Wellness@Work: How to pack a healthy lunch
Planning ahead and packing a healthy lunch is easy, much more satisfying, budget friendly, and relaxing.
Bob Israel, M.D.
USA Health Integrative Health and Wellness
Fighting mid-afternoon fatigue can be done, but it takes some planning. How you do this begins with what you choose for lunch. Fast food or prepackaged food and snacks you can grab and eat are rarely your best choice. But without a plan for filling a growling stomach, it more frequently than not can become our default meal.
Planning ahead and packing a healthy lunch is easy, much more satisfying, budget friendly, and relaxing. A favorite choice for me is a whole-grain salad made with leftover cooked farro, barley, or brown rice topped with beans, some fresh spinach, and maybe leftover roasted vegetables and nuts.
You won’t get bored because the variations on this theme are numerous. For example, consider the same ingredients, but with broth to make it a hearty soup full of fiber and nutrition. Repurposed roasted chicken or sausage does well here, in addition to makeover vegetables.
Whole-grain bread makes a good filling sandwich with your choice of protein and maybe lettuce, tomato, or pickles. All these choices have the advantage of sating your appetite and sticking with you for the rest of the day.
You can finish it off with an apple, banana, or a bunch of berries you packed in a small plastic container in the morning or the night before. If you need some crunch, try adding a handful of nuts as a separate snack.
Another great upside to packing your own healthy lunch is that you will feel more energetic at 2:30 and 5 p.m. than if you eat chicken fingers and fries, or white bread sandwiches with mayo and chips.
How can you lead a longer, better life? Follow weekly Wellness@Work tips from USA Health Integrative Health and Wellness. We cover ways you can eat better, move better, be more mindful, and find more balance to support your optimal health and well-being. Learn more at usahealthsystem.com/wellness.
