Easy Lunch Ideas

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We love the playset!

Lunch is the bane of my existence.

I’m a breakfast or brunch kind of gal so actually that makes dinner the bane as well.

Dinner is hard because I have two little kids at my ankles when I’m trying to make something and it usually causes a bit of stress. So, for dinner most nights, we’ll eat leftovers from something bigger I made on the weekend. I like to cook, but it’s hard to find adequate time in this season of life!

So for lunch, I eat when the boys nap at 1:00p because their lunch time involves a lot of me feeding them still. David requires a good bit of coaching and encouragement to eat the healthy stuff, so I give him his meal in stages. And Luke loves to feed himself, but he eats so fast that I can barely keep enough food on his tray. But if I put too much on it he’ll start windshield wiping the entire tray, spraying food everywhere.

Do you see why I wait to eat my own lunch?

I also use naptime to work, so the last thing I want to do is to take time to assemble a salad or something when I could be using that time for something else more important.

I’m ashamed to admit a lot of times I’ll throw handfuls of goldfish crackers in my mouth and down some water as a way to just get me through to dinnertime. But that always backfires because I get hangry at dinnertime and that piles onto the stress of dinner.

SO, ANYWAY, ON TO THE POINT OF THIS POST.

I’m trying to lose weight, so I’m doing a bit of carb limiting along with working out (I sound real gung-ho about it, don’t I? #obliger) but I’m a sandwich lover. What can I say?

So I started this new thing called open-face sandwiching. Have you heard of it? Yes, of course you have. This is not a new concept.

But here is my simple lunch of choice these days, and I added a few other options below!

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1 slice of french bread with a bit of EVOO and kosher salt, broiled until crispy! Top it with pesto chicken, either make it at home or buy it at the store, and that’s all. There is so much flavor in there that I’m happy with it just like that. You could add fresh mozzarella or even sliced roma tomatoes if you want to get fancy. Perhaps even mix a bit of arugula into the pesto chicken too?

On the side I’ll have strawberries or carrots!

The options are endless, as evidenced by these great alternatives below!

These look fresh and light!

If you love tomatoes!

If you can’t get enough caprese salad.

If you love meat!

In my search I came across avocado toast a ton, and I’ve never had it! Have you? What is your favorite way to eat it?

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Mallory says · 04.15.16

I don’t eat bread any more but when I did avocado toast was my jam! Sometimes I’d just sprinkle a bit of sea salt and paprika, other times throw on a tomato, I even slice up a sweet potato in place of the bread and will do the same with that. Maybe for breakfast even topping with an egg, bacon, or avocado…whatever ๐Ÿ™‚

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Emily says · 04.15.16

I have avocado toast every morning. It’s quick and easy and is filling. I just cut half an avocado and smear it on a piece of toast and add a little sea salt. If I am not in a rush I’ll cook an egg and put on top and it’s delicious!

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Amanda says · 04.15.16

Avocado toast is ahhh-maxing! Give it a try. If you like a little spice add a drizzle of Sriracha sauce and it will add some zip while letting the avocado become a little sweet! Crazy good.

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Jessica says · 04.15.16

My quick go to lunch has become avocado “bruschetta.” Sliced avocado, sprinkled with salt and pepper is the base. The I top that with diced up Roma tomato and mozzarella. Then drizzle the entire thing with balsamic vinegar.

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Jo Ann says · 04.15.16

I work full time and find that I just don’t take the time to prepare my lunches ahead of time. Then I make unhealthy choices during the day. I recently tried the salad in a canning jar. You take five (or however many salads you want) canning jars of whatever size you want your salad to be and just layer your ingredients putting the salad dressing in first. Then when you are ready to eat just put on a plate and you are ready to eat! I found loads of suggestions for ingredients on pinterest!

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Joanne says · 04.16.16

I had never heard of this so I looked it up on Pinterest. They look wonderful and I love salad but hate making it so to make it once and have it for a week of meals is great. Thank you.

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Kandi says · 04.15.16

How much pesto would you use in the pesto chicken recipe if you used jarred pesto? It looks delicious!

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Laura says · 04.15.16

Love Avo toast with smoked salmon on it for breaskfast!! But makes a good meal any time of day! I love that pesto chicken, looks so yummy!

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Caroline says · 04.15.16

I have a just turned 2 year old and an almost 15 month old, so I feel your pain! My husband and I both work full time, so our issues our lunches to bring to work, and then of course, the crazy dinner rush.

-We always do “scrounge” night on Tuesdays, so my girls get something basic like meatballs or fish sticks, and veggies, and my husband and I have a frozen pizza after they go to bed. But while they are eating, we’ll make two separate dinners to put back in the fridge for Wed and Thurs (and sometimes Fri for leftovers!). So we really only cook a few nights a week, which helps.

-My go-to, especially for health, will always be smoothies. You can prep smoothie packs to put in the freezer and they are good to go. These work awesome for the kiddos too, as I can load a bunch of fruits and veggies in there (spinach & kale work great), and they gladly suck them down!

-My 2-year old is awesome with utensils, which I 100% attribute to her daycare (definitely not me!). “Peer pressure” can be a huge positive at this age. Since your boys are at home, you could maybe find videos of kids eating on YouTube to have him watch fairly regularly. It is amazing how quickly they pick things up when seeing other kids doing them.

Good luck with the healthy eating! Just remember it is easier to do it 90% of the time and cheat sometimes. If you get mad at yourself for cheating, then you can spiral pretty quickly ๐Ÿ™‚

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Kristi says · 04.15.16

I work from a home office so I understand about lunch options. However my kids are in school so I have the luxury of taking time to eat lunch. But cooking and preparing stuff is always a challenge. I try and make a big salad on the weekends that I can pair up with a protein- I love trader joes turkey burgers. But some days I’m lazy and hit the subway down the street. I also make eggs a lot, fast and easy! I haven’t tried avacado toast yet either, sounds yummy though!

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MereteM. says · 04.15.16

The pesto chicken looks very good. Do you eat any choklate pr chips in The weekend? Im not drinking cola zero any more, because my weight dident Go down. I think The zero did that.

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Maggie says · 04.15.16

Looks delicious!

For lunch i love a apple with peanut butter and granola. It’s super filling! I also eat pistachios for a snack (I prefer raw but the dry roasted is also very good)!

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Maggie says · 04.15.16

*AN apple ๐Ÿ˜‰

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Hollie says · 04.15.16

Hi Kate!

I love this avocado toast recipe from Skinnytaste- http://www.skinnytaste.com/avocado-toast-with-sunny-side-egg/. It’s super easy and reminds me of something I would order at Brunch. Hope you enjoy!

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Lindsay says · 04.15.16

Avocado toast is the jam! I usually mash up avocado with a little lemon pepper and throw it on toast a couple of times a week. You should try it!

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Dominique says · 04.15.16

This looks devine! I normally have lunch at home too. I am terrified of going out with my 3 boys to a restaurant on my own. ( Hubby works all day.) Happy Friday!!

http://www.writingmotherfashionista.com

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Angela says · 04.15.16

I think this is a great idea! Seems like a good way to eat a quick but healthy meal! I’m usually rushing after work to make it to my work out classes and don’t have time to eat much for dinner, so I think I might try this idea as well!

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Mary says · 04.15.16

I eat avocado on ezekial bread every morning. Ezekial bread is so much better for you!! I had a baby a year and a half ago and through my fitness and health journey have truly realized how much food is fuel! The most important thing I do is bake a bunch of sweet potatoes that I can eat throughout the week whenever I’m hungry and need something filling!

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Katie says · 04.15.16

I do these two things too! Bulk cooking on Sundays is essential for me so I always try to cook a bunch of sweet potatoes, make a big batch of quinoa tabouli or chickpea salad, and grill 3 or 4 pounds of pounded, marinated chicken breasts. Having those items ready in the fridge makes packing healthy lunches and preparing quick dinners so much easier.

I also love avocado on toasted ezekiel! It’s best with an egg, but on work mornings I just top it with Tajin seasoning. It’s a shake on seasoning with chili pepper (not spicy), lime and salt. Seriously, if you haven’t tried Tajin, you need to try it. It’s so good!

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Vanessa says · 04.15.16

Another vote for avocado toast w/ ezekiel bread!
I will cook a couple of sweet potatoes in the slow cooker w/ a 1/4 cup water for 8 hours on low and take them to work for lunch for a few days. I also started to roast a pan of broccoli (toss the broccoli with olive oil and a bit of S & P) which lasts a couple of days and tastes so much better than steamed.
I’ve been focusing on eating healthy during the workweek and then I allow myself to eat what I want- in moderation- on the weekends. It has truly made a difference in how I feel both mentally & physically and I am just starting to see some weight changes too.

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Laura says · 04.15.16

I feel like I am the only person on earth who doesn’t really dig avocados. Avocado toast LOOKS yummy but I haven’t tried it yet because unless it is guacamole, I am not really that in to it. Maybe I’ll make one for my husband and sneak a bite.

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Katie says · 04.15.16

Avacado toast has changed breakfast and lunches for me!! My preferred way is a mini croissant warmed in the oven, cut lengthwise, fry an egg over easy. Mash a whole avacado with kosher salt and red pepper flakes. And put it all together. For a lunch version, I mash up two hard boiled eggs, the avacado, kosher salt, red pepper flakes and top that over a slice of crusty bread. I have used Wholly guacamole in place of an avacado when that’s what was left in the fridge.

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Jessica says · 04.15.16

I think my biggest pet peeve is when someone doesn’t use the right form of lose/loose, too/to, your/you’re, etc. etc. etc.

You are trying to LOSE weight. You are not trying to LOOSE weight.

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Jordan says · 04.15.16

Dang, gurl. I think mine is when people have to be snarky when giving feedback. I noticed that, too, but chose to ignore it because manners.

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Jordan says · 04.15.16

And there I go being snarky…There are more positive and polite ways to go around pointing out a mistake. Perfect is boring. Mistakes make life more fun.

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Julie says · 04.15.16

That is rude to say!

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Jordan says · 04.15.16

What I said? If so, you’re right. I was being rude. I couldn’t delete it, so I backtracked and admitted I was being snarky. I definitely didn’t help the situation. (Can’t tell which comment you’re referring to…I ain’t mad at cha. I am definitely guilty of adding to the rudeness.)

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Julie says · 04.15.16

Oops! I was trying to reply to the girl above you that commented on her grammar. This is the first time I have ever replied to something! I didn’t think you were rude.

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Jessica says · 04.15.16

Wow! If y’all think that was snarky or rude then…dang! I wasn’t trying to be rude or snarky. She made a typo and I pointed it out. I notice these things because, like I said, it’s one of my biggest pet peeves. I would honestly like to know how letting her know there is a type in her post is rude?!

Jessica says · 04.15.16

And…I just made a typo! Fantastic. Haha.

Jordan says · 04.15.16

Julie, no worries.

Kate says · 04.15.16

Missed that typo, thank you for pointing it out.

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Jillian says · 04.15.16

I occasionally make avocado toast and I believe I originally got this recipe from your sister’s blog! ๐Ÿ™‚ I lightly toast some bread and then top it with the avocado, a drizzle of olive oil, red pepper flakes, and feta cheese! Yum! Anything is good with feta! ๐Ÿ™‚

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Sam says · 04.15.16

I think you mean *lose weight.

Also, that lunch is totally not healthy. No wonder your kids won’t eat healthy food. I also have 2 kids and have no issue cooking dinner and I actually work full time. Excuses won’t save you here.

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Hollie says · 04.15.16

Does it make you feel better to be so ugly? You should know that we moms have enough pressure on us, no need to tear each other down. Shame on you.

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Kate says · 04.15.16

Sam, great. I’m glad you don’t have an issue cooking dinner. I’m not sure why your comment is laced with so much hostility, but I hope you have a nice weekend.

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Jill says · 04.17.16

I feel sorry for your two children, being exposed to such negativity. Better to practice kindness so that your kids learn to be kind individuals.

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Andrea says · 04.15.16

Dave’s Killer Bread (toasted) + 1/2 avocado smashed + 1 egg white scrambled + drizzle of olive oil and balsamic + salt and pepper = DELICIOUSNESS!

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Jordan says · 04.15.16

I’m right there with you. What is it that makes breakfast so easy and the rest so hard?! My toddler does pretty well with eating the healthy things she is presented, but sometimes the fight isn’t worth it. It’s part of them figuring out who they are.

I’m happy you’re remembering to take care of yourself as well. I can see a noticeable difference between how I treat myself when I’m at school versus when I’m on break.

Good luck! (And I think you look wonderful already. :))

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Jessica says · 04.15.16

I love avocado on toast. It’s my go to snack/breakfast/lunch. I add sea salt and pepper. Done and done.

PS – When I’m feeling wild and crazy, I make egg salad with Trader Joe’s sun dried tomatoes in oil added in. Delicious and easy!

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Anna says · 04.15.16

The pesto chicken looks very good, I may have to give that a try. Also, I no longer eat bread but I used to LOVE avocado toast, but really I would make it as guacamole toast. And I would add a soft boiled egg on top and If I had time, crumble some bacon on top. OH YUM one of my favorite meals!
Also, you mentioned about the gold fish cracker moments, so I have to recommend nuts! Nuts are so good for us and they keep us full and energized, they are really the perfect snack.

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Natalie says · 04.15.16

I love me some open faced sandwiches. I am also a sandwich lover, and while I also mix in some whole wheat tortillas to make wraps a lot, sometimes I just want some legit bread. I do use Ezekiel a lot, and when Hubs and I have been on a diet, the open faced sammie was our jam. I like to make tuna salad with white albacore (low sodium/no salt), mustard, lots of fresh herbs (green onion, cilantro, dill), and garlic salt and pepper all day long. It’s better than the mustard-laden tuna salads, and has sooooo much flavor. Love these quick lunch ideas, and you’re totally not alone on throwing something random down your gullet to avoid another brutal “What do I eat today?” conundrum. I think I ate Red Vines for lunch earlier this week. (Grown up fail.)

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Sydni says · 04.15.16

Definitely going to make this, it looks delicious… the perfect mixture of healthy but appetizing!

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Louise says · 04.15.16

I eat avocado everyday for lunch (i really do!) and i have 3 favorites to share with you:

1. Bread, pesto and avocado slices + sea salt, black pepper and chili flakes (pesto and avo are best friends!)
2. Bread, philadelphia cheese and avocadoslices + sea salt, black pepper and chili flakes (so creamy – yum!)
3. Bread, cottage cheese and avocadoslices + sea salt, black pepper and chili flakes (if i’m feeling a bit more hungry)

I’m from Denmark, so i eat it on rye bread, but choose any kind of bread you want ๐Ÿ™‚

I can’t choose a favorite – try them all!

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Suzanne says · 04.16.16

I’ve got another level for you to try: mashed or sliced avo on the toast, then a layer of cottage cheese, THEN a layer of shredded carrot! It is really filling and all good stuff!

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April says · 04.15.16

You just gave me a great idea for lunches at work! I normally just have peanut butter and crackers, but this looks so much yummier! I’ll have to prep some of that pesto chicken soon to try it out! Thanks!

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Cristin says · 04.15.16

I love rye toast topped with pesto, with thinly sliced English cucumber, sliced avocado, maybe a little feta and kept together with leafy lettuce. YUM, I could eat it every day and never tire of it!

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Susan says · 04.15.16

I eat something on bread everyday. Never giving up bread or pasta.
Love chicken pesto! But I adore smoked salmon, too.

http://a-woman-of-a-certain-age.com/

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Karen says · 04.15.16

You’ve never had avocado toast?! Jump on that bandwagon ASAP! It’s delicious! A little sea salt and pepper. AMAZING!! I eat avocado with EVERYTHING and all by itself.

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Jessica says · 04.15.16

You need to hop on the salad in a mason jar bandwagon. Super easy-on the weekend chop up a bunch of veggies, buy some salad in a bag, and assemble in the jar with veggies on the bottom, salad on top. Then I like to grill a couple of marinated chicken breasts and add them to the salad on the day I eat it. Your lettuce really will stay fresh for up to 7 days in the jar. I also like to add cheese, nuts, or boiled eggs to mine. So easy and healthy too!

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slider says · 04.15.16

carbs are not the enemy!!! why must everyone be so scared of them. Seriously stop cutting carbs and just stick to things that are whole grained. also try to eat healthy nonprocessed foods. I watched a couple documentaries and it completely changed my attitude towards food. Try food inc, fat sick and nearly dead (soooo inspiring) and fork over knives (all on netflix).

just a quick note that pesto is generally loaded with oil which equals FAT. Fat is fine to have in moderation (and stick to healthy fats like avocado!) but people usually get about 3 times what they need in one day. That small pesto open face sandwich can be as much fat as you should be eating all day!!

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Kristi says · 04.15.16

THANK YOU for saying CARBS aren’t the enemy! As long as they are whole grained, they are a great “real” food source, unless you have allergies to them which most people do not.

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janey says · 04.15.16

I know!!! I don’t know why so many people think cutting carbs = lose weight. It seriously baffles me. You need all food groups to maintain a healthy diet. Processed foods is what you dont need!

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Katie says · 04.18.16

Just like you say carbs are not the enemy, neither is fat. Pesto is most often made with extra virgin olive oil – a healthy fat just like avocado – and the amount of pesto on that sandwich looks minimal. I’d guess it’s about a tablespoon and if so, it’s about 5 grams of fat. For comparison, 1/2 an avocado has about 12 grams of fat. So give the girl a break!

There is no one perfect diet that is achievable for everyone. It sounds like Kate is trying to make some small changes to her diet which, while you may not entirely agree with them, may work for her!

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Stefanie says · 04.15.16

This looks delicious!! I absolutely love sandwiches too. They sit well with my stomach more than anything else. Keep trying to make time for a substantial lunch! Eating at regular intervals is so important for maintaing healthy blood sugar levels and metabolism! Getting on a regular schedule with eating and adequate sleep are just as important as working outโ€ฆall of which are so hard to do with two beautiful boys!

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Stefanie says · 04.15.16

P.S. Life is too short to not eat carbsโ€ฆand bacon.

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Robin says · 04.15.16

My favorite lunch these days is avocado egg salad. 1 hard boiled egg, 1/4 avocado and tbs. of light mayo on one slice of rye toast. Delish!

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Mel says · 04.16.16

I want to start eating avocado toast for breakfast!! It’s soooo popular!! I’ve been on an acai bowl kick

Mel | http://www.thegossipdarling.com

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taylor @ greens & chocolate says · 04.16.16

I love, love, love avocado toast with a fried egg and lots of hot sauce! It’s perfect for breakfast or lunch! Or anytime of the day really ๐Ÿ™‚

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Janna says · 04.16.16

I love this recipie when you have leftover chicken to use but want a totally different meal. http://andreadekker.com/creamy-chicken-packets/

You can also do this with pork and a little BBQ sauce.

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Jennifer says · 04.16.16

I feel the same way about lunch! Before recently, I would eat a granola bar and an apple. A friend turned me on to making a week’s worth of chicken wraps (with whole wheat flour tortillas) for our kid’s school lunches on Sunday night…and freezing them! You use greek cream cheese to help the tortillas stay closed. They thaw perfectly and are great by lunchtime. I’ve started eating them myself. I like to put them in the toaster oven and dip them in a dressing. So easy!

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Vanessa says · 04.16.16

Right now I am a SAHM to 3 kids, but I worked full-time and then part-time before, with a long commute. So I know the pain of figuring out what to make and then making it. The biggest saver for us lately has been menu planning. Our problem wasn’t actually making it, but deciding what to have. Once we had the week’s meals planned out, we could build off ingredients (leftover rice one night becomes rice into quesadillas another night) and prep things during the week.

Do you have a good slow cooker or even a pressure cooker? My husband is now in love with our pressure cooker (http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ), and it even has a timer on it so it can be set hours ahead of actual cooking time. This comes in handy when we are away from home in the afternoons and can come home to a ready, home-cooked meal with no stress. I also love the website melskitchencafe.com. She has 5 kids and runs a blog too (granted, hers is a cooking blog) and she has lots of practical recipes. We make a recipe from her site at least once or twice a week. Lots of freezer friendly dishes, easy crockpot/instapot dinners, and practical 30-minute meals too.

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Summer says · 04.16.16

I love avocado toast with black pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and crumbled bacon!

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Catherine says · 04.16.16

I love all of these avocado toast recipes!

Someone else mentioned it, but it bears repeating. Dave’s Killer Bread is delicious and I think that it would taste wonderful topped with avocado!

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Romy says · 04.17.16

Haha I normally forget to eat lunch, and just have a huge dinner ! I basically live off coffee until 8pm ^_^

But when I do have lunch, my favorite lunch ever is homemade oven chips with olive oil and herbs (thyme, basil & parsley), accompanied by a slice of toast with a mashed avocado, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Mmmmm !

Yes I am a vegan, haha.

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Romy says · 04.17.16 Reply
Carrie says · 04.18.16

Hi There! I really liked this post! A little glimpse into your everyday life! I’d love to hear more about what you are doing for exercise and diet… I’m also a mom and am working to lose some extra weight.

Keep up the good work!

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Jackie says · 04.18.16

I love avocado on whole grain toast topped with a fried egg, with some cracked pepper and a little hot sauce! Very filling and satisfying (from someone who is also trying to lose weight and limit carbs)!

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Tina says · 04.18.16

Totally agree with you about lunch- ugh. Always an issue for me too! But this idea is great- simple and prep-ahead!

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Emily says · 04.19.16

Mmm…the apple walnut honey toast from one of the links looks fantastic! I’ve never tried avocado toast or any of these fancy open-faced sandwiches, but I’ve been looking to switch up my lunches lately. These sound like a good thing to try!

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Haley Marozas says · 04.19.16

This post made me laugh about Luke windshield wiping his food. ?

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Sydney @ Bird Bites says · 04.23.16

Omg I love avacado toast! I seriously just put a few slices of ripe avacado on top of some whole grain toast, and spread it around, sorta like butter! The healthy fat from the avacado paired with the fiber from the whole grain bread help me to not be hangry an hour later to!

Hope you love it!

Sydney

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The Sunday Modeb says · 04.23.16

Yes, I love a good open faced sandwich! I have two slices of bread, that way I can something different on each one and I love it. Pesto chicken sounds incredible as well!

http://www.thesundaymode.blogspot.com.au

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Stephanie at ChalkSouthernToMe says · 04.27.16

There is nothing better than a good, flavorful, open-faced sandwich for lunch/brunch! Xo, Stephanie

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