The Bottled Water Fad

     Bottled water is all the rage. It seems like every organization is jumping on board by marketing their own brand of bottled water. They all come in plastic bottles that often get dumped into landfills, or in the best case scenario recycled. But is bottled water really any better than tap water?

     You may be surprised to find that safety and purity standards for bottled water are often less strict than for city water! Bottled water companies are required to test their supply for bacteria and chemical less frequently than municipalities are required to test their tap water supply! Standards for bottled water allow some level of contamination by e.coli and fecal coli form whereas city water is not allowed any contamination by these agents! The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for safety and purity of bottled water, but bottled water that is sold within the same state it is bottled in is except from this oversight. Same state bottled water sales account for 60-70% of all bottled water sold!

     A better alternative to buying cases of bottled water all the time is investing in a water pitcher with a filter and a reusable water bottle. Brita and Pur are both great options for water pitchers. They come with filters that need to be changed every 40 gallons, or about 2 months for a small family with regular use. Both varieties are available at stores such as Target or Bed Bath and Beyond. Both brands also offer facet filters if you prefer. I like the pitchers better because the water is colder from the fridge than it can be coming right out of the facet!

     Some good varieties of reusable water bottles are metal, BPA-free plastic, or glass varities. Metal and BPA-free plastic are available at stores such as Target. Many consider glass to be best (if you trust yourself not to break it!) because it is the material that is least likely to contain any potentially harmful materials such as carcinogens. If you want to go for glass you can use a mason jar or other type of jar with a lid. Plastic lids for mason jars are available in the canning section of grocery or hardware stores. Metal or plastic are likely the most practical for most people. Sigg makes a great metal bottle that is leak free. Many plastic bottles come with a straw-like mouth piece if you prefer that variety.

My Brita pitcher and Sigg water bottle!

     So, save money, protect your health, and stand up for the environment by investing in a reusable water pitcher and water bottle! A Brita pitcher costs around 20$ and replacement filters are about 7$ and last at least 2 months. A Sigg water bottle costs 15-20$. So after the initial investment the cost is only about 3.50$ per month. A case of bottled water with 24 bottles can cost around 13$, so if you drink one bottle per day that's about 375% the cost per month to buy bottled water!

     For more information on bottled water regulation check out the summary of a report by the National Resources Defense Council at this link: http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/nbw.asp. A little dated but still provides good info. This one from the Environmental Working Group is a little more up to date: http://www.ewg.org/reports/BottledWater/Bottled-Water-Quality-Investigation

Cheers,
Brittney

Save Money and Slim Down by Bringing Your Lunch to Work or School!

     A great way to consume fewer calories, less fat and sugar, and to save money is by bringing your lunch to work or school. It works by the same principle as not grocery shopping when you're hungry. When 12:00pm rolls around you are feeling the grumbling in your stomach, signally that it's time to eat, you are starving and ready to grab the quickest, easiest, and possibly cheapest thing around. This is especially true if you skipped breakfast (don't do it!), or if you didn't have time for a mid-morning snack (dried fruit or a granola bar are great options!). You may head down to the cafeteria in your building, or you may hop in your car and hit up the drive-thru of the nearest fast food place. These options seem so tempting when you are famished, but you always end up regretting it later, whether it's because you strayed from your healthy eating plan or because all that grease isn't sitting well during that afternoon meeting. Bringing your own lunch can save you all the trouble!

     Try to start thinking about your lunch the evening before, after you eat dinner. At this time your hunger is satisfied so you won't be tempted to add unnecessary, unhealthy foods to your lunch box.

     Taking leftovers is a great way to stretch your food dollar (two meals in one!), and you will make sure they won't go to waste when they accidentally get pushed to the back of the fridge. In this case you can start thinking about your lunch before you even eat dinner the night before. As soon as the food is ready, put some in containers, and put them aside in the fridge. This way you won't be tempted to overeat either! I like Pyrex storage containers because you can put them in the microwave without worrying about BPAs leaking into your food when re-heated.

     If you don't have any leftovers that day or you would rather not take them, try some of these ideas for a healthy lunch. Keep in mind that if you plan ahead, make a grocery list, and do your grocery shopping over the weekend, you can eliminate some unnecessary trips to the store during the week!

     I always make sure I take fruit in my lunch. I also pack an extra piece that I can eat on my commute home, that tides me over and reduces temptation to pick up a snack from a drive through or from the gas station! I pick my fruit based on what is on sale at the grocery store. That typically reflects what is in season!

     If I'm not taking a salad as my lunch I always pack a raw vegetable too. Some good options include:

• fresh bell pepper strips with a side of hummus
• celery with a side of Laughing Cow cheese
• carrots or broccoli and low-fat ranch dressing
• string beans
• sweet potato sticks, yes you can eat them raw!

    I usually take a salad in my lunch. Since it takes time to eat, it feels like I am eating a lot, and the bulk of the raw veggies helps fill me up! Plus, raw veggies and fruit are great natural sources of fiber! Some good options include:

• Caesar salad made with: romaine lettuce, shredded Parmesan cheese, croutons, hard boiled eggs, chopped onions, and Caesar dressing
• Rainbow salad made with: romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, chopped orange peppers, chopped red onions, croutons, and papaya citrus dressing.
• Greek: baby spinach, feta cheese, kalamata olives, chopped red onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, peperoncini, and low-fat Greek dressing

     Some quick lunch time sandwich options include:

• BLT or FBLT: Pumpernickel rye swirl bread, light mayo, lettuce leaf, sliced tomato, bacon or two Morning Star fake bacon strips. 
• Cheese sandwich: whole grain bread, 2 slices of cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, mustard or light mayo.
• Tuna salad: whole grain bread, tomato slice, slice of cheddar cheese, canned tuna mixed with light mayo, chopped red peppers and chopped onion.
• Chicken salad: whole grain bread, lettuce slice, chopped grilled chicken breast mixed with light mayo, grapes sliced in half, and chopped onion.

     Other lunch items you might consider:

• Low fat yogurt
• Pretzels
• Dried fruit, such as dried cranberries, raisins, or banana chips
• Raw nuts, such as walnuts or almonds
• Dark chocolate square for dessert!

     When 12:00pm rolls around and you are looking for a quick meal to tame your rumbling stomach, you can grab your healthy lunch out of the fridge and enjoy it without guilt! You won't be tempted to run to McDonald's if you have a healthy meal available. You won't have to worry about getting an upset stomach from greasy fast food and you won't sabotage your healthy eating plan! Sure, this takes some planning ahead, but it's worth it, and once you having been doing it for a week or so it will become second nature. You will also save money! If you spend $5.00 on your lunch each work day by going to the cafeteria or a fast food restaurant that's $25.00 per week. And lets be honest, $5.00 per day would be on the low end! That $25.00+ would be more than enough for a head of lettuce, veggies, fruit and a bottle of dressing for that same week. So start bringing your own lunch to work or school, and reduce your calorie, fat, sugar, and artificial additive intake, and save money at the same time!

Cheers,
Brittney