save some dollars, brown bag it!

Alright, so I don't have a background in finance or anything but as an avid bargain shopper I do know how to stretch a dollar and save some green.  If money is tight, which for most of us it is-- one of the biggest money saving tips I can give is to stop eating out so much.  You've heard the statistics, Americans eat out a LOT, but lets put a stop to it!  Dust off your pots and pans and get back in the kitchen!  If you are getting lunch out 5 days a week, not only are you likely spending a good $30-$40 unnecessary dollars, but you might not be making the best choices for your health.  Restaurant eats are astronomically high in sodium and often heavy in fat, calories, and sugar too.  Packing your own lunch puts you in control of what you choose to eat so brown bagging-- even just a couple days a week will do wonders for your wallet and your waistline! 


I'm a stickler for routines, so each night before work I like to prep my lunch bag.  Oh also, I'm using the term 'brown bag' figuratively, save a tree and buy a reusable bag... with the Green revolution, lunch bags have gotten pretty trendy and purchasing one will save you money in the long run.  So back to prepping... if I am really productive, I'll make a large portion of a left-over friendly meal and ration it into individual tupperware containers for the week.  Sometimes, I'll just bag up some snacks (baby carrots, grapes, nuts, crackers, etc)  into my lunch bag to save a little time in the morning.  Tonight I made a batch of chicken salad for sandwiches for the week.   It's a very simple recipe too.  Any sandwich filler that ends in salad (tuna, egg, ham, chicken, shrimp) is guaranteed to be saturated in full fat mayo if bought out, so this is an especially smart DIY lunch meal.  

Chicken Salad (makes enough for ~3 sandwiches)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. chicken breast
a handful of red seedless grapes, cut in half
1-2 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
a pinch of celery seed
1 1/2 tbsp light mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
optional ingredients: craisins, chopped celery, onion, slivered almonds, walnuts (be creative!)
bread of choice

First, start by boiling a medium sized pot of water.  Add the chicken breast and boil until cooked through.  When that's done, chop the chicken, I like mine chunky... I want to be able to see that it's chicken! 

Put the chicken in a bowl.  Next add the grapes and peppers.

 Next add the mayonnaise.  You don't want a mayo sandwich, just enough for things to stick together.  2 tbsp should be plenty. Mix it up and add the celery seed, salt, and pepper.  If you want to throw anything else in, now's your chance!

Now you're ready to make a sandwich.  Try to choose a whole grain whenever possible, and remember-- just say NO to wonder bread!  Look for a bread with 2 grams of fiber or more.  Wraps are fun too.  And when you're making your sandwich, load it up with more veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, avocado etc.  

 Happy brown bagging to you!