Sunday, 30 May 2010

• What I Ate When I Was A Busy Neurotic Student

  I had someone ask me a quick question about Lean Cuisine. I practically lived off Lean Cuisine in my final year of university. Although, this isn't *ideal*, I believe that Lean Cuisine is an alternative for the busy student on the go.

  

  Most frozen entrees are small, not filling, and are full of refined carbohydrates (i.e. white pasta, white grains). However, some Lean Cuisine products contain whole grains and tons of vegetables. You just have to choose wisely! Read the ingredient labels to identify which products have whole grains. I have found that most of the "Spa Lean Cuisine" line is packed with whole grains and healthy vegetables.

  Pair off your frozen entree with a glass of low-fat milk, a serving of yogurt, or a piece of fruit to complete the meal and make it more balanced. Lean Cuisine is not meant for every day, every meal, but moderation is definitely key. It's great for controlling calorie-intake, but still has high sodium levels like most processed foods do.

  Here are some other easy foods that I made when I was a busy neurotic student on the go:

  Peanut butter & sliced bananas on whole wheat toast
  

  I was totally addicted to PB and bananas on toast! It's not hard to make at all. My ex-boyfriend used to make fun of me and call this my "specialty". But these are foods that are easy to have around in the house. I freeze my bread before it expires. I often ate two slices of bread, one banana, and approx 2 Tbsp of peanut butter as a lazy meal. It also hits 3 of the 4 food groups in Canada's Food Guide.

  Udon noodle stir-fry
  

  Udon noodles are a great substitute for instant noodles/ramen. While a brick package of instant noodles has about 11g of saturated fat (that number is off the top of my head, correct me if I'm wrong), udon noodles have very little to no fat at all. To cut sodium, I like to not use the soup-base and just boil, drain, then stir-fry the noodles instead. I'm still a soy-sauce & hoisin sauce junkie though, so I'm definitely not perfect.

  Various protein bars and energy bars
  

  If you have a sweet tooth for chocolate bars and cookies, it's easy to make a healthier substitution with a protein or energy bar. At least you get tons of protein in there that will help keep you full! I like Clif bars and Larabars in particular because they are natural, wholesome, organic ingredients. Clif bars can be found in any grocery store, but you probably need to go to a special health food store before you can find Larabars.

  Eggs Eggs Eggs!
  

  Eggs can be your best friend when you're on a budget. They're cheap and last a long time in the fridge. (Yea, I get so pissed too when my food goes rotten!) I love a fried egg on top of rice or scrambled eggs in a vegetable stir-fry. Boil an egg, mash it up with a Tbsp of mayo and you have egg salad sandwich. Fried egg sandwich? Mmmmm....

  I wrote a post on eggs and cholesterol here:
  http://theHealthRabbit.xanga.com/717920947/breaking-the-myth-eggs--cholesterol/

  Got any tips or favorites for easy meals/foods for the busy student? Let me know! I'm still a busy girl. And still kinda neurotic.

  Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/Elizabbit

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