GREEN EATS: Brown bag it baby!

Wanna know how to shed some pounds (or at least maintain), save money and time while at work? Go green and take a bag lunch. I can remember the times when I wasn't "brown bagging it" for lunch. During those times I spent $25-$30 per week on lunch and I probably wasn't eating as healthy as I should. First you buy the sandwich, or soup and a roll, then you want something sweet so now you're buying a muffin or a cookie or a candy bar (adding on fat and calories you don't need) and before you know it, your money is spent!

Preparing your lunch at home, either the night before or the morning of, saves calories and materials. Just think: when you make your own lunch you control the ingredients you are putting into your mouth. You can reuse sandwich bags, containers, and tin foil to wrap your food in. My favorite brown bag lunches to make include: veggies with pasta and an apple, hummus with pita bread and a bannana, Amy's organic meals with a piece of fruit, salad greens with avocado and a piece of fruit, and tuna/veggie sandwich with eggless/dairy free mayonnaise or mustard. I also like to add snacks such as almonds, raisins, baby carrots, rice cakes, organic fig bars, organic crackers and an assortment of fruits like pears, tangerines and mango. When I take my lunch and put thought into it, I know I'm on track with my health and saving money. Make your lunch colorful and fun! Add your favorite healthy snacks, jazz up your sandwiches and soups with seasonings and fresh produce, take some herb tea in a thermos, bring your water or juice in a reusable bottle.

Taking a brown bag lunch saves money and time. When lunch time comes you can take your full 30 minutes or 1 hour, instead of rushing to the deli or fast food joint, only to realize your time to eat has been cut short! Maybe you can actually get some reading done from your favorite book or magazine while you eat! You'll find over a period of time that you are saving more money, which will free you to invest in other things. We've heard about how people who start making their own coffee at home instead of going to the neighborhood cafe each morning, save tons of money per week and per month.

Go ahead and take your beautiful brown bag lunch, you just may inspire someone else to eat green as well.

Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier