[Sarah]

I eat out a lot and have a long commute to work. I was trying to get it under control but it’s really really hard.

I’m an emotional eater. Could you please send tips?

Thanks

[Keri]

I pack a bag every day with breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and extra snacks.

[Treva]

Save your receipts for a week, so you can see how much it’s costing you. It’s an eye opener.

Then think of foods that you actually love, and make a plan around that.

Purchase a food container with ice pack options.

You’re a smart gal, you CAN do this

[Jude]

Me too. Took me decades to learn I would benefit from stress reduction practices, stress prevention and therapy.

Understanding your sources of stress and other ways to address stress is the key.

[Marsha]

Pack a lunch. Do your homework and plan your dinners. Either prep at night or on weekends and have it ready to go. Maybe crockpot meals cooking while you work?

If you have it planned already, you will be less likely to change your plans.

When my kids were home and I worked up to the minute we had to eat, and my husband had to leave to go back to school after we ate most nights, I prepped after dinner for the next day.

We ate mostly meals I could pop in the oven while I taught music lessons in the basement.

We just about never ate out.

You can do it, just have to plan ahead.

[Diane]

If you do these just a couple of times a week; you’ll save more than you realize.

Buy fruit and eat it on the way to work.
Buy a thermal cup with a lid at a thrift store and take your own coffee in the am.

Batch cook on your off day and take leftovers in sectioned plates. Heat in the breakroom to eat.

store in the fridge or Freezer.

I cook several things at once (especially meats, mostly in the oven so I can multitask other chores like vacuuming and laundry at the same time) THEN you not only have lunch for work, but you have quick easy dinners at home with very little cleanup.

[Holly]

Bring food and drink with so you aren’t tempted. Try gum.

[Melissa]

I eat half a quest bar on the way to work and on the way home. They’re packed with protein and keep you full.

[Regina]

Make lunches and snacks right after dinner for next day. Make your sandwiches special, add some lettuce, slice of tomato and put on your favorite bread or roll.

Buy big box mixed snacks or package your own in baggies. Be sure to add some fruit. An orange, banana or apple or fruit cup. A nice drink.

For dinners I like to make a big batch of something over the weekend. Dinner that night, 2 lunches during the week maybe, freeze rest for another night so all I gotta do is pop in the fridge that morning or night before, then later heat n eat.

I also like to keep some quickies on hand. Pkg hotdogs, freeze some buns, can crout in the pantry. Can always break some dogs off and throw in boiling water.

Those frozen delimex taquitos are good with some sour cream and salsa. I also like to have some frozen soup for quick dinners paired with chunk bread.

I’ll make big pot chicken soup from rotisserie bones. Rotisserie chicken is great for dinner, making sand or quesadillas from leftovers.

Sometimes I’ll buy 2 and freeze the meat. I like leftover meatloaf sandwiches.

A crockpot or insta pot helps to make big batches. Air Fryers cook things up quick. Even semi homemade is cheaper than eating out.

A Perdue chicken cutlet heated with little sauce and cheese makes a quick Parm. Or quick chicken sandwich.

[Jess]

On my drive home if I don’t have something with me to I will eat out. Lately I’ve been packing pb & honey sandwich with an Apple and possibly some crackers and chips.

It helps tremendously. I eat while making my hour commute.

[Lauren]

I have a long commute too! I LOVE eating a healthy meal that I’m happy with before I leave and having seltzer waters for the drive.

The fizziness helps my mouth feel satisfied, and one La Croix will last me an hour or so.

I like the Pure flavors (it sucks at first but you come to love the crisp clean taste especially when it’s ice cold! Not sure of the most frugal way to purchase seltzer water.)

I feel like sometimes we eat when we’re not really hungry, just when our mouth and hands need something to do, especially when we’re on a long drive.

Also, I fought with emotional eating for so long. So daunting and exhausting every single day.

It’s a deep issue to tackle. You can have the will to pack/prepare/budget/distract from all the things but the behaviors are stubborn mthrfckrs that can creep back.

There’s a lot of ways to explore the emotional eating but you’ll have to follow your gut on which modality of healing you’d like to try.

My advice you could do pretty easily would be to start noticing your moods/state of mind when eating, and only eating in a state of contentment/gratitude.

When you pull up to your fav fast food place, how is your energy? Are you worried or stressed? Are your thoughts sporadic and excited, or at calm and at ease?

I know times are so hard and employers are working us to the bone, but I truly hope you can find a few minutes most days to eat stationary and calm.

And try eating slow, truly savoring each bite (whether it’s a burger or granola bar) and being present does wonders for digestion and energy.

Maybe give it a good and thorough try for two weeks. Just see what happens

Just some free albeit different advice. I really hope it helps along with the other advice here!

[Ling]

Pack snacks for next week for yourself. Put the snacks in plastic containers.

Crackers raisins fruit yoghurt can stored in office fridge? There are many healthy houses for snacks

[Johnson]

Pack a lunch
And snacks
My car is full of them

Salty
Sweet
Crunchy
You name it

[Tiffany]

If I’m leaving for the day I pack all my meals and snacks in one of those huge food bags that body builders use.

It’s perfect because it can hold enough food for the entire day.

[Mindy]

I’m really enjoying this trail mix I bought at Sam’s club. It has M&Ms and a variety of nuts.

This seems to hold me for a long time.

[Denise]

Cook your food at home, get a great cooler bag. Freeze water bottles and bring all your food with you for the day.

Stop eating out. It’s not rocket science

[Tham]

Me too. I am a stress eater and drive a long distance make it worst. Lately, I start with chewing minty gums and also ice cubes.

It helps quite a bit.

Trail mixes and jerky make me wanna eat more so I stay away from those.

[Author]

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