January 12 2022 – Allison Slater
The Importance of Eating Lunch (It's Critical to Your Day!)
I promise if you read this entire passage, you will see why eating lunch is critical to your day!
I had to renew my passport. I printed and signed the paperwork, had my old passport in hand, and wrote out the check as per the fees listed on the government website. I just needed my photo. So, I made a photo appointment at my local post office, and they sent me a confirmation.
I arrive at the post office - printed confirmation in hand - only to be told that “Our camera is broken…” and to be asked “Didn’t someone call you?”
Now, if you’re wondering why I would show up to my confirmed appointment, if I knew in advance the camera was broken, then you are thinking exactly the same thing I was! But, with a deep breath and a reminder that this is just a small set back in my day, I simply ask, “Do you have another suggestion?”. She suggests two local pharmacies. OK, off I go.
Pharmacy 1. Me: “Hi. I am here for a passport photo”. Employee: “Our camera is broken”. (I promise you cannot make this stuff up!).
I call Pharmacy 2 before heading over to be sure I don’t hit a strike 3. Yes! They have a working camera! I am in and out fairly quickly and head back to the post office. Now we are on!
I walk into the post office, “I’m back!”, I say. The woman takes my materials out of the envelope to double check them. “Sorry,” she says, “as of Jan 1, the renewal fees increased from $110 to $130. Can you write a new one?” She hands me back the check with a look, as if I have a checkbook in my bag and can rewrite it on the spot, which obviously I cannot, because no one carries a checkbook around anymore. (More deep breaths).
I feel hot, the frustration is rising, I am getting hungry. I need this done and do not want to come back, so I try to rewrite the numbers and the handwritten script, but it was a mess. The woman asks if I am sure I want to send this in, as they may find it illegible and send it back. I tell her it will be fine, as I try my best to keep calm and not snap. (Stomach rumbling). She says, "Are you sure? I don't want you to risk delaying the process." OK, fine, she has a good point, so I take the check and I leave (albeit in a bit of a huff!).
It’s been just over an hour since this whole ordeal began, which is not a long amount of time, but it is within my “lunchtime zone”, and a hungry and frustrated me is not a good me.
When I get home, the first thing I do is re-write the check and put it in my wallet. Second, I EAT LUNCH. And, thankfully, I have fresh healthy choices in my fridge that I prepared at the beginning of the week, so I toss a few things together and enjoy a fulfilling meal. Then I continue on with my workday until it is time to head back to the post office. No more deep breaths needed.
When I walk in the woman smiles and asks, “Are you feeling better?” I smile back and say yes. She asks what I did to calm down. “I ate food,” I say. And we have a good laugh at the whole thing. She checks all my materials (again), and thankfully all is good to go. FINALLY!
Why am I sharing this with you?
I am sharing this with you because, looking back, I am reminded of how the lack of eating my midday meal affected me. Even though I didn’t plan to not eat, the day got away from me, and I ended up in a hangry situation. Keeping your mind and body nourished helps you stay calm, focused, productive, and stabilizes your mood. Skipping meals is not good, and snacking on unhealthy food is almost just as bad.
I am also sharing this because, once I was able to get home and eat, I was able to quickly assemble a complete meal with healthy prepared food I had in my kitchen, ready to go when I needed it most. I assure you, if that food was not readily available, I would have skipped the meal or grabbed something from my daughter’s snack cabinet, and in either case, hangry me would have still been active.
What did I have on hand that made this so simple?
* Chopped greens, shredded carrots and cabbage.
* Cooked quinoa, a great add on to any meal for extra fiber and protein.
* Broiled chicken breast.
* Toasted pepitas.
* Olive oil and honey, sprinkle of salt.
However, if you struggle to find time to plan and prepare healthy food ahead of time, and find yourself skipping meals or reaching for processed, packaged snacks, bites of your kid’s mac & cheese or spoonfuls of peanut butter (OK, I do still sometimes do this one!), then Dish Kitchen is your meal solution for eating healthy and saving time.
Dish Kitchen provides fresh, healthy prepared meals that are perfect for lunch and dinner. No planning, shopping, prep work or cooking required! And our packaging is oven and microwave safe for convenient reheating (and it’s eco-friendly!)
In addition to ordering with us, keep healthy snacks on hand at home, in the car or in your bag, so you always have something to grab if your day doesn’t go as planned and you end up running around trying to take your passport photo. 😊
Helpful articles about healthy snacking and avoiding the hanger!
10 Healthy Snacks to Have on Hand
How To Avoid Food Related Mood Swings
I had to renew my passport. I printed and signed the paperwork, had my old passport in hand, and wrote out the check as per the fees listed on the government website. I just needed my photo. So, I made a photo appointment at my local post office, and they sent me a confirmation.
I arrive at the post office - printed confirmation in hand - only to be told that “Our camera is broken…” and to be asked “Didn’t someone call you?”
Now, if you’re wondering why I would show up to my confirmed appointment, if I knew in advance the camera was broken, then you are thinking exactly the same thing I was! But, with a deep breath and a reminder that this is just a small set back in my day, I simply ask, “Do you have another suggestion?”. She suggests two local pharmacies. OK, off I go.
Pharmacy 1. Me: “Hi. I am here for a passport photo”. Employee: “Our camera is broken”. (I promise you cannot make this stuff up!).
I call Pharmacy 2 before heading over to be sure I don’t hit a strike 3. Yes! They have a working camera! I am in and out fairly quickly and head back to the post office. Now we are on!
I walk into the post office, “I’m back!”, I say. The woman takes my materials out of the envelope to double check them. “Sorry,” she says, “as of Jan 1, the renewal fees increased from $110 to $130. Can you write a new one?” She hands me back the check with a look, as if I have a checkbook in my bag and can rewrite it on the spot, which obviously I cannot, because no one carries a checkbook around anymore. (More deep breaths).
I feel hot, the frustration is rising, I am getting hungry. I need this done and do not want to come back, so I try to rewrite the numbers and the handwritten script, but it was a mess. The woman asks if I am sure I want to send this in, as they may find it illegible and send it back. I tell her it will be fine, as I try my best to keep calm and not snap. (Stomach rumbling). She says, "Are you sure? I don't want you to risk delaying the process." OK, fine, she has a good point, so I take the check and I leave (albeit in a bit of a huff!).
It’s been just over an hour since this whole ordeal began, which is not a long amount of time, but it is within my “lunchtime zone”, and a hungry and frustrated me is not a good me.
When I get home, the first thing I do is re-write the check and put it in my wallet. Second, I EAT LUNCH. And, thankfully, I have fresh healthy choices in my fridge that I prepared at the beginning of the week, so I toss a few things together and enjoy a fulfilling meal. Then I continue on with my workday until it is time to head back to the post office. No more deep breaths needed.
When I walk in the woman smiles and asks, “Are you feeling better?” I smile back and say yes. She asks what I did to calm down. “I ate food,” I say. And we have a good laugh at the whole thing. She checks all my materials (again), and thankfully all is good to go. FINALLY!
Why am I sharing this with you?
I am sharing this with you because, looking back, I am reminded of how the lack of eating my midday meal affected me. Even though I didn’t plan to not eat, the day got away from me, and I ended up in a hangry situation. Keeping your mind and body nourished helps you stay calm, focused, productive, and stabilizes your mood. Skipping meals is not good, and snacking on unhealthy food is almost just as bad.
I am also sharing this because, once I was able to get home and eat, I was able to quickly assemble a complete meal with healthy prepared food I had in my kitchen, ready to go when I needed it most. I assure you, if that food was not readily available, I would have skipped the meal or grabbed something from my daughter’s snack cabinet, and in either case, hangry me would have still been active.
What did I have on hand that made this so simple?
* Chopped greens, shredded carrots and cabbage.
* Cooked quinoa, a great add on to any meal for extra fiber and protein.
* Broiled chicken breast.
* Toasted pepitas.
* Olive oil and honey, sprinkle of salt.
However, if you struggle to find time to plan and prepare healthy food ahead of time, and find yourself skipping meals or reaching for processed, packaged snacks, bites of your kid’s mac & cheese or spoonfuls of peanut butter (OK, I do still sometimes do this one!), then Dish Kitchen is your meal solution for eating healthy and saving time.
Dish Kitchen provides fresh, healthy prepared meals that are perfect for lunch and dinner. No planning, shopping, prep work or cooking required! And our packaging is oven and microwave safe for convenient reheating (and it’s eco-friendly!)
In addition to ordering with us, keep healthy snacks on hand at home, in the car or in your bag, so you always have something to grab if your day doesn’t go as planned and you end up running around trying to take your passport photo. 😊
#healthyeating #healthyliving #healthyfood #ecofriendly #sustainable #sustainableliving #foodlover #fooddelivery #food #delivery #homedelivery
Helpful articles about healthy snacking and avoiding the hanger!
10 Healthy Snacks to Have on Hand
How To Avoid Food Related Mood Swings
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