Lunch Date

We all remember packing a lunch for school or having a lunch packed by mom. It was probably peanut butter and jelly :) That wasn't so long ago for me, but now that I am working through lunch and packing my own lunch again I am starting to see why I ate the same thing every day for lunch. It can be hard to come up with creative healthful lunches that don't get boring (or repetitive!) So I thought I would share some tips for healthy lunch packing and eating.

Tip 1: Pack your lunch the night before.
Why? If you pack your lunch at night when you aren't rushed to get out the door in the morning you are more likely to think though what you are packing and making the meal balanced. In the morning when there is such limited time it is easy to grab a couple pre packaged things or to skip packing lunch all together and roll through a drive through. If you just don't have time the night before or you think your lunch may not taste good pre-made over night at least think about it before you go to bed or jot it down (if you think you'll forget, like me :)

Tip 2: Don't skip the protein and make your grains whole
Why? The carbs from the whole grains will give you energy for the rest of the work day and the fiber will keep you full until dinner. The same with the protein, it will keep you satisfied until the end of the day rolls around. If your lunch consists mainly of white flour and sugar (the main ingredients in processed foods) you will be looking for something else to eat in a couple hours.

Tip 3: Pack your lunch!
Why? It might seem easier or quicker to run through the drive through and pick up something but packing lunch is cheaper and healthier. A lot of fast food meals skip the whole grain, fruit, vegetable and dairy and give you a whole bunch of fat and calories instead.

So what should you pack for lunch? Here's an idea.

If you like to buy your lunch....
Try recreating your favorite drive through meal. If you have a favorite sandwich from Panera Bread, buy the ingredients and make the sandwich yourself. Panera may seem like a healthy alternative, but their breads and sandwiches are loaded with salt and calories. The Sierra Turkey for example has 920 calories  and 1900mg of sodium (thats almost your whole days worth!). Try this recipe instead:

Slimmed down Turkey Sandwich 
1 Onion Roll (whole grain if you can find it)
2-3 slices of deli turkey
1 slice of reduced fat provolone
Any type of lettuce, as much as you want (baby greens would be the best)
Sliced onions (if you like)
1 T reduced fat mayo

One more thing, make your lunch fun! You want to look forward to your lunch. If that means having something sweet at the end pack a square of dark chocolate (antioxidants!!) or a homemade cookie- whatever you like. If you like chips with your sandwich- shoot for a health alternative most days and treat yourself at the end (or the beginning) of the week. Try bringing nuts, whole grain crackers or pita chips instead.

Happy Lunching! :)