"My first piece of advice to Jess is simplify her meal into fewer food groups. A salad with different veggies in it is one thing, as the veggies digest easily and well.
"I also urge Jess to stop eating all processed food, especially on a daily basis. Try to find fresh options for lunch, including salads and other whole foods that don't have to be reheated in a microwave."
Photo 10/11
Makeover No. 5: Sarah, Senior Editor
The meal: Turkey Sandwich on a wheat roll with lettuce and garlic/olive oil spread, reduced-fat tortilla chips with tomatillo salsa, and a Coke Zero.
Kimberly Snyder's assessment: "For anyone that cares about beauty, health, or trying to delay or slow aging even a little bit, Coke Zero ranks among the worst things you can put in your body. Sure we can slather sunscreens and anti-aging creams on all day long, but putting acidic chemicals into the body will erode our beauty and age us from the inside out.
"I'd also love to see more fresh, water-containing produce in her lunch. Right now the only veggie I see is a measly piece of lettuce on her sandwich.
"The corn chips may be reduced in fat, but corn chips in general sure are starchy and also full of low quality, bloating table salt."
Photo 11/11
Make these tweaks:
"I recommend having a big salad at lunch, with beauty-supporting veggies like cucumbers and carrots; you can also throw some high-enzyme sprouts into the mix.
"If you're going to have a sandwich, a veggie wrap or avocado sandwich would digest better than the meat-starch mix. The idea is to simplify your food groups for easier digestion and more energy in the afternoon."
Do you have a New Year's resolution that goes something like "get healthy," "lose weight," or "cut down on junk food"?
While it might be tempting to throw out every last potato chip and Hershey's Kiss in a new year cleansing ritual, you know by now that deprivation usually leads to late-night ice cream or burger runs (where way more calories are consumed than if you'd just let yourself have the freakin' Kiss).
Most experts say the best way to get healthier is to start slow and keep the junk food in moderation. And the easiest way to get your healthy diet started: Make over your lunch.
Breakfast is tricky -- you're still half asleep and certainly not up to calculating the calories in your cereal and coffee. And by the time dinner rolls around you just need to eat, and a salad probably isn't going to cut it. But lunch is different. You can make it in advance and take a little time the night before to put together a healthy meal that'll keep you satisfied -- and also help you reach your health goals. And once you're used to making healthy lunches every day, it'll be easier to move onto the other meals and snacks -- and who knows, maybe even kick that Hershey's habit for good.
To help get you started, we looked at five women's normal lunches, then had Kimberly Snyder, nutritionist to celebrities like Drew Barrymore and Fergie, weigh in on how to make them over into good-for-you meals. Check them out to get ideas for your own brown bag makeover.
