List of Healthy No-Cook Lunches

I take my lunch to work on most days for two reasons:

1. It’s cheaper

2. It’s healthier

Whether it’s leftovers from dinner or a sandwich or salad — sometimes I’m bored with whatever I’ve brought for lunch. So in an effort to spice up my options and be less stressed I reached out to nutritionist Patricia Bannan, author of “Eat Right When Time is Tight” for some inspiration.

21 Healthy and Delicious No-Cook Lunches

By

Patricia Bannan, MS, RD

No time to cook? Whether you’re brown bagging it, busy at home or dining out, try one of these healthy lunch ideas from my new book “Eat Right When Time is Tight: 150 Slim-Down Strategies and No-Cook Food Fixes.” Nutritious and delicious, they all have 400 calories or less and provide protein and fiber for sustained energy.

BROWN BAG IT

Here are seven lunch options to brown bag and carry with you:

Tuna hummus dip. Mix together 1/2 cup of canned, drained water-packed albacore tuna with 2 tablespoons of hummus and a splash of lemon juice; eat with slices of celery or cucumber or a few baked pita chips.

Italian bean salad. Toss 1 can of drained white beans with 1 teaspoon each of balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil and add fresh herbs (e.g, parsley, basil and/or oregano) to taste. Read more

Checklist for Parenting

Our trip to Miami was fabulous. We slept in, went to the beach, swam in the ocean, read, ate great food and just relaxed. Until we got on our Continental flight from Miami to Newark…

I don’t know anything about being a parent. I’m not one yet. But I know how NOT to be a parent and I learned that valuable lesson on Flight 44 — thanks to a family of four that sat in front of us.

The parents were traveling with their two and four-year-old daughters and completely ignored those girls the whole trip. For that excruciating two hour and 28 minute flight – one of the girls was whining, while the other one was screaming at the top of her lungs…the entire time. I’m not kidding. And the parents were zoning out – doing nothing — literally nothing. I was feeling my blood pressure rise.

I don’t blame the kids at all – they are innocent in this story. It’s the parents who I have a problem with. They acted like they were in their own living room instead of on a crowded plane with 200 other people. They were rude, selfish and inconsiderate to me and to their kids.

I’m not a parent yet and I’m not pretending to know what it’s like to be one. So I’ve enlisted the help of my parent friends for this checklist for good parenting:

Jene Luciani, Gigi’s Mom

  • Count to ten before reacting in a high pressure situation
  • Always find time for laughter; at the end of the day, a happy child trumps all else
  • Always be as prepared as possible…especially when going on a trip! Bring everything you could possibly need in any situation – make lists! Read more

Angie’s List: An Empire Built on a List

Angie Hicks, Angie’s List

As many of you know I’m a senior producer for a news network in New York City. I cover everything from surgeries to fitness classes. Recently I was fortunate enough to do a segment about saving money on your medical bills with one of the most famous list makers of all — Angie Hicks — the founder of Angie’s List.

Her consumer review website helps people find doctors, contractors and other local services. Angie’s List now has 1.5 million members across the country — and to think it all started with a list!

Q: Why do you call yourself a compulsive list maker?

A: I wouldn’t necessarily call myself compulsive, but Angie’s List is certainly getting a national reputation as the mother of all lists… Angie’s List started out as just that – my list of the best and worst companies in and around Columbus, Ohio. We’re in more than 200 U.S. cities, now and the list just keeps growing – both of cities served and number of companies rated by consumers in each local market. So I guess I am compulsive about making lists, after all! Read more

Checklist for Getting Over a Setback

I’m an eternal optimist and almost always have a smile on my face. Ask anyone who knows me. But even I’ve had “one of those days” every once and a while. You know what I’m talking about – those days when you just don’t feel like yourself. Or maybe you’ve had a hard time and you’re in a rut. Getting back to normal can seem impossible. That’s why psychologist Dr. Michael Nuccitelli created this checklist to help get us over any setback.

Checklist for Getting Over a Setback

by Michael Nuccitelli, Psy.D

The trick is to practice as many of the tips as you can, check off each one you finish and I guarantee you will be feeling better in no time at all. Please “Do Not Pass Go” until you have completed step one. Without insight into step one, the other nine will have no bearing on your ascent to vim and vigor. It’s what the doctor recommends. Read more

Tips for Hosting a Wine and Cheese Tasting

Wine is one of my favorite beverages along with tea and water. Pinot Grigio is hands down my “go to” wine although wine guru Gary Vaynerchuk told me to get over myself and try new varietals. I’m trying Gary!

I’ve attended a few wine tasting parties thrown by my friend Danielle one of which was a brief intro to shiraz, it was a great night with some great wine. It’s always been a blast although I’m not sure we really learned much about wine even though we did fill out rating cards. I’d like to host my own this time so I turned to wine expert Wendy Crispell, who has designed and hosted many corporate and private events for NY celebrities, top business leaders and industry clients.

Hosting a Wine & Cheese Tasting

by Wendy Crispell

As a wine and cheese professional I believe wine is something that should be accessible to everyone. Many people are intimidated by the vast selection, unknown varietals, labeling jargon and differences in price vs. quality. I’ve noticed that most will stick with an old standby rather than taking the chance on trying something new or different. Hosting your own tasting is a great way to try new wines, explore unknown regions and just have great fun with friends! Read more