The Importance of Eating a Healthy Lunch

Let’s face it- who has time to make healthy meals everyday?

With the pressure of family, work, personal obligations, etc, the task is daunting and it is easier to grab something quick at a fast food restaurant or order take out.  It is also easier for your body to pack on the pounds when we reach for convenience.

Eating a lunch comprised of complex carbs and lean protein can help improve our mental status to make it successfully through a busy day.

Many people are under the misconception that the less food consumed, the more weight is lost but this is false.

Skipping lunch will sabotage your hard work of counting calories and exercising in addition to causing other adverse health effects.

• Mental clarity will become foggy due to low blood sugar
• Upon returning home from your day all willpower goes out the window
• Feelings of starvation will set in
• Whatever is in reach will be consumed without thought

This not only ruins any chance of wanting a healthy dinner but will also result in feeling hungrier closer to bedtime and eating food right before turning in, not giving our bodies time to digest properly.

We just keep adding up the extra pounds!

How do we solve the problem?

The answer is preparation! Here are some tips to avoid this predicament and consume a healthy lunch everyday:

Make lunch the night before

• Make a sandwich with whole grain bread, turkey and cheese, lettuce and mustard with an apple or a salad with lettuce, carrots, cabbage, shredded cheese, and beans with dressing on the side

Eat leftovers

• Make an extra portion of a healthy dinner and put the meal into a container before serving dinner to remove the temptation of having seconds from the extra food

Sunday prep

• Set aside a few hours on Sunday to plan your meals for the week, food shop and prep foods to make it easier throughout the week- take the daily thinking out of it

Make extras over the weekend

• Cook healthy soups, stews or chilis over the weekend and save extra for a healthy lunch option later in the week

Double your healthy recipes and freeze

• Make extra meatballs or enchiladas or if making a casserole- make 2 and freeze the second for meals in the future

 

10 Healthy Lunch Options

1. Bean and Guacamole Wraps with Sliced Peppers
2. Tuna and Bean Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
3. Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Sandwich on Whole Grain Bread
4. Turkey Wrap with Avocado, Lettuce and Tomato
5. Roast Beef Sandwich with Horseradish
6. Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Gorgonzola
7. Sweet Potato topped with Goat Cheese
8. Lentil Soup
9. Hummus with Pita, Cucumbers and Olive
10. Chef Salad with Lettuce, Shredded Cheese, Diced Ham, Hard-boiled Egg, Tomato and Cucumber with a Low Calorie Dressing