Bringin' Home the [Veggie] Bacon

As it has been stated, I am first and foremost an actress.

Madeleine the actress:

If you're remotely familiar with modern day stereotypes, it will come as no surprise that in between acting classes and the occasional modeling or acting gig, I moonlight and pay a big portion of my bills waiting tables.

Madeleine the waitress:

I've worked in restaurants since college and, while I could go on and on about the subject, I will spare you the tumultuous details of the inner workings of the service industry and instead give you a little TASTE (so to speak) of how it pertains to my eating habits and lifestyle.

A prime example would be last night. I walk into the kitchen at the beginning of my shift thinking [in valley girl tone], "I just started my blog today- I am SO oblivious to any sort of unhealthy temptation lurking within these walls."

Then I'm greeted by this:

A GIANT BOX OF BREAD!!

Being me, I KNEW I couldn't ignore a giant box of free bread all night so I exercised extreme self control, tore off a little piece, ate it, enjoyed it and got on with my night without a second thought.

There are also nights when I'm jonesin' for a dessert and in strolls the pastry chef with a cart like this one:

FULL OF FRESH BAKED PEACH COBBLER!

These low res iPhone photos are here to show you the sort of immense temptation I deal with every time I walk into work.

I'm sure it's the same for many of you. Instead of peach cobbler and cheese drenched french fries, it might be a snickers bar screaming at you from behind the vending machine glass or that grande chocolate chip frappuccino from the coffee place next door.

Whatever your weakness, the best solution to this problem is the good ol' lunch box:

Not only will you save money by bringing food from home, you'll also feel ten thousand times better. By feeding yourself nourishing snacks and meals, as opposed to unhealthy vending machine mess, you'll avoid that nearly inevitable mid-shift crash. I promise.

Some of my favorites include:

• hummus + bell pepper spears
• carrots
• a Larabar
• a gigantic salad
• a healthy mix of quinoa and sauteed veggies
• berries and yogurt
• water!!!

The list goes on...

Bottomline: If I can resist a fresh peach cobbler, YOU can turn down that bag of potato chips!

I'm off to watch Boardwalk Empire and get some sleep... Au revoir until tomorrow :)