Running out of your prepackaged Nutrisystem lunches isn't an excuse to stop following the plan. Nutrisystem plans work with the glycemic index, which is an index of how quickly carbohydrates are digested. The more slowly the carbohydrate digests, the better it is for your diet. If you select food options that are low on the glycemic index and fall within acceptable ranges for calories, fat and protein, you can come up with some alternatives to your prepackaged Nutrisystem lunch.
Salads
The Nutrisystem Basic plan allows unlimited raw spinach, iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce on the meal plan. Nutrisystem also allows you to have 2 tbsp. of a fat-free dressing, such as red wine vinegar or fat-free Caesar dressing, for your salad with lunch. You can also select one serving of a lean protein for your salad such as a hard-boiled egg, 1 oz. of lean turkey, or 1/2 can of tuna packed in water. Finally, top your salad with two more vegetable servings such as tomatoes, carrots or red onions. If you are a woman, you may also add a serving of dairy such as 2 tbsp. of grated Parmesan cheese.
Lean Proteins
There are times when nothing but a protein will do when you are very hungry. Nutrisystem allows many protein options, and one is usually incorporated into your prepackaged lunch. However, you can choose one soy hot dog, a 2 oz. vegetable burger, 1/2 cup of tofu or 1 oz. of most lunch meats ,as long as they are low-sodium and under 2 g of fat. Add two vegetable servings to this meal and an acceptable dairy item if you are a woman, and you have a complete meal that mirrors the meal a prepackaged Nutrisystem lunch.
Soups
Many soups are acceptable for the Nutrisystem plan. Nutrisystem allows 8 oz. of low-sodium broth. When you combine the broth with the one lean protein and two vegetable servings you're allowed, you may find that many store-bought vegetable and chicken soups are acceptable under the plan. Most prepackaged Nutrisystem soups are less than 240 calories, under 10 g of fat and contain at least 8 g of protein. Read the label to make sure that your soup meets these specifications.
Items to Avoid
As always, when you are on the Nutrisystem plan you should avoid refined carbohydrates, such as white bread or pastries, because they are high glycemic impact foods. In addition, you should avoid some fruits, such as lychees and watermelon, because these are high on the glycemic index. Limit your intake of caffeine because there is evidence that caffeine consumption is linked with impaired blood glucose management, which could make you feel hungrier later in the day. Similarly, avoid other sugary beverages, such as regular soda and alcoholic beverages, because they have little to no nutritional value and are related to obesity.
References
- Nutrisystem: The Science Behind It
- Nutrisystem: Our Menu - Lunch
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Caffeinated Coffee Consumption Impairs Blood Glucose Homeostasis in Response to High and Low Glycemic Index Meals in Healthy Men; Lesley Moisey, et al.; May 2008
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Reduction in Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages is Associated with Weight Loss: The PREMIER Trial; Liwei Chen, et al.; April 2009
Member Comments