Reserving healthy meals for dinner alone means you miss out on important nutrition. A healthy breakfast and lunch can help stoke your energy for all your daily activities and give you a better chance of getting all the nutrients you need. Next time you are at the grocery store, stock up on healthy staples so that you can include a whole grain, a vegetable, a lean protein and dairy in each of these meals.
Grains
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends you make half of your daily six to 13 grain servings come from whole grains. Breakfast options for whole grains include high-fiber cereal such as shredded wheat or oatmeal. Choose 100-percent whole wheat bread for toast, or use it for a lunchtime sandwich. Toast whole-grain English muffins and spread with peanut butter at breakfast, or top with sliced tomato, part-skim mozzarella and fresh basil for a healthy lunch pizza. Whole wheat pasta, brown rice and quinoa are other whole grains you could add to salads or soups at lunchtime. Whole grains provide you with fiber to improve digestive health and manage cholesterol levels. Whole grains are also natural sources of iron and B-complex vitamins.
Vegetables
Adding vegetables to breakfast and lunch can help you reach the recommended 2 ½ to 3 cups you should consume daily to provide you with fiber, potassium, vitamins A, C and E and antioxidants. Add spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes or peppers to scrambled eggs or omelets at breakfast. Although 100 percent orange juice is a healthy option, consider having 100 percent vegetable juice as an alternative. For lunch, add white beans, green beans or carrots to low-sodium canned soups. Expand your lunch salad beyond iceberg and tomatoes. Have dark leafy greens like spinach or arugula with cucumbers, artichoke hearts, grated zucchini, sprouts and radishes. Skip creamy dressings and choose olive oil-based options instead. Add spinach leaves or romaine to sandwiches made with lean turkey and whole wheat bread.
Lean Proteins
Eating protein at breakfast and lunch can help you feel satisfied. Choose proteins low in saturated fat to reduce your intake of this heart-clogging fat. At breakfast, try one egg scrambled with several egg whites -- so as not to consume too much cholesterol. Make homemade turkey sausage using lean ground turkey, minced garlic and Italian seasoning. At lunch, opt for lean deli turkey or grilled chicken instead of fatty ground beef, pastrami or fried options. Water-packed tuna is a healthy option providing omega-3 fatty acids and no saturated fat. Mix it with nonfat yogurt and lemon juice instead of fatty mayonnaise. Add beans or tofu to salads so that the meal takes longer to digest and holds you over until your afternoon snack.
Dairy
As an adult, you should consume 3 cups of dairy products daily. Dairy provides protein, calcium, potassium and vitamin D. Include a glass of skim milk at breakfast -- with your cereal, on its own or mixed into a fruit smoothie. At lunch, use milk instead of water to cook creamy soups. Cottage cheese and yogurt are other options to eat at breakfast and lunch to help you meet your dairy needs. Mix cottage cheese with chopped fresh fruit and 1 ounce of nuts for a satisfying breakfast or lunch. Have plain yogurt with fresh fruit at lunchtime as a partner for your healthy, whole grain turkey sandwich. Opt for low- or nonfat dairy when possible to keep your intake of saturated fat to a minimum.
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