New Year’s Mini-Solutions

Posted on 30. Dec, 2011 by Lauren in Blog

Happy New Year!  We at Green Truck hope your holidays were filled with laughter, happiness, and wonderful meals—ours surely were!  But the very things that make December so marvelous—colder weather, shorter days, decadent meals and unlimited drinks—often leave us longing for the fresh start so perfectly offered by the New Year.  But New Year’s resolutions are made year after year; oftentimes, to no avail.  So, I thought I’d share with you five simple things I’ve incorporated into my everyday life that certainly make me happier and healthier.  No gym membership or food scale required.

(By the way, I’m Lauren.  I manage accounts here at Green Truck.  I’m the girl who helps you craft a perfect menu for your very picky-sister-in-law’s baby shower.)

1. Make a vegetable soup on Sunday afternoon. Store in one- or two-person servings so you can easily heat up the right amount as an accompaniment to any weeknight dinner.  I like to sauté carrots, celery, onions, a little bit of local fingerling potatoes, and maybe a bell pepper if the season allows.  Season with fresh and dried herbs—thyme, rosemary, paprika, crushed red pepper, garlic, basil, whatever you’d like. Once veggies are softened (but not mushy) and onions are translucent, add vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water; a cup or so of white beans, and a few cups of diced tomatoes.  Add squash, peas, green beans, spinach, or other leafy greens about 10 minutes prior to serving.  Feel free to clean out your refrigerator.  (I ate this soup every day for the 2 months before my wedding.  I added extra white beans or a couple ounces roasted chicken for protein.)
2. Treat yourself, one treat at a time. At Green Truck, we’re pretty keen on loving and listening and cherishing our minds, bodies, and souls.  And that means making room for little indulgences.  So pick out something special: an imported brie or a bar of fair-trade dark chocolate loaded with sea salt and roasted almonds.  Choose anything you’d like, but choose only one thing.  And enjoy it.
3. Eat at your desk. That probably caught you by surprise.  It seems every study in the world tells us to eat only when totally focused on our food.  Focusing on our meals helps us remember eating, which makes us less inclined to overeat or snack later.  But honestly, most of us, Monday to Friday, eat at our desks—if we find time to have a lunch at all.  Let’s be reasonable here: pack a nice lunch for yourself, and eat at your desk.  Then, when you’re done, walk your lunch break.  Listen to music or call your mom.  Walk to the deli and grab a coffee.  Ask your coworkers to join you.  Get moving—it is the sweetest way to breakup your day and it provides you with a dose of Vitamin D.  Afternoon walks also help alleviate that “I-just-ate-lunch-and-I’m-full-and-I-don’t-want-to-be-here-anymore” feeling that many of us know too well.  (Oh, and for those of you who have an hour lunch, you don’t even have to eat at your desk.  Eat outside, then walk.)
4. Pack a lunch that works for you. Something you want to eat that will keep you full and help you get through the afternoon.  The point is to plan ahead, to pick something that keeps you full, and won’t weigh you down.  Be realistic.  Make your lunch something simple enough that it can be assembled easily, night after night.  And don’t try to under-feed yourself.  Pack snacks if you have a long day ahead or know you’ll be hungry by 3:30pm. I, like a child, eat the same thing for lunch for months at time, and swear by the following four quick meals:
   1. Peanut Butter and Jelly on Wheat (brainless…)
   2. Hummus, Chicken, Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes wrapped up in Whole Wheat Flatbread (make ahead, wrap holds up overnight perfectly in foil or parchment)
   3. Veggie Soup with Chicken or White Beans (heat up at work)
   4. Plain Yogurt, Whole Grain Cereal, and Fresh Berries or Bananas or Whatever (bring ingredients, assemble on site)

      

      

      
      

      

      

      
      
      
5. Drink plenty of water. You’ve heard it a thousand times, but if you’re not doing it, you’re missing out.  Fill up two 1-liter reusable water bottles and bring them to work.  Make it your job to finish the first one and make a dent in the second.  Add lemon if you hate water.

Happy New Year!  Everyone at Green Truck looks forward to spending time with you in 2012.