent turkey salad (turkey, celery, mayo and cranberries) that I like to add for the protein or they also have hard-boiled eggs. There's also a very nice bean salad and a greek salad. I like to throw in a little fruit, like pineapple and put some nuts or seeds on top. I usually skip the salad dressing or I just add oil and vinegar. I top all this off with a Kombucha.
Have you heard of Kombucha? It's a natural, fermented drink with lots of naturally occurring vitamins and probiotics. These delicious drinks are very helpful for those with digestive issues. My favorite Kombucha is Gingerade by Synergy (G.T. Dave's).
So that's my favorite take out food.
Do you ever order take out? Do you like to go out to dinner or lunch? What do you eat when you need a quick meal?
My husband and I eat out a lot because neither one of us cooks much. We've tried to cut down on that, but we haven't had a lot of success! One of our favorite places to go is a Mexican restaurant near our home. The food and atmosphere are great, and they are so good about modifying dishes to make them vegetarian for me. For a quick meal at home, I like Amy's Kitchen Indian meals.
ReplyDeleteI love Mexican food too! Amy's Indian meals are GREAT! Atmosphere in a restaurant is just as important as the food in my opinion!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a yummy lunch, sis! Yes, I do occasionally order takeout but it's rare. It's just too expensive. If I do though, you can bet it's sushi of some sort. Yes, I also occasionally go out to dinner and of course my first choice there would be sushi as well. But sometimes it's not up to me. Like tomorrow night we have a dinner date with my high school friend, Stacie, and her family and we will be eating at the Olympia Oyster House because there were good kid food options there. But on a typical day, for a quick meal, I just eat at home. Right now I'm eating a very quick lunch which consists of reheated carrot/ginger/cashew soup, celery sticks with laughing cows, and half an apple. Probably more nutritious than my average day of just eating the mac and cheese my kids wouldn't finish.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a healthy lunch, sis! Enjoy your time out with Stacie and family!
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