Ode to the forgotten sides

Day 3 of lunch-bringing has been successful. Another Lean Gourmet, another wonderfully inexpensive lunch. Threw a three-cheese ziti in my little lunch box this morning along with some reduced fat Cheez-Its, a pickle, and a pudding.

In all its glory

Today I plan on showcasing the unsung heroes of the diet world: the side items. While diet entrees can seem tiny and unappetizing, if you can force yourself to eat them, sometimes pairing them with lots of other low-calorie snacks can make quite a satisfying meal. 

One of the smarter things I've ever done was take entire boxes of Wheat Thins and Cheez-Its (all reduced fat, of course) and divide them into single serving snack bags. It's a time saver and a way to limit my intake. I can grab one when I'm throwing my lunch together in the mornings and it keeps me from grabbing handfuls because I don't have time to count servings out (16 Wheat Thins, 31 Cheez-Its, just FYI).

I used to be a Vlassic pickle kind of person. Exclusively. But over the last two years, I've developed a taste for Mt. Olive Zesty Garlic Kosher Dills. They're super low calorie, super delicious, and super expensive. They're one of the only things I don't try to buy only on sale. I don't mind paying full price for them. These pickles are another reason why I'm glad I was blessed with low blood pressure. The sodium is through the roof, but I can't get enough of them. I even drink the juice. Don't hate.

I know it's sinful, but lower-calorie desserts are almost a must-have for my diet meals. I usually try to alternate pudding packs with apple sauce (though I went with pudding two days in a row this week--I'm bad) to take care of that sweet tooth that develops toward the end of a meal. Back in my college days, I always bought Jell-O 60 calorie pudding snacks. Now that I'm on a budget, I've had to gravitate more toward store brands. But the caloric count is a bit too high, so when I am ready to buy again, I might go back to Jell-O. Mott's no-sugar-added apple sauce is a favorite as well.

But sometimes what suffices for lunch just isn't enough food for dinner. A few other things I throw in with a lean cuisine when I'm trying to stretch it into a dinner are celery, tomatoes, a quarter head of lettuce, a quarter head of cabbage, turnips, or Baked Lays. I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I eat most often. Obviously I wouldn't eat all of those things at once. I'd substitute the chips for the Wheat Thins and the cabbage for the lettuce, but you get the idea. And instead of making a salad that would tempt me to use full-fat dressing, I break up the salad into individual components that I can usually eat just with salt or pickle juice or even those Wishbone Salad Spritzers (1 calorie per spray--balsamic vinegar is the best!).

So next time you're at a loss for what to make for a quick lunch or dinner on your own, don't be afraid to pull out a frozen entree and get creative with the side items. They really do make the meal.