Cottage cheese with almost anything

You may have noticed, cottage cheese is definitely a staple. The great thing about it is, it takes on the taste of whatever you add to it, so I try anything and everything in cottage cheese to keep it interesting.

This is simply cottage cheese with fresh thyme, and it's not bad! A little over 3/4c=27g of protein. Enjoy this with any fresh raw vegetable or a salad for a super healthy and quick meal any time of day.

Eggplant with Tzatziki

My mouth waters just thinking about this one!

Ingredients:
1 1/4c fat free plain greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber, diced
2 T. mint, minced
1 clove garlic, minced (Though it's way better with the garlic, when I'm making this for a workday lunch, I skip it.)
salt & pepper to taste
1 large eggplant

Stir together the yogurt, cucumber, mint and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate—the longer the tzatziki sits together, the better the flavors come together.

While that's in the fridge, line a broiler pan with foil and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Slice your eggplant vertically, 1/8"—1/4" thick, and lay out flat on the pan (do not overlap pieces). Spray the eggplant lightly with the spray, or you can brush with a little olive oil if you're not super concerned about a little healthy fat. Then season with salt and pepper.

Place under the broiler on high—I usually put it on the second rack from the top. Broil for about 10 minutes, until the first side begins to brown. It will look dry, but trust me, it is softening! Once it begins to brown, flip all the pieces over, spray lightly and sprinkle with salt and pepper again. Broil for another 8 minutes.

This is good eaten right away, or for lunch the next day. The recipe makes only one 27g serving, which is kind-of a lot to eat, so it's a great lunch choice when you know you might be eating a skimpy breakfast in the morning. Enjoy!

Lazy Lunch: Fennel and Cottage Cheese

Perhaps you'll recall the phrase, "Keep It Simple, Stupid." Well, I like that phrase. When it comes to being healthy, it couldn't be more true. And when it comes to throwing together a quick lunch for the office, it is super helpful to remember.

For this meal, all you have to do is cut up one bunch of fennel (ditch the leafy part), spread out on a broiler pan and spray lightly with a non-stick spray. Stick it in the oven one rack from the top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The perfect easy-but-different vegetable.

And for the laziest and healthiest 27g of protein you may ever eat? Just over 3/4 cup of 1% cottage cheese with loads of pepper.

That's it! Now you can accomplish something else with all that spare time. Or maybe take a nap.