Lunchtime is a great time to get outside and enjoy the weather while eating. It’s also a great opportunity to unplug from work and focus on yourself and others.
If you bring your lunch, it can be healthy and inexpensive.
If you are dining out, you can still make smart choices about where to eat, what to order, and how much to eat. If you’re watching your health or your wallet, here are some tips for making healthy choices at lunchtime.
- Plan ahead. If you pack your own lunch, you’ll know exactly what’s in it, so you can avoid high-fat foods or those with too much salt or sugar. Make sure the food is safely stored and that you have a way to heat it up if necessary.
- Pack protein foods such as lean meat or poultry, fish, eggs, beans (legumes), nuts and nut butters (no peanuts if there’s a chance of an allergy) for calories and nutrients.
- Stay hydrated by drinking water instead of sugary beverages like sports drinks or sodas. You can flavor water with fruit slices or herbs if needed.
Top lunch ideas
1. Cold quinoa, salmon, avocado and pea salad
Salmon is a perfect lunch time food as it’s packed with protein and healthy fat to keep you satisfied. Plus, it’s super easy to make a big batch of this salmon salad at the beginning of the week so you can portion out your lunches for the rest of the week!
2. Chicken Shawarma Salad Jar
This chicken shawarma salad jar is loaded with Middle Eastern flavours, including tahini dressing, lemon juice, parsley, tomato and onion. Pack leftovers in a container and top with dressing before eating. This is an easy lunch idea that will keep lunch exciting.
3. Healthy Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocado
If you’re looking for something different than your usual sandwich then give this tuna salad stuffed avocado a try! It’s full of flavour and healthy fats plus it’s incredibly easy to prepare (just mix together all ingredients in a bowl). Also, if you don’t like avocados or simply don’t have any on hand, feel free to enjoy this tuna salad over some lettuce leaves as a lettuce wrap instead or serve it on top of whole grain crackers.
