These NC Teachers Lost Over 45 Pounds With a Lunch Swap -- Here's Exactly How They Did It

When you’re struggling with any problem, who do you turn to?

Your friends.

That’s just what five teachers from Bugg Elementary School in Raleigh, North Carolina did when they wanted to get healthy, and guess what?

It worked!

Over the winter, the elementary-school teachers teamed up with nutritionist Keri Glassman, RD, who taught them how to cut down on empty calories and helped the ladies started a meal swap. Every day one teacher cooks a nutritious lunch to share with the other participants.

Almost three months have gone by, so how did they do?

Great, it turns out!

Teachers Khalilah, Kimberly, Malikah, Nicole and Sonya say that they feel better and have each lost between 5 and 20 pounds. Plus, they are loving the social interaction at lunch over delish meals like Crunchy Chicken Salad Cups and Simple Grilled Chicken Salad (scroll down for all of their recipes).

Watch the video above to see their lunch swap in action, and check out the video below to see how much weight they each lost.

One thing they’re still struggling with (let’s face it, who doesn’t struggle with this) is how to indulge their cravings in a healthy way. To help them do this, Keri came up with 3 healthy swaps for tempting fast-food and store-bought options:

INSTEAD OF: Pre-packaged Oatmeal
TRY: Easy Overnight Oats

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Pre-packaged oatmeal is super convenient, but it can be packed with sugar and calories. Make your own at home and you’ll save calories, and possibly even time, since it’s so easy!

Just mix the ingredients in a mason jar and pop it in the fridge, and it’s ready in the morning! Add berries or even a couple chocolate chips just before eating to make it more interesting.

Pre-packaged Version: 290 calories per serving
This Recipe: 145 calories per serving

INSTEAD OF: French Fries
TRY: Kohlrabi Fries

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Kohlrabi is a vegetable that is loaded with potassium and fiber, but you can make this recipe with sweet potatoes or regular potatoes. Keri just slices up her vegetable of choice, tops with olive oil, cumin and cayenne, then roasts.

Fast Food Version: 365 calories per medium-size serving
This Recipe: 160 calories per serving

INSTEAD OF: Store-Bought Cookie Dough
TRY: Healthy, Raw, Protein Cookie Dough

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Who doesn’t love sneaking a bite of pre-packaged cookie dough? Here’s a healthy version that tastes just as good, but that is loaded with healthy ingredients.

Store-Bought Version: 130 calories (per bite!)
This Recipe: 83 calories (for 2 tablespoons)

Want to try a lunch swap yourself? Check out the recipes the teachers are using below:

Crunchy Chicken Salad Cups

Carrot Kale Salad

Easy Lettuce Cups

Plum and Pecan Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

Simple Grilled Chicken Salad

Tuna Salad

Raspberry Peach Strawberry Sangria