What’s for lunch?

I’ve read time and time again that the key to eating healthy is preparation. Cooking meals ahead of time and planning your lunches can help you meet your weight-loss goals.

But, I am a busy woman! It is difficult for me to prepare a week’s meals ahead of time. I do well to remember to get something together the night before.

Today, I ate a yummy salad at Panera. It was the Thai Chopped Chicken Salad, a spicy mix of chicken, cilantro, crispy wonton strips, Thai peanut sauce, cashew pieces,  edamame and red peppers.

At 470 calories and 19 grams of fat, it is probably a little more than I need to eat at lunchtime, but it was such a generous portion that I probably only ate half of it. (The most fattening parts, I’m sure.)

In a pinch, Panera has a few good options for a quick, healthy lunch. But it is tough to stare at all those baked goods and not be tempted. Sugary sweets are my weakness.

Lunchtime can be tricky for me. I need to stop and take the time to eat, but so often I am tempted to keep working through my hunger, which leaves me famished at dinnertime and more likely to make bad choices. So I have found a few go-to lunch items for a busy lifestyle.

Here they are:

* The Jimmy Johns Unwich. Yes, a sandwich without the bread. Order without mayo, and there are some really good options. I like the Big John, 90 calories and 3 grams of fat.(Leave the mayo on and it is 283 calories and 23 grams of fat. Remember, you can always say easy on the mayo.) The Billy Club with no mayo is a little heartier. It has ham, roast beef, provolone cheese and dijon mustard, and clocks in at 258 calories and 13 grams of fat. Couple it with a cup of yogurt or baby carrots (or both) and have a nice lunch. And, they deliver, so I can keep on working until the moment I start eating.

* Zaxby’s The Blue salad. Here’s the tricky part. You have to order it without Texas toast and the french-fried onions. I also eat it without dressing. The bleu cheese crumbles add enough flavor (and fat) for me. With these alterations, the salad is 345 calories and 14 grams of fat.

* A small chili at Wendy’s is only 210 calories. Add 8 saltine crackers and you’re at 311 calories.

* Kids meals also are good ways to cut down on calories. But, I am not talking Happy Meals. A kid-size naked burrito a Qdoba is about 350 calories. At Qdoba, you can see what they’re putting on, so ask for less rice, cheese and sour cream, and more salsa.

So, those are a few of my go-to items. But I really need some more ideas. Where do you turn for a healthy lunch on those hectic days? Getting bored with what I eat can be a diet buster for me.

Oh, and just to check in. Today’s weight: 201.5.

Progress.