Stacey's back!
Hey, I'm Stacey – a wife and working mama from Derby – also known as @mamabear_wwuk on Instagram.
I’ve lost 28lbs with WW, and discovered a real love for cooking and meal prepping in the process.
Healthy lunch ideas for days out
With the summer well and truly underway, we all know how expensive it can be to enjoy family days out on a budget, and also how they can affect our WW journey if we’re not well prepared.
That’s why I’m taking over the WW blog this week: to give you all a few tips and tricks I’ve learnt whilst making healthy lunch ideas for almost any day out, using preparation and smart choices.
As a mum to a very lively 3-year-old, I’ve experienced all kinds of days out in an attempt to keep Leo entertained - anything from a walk in the park to swimming, theme parks and days out at the zoo. You name it, we’ve done it!
So last year, when we stayed at Haven Holiday Park in Yorkshire, I made sure we were prepared, bringing our own picnics to the beach every day. It was wonderful!
READ MORE: Take your own! Food to enjoy when you're out and about
In my opinion, being prepared is key to staying on track and not going over your Points® allowance. Plus, it saves money too! I remember going to the zoo without prepping once, and I was mortified to see they were charging nearly £10 for a salad and £12 for a jacket potato!
If all else fails
If I ever do end up on a day out without having the time to prepare, I’ll make an effort to grab some meal deals from the supermarket on the way, and make smart choices like the following:
- 1 healthy tuna sandwich
- 1 packed of low fat crisps such as Quavers or Pop Chips
- 1 can of Coca Cola Zero (for 0 Points!)
Plan (and pack) ahead
More often than not though, I’ll pack a picnic the night before. It’s probably why my Instagram followers and WW friends have called me a ‘Picnic Queen’!
I personally just think it’s best to prep the night before – and I always feel great when I’ve planned ahead.
It’s useful to pack more than what you need as well, as if you’re doing lots of walking around, you’ll want to make sure everyone is fuelled, and that no one goes hungry by the end!
Some of my favourite things to take on a picnic are:
- Tuna and cucumber sandwich thins
- Hard boiled eggs
- Marinated chicken breast pieces
- Sliced veg (e.g. carrot, cucumber, peppers)
- Crab sticks
- Turkey scotch eggs
- Couscous
- Pickled onions
- Mini Peperami's
- Babybel light cheese
- Fruit (e.g grapes, bananas)
- Sliced veg (e.g. carrot, cucumber, peppers)
- Houmous
READ MORE: Points-friendly picnic pleasers
On the days when it's not so warm, I like to bring some homemade soup along in a flask – my favourite being the tomato, lentil and read pepper soup from the WW Cook! recipe book.
The list of what you can bring to eat is endless - you dine like a king and you certainly don't feel deprived!
#PackAndTrack
I track everything I plan to eat on the WW app beforehand, and I’ll keep all my bits in my own picnic box, so I know exactly how many Points I’m using up. Plus, then I know how many I have left over for a treat whilst I’m out, or a nice meal for when I get home after a busy day.
For me, this is normally one of my slow cooker meals — things like a bolognese, chicken curry, beef casserole, chicken chasseur or a simple chilli always go down a treat. And then it means that after our eventful day out, we’ve got a nice homemade dinner waiting for us when we get home.