If you're an avid reader of WeThree you may have noticed that I haven't written anything on here in, well, weeks. About two years ago, I started a new, more intense, more stressful job-I-never-thought-I'd-have at my office and to be honest, ever since then I have struggled with the dreaded work-life balance conundrum. In February, I switched to a new department (same role) and that, coupled with a tough transition from the old role, moving to a new home, a death in the family, getting sick a few times, the nagging feeling that I'd gained weight, my own (too perfectionist, at times anxiety-ridden) personality and my near constant presence behind the screen of a computer, made me realize that I needed to cut out a responsibility or two for awhile. This blog, that I love so much and that used to be my favorite past-time, was one of the things that got chopped.
It's May now (obviously), and I am feeling better. Not everything has changed; I still struggle daily with my job and whether it's right for me (more about that in another post, maybe -- I always feel trepidation at putting anything work-related on a social media platform) and I may never master the work-life balance thing while working in a corporate role. But my anxiety levels are better (I think the warmer weather is helping), we've settled into the house, I've lost close to ten pounds, and overall I think I just feel less stressed. I'm hopeful that this is something that I can maintain, and I feel excited to start re-visiting this space. I'll be honest, it may not be a weekly or even bi-weekly thing for me, because I want it to be a creative outlet and not an extra responsibility. But I love writing and sharing this space with my sisters, and so it is important to me to prioritize it.
So -- today I have a recipe to share! I mentioned above that I've lost some weight, and the truth is that it is all thanks to The 21 Day Fix program + Shakeology.* I haven't followed the eating plan that they provide to a T because, let's face it, my weekends typically involve a dinner out and a few alcoholic beverages. That said, I've used it as a guideline to creating meals and have cut out a lot of cheese (I was eating WAY too much) and a lot of added sugar. This lunch salad is one of my favorite things to eat because it is delicious and really filling. See below for the details.
What you need (for 5 days of lunch)**:
-one batch of homemade peanut sauce (see the recipe I use here)
-one bag of three (3) romaine hearts
-one bag of dried edamame noodles (see the variety I buy here)
-one bag of shredded carrots
-one bag of radishes
-one package of baby English cucumbers
-one bunch of scallions
-one container of hard boiled eggs (pickled or not pickled)
On Sunday afternoon, I make the peanut sauce, cook the noodles, chop up all the vegetables, and store everything in air-tight containers. Then, each night while I'm cooking dinner, I assemble the salad. It sounds like a lot of work, but I promise it's not. I eat this around 12PM after having my shake for breakfast, and it keeps me remarkably full, even with a work-out, until dinner. I'd like to say it's because of all the protein in the noodles, but I actually have no idea whether that's true or not.
*I am not going to try to sell you anything, but if you're looking to start a program -- this one is good and it works. The workouts are tough, but they show you how to modify everything. Shakeology is expensive, but the chocolate in particular is so good, and I look forward to it every morning.
**The edamame noodles, carrots and radishes will probably last you two weeks. I only cook half of the bag of noodles for one week.
I'm dreaming up ways to create a quinoa + ranch version of this, so if you're interested -- stay tuned. Thanks for reading this week & have a great weekend!
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