Back in the office after months of working from home?
You’re still at home and in charge of the family lunches?
Did you over-indulge during vacation and want to get back on the right track?
Here are a few tips for lunchbox success!
Firstly, there’s no sense in feeling guilty or for deprivation. In fact, it’s just a question of quantity and variety. And yes, planning ahead of time is the secret to not having to eat a ham sandwich every day!
This planning obviously begins at the grocery store. Ideally, lunches should have fruit or veggies, grain products and proteins. It’s always good to have the items you need at home for ease and convenience (legumes, tuna, eggs, chicken, pasta, frozen fruit, dried fruit, etc.).
In addition to saving time, planning will make eating healthier easier. Also, plan a few minutes for prepping certain food in advance. For example, cut veggies into pieces and keep them in an airtight container. Same goes for large fruits: Melons, pineapple, mangoes and others.
Sunday evening or Monday morning is not the ideal time for lunch prep. People usually cook over the weekends and the lunches on Monday and Tuesday, could easily include leftovers from the weekend, as long as it’s balanced, especially with fruits and vegetables.
Don’t over-pack your lunchbox. It’s better to put a wider variety of items, in smaller amounts. In addition to the main dish, you can also include other items such as yogurt, cubed cheese, nuts, crackers, homemade muffins, etc.
From time to time, change it up by serving a soup or homemade salad with grains and/or proteins (lean meats, fish, poultry, etc.). Lastly, why not add a little treat now and again, such as a brownie, piece of pie or chocolate in small amounts.
Good appetite!