For those of you who go to work one of the hardest challenges is to eat a healthy lunch and not eat out every day. If you can overcome this challenge it will be one of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight and stay lean. What you need to establish is a routine that will become easier over time and you will no longer have to say, " It was a hassle to make lunch so I'll eat out today".
Keep in mind even if you order a salad at a restaurant by the time they pile on the croutons, the crispy fried noodles and pour on the salad dressing it will no longer resemble a salad that's actually healthy and more often than not it will have more calories than a burger!
So, make your salad base (your fitness pyramid) THE NIGHT BEFORE. Mornings are hectic and you really may not have time to dedicate to this task. Although it will only take a few minutes. Pile on the spinach or other leafy green veggies, tomatoes, cucumber slices, some cottage cheese. Yes, go ahead add some slices of fruit, and then add your protein (chicken, tuna, tofu, etc.). You may even want to keep a separate container for your meat so it doesn't get your salad soggy. If you have access to a fridge at work then you can always keep certain staples there such as a couple of cans of tuna, some vinegar or lemon juice and a container of nuts.
I realize I have said this before but the number of ingredients in your salad is limited by your imagination (OK I am only talking about produce here and not chips!!). When you are at the produce section in the grocery store, experiment with veggies you are not familiar with and see if you like the addition to your salad. Yesterday I bought some kumquats at our local HEB. They are absolutely delightful. They look like little oranges but you don't peel them just pop them in your mouth. This is the first time I have seen them this year. I know fruits can be expensive but if you don't buy the coke and the candy you will save some money for the occasional kumquats and figs. The website http://www.plantguide.org/ is a wonderful place to learn more about flowers, fruits, nuts and more.
The Kumquat is native in China and extensively cultivated in Japan, California and Florida. It's like a little orange but much smaller. The rind is sweet and the juicy center is sour/salty. Kumquats are sometimes used in marmalades but why cook them when the raw fruit is so delicious.
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