Last week was the first week of my SMART goal:
I will eat 1 serving (3oz) of unprocessed meat a day. I usually eat only one serving of meat a day anyway, but it tends to be the processed deli-meat. So this week I did very well. I substituted my deli-meat with fresh chicken, peanut butter and eggs. I found this to be challenging in the fact that I had to take more time to prepare my daily lunch, rather than just whip up a (processed) turkey sandwich. A strategy that I found to be the most useful was to cook my chicken and hard boil my eggs and just keep them in the refrigerator for when I needed them. This really helped me cut back on how much time it took for me to pack my lunch in the morning. I felt that by cutting out processed meat, I actually felt better. I believe that this was because I was significantly cutting my intake of sodium.
This week I learned that it is possible to cut small things out of your life (processed turkey) and have it actually make a difference for your body. I never thought that a week could be enough time for this to happen. I plan on sticking with this goal to see what more creative things that I can use in my daily lunches. Any suggestions are appreciated! =)
Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain
That is great you stuck with your goal. Since I really never eat much meat some great ideas are to stack up on veggies or try Morning-Star Burgers or their Chic Patties. I make some very good sandwiches using tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, sprouts, cucumbers, and whatever other vegetables you like. I know your goal is about unprocessed meats but if you ever get the chance to try some veggie burgers do it because they are amazing. Also, some delis have a great selection of hormone-free deli meat that taste very good.
ReplyDeleteWhat a good goal! I grew up in a house where processed meat was forbidden so as soon as I started to do my own shopping I bought like 1000 lunchables and to my suprise I thought the meat in there was disgusting. Your right though, the sodium in processed meat is a downer on your systme! Glad to hear that you reached your smart goal!
ReplyDeleteGreat job using your resources and modifying your behavior to cut back on prep time in the morning! I too struggle with finding time to even prepare a lunch in the morning, let alone and eco-chic one. I look forward to seeing what other items you incorporate into your lunches.
ReplyDeleteKatie, it's great that you followed your goal the way you wanted to. I didn't fare as well on my goal as I wanted to but there's always next week I guess. Good idea on pre-cooking your foods to cut down on time. It is in fact very surprising isn't it how fast you can feel for the better by just cutting back on certain things such as processed meats and sodium. Your goal seems to be going good, keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute picture! I really like the strategies you used to cut down on the time it took for you to make lunch- I always struggle with the time crunch and then end up buying food at school. I also really like Alicia's tips about the Morning Star Burgers- those are really easy on the go! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteGood work Katie! Your strategies sound like they're effective! If you have time you could check out Whole Food's selection of organic deli meat! :)
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