Those “3 salads for work” probably totaled $28-$35 (40-50% of the total) if you’re shopping at a decent/ higher end grocer.
I was the same way. My “fast food” is chipotle, panera bread, etc. If I don’t feel like cooking I’m buying a $15 salad because it’s still healthy and the ingredients are fresh (fresher than actual fast food spots).
But you know what I realized? I can go buy a huge container of salad, throw it in my salad spinner to wash/dry it, and that’s enough salad to last for a WEEK! Lunch & dinner. After that I just make my proteins (seafood, poultry, etc ), and decide what or if I want carbs with lunch or dinner.
Meal planning in the long run is cheaper. My grocery bill is higher, but I have all the fruits, veggies and meat I need. Not to mention you can run to the store mid week to get extra veggies/fruits as needed. NO RESTAURANTS/FAST FOOD.
I wanted chipotle this weekend as my cheat meal. Instead of buying chipotle, I shredded the baked chicken I made the previous day, and picked up some black beans, sour cream and tortilla chips at the grocery store. Already had corn, rice, salad, chicken, avocado, red onions, tomatoes, etc
Delicious and healthier than chipotle because, of course, it had less sodium
).I’ll get some bell peppers so I can add “fajitas” when I do it again




