Remember those days in school when you eagerly anticipated the announcement of the lunch menu for the following week? Maybe your favorite day was Tater tots. Or pizza. Or maybe it was tacos.
Or were you a brown bag lunch person? In some schools, being a 'buyer' was cooler. In others, you wanted to brown bag all the way.
Well now that you're all grown up, you still have the same decision when you go to work each day. You may not have a cafeteria from which to buy (and that awesome pouch of milk to enjoy), but you have lots of restaurants waiting to welcome you or even deliver to your building.
So while an occasional lunch out isn't a crisis, we want to encourage you to 'brown bag' it most days.
Or use a Superman lunch box. Whatever makes you happy.
Or use a Superman lunch box. Whatever makes you happy.
Planning ahead (use a few hours of your weekend to do this) will keep you on track and allow you to feel energized all day long throughout the entire week.
We introduced a delicious salad recently during our "Night of Nutrition" and we want to encourage you to consider adding it to your lunch at least one day a week.
Spinach, Kale, mixed greens...you pick. None of that iceberg or romaine lettuce. You need a large, dark, leafy base to get started.
A source of protein...grilled or baked chicken, fish, pork, tofu, or some other lean source is best.
Load up on the veggies (your pick)....
Bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, summer squash, and more
And then add something sweet such as a clementine, small apple, dried cranberries (1 tbsp at most), avocado (no more than 1/2 of one), tomato, pomegranate seeds, etc.
Remember you can also add walnuts, almonds, pecans and other nuts but you MUST do so in moderation. 1 tbsp max.
A salad full of color, a variety of flavors, and different textures will leave you full, satisfied and not grabbing for unhealthy snacks just an hour or two later.
The key is a healthy protein.
Salad dressing is a personal choice....but even if you worry it won't be flavorful try this:
1/2 tsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of red wine vinegar
1 tsp of olive oil
(and feel free to alter measurements to taste - except for the olive oil)
Make the effort to bring your lunch and we promise you'll see a difference, feel better and enjoy your weekend splurges or that occasional office treat a lot more.
