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Nutrition 101: What should I eat for lunch?
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Tortilla wrap (photo by Ernesto Andrade)
Lunch is one of the easiest meals to prepare as leftover dinner from the night before can be packed and brought to work without much effort. Lunch is an important meal and shouldn’t be missed. However, determining the foods that best suit your lifestyle and nutritional needs for lunch is even more important. If the meals you typically eat at lunchtime make you feel tired an hour or two after consuming them, then conducting a small experiment will be well worth it.
Eating lunch should provide you with the energy you need to complete the tasks at hand for several hours until dinner. Working a desk job will require less calories, complex carbohydrates and fats than working a more physically strenuous job. If you feel tired from eating a lunch of pasta and bread, try eating a salad with beans or lean meat and note the difference in your energy level from this type of meal.
Each of us is unique, and listening to our individual needs is key to finding and achieving balance from within. Our needs change due to hormonal fluctuations, the time of year/weather, physical demands, stress level, etc. When we listen and respond to our body’s clues, we can achieve and maintain optimal health.
Feed your body with whole fresh foods while varying your meals and this will bring you closer to your most desired health goals. Experiment with different food combinations, striving for approximately 55-70% carbohydrates, 10-25% protein and 20-35% fat. Below are some excellent ideas for a healthy and satisfying lunch.
- Mixed green salad with black beans and corn
- Shrimp and avocado salad
- Veggie quesadilla with salsa and guacamole
- Sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, sprouts and cucumber
- Whole wheat tortilla wrap lined with hummus and filled with leftovers, beans, salad fixings, quinoa and steamed veggies, or tuna, tomato and spinach
- Leftovers from dinner the night before
- Black bean burrito
- Soup and salad
- Lettuce wrap with grilled chicken, onions and peppers
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