5 Easy Healthy Packed Lunches

When packing a lunch, I always make sure to focus on two things: fruits/veggies and protein. Adding produce is great because it helps you meet your 5 a day, and it also helps bulk up your meal to keep you feeling fuller longer. For me, any meal that doesn't have any protein won't keep me full for long. I try to aim for at least 10 grams in my lunch, which isn't typically that hard to accomplish. These are really the only "rules" I have for making my lunch, other than that I like to get creative with all of the leftover floating around the house. Here are some of my favorites that I have made this semester. 

Lunch 1: Tasty Bites Channa Masala + Steamed Broccoli + Orange

This has to be one of my favorite lunches I have packed all semester. It was so easy to prep, all I had to do was put broccoli in a container. Once it was lunch time, I just warmed up the broccoli and microwaved the Channa Masala according to the package directions. The whole package of the Channa Masala should be used in order to provide enough calories and protein to keep you full and happy until your next meal. 

Lunch 2: Salad w/ Chicken + Apple + Orange

This is probably the most basic lunch but I remember it being one of those days where I knew I was going to eat dinner early and there was nothing in the house, so it was either a salad or buying food. I just added a lot of chicken to the top for my protein source, and then we did happen to have some good fruit around, so that become my side. It would have been ideal to add some grains or even something like pretzels to balance out the meal a little more, but if nothing else, I was able to fill myself up for the time needed. 

Lunch 3: Tuna Creations Pouch + Quac Packet + Tomato + Broccoli + Cauliflower + Sourkraut 

I absolutely love making lunches out of a bunch of random things and having taste amazing. Somehow all of these ingredients came together perfectly. I found a microwave on campus to warm up the broccoli and cauliflower, and just added the rest on top. This meal did involve bringing a couple different containers to campus, but it was really only two, just keeping what needed to be warmed up separated from what didn't along with the tuna pouch and quac packet. 

Lunch 4: Mason Jar Grain Bowl (Minute Rice/Quinoa + Cucumber + Brussels + Chicken + Tomato + Dressing) 

Mason jar salads are an easy way to pack a lunch, especially since it can fit in your water bottle pocket on a backpack. I just threw a bunch of things that were in the leftover fridge into my jar and called it a day. I really love when I can make a salad with a mix of roasted (the brussel sprouts) and fresh veggies because it creates a nice texture variation. Between the quinoa and chicken, this salad kept me full and focused throughout the school day. 

Lunch 5: Fish People Soup Pouch + Apple + Quac Packet w/ Cucumbers 

Microwave meal pouches are such a great invention, and these Fish People Soup pouches have to be some of my favorites. These pouches make for an easy meal to throw together, along with any sides of your choice. I knew the soup would give me my protein and fats that help keep me full, so I added the apple and cucumber to help me get my fruits and veggies in for the day. 

What kinds of lunches do you pack?

xoxo,

Maddie 

Tuesday's Eats: Last Day of Mom's Cooking

I am writing this back at school, but am sharing one of the last days of eating being at home. This means good food, a large variety and lots of fruits and veggies. This had been a good spring break full of cooking and spending time with family, but sadly it also involved a lot of homework. I had been planning on writing enough blog posts to guarantee I could post twice a week for the rest of the school year, but that definitely didn't happen. I am still making it a goal to post as often as possible, but with how my schedule is looking, twice a week can't happen. On that note, here is what I ate for my last day of spring break: 

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs + Cherry Almond Scone + Sausage + Fruit 

On the way home from the farmers market (indoors), I stopped by the local gluten free bakery for a treat to go along with breakfast. They make the best scones, and I can never pass up the cherry almond one. You can tell I couldn't pass up a nibble on the car ride home. I also was making sure to get all of my favorites in throughout the day. This includes all of the fruit in the house and the local sausage we always have. This was a great breakfast to start a full day of eats. 

Lunch: Kale Salad w/ Roasted Carrots, Avocado, Tomato, Cucumber, Black Beans and Hemp Seeds

Is it really me, if there isn't an abnormally large amount of kale consumed? My mom and I made this kale salad together pretty much by throwing together all of the veggies we could think of. The roasted, not raw, carrots was my idea and I loved how the texture variation turned out. Big salads like these make for the perfect lunch and it is even nicer when I don't have to pay over $10 like I would have school for one. 

Dinner: Salmon w/ Avocado, Pomegranate Seeds and Cilantro + Roasted Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts 

Fish is always my first choice for dinner, and since it was my last night at home, I got to chose. This was a new method of preparing salmon and it was so good. Of course, we also had to throw roasted brussel sprouts in the menu because I have to fit in all of my favorite foods into one day. (the only thing that was missing was cauliflower)

Dessert: Creme Brûlée (not pictured) 

I completely forgot to take a picture of dessert this night, but my mom made vanilla creme brûlée for everyone and it was amazing. I couldn't eat it everyday, but it is such a fancy treat to end the week.

now back to less exciting meals

xoxo, 

Maddie 

Tuesday's Eats: Back Home

Finally back at home for spring break, and it is nice to relax for once. Part of de-stressing for me is being able to cook and make my favorite foods. I always come home with a massive list of food to make. By the time I am writing this Monday night, I have already made three fun lunches, cookies, brownies and a dinner one night. This day of eats come from Sunday, which means I spent the kitchen with my mom. Here is what we were up to:

Breakfast: Buckwheat Protein Pancake (recipe) w/ Raspberries and Maple Syrup

I have shared this pancake on instagram before, but this single serving protein buckwheat pancake is my new favorite breakfast. It is so thick and fluffy, and also absorbs a ton of liquids (ie maple syrup) that makes for the most amazing breakfast. I made this first over winter break, and then made it for my mom as well. Now, every time she makes it, she sends me a pictures just because I love it that much!

Lunch: Crispy Brussel Sprout, Kale and Mushroom Tacos (recipe)

Lunches are my time to go crazy in the kitchen. On weekends, I make something with my mom and on weekdays, I make two serving of something and then my mom has the leftovers the next day. We made these tacos together and they were amazing. I wasn't sure about the refried bean aspect at first, but I was pleasantly surprised. We ended up having leftovers of the veggie part, so my mom was able to take those to work.

Snack: Cashews (not pictured)

Dinner: Salsbury Steak w/ Roasted Potatos and Kale Salad

Being home for my mom's dinners is always appreciated because they are so much better and diverse than what I get at school. Each meal always has a good balance of veggies, protein and carbs. This night was really simple, but it definitely hit the spot.

Dessert: Coffee Ice Cream w/ Chocolate Syrup and an Anzac Cookie (recipe)

One of my favorite parts about being home right now is that I get dessert every night. I have been loving Anzac cookies (oats and coconut) with coffee ice cream, my all time favorite flavor. Having a sweet treat to end the night is always such a great way to end the day.

Can't wait for this full week to be full of yummy food! 

xoxo,

Maddie 

Tuesday's Eats #9 (on a Wednesday)

Well this is a little late, but that is what happens when you have three midterms in a week and a visitor the weekend before. My sister was visiting to look for college, so the past weekend was full of good eats as I showed her all of my favorite places around Madison. This days eats are from Friday, so dinner was out with her. Here is what I ate:

Breakfast: Fage Greek Yogurt w/ Apple and Strawberries and Spinach Banana Muffin 

There was not a lot of food left in the house for breakfast by Friday, so I can up with this random yogurt bowl. In the winter I depend on a lot of frozen berries in my breakfast. In yogurt, it allows swirls of flavor to sweeten plain yogurt. Yogurt bowls have been my go-to in the past week because they keep me full, and I won't lie, I have a big container I need to finish before spring break. 

Lunch: Crawfish Chowder + Simple Salad + Sweet Potato Fries

Lunch this day really hit the spot. Normally I don't like sweet potato, but for some reason these fries tasted so good today. Since I saw the chowder on the menu, I had been looking forward to it. I love a good soup, and it was fun to try a chowder with a new fish. Finally, I always try to have some sort of fruit or veggie with each meal, so I added a small side salad. (for some reason, I don't count fries as a real veggies). This was a good meal to help me stay happy until dinner. 

(not pictured) Pre-Dinner Treat: Parsnip Quinoa Breakfast Cake 

My sister was visiting last weekend (this was Friday's food) and my mom was sweet enough to send her with gluten free treats for me. This time she sent this Parsnip Quinoa Breakfast Cake. She used this recipe ( here) but substituted parsnips for the carrots. My Aunt first made me this cake when I originally had to go gluten free so it has a special place in my heart. 

Dinner: Chef Tory's B-Bap from Sujeo  with tofu 

My sister really loves food inspired by other countries, so I wasn't suprised when she chose an American-koren fusion restaurant. I had never been here before, but I have been to other restaurants by the same group so I knew it wouldn't disappoint. This dinner was totally different than I normally eat but it was pretty good. As always, having food modified gluten free can mean taking away some tasty parts, but it still made for a fun and unique dinner. 

How was your week?

xoxo,

Maddie 

Tuesday's Eats #8

 This was a really hectic week as I had a ton of homework, and I went away for a leadership conference with my sorority. I had a hard time making sure everything got accomplished, but in the end everything worked out okay. I am hoping this week is calmer, but at the moment that is looking to be a negative. In weeks like these, I always make sure to try to fuel myself with good food, as a good meal never fails to put me in a good mood and help me through the day. 

Breakfast: Greek Yogurt w/ strawberries, banana, natural peanut butter and Cheerios. 

For this breakfast I had some strawberries set aside and I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to eat them. I have also been eating a lot of oatmeal so I wanted to change it up. I knew this day was going to be a long day so I decided on yogurt as it had enough protein to get me to lunch. 

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Lunch: Chicken Tortilla Soup + Carrots + Avocado Toast

The House Chef made the chicken tortilla soup for lunch, and in order to bulk up the meal I made a small slice of avocado toast with a guacamole packet, and then used the remaining guacamole to dip carrots. This was a decent lunch, especially on another cold winter day. 

Diner: Plain Chicken + Asparagus + Dirty Rice + Buffalo Cauliflower

This dinner was actually jerk chicken, but I saw a note laid out saying that it was extra spicy so I went for a plain chicken breast. The rice and asparagus were pretty basic but good, and I added on the  buffalo cauliflower to add more veggies. This buffalo cauliflower found its way into almost every one of my meals this week as a easy way to increase vegetable intake. 

Until Next week, 

Maddie 

Tuesday's Eats #7

Just a quick little write up because its way past when I want to go to bed, and I am so tired. You can tell we are getting to the harder parts of the semester because my desire for sweets and candy has increased so much. Since its all about balance, I never begrudge myself a sweet treat because I know it will help me not eat so much I get sick in a single sitting. Here is what I ate, including one of my favorite desserts.

Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ carrots, banana, apple

I found a bunch of grated carrots in our leftover fridge the other day, and decided it would be fun to make carrot oatmeal. This oatmeal was so yummy and full of fruits and veggies that it made for a great way to start my day.

Lunch: Broccoli w/ Channa Masala + Orange

I loved this lunch, it was just broccoli, an orange and a Tasty Bites Channa Masala packet. I loved that I could just heat the packet in the microwave, toss it on broccoli and call it a meal. Be on the look  out for a post on easy lunches to pack for on the go.

Dinner: Salad w/ blacken chicken, tomatoes, roasted cauliflower, and black bean/corn salsa

I missed dinner this night so threw together a lot of ingredients from the leftover fridge to make this salad. Somehow it turned out really well, even though it is a lot of random ingredients. The roasted cauliflower was a surprisingly great addition.

Dessert: Dark Chocolate Crisp Perfect Bar

And for my dessert, I have been loving having chocolate perfect bars. They fulfill my sweet tooth, but also will help keep me full until the morning. After eating dinner around 5:30 everyday, I am always hungry again by 9 which makes these bars the perfect solution to being hungry and wanting having my sweet tooth kick in.

Until next week,

Maddie

Recent Reads: Winter 2019

      I haven't been able to read a lot recently because of the craziness of school, but over winter break I read an absolute ton. I really enjoy spending my afternoons sitting down with a cup of tea and a good book. I really have no idea how many books I read between winter break and the bits and pieces of free time I had around finals, but these books were my favorites. Of all of these books, The Nightingale and The Alice Network were my favorites. I have always loved World War Two based books, starting from when I was little reading American Girl Doll books.

       I have copied the summary of all of the books below. As you can tell, this books cover a wide variety of topic from local eating to fluffy quick reads. I really enjoyed the variety over break because I never felt bored with what I was reading. 

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

"In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption."

The Nightingale By Kirsten Hannah 

"France, 1939 - In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn't believe that the Nazis will invade France … but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne's home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

     Vianne's sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can … completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others." 

Burnt Toast Makes You Sign Good by Kathleen Flinn

"A family history peppered with recipes, Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good offers a humorous and flavorful tale spanning three generations as Kathleen Flinn returns to the mix of food and memoir readers loved in her New York Times bestseller, The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry. Brimming with tasty anecdotes about Uncle Clarence’s divine cornflake-crusted fried chicken, Grandpa Charles’s spicy San Antonio chili, and Grandma Inez’s birthday-only cinnamon rolls, Flinn—think Ruth Reichl topped with a dollop of Julia Child—shows how meals can be memories, and how cooking can be communication. Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good will inspire readers (and book clubs) to reminisce about their own childhoods—and spend time in their kitchens making new memories of their own." 

The Little Way of Ruthie Leming by Rod Dreher

" The Little Way of Ruthie Leming follows Rod Dreher, a Philadelphia journalist, back to his hometown of St. Francisville, Louisiana (pop. 1,700) in the wake of his younger sister Ruthie's death. When she was diagnosed at age 40 with a virulent form of cancer in 2010, Dreher was moved by the way the community he had left behind rallied around his dying sister, a schoolteacher. He was also struck by the grace and courage with which his sister dealt with the disease that eventually took her life. In Louisiana for Ruthie's funeral in the fall of 2011, Dreher began to wonder whether the ordinary life Ruthie led in their country town was in fact a path of hidden grandeur, even spiritual greatness, concealed within the modest life of a mother and teacher. In order to explore this revelation, Dreher and his wife decided to leave Philadelphia, move home to help with family responsibilities and have their three children grow up amidst the rituals that had defined his family for five generations - Mardi Gras, L.S.U. football games, and deer hunting. "

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty 
"Imagine your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not only the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. And then imagine that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive…
      Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. But that letter is about to change everything—and not just for her. There are other women who barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they, too, are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret"


Currently Reading: A State of Wonder by Anne Patchett'
I am currently reading a State of Wonder and have mixed feelings about it. At times, it is really entertaining but for the most part it is repetitive. So far, I've read about how Marina goes to the Amazon to discover more about the death of a co-worker and to find out what a secretive scientist is up to. I am going to finish the book, but so far I wouldn't recommend it. For me, this book is more to help me fall asleep by letting my eyes relax from all the screen time than an exciting read.

Have any book recommendations? Send them my way! 

xoxo,

Maddie