I always bring my lunches to work. I’m frugal. I can make a lunch for less money than if I bought it anywhere. I am also careful with what I eat. When I pack my own meals, I know what I am getting. Even if it is a purchased food, ready-to-eat, I can read the labels to know what I am eating.
I am primarily a clinical instructor in our nursing program. When I am at the clinical site, I generally never have a long time to sit and eat. I might get five uninterrupted minutes. I need a good meal that can be eaten relatively quickly and still be a healthy meal.
Today’s meal is a good example:
It is certainly nothing gourmet. I bought all this at my favorite grocery store (Aldi). A can of sardines in water, a non-fat Greek yogurt and a Gala apple. Nothing needs to be refrigerated (yogurt can sit out for the 8+ hours without harm.) It is a high protein meal (33g), moderate fat (7g total, 2 g sat fat, with 1200mg omega-3 fatty acids). Only a total of 355 calories with only 250 mg sodium. And the entire meal cost $2.20.
And most importantly, it tastes great!
I’m all about being frugal and saving money. Okay, maybe it’s just me … but I don’t think this is a lunch I could eat – the apple, yes, but the rest? Sardines … ew. And yogurt, I like, but really, I wouldn’t eat it if not refrigerated (How is that safe?) How about a list of pack-your-own lunch options under (pick a $ limit) for others who might not enjoy sardines! 🙂
That’s close to a meal that I like to eat, although I like to add 1TB of EFA to the yogurt (Udo’s 3-6-9).
Aldi must have good prices — I’m not close to $2.20 even without the expensive oil.
Andy.