Planning ahead! Lunch in a Jar

Are you wondering why I would pack my lunch in a glass Mason Jar?  There are actually two reasons. One has to do with planning ahead  and convenience and  the other has to do with my weight loss plan !

Glass mason jars keep the food really fresh, and since I choose to plan ahead and pack 5 lunches on Sunday night, I really need each lunch to stay fresh for the week. The  jars don't take up much room in the refrigerator, and  I love being able to see all the layered ingredients at a glance. No matter how busy I get each day, my lunch is planned, it's healthy,  and ITS READY whenever I am.

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 The second reason that I pack my lunch in a jar is because I measure out everything that goes into the jar, and then I count up the Weight Watchers points. I aim for a total count of 5 Points Plus for each jar ( maybe 6 tops) . This helps me to plan what and how much I am going to eat in advance. So when I get  busy, hungry, stressed, or tired, I still get to eat a perfectly healthy weight conscious lunch.

 

I take the jar with me wherever I go, so I can stick to my weight loss plan.! If you are not on Weight Watchers or trying to lose weight, you may be having difficulty following my logic. But for the weight conscious and health conscious,  this method really makes sense.

How many times do you find yourself grabbing the first thing that is available when you are hungry and tired. It might be crackers, a cookie, some chips, etc. That used to be me. I never feel like washing and making salad at 12:30.. Now I grab my lunch jar and eat healthy preprepared meal.

 Here's my logic:( I make 5 jars in advance-what a time saver)  

• I eat what's in my jar and only what's in my jar. ( therefore I don't overeat)
• The flavors mingle as they sit in the jar because I usually add a flavored vinegarette and it tastes delicious.
• I plan in advance when I'm not tired, hungry, and stressed; I always have a healthy meal ready for me
• You could do this for an after work snack
• You could do this for a quick dinner
• You could have a jar ready for your kids on a busy stressed night
• It makes me plan in advance..I make sure that I have the healthy food I choose to eat.
•  Everything stays fresh, so I can make them in advance
• This saves me time! 
• I wash all my greens and salad ingredients only once in the beginning of the week and distribute to the jars.
•  It's easy to do ... 
• The jars are appealing to look at
• I make a variety of salads using chick peas, black beans, or  veggie burgers, quinoa, brown rice, cooked sweet potato, raw veggies or cooked veggies, jicama, fresh uncooked corn off the cob, etc. etc. I like to do one layer of each rather than mix them into a regular salad.

Here's my vegan salad in a jar lunch for today

1. layer of dark green romaine, ripped into bite size
2. layer of sliced cooked beets 
3. layer of quinoa ( 1/4 cup) ( 2 points plus) 
4. layer of veggie burger, cut up ( could use cooked beans) ( 2 points plus) 
5. layer of cucumbers
6. layer of red cabbage
7. Cherry tomatoes
8. layer of shredded carrots 
9. orange champagne vinegar on top ( from Trader Joe's) ( 1 Point Plus.) 

Will be shared on some of the following blog carnivals: Blog Carnivals

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