I’m guilty. I’ve said it too. “I don’t have time to make something healthy.” Or “I’m too hungry. I just want to eat something quick.”
Healthy can be quick! Feeding your body nourishing food is self-care. You deserve this. Set yourself up for success with healthy choices in the fridge and pantry. Even if you’re lazy, you could prep a full, quality meal in less time than it takes to wait in line and order a fast food meal.
This lunch takes no skill and was relatively inexpensive because I bought my ingredients in bulk from Costco. Ahhh, Costco. Que the romantic music. I’m in love. Or is it more like a religion? I DO go every week religiously. Anyone else compelled by the obsession? Do you even Costco bro?
Anyway.
Already washed.
A few handfuls on the cutting board. I picked out a few bad pieces.
The leaves are easier to cut if you gather them into a handful to chop.
Bite size pieces are faster and easier to chew.
Plenty of room left in the bowl to stir.
ARE YOU SERIOUS?! Yes. I am. This is delicious. If you can handle tuna, you can enjoy sardines. No skin, no bones, and the olive oil is already there for the dressing. If you’re not a fish person, you can try canned chicken, but you’re missing out on the powerful health benefits of natural fish oil.
I didn’t even need a can opener.
Empty the whole can on those greens. The healthy fats are going to help you feel full and satisfied for hours.
The basis for any salad dressing is a fat and an acid. The fat was the olive oil on the fish. I chose bottled lemon juice for the acid (and the speed) but apple cider vinegar would be another great choice.
I love marinated artichoke hearts. For a few extra carbohydrates, they add a lot of flavor and textural interest. Plus, they’re already cut and ready. I added just a bit of the juice.
Mix it up. The lemon juice and salt begin to breakdown the leaves right away, making them softer and more palatable. If you pack this for lunch, don’t add either of those until you are ready to eat or else you’ll have a soggy mess.
Did that even take five minutes?
Bask in your contentment and satisfaction.
If my salad looked a little too “green”, try romaine or even iceberg. Bagged salad is more expensive than washing and cutting your own head of lettuce. The convenience may be worth the added cost however if it means you’ll actually eat a salad.
Note: This meal isn’t a perfect balance of macro nutrients for ketogenisis as listed. I am using infomation from the nutrition label of course, but I don’t think the fat grams are accurate for the sardines. I don’t think the manufacturer assumed one would be consuming all the olive oil, rather, mostly just the sardines for that calculation. Below, in parenthesis you’ll see nutritional info for an extra tablespoon of olive oil.
| Calories | Fat | Protein | Carbohydrates | |
| Greens approx. 3 cups | 40 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Artichokes approx 6 pieces | 90 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| Sardines with olive oil | 200 (120) | 12 (14) | 22 | 0 |
| Lemon juice 1 oz | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 337 (457) | 18 (32) | 25 | 11 |
