Lunch time can be a tricky time when you're trying to eat healthfully. You have a long afternoon ahead, and the fast food drive-throughs are calling. Eating a heavy, fatty lunch can leave you sluggish and irritable in the afternoon, but lean protein and complex carbohydrates like whole-wheat bread and pasta will give you steady energy to last all day.
Sandwiches
Sandwiches are common lunch fare for a reason. They're fast to make and package and they often require no refrigeration or heat to stay tasty until noon. Even a sandwich filled with healthy ingredients will be high in calories if you choose thick, oily bread. Choose whole-wheat bread or pitas as the base for a healthy sandwich. Fill sandwiches with marinated grilled vegetables and a slice of provolone cheese or fill a pita with shredded chicken, beans, salsa and a bit of shredded cheddar. Package sandwich ingredients in a plastic container and arrange them inside the bread just before you eat.
Soup
If you have access to a microwave or stove, soup can be filling and satisfying while also being healthy. Rather that eating a creamy soup, make soup that's packed with vegetables and healthy protein. Stew or chili is a hearty lunch choice that will keep you full all afternoon. Fill the soup with chopped carrots and beans for protein and add chunks of lean beef or turkey. Chicken noodle soup can also be a healthy lunch option, as long as you use low-sodium broth, a small amount of noodles and plenty of vegetables.
Salads
A plain green salad will leave you hungry again an hour after lunch, but a salad that includes protein or pasta can keep you full all afternoon. Make a pasta salad using whole-wheat penne, shredded chicken, sliced peppers, corn and a spicy chipotle dressing. If you prefer a leafy green salad, make it Mexican by topping the greens with salsa, shredded cheese and beans. Just before you're ready to eat, sprinkle a few crushed tortilla chips and light dressing over the salad.
Desserts
When you're trying to eat healthfully, you may think it's necessary to cut sweets out of your diet entirely, but adding a healthy treat to your lunch will help keep you on track. Indulging in something sweet will keep you from snacking on junk food mid-afternoon. Eat one cookie or small brownie, sprinkle a handful of berries on top of a scoop of frozen yogurt or make a small container of trail mix containing dark chocolate chips, yogurt-covered nuts and raisins.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Sandwich Makeover; Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. et al.
- "Fitness": Lunch on the Go: Healthy Sandwich and Wrap Recipes: Grilled Eggplant Panini
- "Cooking LIght": 22 Healthy Lunch Ideas: Southwestern Chicken Pasta Salad
- "Cooking LIght": 22 Healthy Lunch Ideas: Butterscotch Blondies
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