What's for Lunch?

I've been needing a change for my lunches.

So, for the first time in months, I purchased a frozen entree. It's been in my freezer over a week, so I decided to go ahead and eat it for lunch today.  GAG.

When I first began my weight loss attempts, frozen entrees were a staple in my house.  I would buy 10 at a time....perfect for 2 weeks of work lunches.  Smart Ones were my favorite, but there were a couple of  Lean Cuisines I enjoyed as well.   I probably ate them for about a year.  At some point, many months ago, I decided to quit eating them. 

1. I was sick of them.  You eat something daily for a year....you get pretty sick of it.
2. I wanted to eliminate the sodium...most of them have crazy amounts of sodium...and I retain water better than anyone on the planet.
3. I wanted to begin eating fewer processed foods (never mind my daily chip intake....but every bit helps, right?!)

For a while, I traded the frozen entrees for salads.  I would make the salads at night.  I let juices from tomatoes and banana peppers serve as my dressing (I'm not a HUGE salad dressing person anyway).

I also would prep food on Sunday afternoon.  I would cook several chicken breasts and use them for salads during the week.  I would also cook pasta & veggies, add in chicken and have fresh meals for my lunches.

I did all of this for a while.

Then at some point, I traded those things for peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.  EVERY DAY.  Then I decided to share some days with tuna sandwiches.....but again, the sodium in canned tuna is crazy high and I found I was retaining enormous amounts of water.  So I went back to PB&J daily.

Since I'm now working from home, you would think that it would be easy to change up my lunches, but I'm basically still eating sandwiches every day....just almond butter instead of peanut butter!

FYI - LOVE almond butter....and as a bonus, it's got a lot less saturated fat than peanut butter. We all know almonds are a healthier option than peanuts, so it makes sense that almond butter would be better for you.  My 3 year old loves it as well.  Ingredients:  Almonds. Period.  Can't beat that, right?!

I'm thinking about going back to salads. I want to eat "cleaner".  I think I felt better when I ate less processed, although I know I'll never completely eliminate processed foods.  I wish I was that committed!

All of this to say....I'm thankful for the frozen entree.  It served its purpose in my life at one time, and I know it has helped a lot of people lose weight; however, after choking down my lunch today and throwing away the "meat" that was in it,  I realized why I quit eating them and have committed to saying good-bye to them again.  :)

If anyone has any great lunch ideas, feel free to share! 

If you eat salads, what protein do you use?  Do you cook it once for the entire week for ease?