Life is busy but that doesn’t mean you can’t easily prepare a healthy meal to grab and go. Today I’m sharing with you some of our favorite DIY Bistro Boxes PLUS tips to stay on track. 

If you’ve been following along here then you know the hubby and I have been cleaning up our eating since the new year and I am happy to report that we are still going strong. Heres the thing, I am a huge foodie so for me it really is about balance and accepting that I will not eat “perfect” all the time. What i’ve found over the years is that it is all about balance. If you are eating clean, healthier meals about 80% of the time then you are doing great! These DIY Bistro Boxes have been a HUGE help to keep us on track. 

I mentioned last month that my husband and I were starting a 24 Day Challenge… this is something I found 4 years ago and it helped jumpstart my weight loss. At that time I had dropped 30 lbs in 6 months and let me tell you it was the best decision I made for my health. I have since continued using the supplements and my husband joined me this time around.

The products are not some magic pill but the products WORK and I am proof of that! Heres the thing, I am NOT perfect and to be 100% honest, last year after our son ended up in the hospital for an incredibly scary 9 days, I went way off track with my eating and exercise habits. The great news.. its NEVER too late to start over!

TIP: PLAN!!! Take one day a week to sit down and plan out some lunch ideas that you can make ahead and then grab and go with them. Also plan out your dinners. When you get home from grocery shopping prep some of the meals and life will be way easier during the week. I’ve also found that meal planning reduces food waste big time = save money! 

Lets get to those DIY Bistro Boxes shall we? Sure you can run out to the store and buy a prepackaged Bistro Box but it really is so easy to make them yourself at home and for way cheaper too! I like to make sure that there is protein in the main part of the meal then add in fruit and veggies. Really the possibilities and combos are endless and easily adjustable to meet your needs and taste preferences.

 Lets start with this one. 12 grain bread to make a simple ham and cheese sandwich. Grapes and sliced cucumbers on the side. So bread… you want to stick with something that is multi grain because the less processed the bread is the more work {aka burn calories} your body has to do to break it down. Also, a multi grain bread will keep you fuller.

This one is packed with a sliced apple, all natural peanut butter, a couple slices of roasted turkey, a light string cheese and rainbow carrots. I know, you’re thinking all that for one meal? YUP! Heres what i’ve found… counting calories doesn’t work for me because not all calories are created equal. Now I am guesstimating here but you can eat all this and have it likely pretty darn close in calories to 1 small fast food burger.

This Bistro Box has homemade tuna salad {light on the mayo and water packed low sodium tuna with some chopped celery and black pepper}, a hard boiled egg, a multi grain english muffin and some rainbow carrots. Simple, filling and full of flavor!

This next one is a little “bigger” and definitely protein packed! Great for a workout day. A multi grain english muffin, sliced turkey, ham, hard boiled egg, a light string cheese and rainbow carrots. No afternoon cravings here! You will be feeling full for hours!

This last one that i’m sharing with you is a half a PB & J on 12 grain bread, a light string cheese, carrots, celery, a palm full of almonds and a dry fig. See, nothing fancy but so so much better then running out and grabbing something that is packed with hidden fat, sugar and salt. Stay away from all the processed stuff and you’ll be feeling awesome!!

TIP: Other great ideas are salads topped with lean protein and lots of veggies. Stick to a light dressing… I love the newer Greek Yogurt based dressings. If you love grilled chicken salads then grill off enough for a few days at a time. There is NO reason to make yourself nuts and do things day by day.