Midweek Snack // Stupid Easy Lunch

Stupid easy. My favorite.

Short cuts? They make the world go round.

Convenience? My heart.

You get it. And I think you agree, yes?

For me, the number one situation where bad food choices are made are weekdays spent in the office. That is when I'm the most distracted by food and feel a bit obsessed (candy bowls everywhere, the communal kitchen, vending machines, the convenience of nearby fast food, someone brings in donuts to be nice, et cetera). This is one time that abstaining would be the best bet for me. If I could banish all of those things so they aren't even around, that would be great. But I can't scream at my colleague for bringing in treats.

The best way for me to combat all of these temptations is to make sure that I feel satisfied, with my breakfast before I head into work (I actually sip my Kayshake as I'm driving in to allow that fullness to last as long into my morning as possible), the food that I bring with me to work, and any preemptive strategies I have in place to keep things under control. And then, ultimately if I decide I want a piece of candy or half a donut, it's not the end of the freakin world.

So, about that food that I bring with me to work... this takes planning ahead and time and energy to prepare. Along with all the other meals that get consumed at home as well. I do like to cook, but I don't like to be a slave to food prep for hours and hours on the weekend. So, I'm forever looking for ways to simplify meals that I can easily pre-pack and have ready to grab and go (a la picture above).

I have two basic requirements of my food: high protein, high fiber. Other things I try for, but aren't as important are low carb, trans-fat free, dairy free, organic, non gmo. I found a product at Costco that is ALL of these things in one. I'm not a huge fan of soy products in general, but as this is both organic and non-gmo I feel very comfortable eating it in mass quantities. And I shall.

In terms of a pasta substitute, this product ROCKS. It's not watery like spaghetti squash can get reheated in the microwave (and beats squash hands down in the protein and fiber departments) and has a decent texture to it. It's slightly chewier than pasta made out of flour, but the taste is extremely neutral. When paired with a hearty, properly spiced meat sauce, it's hands down one of my favorite to-go meals. Check out these nutrition facts!

So here is your recipe for the week. Prep and cook time (together): 15 minutes!!!!

Ingredients:

+16 oz edamame pasta (1/2 of this package)

+4 cups of pasta sauce of your choice (I use Newman's Own Sockarooni pasta sauce because it's chunky)

+2lbs ground meat (any mixture will do, lean beef, turkey, pork, chicken, chicken sausage - I usually do a combo)

+Optional: throw in some chopped veggies like bell peppers, broccoli florets, onion, or asparagus to up the ante on the fiber content

Directions:

+Boil pasta for 5 minutes ONLY. Strain and run cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking.

+Combine and cook all meat, breaking up into little bits. Once fully cooked, add pasta sauce, stir. Add in any vegetables that you want at this time and allow to cook for 5 additional minutes, until vegetables soften.

+Divide into containers for storage. One serving is approximately 1.5 cups of pasta plus 1 cup of meat sauce. Makes 8 servings total.

#Nourish #Meals