Lunch is often the most overlooked meal due to work, school or other obligations. However, eating a healthy lunch is just as important as eating a healthy breakfast. Without proper nutrients, your energy will suffer and your productivity will wane. To ensure you have a healthy lunch, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests making your own lunch. It takes some planning, but there are quick, easy solutions to eating a healthy lunch and keeping your diet in check.
Sandwiches
One of the easiest things to make for lunch is a sandwich. Start off with some whole grain bread and top it with piles of fresh vegetables such as tomato, lettuce, onion, cucumber and then layer it with some lean protein such as turkey, chicken or lean roast beef. Add some low-fat cheese and some light mayonnaise or mustard as your condiment and grab a fresh piece of fruit for a side dish and you have a quick, healthy lunch. A vegetarian option is to replace the lean protein with hummus, nut butter or tofu. If you are not a fan of mayonnaise, a substitution is to add sliced avocado instead. You will still get the creaminess of a condiment but a lot more vitamins, minerals and good fats. Other sandwich filling ideas include egg salad, tuna fish, or salmon salad. If you do not have time to create your own sandwich, try to buy one from a deli where they will make it to order so you have control of what goes on it.
Salads
Salads are convenient, easy to create and transport effortlessly. Take some mesclun greens and top them with some fresh, raw vegetables of your choice and be sure to add some lean protein to give it more substance. Drizzle the greens with light oil-vinegar based dressing for flavor and you have a powerful, antioxidant-rich lunch. For some variety, eatingwell.com suggests to add fruit, nuts, and cheese to jazz up your typical salad. Other options that would round out your salad are beans, such as garbanzo beans and black beans, or add some grains such as quinoa, millet, or wild rice.
Leftovers
Bringing healthy leftovers from your dinner the night before is one of the best ways to make sure you are eating a healthy lunch. The only real requirement is that you have a way to re-heat the meal or keep it warm. To bring leftovers, just make more of whatever you ate the night before. Leftover chicken breast can be thrown over greens, put on sandwich bread, piled in a wrap or cut into chunks to make a chicken salad. Steam some extra vegetables and even make a big pot of grains. To make this process easier, have portion sized containers ready to go and pack up your lunch while you serve your dinner.
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