Whether you’re someone with a regular 9-5 workday or a student hustling to get to class, lunch is a necessary meal to refuel and revitalize our bodies. Unfortunately, many of us opt for the convenient cafeteria pizza or fast food choices because of the demands of the rest of our day. Going this route can make you feel sluggish, and this lame lunch likely won’t do it’s job to satisfy you until dinner time. But, don’t fret. You absolutely can make the most of it! We are going to discuss ways that we can make lunch easy to prepare before you leave the house, while also giving you enough food that will supply you with the nutrients you require!

Try preparing classic lunches, with a twist, to make them more nutritionally beneficial.

What better way to go classic and easy than a sandwich! For your bread, whole grain is a must. Half of your daily carbohydrates should be from whole grains, so why not knock out two birds with one stone?

Important: add veggies to your sandwich to hit all the food groups!

Try to add at least three vegetables to your sandwich such as: tomato, lettuce, onion, cucumbers, pickles, black olives, sliced green or red sweet peppers, banana peppers, spinach leaves, and avocado (Avocado is a fruit but it’s still delicious!). Finally for your spreads, try a low fat mustard, low fat mayo, or relish. Try and avoid butter to keep the saturated fat as low as possible.

To switch it up, make your sandwich into a wrap with a whole grain or veggie tortilla that you can fit more vegetables and protein into!

Here’s a tip!

Think about adding black beans and low fat shredded cheese with a protein into the wrap to give it a burrito style!

 

You could also go for a more simple option like a PB&J that will still provide you with high protein and make you feel full. Start with your whole grain bread, add “sugar-free” or “100% fruit based” jams/jellies, and add peanut butter that does not contain added sugar or oils. The ingredient list should only contain peanuts and maybe salt. You could also substitute peanut butter for other nut butters like almond butter, making it an AB&J!

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Another lunchtime favorite: salads! Pack your salads with veggies and even fruit like sliced apples or cranberries. Start with a base like spinach leaves, arugula, kale or romaine lettuce. Then pack the base with colorful veggies to fill you up: avocado, sweet peppers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, cucumbers, black beans, beets, add all your favorite vegetables!

You can also incorporate nuts and seeds to give your salad a crunch.

– Add crushed almonds, walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds for extra texture.

– For your protein, try leaner options such as chicken breast, turkey, tuna, salmon, or hard boiled eggs.

Dressings is where you should be cautious. We all love to slather things with ranch or Italian dressing, but there are too many added sugars and fat in these to do this daily! Try to choose an oil-based option such as olive oil or balsamic vinaigrette, rather than a cream based dressing, that still adds flavor without the added calories and sugar that pre-packaged dressings contain.