A Groove Your Wallet and Body Will Love!

SPOTTED:  Organic foods, lower calorie entrées, and healthy alternatives all seem to have steeper prices.  Busy students, professionals, moms and other women rushing to pick up takeout or find a short fast-food line.  Why does it seem so difficult to eat healthy, while also being frugal?  You'll need to read on, because I'll never tell!

                  XoXo,

                  Groove Girl

Lunches That Will Slim You and Your Wallet! 

What is worse than getting the mail to find this months credit card statement? Seeing in black and white how much you spent eating out for lunch!  Especially with the holidays coming up we are going to really need to make our wallets stretch. An easy way to treat your wallet to a well-deserved vacay is cutting out the take-out.  Meal planning can feel a little overwhelming, but don't worry I'm sharing some great tips on how to save your wallet (AND your figure) for the holidays with easy and healthy lunches!

I seriously don't understand why it seems so hard and expensive to be healthy...especially opting for healthy alternatives at your favorite restaurant.  The best way to get more bang for your buck is stocking up on frozen meals. You can make a variety of dishes out of the same ingredients (buying in bulk can cut costs and keep your freezer stocked all month!) with little to no effort.  You can make a healthy pot of yummy soup (frozen into a weeks worth of portions) for the cost of a slice of pizza! The best thing about veggie packed soup is that it tricks your body into being more full because it's hot and full of fiber (did you know you'll eat less of your meal if you enjoy a cup of soup first).  Just be sure when making frozen soups to remember these tricks.  Wild rice freezes better than white, stay away from cream based soups, and keep your veggies undercooked so they're just right when you reheat!  Also, bean based soups are best and if you are adding cheese, do so after reheating.

Another healthy alternative for lunch is the mason jar salad!  These are genius, I promise. Have you ever tried to bring a salad for lunch and by the time you go to eat it, it is just a soggy mess!? As long as you layer your ingredients the right way, you'll have a crispy and tastes salad every time!  Another reason why I love the mason jar salad is I can keep my meals under 400 cals while staying around $5 per serving!

So, you've got your mason jars (Michaels craft store has tons of sizes) and you’re probably wondering what is this magical combo?  Dressing, hard vegetables, protein, grain, soft vegetables, greens.  Here are some of my favorite delicious combos that will slim down your figure and credit card bill.

There you have it.  Don't drop another pair of heels worth of cash on takeout any more!  Have you had any great jar salads, or other great healthy lunches?  Let us know below :) Be happy and live healthy, Groove Girls!