Did you know that approximately 65% of Americans don’t know what a healthy lunch should look like? Choosing the right ingredients and portion sizes for your meals is a large part of living a healthy lifestyle, and maintaining a healthy body weight. Unfortunately, the reality is that many people simply lack knowledge of what their meals are supposed to look like. Who can blame them? If you believe the commercials, every morning should involve a microwave sausage sandwich and every lunch, a five foot long chicken sub. If you want some healthy lunch ideas that will be delicious and filling, read this list.
1. Have an Exciting Salad
A lot of people hear about the benefits of eating a salad and think, “boring.” The bulk of a salad, though, can help to fill you up, and salads today don’t need to be a mix of dull ingredients and lifeless iceburg lettuce. Go for darker greens like romaine and mixed greens; these have both more vitamins, and more flavor. Toppings like onions, pistachios, beets, avocado, goat cheese, and grilled red pepper can add interesting texture and have everyone who sees it begging for your recipe.
2. Healthy Lunches to Pack: The Sandwich
One problem a lot of people have is portion control. If you’re making sandwiches, healthy lunches should have one to two servings of meat at the most. The food pyramid recommends the average adult eat 2-3 servings of meat, eggs, and nuts every day. Four ounces per serving is roughly the size of a card deck. Idea for a healthy sandwich? Layer black forest ham, swiss cheese, and chicken breast on a wheat roll, and eat with a side of marinara sauce. This delicious combo will have only 300 calories! A single serving of cheese, by the way, is 1.5 ounces.
3. Healthy Eating Tips
One mistake many people make is allowing their bodies to go into starvation mode before the lunch hour. Is your tummy rumbling by mid morning? Don’t hold off– you’re likely to stuff yourself more and experience an after-lunch sleepy period if you do. Instead, pack a piece of fruit to get you through the rough patch. A medium sized apple has only about 70 calories, and fruit is a good, fiber rich addition to your diet. Yogurt can also be a solution, just keep in mind that only 2-3 servings of dairy are recommended per day.
Have some ideas for healthy lunches to pack?
