My PB + J

getting lunchtime back on track with #frozenfavorites #CBias

It’s no secret that I got to my goal weight last year, I think I have shouted it from every rooftop but it’s something I am more than proud of. When I began my weight loss journey I started it with the 17-day diet, once I got to the third and fourth cycles I found myself struggling to find lunch options that would help me stick within the guidelines. I turned back to an old friend that previously helped me lose twenty-five pounds when I was finishing school. Life gets busy and honestly having two children there are many days where I just snack on whatever their eating so turning back to Lean Cuisine for an easy and relatively healthy meal has helped me get back on track. 

The thing with Lean Cuisine is that I can always find a frozen entree for a replacement restaurant quality meal with half the calories and fat, plus it’s a lot friendlier on my budget. I used to never stray away from the baked chicken, potatoes with broccoli and pasta favorites. Until recently when I found that Sam’s Club offers a six-pack of Asian inspired and a four-pack of Italian favorites entrees. The chicken teriyaki stir fry is one of my favorites so seeing the special New Year pricing of $9.98 for six entrees and $6.98 for four entrees was more than appealing to get my lunchtime routine back on track.

Being that we’re a few weeks into the New Year that means that my hubby is back to full-fledged traveling again. I decided to stock-up while at Sam’s Club (you can see my entire shopping trip here) for those days where it’s near impossible to cook three meals. I also picked up fresh fruit for snacking, some breakfast staples and some Skinny Cow’s because the value was too good to pass up!

We’re half way through the month and we’re already on our first business trip of ’13. It was so easy for me last night to whip up a staple side salad, spinach and golden raisin (recipe below), which is one of my favorite salads from my previous job. I served it alongside the ginger garlic stir fry for me and the kids had the spaghetti and meatballs, it was the perfect complete meal! I was so happy with my entree, especially when the entire meal was ready in under fifteen minutes. The colorful array of veggies had my palate ready to dig in, the rice was perfectly cooked and the sauce, well, lets just say I am still dreaming of the ginger garlic sauce. 

The spaghetti and meatballs was a crowd pleaser for the kids. Brayden gobbled up two meatballs and noodles within minutes and Payton exclaimed a “yippee!” when she heard she was having her favorite for dinner. I have never seen her clean a plate as fast as she did last night and honestly it’s nice that a frozen entree was enjoyed by both children. 

The kids also had some of the veggies from my meal, they were also gone within seconds. As we finished our Sunday dinner I felt like I was putting them to bed with full bellies of a well-balanced meal. Feeding the kids and I while daddy is away on business is usually stressful for me, lunchtime also gets crazy. So turning back to Lean Cuisine just helped makes things a lot simpler! 
Being that I was a restaurant general manager recreating restaurant meals is one of my favorite things to do. My spinach and golden raisin salad is my spin-off of a sun dried tomato, spinach and goat cheese salad. Make the salad to fit any portion. 
Ingredients:
spinach
red onion, thinly sliced
dry roasted pepitas 
feta cheese 
golden raisins
sun dried tomato vinaigrette (homemade or store-bought) 
The kids and I capped off our tasty meal with these indulgent babies. Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches are my go-to for any sweet tooth craving. If you haven’t tried Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches you truly are missing the best ice cream sandwich that’s on the market. I love the cookie, I almost prefer the cookie more but since the ice cream is there I might as well enjoy it. My momma always taught me not to be wasteful. But seriously, they are by far my favorite. The ice cream is creamy, the flavors are spot on and the cookie is never soggy. Such a great ending to a peaceful and relaxing weekend. 
Are you on a diet? Lean Cuisine and Skinny Cow kindly list point values on their packaging to help you stay within your guidelines. 

Stay connected with the brands and new products.

Lean Cuisine
Skinny Cow
Sam’s Club
Do you have a go-to lunch when schedules are just too crazy? 

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Nestle Lean Cuisine  and Skinny Cow #cbias #SocialFabric

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