Sponsored Post: Candice Kumai’s Lunch and Snack Tips

Posted on November 1, 2011 at 6:50 AM

The following is a post from our sponsor, Glad.

Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks to stay smart, healthy, and budget savvy, and enjoy delicious foods on-the-go.

Take charge of shopping: I always shop smart with a list, I purchase sale items in bulk, and I read my local ads to see what’s on sale. I never shop when I’m hungry or what I call super “emo”-- emotional or moody. When shopping, I plan meals that will result with leftovers for easy next day lunches, and I buy ingredients that can serve dual purposes. For example, bake an extra chicken breast at dinner and bring a delicious yet easy chicken quesadilla to work the next day. Another example is Greek yogurt, which is not only a great snack, but can also be a dip for fruit/veggies or be a substitute for sour cream on your quesadilla.

Get creative with leftovers: Let’s face it, bringing straight up leftovers for lunch the next day can get boring quickly. To avoid eating the same meal twice, I like to get creative with my leftover ingredients to make a completely new lunchtime meal or snack. A few of my favorites include:

Chicken Salad made with rotisserie chicken from the night before, with roasted red peppers, leftover grilled corn, and black beans with a creamy BBQ ranch dressing in the GTG cup
Roasted Veggie Bruschetta made from leftover roasted veggies, with a balsamic dressing in the GTG cup
Revamp mashed potatoes into a Potato & Herb Gnocchi with pesto or marinara in the GTG cup
Herb Roasted Potatoes with a side of honey mustard sauce to dip in the GTG cup
Fish Tacos made from any grilled fish the night before with limes and fresh salsa verde, homemade radish pickles, or a side of black beans in the GTG cup

Pack it up in advance: Pack up your favorite salad in a Glad To Go container the night before work and de-stress over making anything in the morning. To keep salad fresh, first add wilt-resistant vegetables (such as red peppers, carrots, and cucumbers) and top with greens. Cover the salad with a damp paper towel and refrigerate. Once it’s time for lunch, simply add your healthy salad dressing from the Glad To Go cup and enjoy.

Snack smart at work: At the top of the work week, slice up fresh veggies so you have a healthy snack that’s ready to grab and go. Fill your Glad To Go container the night before with the veggies and hummus in the cup, and you have a healthy snack that’s ready to go.

Snack on nature’s powerbars: I keep nature’s “powerbars” on hand: apples, bananas, pears, peaches, oranges, plums, grapes. Just wash, cut them up, and keep them fresh in Glad To Go containers with peanut butter or yogurt for dipping in the cup. Fresh fruits are Mother Nature’s perfect, balanced, and unprocessed snacks.

Take it to go: If you love the outdoors, pack up a picnic lunch to enjoy in the park or on a weekend hike. Glad To Go containers are the perfect and sturdy way to pack your eats to go! Perfect for travel too, so next time you have a long plane ride, pack up some yogurt with granola in the Glad To Go cup instead of picking up fast food at the airport.

Transform sandwiches into salads: Sick of bringing the same sandwich to work day after day? Transform that sandwich into a healthy salad by ditching the bread and putting the other ingredients on top of a bed of mixed greens in a Glad To Go container. Whip up an easy dressing with equal parts of balsamic vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard and you’ve got a fat free and flavorful dressing to put in the detachable cup. Voila, you have an easy
lunch on the go!

Create a mom’s to kid’s meal: If you’re a mom, you’ve likely run into the problem of making two separate lunches during the morning rush -- one for your child and one for you. You can save time and money on groceries by preparing a lunch meal that can work for both you and your kids! One easy way is to roast up a chicken on a Sunday night, slice the meat, and store it in a GladWare container so that you can easily pull a few pieces for the next day’s lunch. For your kids, put together a quick chicken and cheese pita sandwich with mild salsa dipping sauce in the Glad To Go cup. And for mom, put a bed of mixed greens, sliced tomato, avocado, and roasted chicken into a Glad To Go container with a little salsa for dressing in the cup for an easy and healthy lunch that’s easy to make as you’re putting together your kid’s lunch box. You can pack up a snack container with baby carrots and
hummus of low fat ranch for both you and your kids as well, as it’s a healthy snack that both kids and adults love!

Swap it out: I keep my pantry and fridge stocked by having staples on hand like tofu, frozen chicken breasts, and veggies that will help keep you healthy and happy. Try some of my favorite swaps to easily save on calories and make everyday meals healthier:

Swap 0% Greek yogurt in place of sour cream to save on fat and calories, but not flavor
Use chicken stock in place of heavy oil/butter when sautéing vegetables
Swap evaporated milk for heavy cream and save some major calories
Use stevia (natural sweetener) in place of artificial sweeteners, keep it natural
Cook with applesauce or mashed bananas when baking to cut calories
Try using sundried tomatoes and fresh herbs to flavor your next pasta dish -- skip the cream and cheese

For recipes and tips visit: http://www/facebook.com/glad

After viewers fell in love with her on Season One of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” Candice Kumai became the co-host of Lifetime’s hit series "Cook Yourself Thin" and helped create the show’s New York Times #1 best-selling companion cookbook.

She has been featured on “Dr. Oz,” “the TODAY Show,” “The Nate Berkus Show,” and CBS' “The Early Show.” Candice was a former chef contributor on Cooking Channel’s “Unique Eats,” cooking maven on TLC’s “Home Made Simple,” and host of Lifetime’s “Cook Yourself Thin.” She is also a regular contributor for healthy lifestyle publications such as Fitness Magazine, Women's Health Magazine, Men's Health Magazine, Clean Eating Magazine, and Prevention. Candice’s first solo cookbook Pretty Delicious was released earlier this year and met with rave reviews.

This coming fall, Candice can be seen as a guest judge on the highly-acclaimed Food Network series “Iron Chef America.”

You could win a chance for a $200 Walmart gift card and a Glad Food Storage prize pack!

Simply answer this question:

What tips do you have for eating and snacking on the go?

Here are the rules for this giveaway here on The Stir ...

Only your first comment counts as an entry, so just enter to win once.

One (1) CafeMom who replies to this post with a comment by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on November 30, 2011, will be chosen at random to receive a $200 Walmart gift card and a Glad Food Storage Prize Pack (approximate value $30.00*).

*No Purchase Necessary. Starts November 1, 2011 at 9 a.m. (EST) and ends November 30, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. (EST). Open to US residents 16 years and older who are CafeMom members. Void where prohibited. Click here for the rest of the Official Rules.

Filed Under: chefs & cookbooks, food, lunch, snacks

Comments (430)

julietw

on Nov 1, 2011 at 9:45 AM

bring snacks that are easy to eat and not hard to clean if there is a mess.

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1pinktink

on Nov 1, 2011 at 10:24 AM

I like to put cereal(s) into the Glad containers while on the go or traveling with the kids-cereal won't be in "crumb form" by snack time PLUS if someone decides they want milk on their cereal all it takes is a quick stop at a gas station or going through a fast food drive thru for a carton of milk and there you have the perfect travel bowl for cereal w/milk-not flimsy and you can put the cover on when they are done to prevent any messes or smells...(or do I dare say it-some could even just throw it away...)

Ginger0104

on Nov 1, 2011 at 10:33 AM

Making food cute makes leftovers fun. Cookie cutters can make fun sandwiches. Keeping shelf-stable food in the car in Ziploc bags eliminates the need for unhealthy fast food.

vanessa5470

on Nov 1, 2011 at 10:58 AM

Prepare snacks in advance and store them in your bags (diaper bag, purse, etc) for you andddd your kiddies.

Totallysmitten

on Nov 1, 2011 at 11:23 AM

We do a lot of hiking away from civilization. For my 10 month old, I carry dry cereal, crackers, etc. in Zip Lock baggies. I also take jar food. When my baby is finished eating, we put the spoon in a baggie to keep everything else in the backpack clean until we get home to wash it.

butterflymkm

on Nov 1, 2011 at 1:05 PM

I buy meat in bulk-such as hamburger, steaks, chicken breasts, ect. Because it is much cheaper that way. But I only have a family of three so we don't need big portions. I just take the raw meat and make individual packages using zip bags. So portion off a 5 pound package of hamburger into one pound chunks (approx or use food scale) and shove them in zip freezer bags then I push all the air out, zip the bags closed, and flatten the meat as much as possible. I use the quart size and it's perfect! These packages stack in the freezer so nicely and take up much less space! With
steaks and chicken or pork chops I portion out three or four (for our small family the quart size works best for this too) and freeze and stack. It takes a little extra time on grocery day but you save a ton of money and freezer space. Try it!

liz.1986

on Nov 1, 2011 at 1:54 PM

I try to keep healthy snacks on hand.... granola bars, crackers, fruit and veggies, etc. We choose something quick that we can grab out of the pantry or fridge. I'll put them in my purse or a backpack if one of my kids will be carrying one. Also, we try to keep a lot of bottled water on hand.

These are some great tips! I'll be using them when I pack my husband's lunch from now on. :)

Nintendomommy

on Nov 1, 2011 at 5:58 PM

I pack things in advance, and try to reinvent meals so they don't get boring. We use bento boxes, it's ready ty use up little bits and pieces, and still keep them fresh and looking delectable! :)